Jump to content

Kenya to South Africa Cruise Options, Tips, Ideas??!!


TLCOhio
 Share

Recommended Posts

Just got back from our first visit to Australia and New Zealand (see more below). Loved it so much!! Looking for more of those non-Europe, non-Carib experiences that are different, unique and special. Now our early 2015 goal is Africa. Appreciate the great insights, tips and comments we have received in the past from Cruise Critic boards. Here are some questions and interests.

 

Just put down a deposit on a 13-day, March 23-April 5, 2015, #4507, Silversea Silver Whisper "adventure" from Mombasa, Kenya to Cape Town, South Africa. This would allow time prior to that cruise for some Kenya safari time, then do this cruise with stops in Zanzibar/Tanzania, three locations in and around Madagascar, three ports in South Africa and the finish in scenic Cape Town. Then, some more safari excitement in and around South Africa and maybe Botswana, after the cruise. Not cheap. Also challenging physically. BUT, we need to get these "things" done while we are young, health and active in our current mid-60's age range.

 

We enjoyed Silversea and Norway very much in July 2010 as detailed on the live/blog connected below. Here are my specific questions:

 

1. Any Africa super loves/experiences and/or where these types of cruise lines do some special things, super well for ship port stops/excursions at Zanzibar/Tanzania, Dzaoudzi/Mayotte, Nosy Be/Komba/Madagascar, Mahajanga/Madagascar, plus Richards Bay, Durban, East London and Cape Town in South Africa?

 

2. This 13-day Africa segment is a part of the much longer 2015 World Cruise. What are the pro and con factors for joining in as just a "segment" sailor on such a long, long cruise? Are there too many "cliques" already established on the ship or are they welcoming to "newbies" joining in for their "club" of long-established passengers on this overall journey?

 

3 Is the safety/security situation heighten and/or changed by major cruise lines when traveling/docking in these parts of Africa given its closeness to Somalia, etc.?

 

4. Other tips, questions, suggestions for doing a cruise in these exotic parts of the world?

 

THANKS for the help and interest! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Just back from doing a 14-day Celebrity Solstice, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure on this ship and getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for much more information and lots of wonderful pictures on these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 53,374 views for this fun posting.

 

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 140,856 views. Nice to be hitting this high of a level for viewership. Appreciate the interest!!

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Terry

We can't comment on a lot of your questions but having used your reviews to help plan our trip to the Norwegian Fjords last year, felt I wanted to offer something back!

We are just back from a 30 day self drive road trip in South Africa, starting and finishing in Cape Town. We had a wonderful time, stayed in some fabulous B&Bs as we made a leisurely journey along the Garden Route to the area north of Port a Elizabeth where we stayed in a couple of private game reserves (Amakhala and Shamwari).

It was excellent value for money - car rental $21 per day, gas $1.12 per litre, B&B average $85 pn. Superb restaurants and wines were also excellent value. Driving was easy on relatively quiet roads. We never had any concerns for our personal safety, but took the usual precautions when travelling. In fact we always met pleasant smiley people who were invariably keen to help / offer advice.

If you email me at rogeriholt at gmail dot com, I will send you a link to a review I wrote for some friends who are interested in visiting SA. We are planning our next trip which will be a combination of South Africa (Kwa Zulu Natal battle fields; Drakensburg mtns; Kruger NP) and Namibia. If our funds hold out we would like to add a side trip to the Victoria Falls.

Glad you enjoyed your voyage on the Solstice - we did a 30 day trip on her last year (Sydney - Auckland - Perth). Again, a wonderful trip.

Edited by Omega1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you pass through Johannesburg, and have not done enough lion-viewing, then a good spot is the Lion-park in Randburg. They also have a lion-cub enclosure where you can hold the lion cubs. You can do it in a morning or afternoon, and it is about 30 minutes out from Sandton/Johannesburg CBD on the NW side of the city.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you pass through Johannesburg, and have not done enough lion-viewing, then a good spot is the Lion-park in Randburg. They also have a lion-cub enclosure where you can hold the lion cubs. You can do it in a morning or afternoon, and it is about 30 minutes out from Sandton/Johannesburg CBD on the NW side of the city.

