maddie123

My husband and I are thinking about traveling to South Africa this year (October or November). We are frequent travelers but have never been to Africa and honestly the planning seems daunting to me. Where to start? Any advice?

Another question (which I know I need to and will talk with my doctor about) is traveling from the States to South Africa while pregnant.. I currently am not pregnant but my husband and I have decided to actively start trying this summer, so if things go as planned I could be pregnant this fall when we would be doing this trip. Is this a total no no with the risk of malaria and other diseases? Can it be done safely (obviously not late into pregnancy)? Any insight is appreciated.

Gardyloo

Obviously you need to talk to your medical team about any risks associated with long distance travel.

Malaria is not a widespread problem in SA, save for the areas in the north around Kruger Park and to a lesser degree the Kwa-Zulu Natal coast (in the country's northeast.) If going to a safari lodge is part of your plan, it's relatively easy to avoid malaria areas.

I think posters here will be able to offer more advice if we knew how long you'd be able to make available for the trip. South Africa is so big and so marvelously diverse, that you'll need to set some priorities regardless of how many days you'd be in the country. Would you be willing to rent a car? How are you with hot and humid conditions? How far along is your planning in general? Like I say, more information will help us make more relevant recommendations.

maddie123

Thanks for the message. We would be able to spend 10-12 days in the country (traveling from the east coast in the USA). As you stated, Africa is so large and diverse, making the planning very overwhelming for me, so any advice is appreciated!

-A safari is #1 on our list and the only absolute must do on the trip, everything else would be negotiable depending on time constraints but we want to see as much as we can in the short amount of time we will be there since it is such a long journey and I have no idea if or when we would be able to return. What is the optimal number of days for a safari and any suggestions on which lodge/area to look in is helpful).
-I would love to check out a bigger city while we are there (ex: Cape Town)
-I've heard the wine lands area is beautiful so would be open to something like this. My husband and I are also huge water/beach people so somewhere a bit more relaxing with beaches and beautiful views, nature, and scenery would also be a great addition.

I am totally open to any and all suggestions. A bit about us and how we like to travel that might help with suggestions:
-We love meeting new people and tend to make friends with locals and other travelers on our trips. We enjoy doing less touristy things to really get a feel for an area and how the locals live. That being said, we do obviously love to see very famous and import things in an area as well.
-We are go, go, go 98% of the time when we travel because we want to see and do as much as possible. We are okay with hoping to different destinations if it makes sense and are fine with taking planes, trains, etc. to different cities or countries throughout our stay. We would love to sprinkle in a couple days of relaxation if possible.

Please feel free to ask any questions that may help you make suggestions!

Heimdall

I agree with what Gardyloo wrote. I have in-laws who live in Cape Town, and have been there several times. I have been on safaris in Kenya, Tanzania and Zimbabwe, but not in South Africa. If you are worried about malaria or malaria medication, as Gardyloo wrote you can pick a safari in an area that is malaria free.

There aren’t any good safari parks in the Cape Town area, but some in the Eastern Cape and KZN that are worth seeing with no worries about malaria. Cape Town is amazing! The city has beach suburbs, Table Mountain, shopping malls, divided highways, and vineyards that date back to the 1600s. South Africa has excellent private medical care (the world’s first heart transplant was performed at Groot Shuur Hospital in Cape Town).

if you go in October or November that is whale watching season in the Western Cape. There are seals and penguins to see as well.

deladeb

We had a wonderful trip to Capetown, taking day trips to wine region, southern tip, Boulder Beach penguins,, nearby beaches. We then went to 2 different places for 2 nights each where we went on Safari rides twice a day. We went in mid February. We used Pembury Tours (based in South Africa and were very happy with the lodging and drivers who took us to each destination. There are many other companies that Fodor folks have been happy with too, I can’t recall the names. Good luck with your planning!