Bonjour_Voyageurs

My daughter is spending 3 weeks in July on an independent study with a small group from her university. They will stay in dorms at the University of Botswana in Gaborone and go on a 3-day safari with the group. My concern is that she wants to travel to South Africa to visit a friend of hers. That person may live near Johannesburg or CapeTown. I am not sure and she doesn't want to provide me with specifics so that I "don't worry". Any suggestions that I may share with a 21 year old who most likely will be traveling alone?
Thanks,
Michele

atravelynn

How will she be getting to South Africa and to her friend's home? She should be aware of how she is traveling and where she'll end up and share that with you, just as any adult shares his or her basic itinerary with family members back home so contacts can be made if necessary.

Can the university advisors provide her with info or help on visiting her friend? Can you contact the university and ask that they assist her with reasonable travel plans to South Africa?

All will likely be just fine, but one suggestion for her is that often when on vacation we feel a false sense of security that nothing can happen because, "Hey, I'm on vacation." Caution that we might exercise at home can get thrown to the wind when on a carefree holiday. The opposite should be true because we need to be more aware in unfamiliar surroundings.

If she is flying to South Africa and being picked up at the airport by her friend, no problem.

hills27

Doesn't want to provide you with specifics so you don't worry? Something sounds fishy here. She's doing something she knows is not smart (not just visiting a friend...or at least not one she knows well) and doesn't want to tell you. Hopefully I'm wrong, but I'm not that far removed from my 20s that I can't read between the lines.

Bonjour_Voyageurs

To HILLS27,
There's nothing fishy going on, and thankfully I know her well enough to say so. She has to be one of the most cautious people I know and has been that way since she was little. This is more of a reflection of her generation that make last minute plans and fly by the seat of their pants. By contrast, her father and I will spend months on Fodor's forums and TripAdvisor planning any trip
As for her friend, he is a fellow student and friend of hers she has known for 3 years at her university. He happens to come from South Africa so she thought it would be nice to visit him in his home land.
I appreciate your observations and feel confident saying that you are wrong in your judgement. Many thanks though!

To ATRAVELYNN:
I cannot answer your 1st question and was hoping someone on the forum who has visited or who lives there could make suggestions such as "do or don't take a bus/train/plane..."
The staff and professor she is traveling with on the independent study will not provide any assistance nor will the university back home. My guess is that she will contact her friend, he will advise her and perhaps she will make friends with people at the University of Botswana who can assist her.
I also think she will be fine and thank you for taking the time to answer my posting.

Michele

Area51

Don't worry - If he is from South Africa and a gentleman he will know all the ins and outs of safety in this country. If she needs to travel on her own for a bit, use reputable shuttle busses such as the Baz Bus which travels thru most of the counrty inexpesively. Stay away from mini-bus taxis as they are death traps. The trains arn't bad either. Greyhounds do travel from Gabarone to SA. Hope she enjoys her stay

John

Celia

If she contacts her friend and takes his advice about travel arrangements, she should be as safe as she would anywhere. Flying would probably be the safest way to travel. The air service between Bots and South Africa is modern and reliable, and by flying you eliminate any worries about a car breakdown in a rural area.

I have no experience with bus or train service between the two countries so can't advise about that.

But if I were you, I would want to know where in fact this person lives -- "near Johannesburg or Cape Town" covers an area of several thousand square miles. Would you be comfortable if she told you she was going to a location "somewhere near Boston or Miami"?

I realize she's 21 and legally an adult, but why wouldn't your own daughter want to tell you where she's going? It sounds fishy to me too.

sunshine007

You could always pop for a plane trip from Gaborone to the South African City in question. Money usually makes life safer.