 

Hi Terry. We can't comment on a lot of your questions but having used your reviews to help plan our trip to the Norwegian Fjords last year, felt I wanted to offer something back! We are just back from a 30 day self drive road trip in South Africa, starting and finishing in Cape Town. We had a wonderful time, stayed in some fabulous B&Bs as we made a leisurely journey along the Garden Route to the area north of Port a Elizabeth where we stayed in a couple of private game reserves (Amakhala and Shamwari). It was excellent value for money - car rental $21 per day, gas $1.12 per litre, B&B average $85 pn. Superb restaurants and wines were also excellent value. Driving was easy on relatively quiet roads. We never had any concerns for our personal safety, but took the usual precautions when travelling. In fact we always met pleasant smiley people who were invariably keen to help / offer advice. If you email me at rogeriholt at gmail dot com, I will send you a link to a review I wrote for some friends who are interested in visiting SA. We are planning our next trip which will be a combination of South Africa (Kwa Zulu Natal battle fields; Drakensburg mtns; Kruger NP) and Namibia. If our funds hold out we would like to add a side trip to the Victoria Falls. Glad you enjoyed your voyage on the Solstice - we did a 30 day trip on her last year (Sydney - Auckland - Perth). Again, a wonderful trip.

 

Appreciate this added info from Stan and Omega1. Very helpful. Will copy and save to my files as I work on planning for this "adventure". Keep it coming for any added experiences, ideas and suggestions.

 

For Omega1, glad that my review helped to plan your trip to the Norwegian Fjords last year. Wonderful areas there, too.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Celebrity Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of nice visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 168,565 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you are going to fly into Nairobi to start your trip (connecting there to Mombassa), I highly suggest you make a reservation to visit the David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage. The orphanage rescues baby elephants whose mothers have died or ben killed. There is a daily "mud bath" time when you can watch the elephants come to the mud hole and play. Their individual handlers are there with them and will talk to you. It is a good way to ease you into all the wildlife viewing you will see on your trip, as well as giving you some education into what happens out there.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We will be on the Crystal Serenity next year for the WC 2015. We are especially excited about going to South Africa. I found this article on Capetown that might be of some help:

 

http://www.travelstart.co.za/blog/40-things-to-do-in-cape-town-under-r200/?utm_source=SocialMedia&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=Facebook_TSZA_CPT40things

 

 

We were on 2 segments of the Regent WC 2011. I think there were some cliques but also think that some people on the WC were ready for some "fresh" faces! We never felt like an outsider.

 

I know you'll have a fabulous time and look forward to your photos and comments!

 

Karen

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks to all of you who have responded to my concern regarding my wife's migraines. It is very much appreciated. My wife has decided that she wants to go so we are looking at 2016 since we already have plans through the end of next year. The AMA cruise seems to have a lot of positives but we are considering other options such as doing a land tour or possibly flying to South Africa and doing a self-drive to an area like Krueger National Park. We won't see as much of Africa with the third option but I if I do the driving I can control, to a certain extent, the smoothness of the drive.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks to all of you who have responded to my concern regarding my wife's migraines. It is very much appreciated. My wife has decided that she wants to go so we are looking at 2016 since we already have plans through the end of next year. The AMA cruise seems to have a lot of positives but we are considering other options such as doing a land tour or possibly flying to South Africa and doing a self-drive to an area like Krueger National Park. We won't see as much of Africa with the third option but I if I do the driving I can control, to a certain extent, the smoothness of the drive.

 

Sorry. I posted this in the wrong thread. I will repost. My apologies.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sorry. I posted this in the wrong thread. I will repost. My apologies.

 

Just a quick tip.

When you submit a post to a thread, there will be an edit button visible at the bottom of your post for about 15 ~ 20 minutes, so you could always edit the post to remove content, and could replace it with something like "Deleted content - wrong thread."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just a quick tip.

When you submit a post to a thread, there will be an edit button visible at the bottom of your post for about 15 ~ 20 minutes, so you could always edit the post to remove content, and could replace it with something like "Deleted content - wrong thread."

 

Thank you. New at this and still learning.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The only tip i will give is in relation to Tanzania. For Zanzibar, you may actually dock in Dar es Salaam. There isnt a lot to do there. It is safe during the day, but i would avoid walking around at night

 

Appreciate this good tip/question for the docking location. Just checked and the cruise line notes: "The ship is scheduled to dock at the Port of Zanzibar. The town centre can be reached in approximately 15 minutes on foot, or via a short taxi ride." It appears that we are "safe" from being at Dar es Salaam.

