F.A.Q

The best time to travel to South Africa

South Africa is beautiful all year round destination. Generally speaking the dry season from May to the beginning of December is the best period to visit the eastern part of the Country from Durban to the Kruger Park while summer, from December to May, is the most suitable for visiting Cape Town and the Garden Route.

What to visit in South Africa

There are many places worth visiting in South Africa, but the Kruger National Park has the best ability to convey the unforgettable sight of nature's magnificence which remains untouched over the centuries.

Tribal dancing, campe fires, the roar of a lion in the distance... a photographic safari in South Africa leaves every visitor with the indelible memory of unique and deep emotions.

Private Game Reserves

No vacation in South Africa is complete without experiencing a 4x4 open vehicle photographic safari in a Private Nature Reserve. Our guests are normally accommodated at Chisomo, Shiduli or Kuname inside the 10.000 hectars "big five" Edeni/Karongwe Private Game Reserve.

Honeymoons

In combination with a beach vacation in Durban, Mauritius or the Quirimbas Islands in Mozambique, South Africa is the ideal destination for a truly memorable honeymoon.

When in the Southern Hemisphere in the winter period, it is worth considering a photographic safari to the Kruger National Park in conjuction with seaside holidays in Abu Dhabi, Dubai or the Red Sea, depending on the carrier of your choice.

Incentives

Many define South Africa as "The World in One Country," and also a wonderful destination for business trips and incentives.

This is because South Africa shares the same time zone of Europe, and therefore is an exotic destination that lends itself well to short trips, and one can also benefited from favorable price / quality ratio. Action Travel organizes travel incentives of the highest class at a highly competitive price, from 12 participants to a maximum of 60.

Tours of over 15 participants allows for ground services for the tour leader to be provided at no charge and the tour leader's roommate will receive a discount of 50%.

Fly & Drive

Many travelers prefer the freedom and economy of the "Fly & Drive" packages, often utilising self-catering properties. In South Africa you drive on the left and the signs are significantly lower than European standards. If you go the wrong way in Europe it can be tedious, but the same mistake in Africa can have serious consequences! Is therefore recommended the use of a GPS, that can be rented at a reasonable price directly at the airport of arrival.

Package tours

Coach Transfers are often used in group travel and can reduce costs dramatically, but much longer transfer times will be to the detriment of all.

Package / group tours will affect travel arrangements, as properties need to be able to accommodate groups of a certain size. This has the effect of excluding all those Lodges that can accommodate only a few participants at a time, and often offer greater value for money.

For this reason most package tours by Action Travel are limited to a maximum of 8 participants.

Golf

Golfing in South Africa is a much-practiced sport, and many towns have their own golf course, which are generally very well kept. Unlike in many parts of the world, playing golf in South Africa is not at all expensive, therefore if you are a fan of the sport, add at least a couple of mornings to devote to golf. At Phalaborwa, there is the Hans Merensky Hotel & Golf Estate, which borders the Kruger National Park. The famous golf course have been designed by Bob Grimsdell and often the players are interrupted by the passing wildlife, which may be only a few meters away from them!

When to book your honeymoon or vacation in South Africa

Unlike other countries, in South Africa accommodation is usually booked well in advance, sometimes even up to a year! Deciding to travel immediately before the departure date often leads to having to accept what's left, which is rarely the best South Africa can offer.

Of course there are also last minute offers, even if all "last minutes" must always be examined carefully.

The climate in South Africa

In planning your vacation, remember that South Africa situated in the southern hemisphere, and therefor has it's seasons in revese to that of the Northern Hemisphere.

Winters in South Africa are quite mild, but if you plan to visit the Cape Province in August, for example, you'll need to bear in mind that you may even find snow around Cape Town.

Kruger National Park in the winter is dry and sunny with generally cooler evenings and in the summer (from December to March) it can get very hot, alleviated by occasional rain showers which occur almost always at night.

Vaccinations for South Africa

There are no vaccinations required when visiting South Africa, but in some areas malaria is endemic.

