South Africa Travel Guide

Very cool

Good people, good food, good safari. It was great days.

Compare Kruger Park with Sabi Sand (Private game reserve) I would only go private in future.

The game reserves were excellent and showcase Africa's unique wildlife. Spent 2 days in Kruger and 2 days in Sabi Sand. There was more game in Kruger but a greater variety in Sabi Sand. I would only go to a private game reserve in future. Accommodation and food were far better in the private reserve as well. Weather was mixed - cold at first but much hotter later. We also visited Johannesburg and O.R. Tambo airport has to be the worst international airport in the world. There are no signs anywhere to assist you in checking in and we had to go to the domestic terminal to check in for an international flight to Zimbabwe. Compare this with King Shaka in Durban where for every flight, the check-in desk is shown on a very large information board. We also visited Cape Town. Trying to go up Table Mountain as individuals is almost impossible. There was a queue which took 3 hours to get onto the cable car and another queue that took another 3 hours just to buy a ticket. We gave up eventually. Same issue with trying to go to Robben Island. Unless you are prepared to pay an exorbitant amount for a private tour, you can't get on a boat. Again, we had to give up. The V&A Waterfront is well advertised but in the end is only a shopping centre with some restaurants - quite disappointing. For an Australian, the prices in South Africa seem very cheap and it's a good place to go for a holiday once. Not enough different things to do to keep returning though but I would recommend it to anyone who has never been.

Once in a lifetime experience that reminds you why life is worth living.

We visited South Africa as a family trip and are now scheming how to make it an annual event that all in the family can attend. A trip intended to expose my mom and my oldest two nephews to international travel and it was an absolute success. PaperJet Travel and Justin Perumal made our trip everything that we could have ever imagined...and more!! They organized our safari at Kruger which was an amazing time of bonding as we learned new animals and birds, tracked the Big 5 (all of which we saw at least twice), and were surrounded by here’s of buffalos and elephants. Seeing the animals in their natural habitat was breathtaking. Marka, our guide at MalaMala Game Reserve, was extremely knowledgeable and took the time to find every animal we desired to see and to ensure that we fully enjoyed our time. We also spent time in Cape Town and Johannesburg where the people are ridiculously loving and absolutely amazing. The hotels we stayed in were more than accommodating and the staff ensures that we enjoyed our stay by going above and beyond their duties. South Africa is a beautiful place, full of culture and beauty that everyone should experience at least once.

Where the Wild Things Still Are

My wife and I had an excellent safari experience, with knowledgable guides, nice accomodations, and good food. We will never forget the experience of being in the bush and seeing all the creatures we have dreamed of. Sadly, we fear that wildlife is in danger of disappearing and hope that all steps will be taken to preserve it.

In every park you can find different wonderful landscape and attraction. Big five, smallfive, incredible vegetation and flowers. Everypark and reserve is well manteined with all facilities. You can drive almost everywhere and do night safariwith good guides.

South Africa is a great country full of beautiful nature ánd culture. These two make this country a great destination for a holiday. Just make sure you have some time to enjoy the different parts of this country and don't rush to see as much as possible in a short time. It's much better to really enjoy two or three places instead of seeing everything shortly. My ideal trip would be a week in Kruger (including a wilderness walk!), visiting Drakensberg and/or Blyde River Canyon and driving (part of) the Gardenroute. Please don't forget to do a township tour to see this part of the country as well and understand it a bit better. SA is beautiful, but there are still many challenges especially for the poor people. Please pay attention to this part of the country as well. The beggars on the street can be annoying, but take the time to listen to them and treat them like any other human. You don't support them by giving money, spend your money on the people who work for it instead. That's how you can really support the people and the country. And don't forget to enjoy! :-)

Since this was my first safari experience and I had the great fortune of staying at Tintswalo, Idube, and Lukimbi; three very different lodges. I fell in love with game reserves and photographing animals. I loved being able to interact with various cultures, just learning basic greetings and getting to use them. Even down to the various drivers who took me from lodge to lodge and to the airport: so many unique people who were easily willing to share their knowledge and pride in South Africa. It just kept getting better! And I would like to add that the admin staff were all very professional and helpful in securing last minute transportation. Many more good things to say.....fabulous experience.

I did safari also in Kenya and Tanzania, places are also beautifull in these coutries but in south africa you can drive your car yourself and that changes everything...

I believe it is great depending on where you go but Pilanesberg Game Reserve definitely deserves 5 stars for all of those criteria. I am pretty sure the other Game Reserve will also be just as amazing. I live with my best friend who is a South African and all he has described to me has been accurate during my visit there therefore I would definitely go back some day to visit more of South Africa.

South Africa was just beautiful -- the landscape itself, not just the animals.