 

On Zanzibar, from the New York Times in their upcoming Sunday morning travel section, they will have this headline: "36 Hours in Zanzibar, Tanzania". Here are a few of the highlights: "The name Zanzibar conjures up visions of sultans’ palaces, paradisiacal beaches and winding alleyways leading to spice-filled bazaars. Indeed, this coral archipelago in the Indian Ocean, 23 miles off the eastern coast of Tanzania, still has many of the features that it did when it was an important trading center and its historic Stone Town served as the capital of an Omani sultanate. Zanzibar’s largest island, Unguja, is home to most of the cultural attractions, many of them found in beguiling Stone Town, which was awarded Unesco World Heritage status in 2000. In recent years, there’s been a concerted effort to restore and give new life to the city’s distinctive structures. Palaces have been turned into museums and cultural centers, and grand Swahili mansions have been reborn as restaurants and boutique hotels. Yet the coast still offers the 'delicious view' that the explorer Sir Richard Burton recorded, of a 'cocoa-fringed shore of purest white, and the sea blue as a slab of lapis lazuli.' "

 

Lots of details, options and potentials are outlined in this profile. Here is one of the highlights to consider: "Wandering down the narrow lanes of Stone Town in the late afternoon, past coral rag houses and dimly lit curio shops, might be this city’s simplest pleasure. Many buildings date to the 19th century, and their most striking feature is their ornate doors. Carved out of mahogany or teak, some Zanzibari doors are adorned with brass spikes, while others have intricate patterns, like vines or lotus flowers, etched onto them. Standout portals include the golden door at the House of Wonders, the entrance to the Old Fort, and a collection of doors on Baghani Street. A map of Stone Town’s finest doors can be bought for $4 at the Gallery Bookshop, while a refreshing mango and coconut smoothie (4,000 shillings, or $2.55, at 1,570 shillings to the dollar) can be ordered to go at Lazuli, a tiny cafe with a turquoise door."

 

Lots of nice pictures, maps and other specifics are included. I'll be copying these details and saving in my computer file on my laptop. Gets one very excited about visiting this famed location with its exotic name/reputation.

 

Full story at:

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/04/travel/36-hours-in-zanzibar-tanzania.html?hpw&rref=travel

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Just back from doing a 14-day Celebrity Solstice, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure on this ship and getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for much more information and lots of wonderful pictures on these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 55,053 views for this fun posting.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Terry,

Thanks for all your suggestions, etc. for our Norway cruise a few years ago.

We have now booked a land based Tauck tours for Kenya and Tanzania in September/October 2014, as well as a few days in Cape Town by ourselves.

We were originally going to book a cruise, when I was dissuaded by a poster who recommended a land tour for our first trip to Africa. But, I will enthusiastically follow this thread for ideas.

Thanks,

Kathy

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Terry, Thanks for all your suggestions, etc. for our Norway cruise a few years ago. We have now booked a land based Tauck tours for Kenya and Tanzania in September/October 2014, as well as a few days in Cape Town by ourselves. We were originally going to book a cruise, when I was dissuaded by a poster who recommended a land tour for our first trip to Africa. But, I will enthusiastically follow this thread for ideas. Thanks, Kathy

 

Appreciate, Kathy, your interest and follow-up. Glad that I was helpful for your Norway trip. Clearly if we were just doing our first trip to Africa via a cruise, that might not be the best or ideal approach. BUT, by combining BOTH safaris and a cruise, especially with this routing and unique ports, it could be super good. PLUS, we'll be able to sample both Kenya and South Africa/Botswana.

 

Will share more as info and details as we line them up and/or as we are learning more. Please from you and others, share and give us your added good tips, ideas experiences and insights.

 

Will keep posting my questions and key info here.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Super loved Dubrovnik!!! See more details and lots of great visual samples/examples at this link. Have had over 21,522 views on this posting and appreciate those who have tuned-in and dropped by.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1439227

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Hi Terry

 

So glad you have decided to come to Africa and specifically South Africa! I went on a Silhouette cruise in 2012 to Venice, Dubrovnik, Montenegro, Malta etc and your photos were an inspiration!

