Landing in Jo-Burg, staying for a few days, but the bulk of the time will be spent in Capetown (10 days).

Things I'm Doing:

. Cage Diving with the Great Whites
. Visiting Table Mtn. (staying in one of the few 5 star hotels in Capetown) - http://www.africanpridehotels.com/15-on-orange-hotel.html
. Robben Island
. Safari's in both Jo-burg and Aquila Game Reserve (staying on the safari range)
. I have time for other things if it's worth it

Anything else I should be seeing while I'm there?

5/2/2011 2:31:08 PM

please please post pics and stories when you get back! i have a friend who just moved there and i want to visit!

5/2/2011 5:36:05 PM

please tell me estimated costs. i really really wanna do something like this in S. Africa.

5/2/2011 6:27:38 PM

message_topic.aspx?topic=563359

a few ideas in that thread although it was fairly world cup focused - i'm not sure what safari you are doing in jo'burg other than maybe the lion park and if that's the case just skip it if you are doing a legit safari

we did a safari up in kruger park in sabi sands and loved it - i've posted a few pictures on here from it

5/3/2011 2:18:39 AM

I'm incredibly jealous. I want to see pictures! I want to hear stories!

5/4/2011 2:15:37 PM

On the runway right now in ATL heading to Jo-burg. Apparently we will have a very unusual tailwind tonight, which should cut over an hour off of the flight.

South Africa here I come!!! See you on the flip side, TWW.

5/7/2011 8:38:49 PM

Hey send me a link or the company you're doing the cage diving with. Or are you just saying to "want" to? This is the best place to do it!

5/7/2011 10:25:18 PM

Good luck. Hope you don't get mugged or car jacked.

5/9/2011 1:35:23 PM

Have a good time! I'm sure its a fun place to visit, but I havent the foggiest clue why anyone would want to live there. Watching international househunters and seeing that no house in any decent neighborhood isnt with a gate, a tall fence, and bars on the windows. Simply amazing.

5/9/2011 1:53:40 PM

Cape Town is the shit, one of my favorite cities in the world. I visited there twice during my study abroad in 2005, so perhaps a few things may be outdated. Here's the list of things to see and do that I enjoyed.

-A restaurant in Cape Town called Nelson's Eye Steakhouse, it's on Hof Street near Ashanti Lodge Hostel (a great hostel btw). Their steaks and sauces (monkey gland is awesome) are to die for, best ostrich I've ever had.
-If you are a meat-eater, try as many different types of game that you can at one of the better restaurants that specialize in cooking game. Crocodile, warthog, oryx/gemsbok, and springbok are all delicious; elephant and water buffalo not so much.
-There's a chain of restaurants called Nando's, serving up Portuguese-spiced chicken. I really thought the food there was great, and if you can handle the extra hot peri-peri then you're a real man!
-Wake up early to see the fog, or tablecloth, pour over Table Mountain in the morning. Look out for rock hyraxes, also called rock dassies, these adorable little creatures living in the bushes up. there that are the closest relative to elephants
-Robben Island is a must.
-Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens are beautiful.
-World-class wine country is nearby in the Stellenbosch area, check out some wineries.
-Definitely go to Cape Point National Park, the scenery is breath-taking, baboons and ostriches are all over, Southern Right Whales are in the bays, and get up close and personal with the colonies of jackass penguins.
-Hang out by the marina, lots of cool shops, outdoor musicians and eateries.
-Hiking up the hills and outcrops (I think one is called Lion's Head if I remember).
-Head over to Observatory (it's just called 'Obs') for a more laid-back beach scene, although being on the other side of the mountain the weather over there is sometimes vastly different than in Cape Town proper.
-Party New Orleans style on Long Street on the weekends.
-If you're up for a serious open-air experience in apartheid, drive by District Six and check out a true African shanty-town.
-When I was there I was told not to walk alone at night, as my hostel was a good 15-minute hike down to Long Street. I drunkenly ignored this advice without any negative consequences on a few occasions.
-You will find the black people there to be MUCH, MUCH friendlier than the white Afrikaaners, use this as an advantage to learn about their culture.

5/10/2011 5:10:44 PM

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1008.html#crime

5/10/2011 5:37:12 PM

One month until my trip to South Africa

Taking some notes from this thread.

1/17/2018 3:15:55 PM

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/27/travel/water-crisis-cape-town-travelers.html

[Edited on January 18, 2018 at 9:14 PM. Reason : fewer ads]

1/18/2018 9:14:18 PM

I am aware of the water crisis. Mother nature has been a real bitch lately thanks to climate change.

1/19/2018 8:26:27 AM