 

We are cruising the Greek Isles later this year.

 

I live in Johannesburg and travel the Garden Route (Knysna, Plett, George, Mossel Bay, Oudtshoorn) regularly so if you have any questions on these areas, let me know. The Sabi Sands / Kruger Park area is the premier wildlife area of South Africa so it is also worth considering. We have stayed at Chitwa in the past and it has been fantastic. It is however, a malaria area so if you want to avoid this, then a place like the Eastern Cape may be a better option for you to do a safari.

 

Happy planning!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Terry

 

So glad you have decided to come to Africa and specifically South Africa! I went on a Silhouette cruise in 2012 to Venice, Dubrovnik, Montenegro, Malta etc and your photos were an inspiration!

 

We are cruising the Greek Isles later this year.

 

I live in Johannesburg and travel the Garden Route (Knysna, Plett, George, Mossel Bay, Oudtshoorn) regularly so if you have any questions on these areas, let me know. The Sabi Sands / Kruger Park area is the premier wildlife area of South Africa so it is also worth considering. We have stayed at Chitwa in the past and it has been fantastic. It is however, a malaria area so if you want to avoid this, then a place like the Eastern Cape may be a better option for you to do a safari.

 

Happy planning!

 

We will be in Johannesburg for a little over a day in December 2014. We overnight there with an evening flight the next day and were wondering how to spend the day. Do you have any suggestions on what to see and do? A place to go for dinner? I think we are staying at the 54 On Bath Hotel. This is the last night of about a 40 day trip away from home including a 4 day stay at Kapama Private Game Reserve. Thank you in advance for any help you can give me.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We will be in Johannesburg for a little over a day in December 2014. We overnight there with an evening flight the next day and were wondering how to spend the day. Do you have any suggestions on what to see and do? A place to go for dinner? I think we are staying at the 54 On Bath Hotel. This is the last night of about a 40 day trip away from home including a 4 day stay at Kapama Private Game Reserve. Thank you in advance for any help you can give me.

With such a short time in JHB, if you have not had your fill of lions, then you could go to the Lion Park in Randburg. Only about 30 minutes north-west of where you will be, and it can be done in a morning or afternoon. It is on the outskirts of Randburg, and is easily reached by car (no need for 4x4 vehicle). You can even hold lion cubs there, and you are up close when doing the drive-through. If you time it right you may even get to see them feed the prides of lions. This is a drive-through park, or you can do guided tours. Check it out at http://www.lion-park.com/

 

Also if you want to have the real-Africa meal then you could try Carnivore Restaurant on the west side in Muldersdrift - not too far from the Lion Park. Carnivore has all of the exotic game meats done BBQ grill style, and it is eat-as-much-as-you-like. You could do Lion Park in the afternoon, and then go to Carnivore immediately for the evening session. http://www.recreationafrica.co.za/carnivore

(Some restaurants in Rosebank/Sandton will offer some game meat on the menu, but they will not be eat-as-much-as-you-like). I have also read that the Carnivore restaurant in Nairobi (Kenya) no longer offers game meat on the menu (only ostrich and crocodile), so just be aware that if you are offered that as an option in Nairobi that you should consider what is best for you - especially if you want to eat buck-type (wild game) meats, then you may need to do the SA one.

Edited by Starlight Durban Cruising
add. info
Link to comment
Share on other sites

With such a short time in JHB, if you have not had your fill of lions, then you could go to the Lion Park in Randburg. Only about 30 minutes north-west of where you will be, and it can be done in a morning or afternoon. It is on the outskirts of Randburg, and is easily reached by car (no need for 4x4 vehicle). You can even hold lion cubs there, and you are up close when doing the drive-through. If you time it right you may even get to see them feed the prides of lions. This is a drive-through park, or you can do guided tours. Check it out at http://www.lion-park.com/

 

Also if you want to have the real-Africa meal then you could try Carnivore Restaurant on the west side in Muldersdrift - not too far from the Lion Park. Carnivore has all of the exotic game meats done BBQ grill style, and it is eat-as-much-as-you-like. You could do Lion Park in the afternoon, and then go to Carnivore immediately for the evening session. http://www.recreationafrica.co.za/carnivore

(Some restaurants in Rosebank/Sandton will offer some game meat on the menu, but they will not be eat-as-much-as-you-like). I have also read that the Carnivore restaurant in Nairobi (Kenya) no longer offers game meat on the menu (only ostrich and crocodile), so just be aware that if you are offered that as an option in Nairobi that you should consider what is best for you - especially if you want to eat buck-type (wild game) meats, then you may need to do the SA one.

 

Thank you Stan. Great suggestions.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Stan or any one have any suggestions as to tour companies that can do a day tour that includes the lion park and any other places that might be of interest? We are not much for renting a car and driving someplace we have never been before.

Thanks in advance for everyone's help.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sorry, I don't have any ideas for a tour company. I never had to use one as I used to live in Johannesburg.

 

It looks like the Lion Park has a shuttle service http://www.lion-park.com/shuttle-service

 

If no one comes up with any recommendations for tour companies, then perhaps your hotel can assist. I just checked their website, and it looks like they offer "drive service, car hire and specialized city tours" http://www.tsogosunhotels.com/Deluxe/54-on-bath/Documents/54-on-Bath-Services.pdf

 

Hope it all works out, enjoy your trip.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sorry, I don't have any ideas for a tour company. I never had to use one as I used to live in Johannesburg.

 

It looks like the Lion Park has a shuttle service http://www.lion-park.com/shuttle-service

 

If no one comes up with any recommendations for tour companies, then perhaps your hotel can assist. I just checked their website, and it looks like they offer "drive service, car hire and specialized city tours" http://www.tsogosunhotels.com/Deluxe/54-on-bath/Documents/54-on-Bath-Services.pdf

 

Hope it all works out, enjoy your trip.

 

Thank you again Stan. This is very helpful.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1982CruzStart, I should have asked: "What are your interests?"

There are so many things to do in JHB and Pretoria - altho I would say those two I suggested are very worthwhile.

 

I see you are in Canada, and I am assuming that Canadian tipping might be like the US, 15% generally, correct?? In South Africa tipping is 10%, unless you feel you received very good service.

 

If there are any other questions you have then just ask away.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1982CruzStart, I should have asked: "What are your interests?"

There are so many things to do in JHB and Pretoria - altho I would say those two I suggested are very worthwhile.

 

I see you are in Canada, and I am assuming that Canadian tipping might be like the US, 15% generally, correct?? In South Africa tipping is 10%, unless you feel you received very good service.

 

If there are any other questions you have then just ask away.

 

Hi Stan

Thanks for the tipping advice. We tend closer to 20% so good to know that it is 10%. What about tipping the Ranger and driver for our 2x per day game drives for a total of 6 during our stay?

 

As far as our interests, we try and see and do those things that a place is known for or if we are going someplace with an ancient history we will go see historical landmarks or buildings. To us Africa is mostly about the animals so definitely want to maximize that experience. As well I love to see beautiful scenery I can't see at home.

 

Love the idea of the lion park. Maybe i can find a tour that includes it as well as seeing some of the sites around JB or use the shuttle for the lion park and take a tour for the other part of the day. Any place else you think we should see? Is there a Museum in JB that contains the history of SA and historical artifacts that you would recommend? We have all day to kill before our 8:45 pm flight out of JB.

 

Thanks for the info from our hotel. I will contact them and see what they can do.

 

As I know you can sympathize with, we have that marathon trip home to the west coast of North America. We are flying through Atlanta and Seattle then back into Canada. Takes us 2 more short flights after Seattle to finally get home. I want to do as much as possible in JB so i am really tired when i get on the plane.

 

Thanks so much for all your help and advice.

Kathy

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We will be in Johannesburg for a little over a day in December 2014. We overnight there with an evening flight the next day and were wondering how to spend the day. Do you have any suggestions on what to see and do? A place to go for dinner? I think we are staying at the 54 On Bath Hotel. This is the last night of about a 40 day trip away from home including a 4 day stay at Kapama Private Game Reserve. Thank you in advance for any help you can give me.

 

I would recommend the following:

History: If you are interested in history of the City of Johannesburg, then Gold Reef City will be a good option. The Apartheid museum is close by.

 

Animals: The Anne van Dyk Cheetah centre is a wonderful, informative experience.

 

Tribal origins: The Lesedi Cultural Village offers an insight into 5 different South African tribes.

 

As far as restaurants go, I would recommend you go to Mandela (Sandton) Square. The Picolo Mondo is one of our favourite restaurants.

 

Ekala Eco tours offer various options for day trips as does Felleng and both are well reviewed on Trip Advisor.

 

So, in a nutshell, I would recommend that the first evening you arrive, you go to the Level 4 restaurant (which is conveniently located in 54 on Bath hotel).

 

Alternatively ask the hotel to arrange a transfer for you to Mandela Square (it's only about 15 mins from Rosebank) and enjoy dinner at Picolo Mondo.

 

The next day, I would contact either Felleng or Ekala and arrange whichever tour you prefer.

 

Have a wonderful time!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Kathy,

 

Googlemaps is good for SA, and they even have StreetView for SA now, so that should help in figuring out timings and distances. JHB traffic can be horrendous at peak hour (7am to 10am, and 4pm to 7pm), so always plan for delays.

 

On your second day you say you fly out at 8.45pm, and for US-direction flights they say check-in 3 hours before. You will have check-in, security, passport-control, then you are in the duty-free zone, and then another security check before boarding. When I last flew you could not buy alcohol (liquids) in duty free due to the second security check that you would still need to go through. Duty free store was nice enough to refuse to sell alcohol (liquids) to us because we were flying to the US and they did not want us to be upset when those liquids get confiscated. I would say check it out before buying anything in duty-free, perhaps rules have changed. However if they forget to tell you not to buy liquids, then ...

 

Anyway if you have 8.45 flight, then I would arrive latest 6.00pm at Johannesburg International airport. You have two options to get to that airport - the train (from Sandton direct to the airport, and called Gautrain), or shuttle/taxi (subject to peak traffic issues). Ask your hotel what they recommend, and then factor that in because you may need to leave your hotel as early as 3pm if going by taxi, (4pm may be cutting it fine if going by road at that time of day). And you said you are there in December which is HOT, so you will want to freshen up before leaving for the airport. You may need to ask your hotel if you can have VERY LATE checkout so that you can freshen up before an afternoon departure for the airport.

 

That will mean you really only have the morning to sight-see on Day 2 (and the previous day, Day 1). So you may find that Day 2 could possibly only be morning sightseeing. I see that the Lion Park is 9am to 9pm usually, so that could be done in a morning, and you would be going against traffic which might make it a quicker drive there.

 

I just remembered that there are quite a few public holidays in December, so that could impact opening days - although a positive to December is that many people go on vacation in December, so perhaps traffic will be lighter.

 

I found a website that lists some of the museums, but most are quite some distance apart (and different directions).

http://www.places.co.za/html/johannesburg_museums.html

What is closest to you on this list are the following:

 

1. South African National Museum of Military History in Saxonwold - about 10 minutes drive from your hotel.

2. Origins Centre in Braamfontein - about 20 minutes drive from your hotel. Constitution Hill is here too.

 

Unfortunately Soweto (township visit) is very far, so unless you had a lot of time on Day 1 then you will not have enough time to do it justice on Day 2.

 

You mentioned "ancient history". Also on the west side (not far from Carnivore and Lion Park) is the Cradle of Humankind/Sterkfontein Caves. The below web-site has a 7 hour tour doing CoH and Carnivore restaurant if you have enough time on Day 1.

 

http://www.saplacestours.com/day-tours/cradle-of-mankind-carnivores-restaurant-tour.html

 

(I have not used them so check for reviews).

 

More info about CoH World Heritage Site:

http://www.places.co.za/html/cradle_of_humankind.html

 

http://www.maropeng.co.za/

 

If I was visiting then I would do Lion Park, and CoH. I have done both and they are worthy of a visit. Just depends on how much time you have on Day 1.

 

I have not covered shopping, but you will find many upmarket stores at Sandton City Mall about 10 minutes from your hotel. Have the hotel check on store hours as many stores in SA close at 6pm or 8pm. Sandton City may be open till later in the evening however.

 

Tipping ranger and driver while on your tour(s): I think that if you have the same person(s) for a number of them then you can tip when you do the last game drive. If the game drive fees are included in your overall tour package price then check with the operator of the tour(s) as they may include such tips for the game drives already. You may ask the establishment upon arrival how most people tip for service in group settings - e.g. do they tip the waiter/waitress on the last day for services rendered during that stay.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share

  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...