Those visiting the Kruger National Park and Zululand may consider an mefloquine hydrochloride-based malaria prophylaxis if recommended by your physician, especially in the period from November to April.

The risk of contracting the disease when using normal precautions is ridiculouly low.

Passport

For visitors coming from the European Union, it is required that your passport has at least six months validity and two consecutive pages (left and right) totally free. Please consult the nearest South African Consolate.

Upon arrival to South Africa, you are normally granted a free tourist visa for a period equivalent to the return date on your ticket, up to a maximum of three months. Again, please confirm this at your nearest South African Consolate.

Currency

In South Africa the official currency is the Rand (ZAR), currently equivalent to about 12 Euro, or 10 US Dollars. Euros are preferred to dollars, as there is less chance of counterfeiting. Foreign currency can be changed at any bank, but this can take hours.

We recommend that you use a 'bureaux de change' at international airports in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban, which provide a much quicker service.

Credit Cards

In South Africa the most populare credit cards are VISA and MASTERCARD, which are honoured almost everywhere.

Petrol purchases must be paid for in cash.

Cirrus and Maestro ATM cards are honoured, and it is usually possible to withdraw up to 2,000 ZAR per day from ATMs, but the transaction fee can by quite expensive. A convenient option is to withdraw money from ATMs using an approved credit card instead.

Telephony

To call from South Africa, use the international dialing prefix of '00', followed by the international dialing code, and full phone number including area code.

To call South Africa, the international dialing code is '27' followed by the number.

In South Africa the charges levied by hotels on international telephone calls are usually very high, so it is more convenient to use a phone card at a public phone.

For all those who have a GSM mobile phone, coverage is usually guaranteed in all cities and on main roads. There is still no cellphone reception in Swaziland and in the parks.

In Kruger National Park in the coverage is limited to the Rest Camps and their immediate surrounds.

For local calls, a prepaid cellphone sim card available at any supermarket is an obvious, economically friendly route.

Food & Beverage

Hotels and Lodges in South Africa are usually international, with abundant breakfast and meat dishes, chicken and fish with rice or potatoes.

The dishes generally reflect Indian and Malaysian influences, with abundant use of spices. Grilled meat is very popular, and the South African wine is usually very good and absolutely natural. Good beer too!

Voltage

The electric current is 220V but South Africa has a completely unique plug so it is necessary to obtain a special adapter, available locally at any supermarket. All so-called universal adapters that are marketed in Europe are absolutely useless in South Africa.

Time zone

South Africa is on the GMT+2 timeline, and there is no daylight savings time.

Medicines

The same drugs found in Europe in all practicality may be found in South Africa, but possibly under a different name. However, many drugs are only available on prescription.

Equipment

Before leaving for South Africa, be sure to have with you:

• Passport that is valid for at least another six months, and has two consecutive free pages (side-by-side)
• Cash, preferably Euro
• VISA or MasterCard credit card, and / or a Cirrus / Maestro ATM card
• Sunscreen, any personal medications you may need and mosquito repellent
• Your toiletries
• Sunglasses
• Small Flashlight (LED preferable)
• Digital Video Camera, Memory Card, and any other additional accessories
• Digital Photo camera with spare batteries
• Folding Binoculars, maximum magnification of 7X

Clothing

For a tour of sixteen days in South Africa, whether in summer or winter, the following items of clothing should suffice:

• Windbreaker jacket, lightweight and waterproof
• Large-size jersey.
• Well-fitting light-weight pullover
• Four or five shirts, including at least a couple with long sleeves
• Two long cotton trousers
• Two cotton shorts
• A robust belt
• A couple of cotton shirts
• Underwear
• Socks
• Confortable and well-used light-weight takkies
• Comfortable and robust sandals
• Pyjama or nighty
• A couple of dresses for the ladies
• Swimming costume
• Peak cap

The preferred colors are always those which blend well with nature, such as brown, beige and dark green. These colours are also best for during photographic safaris, as bright colours can frighten the animals

The jacket should be waterproof and made of cotton, lightweight and a large size so that if necessary it can be worn over a shirt and pullover.

South Africans generally dress very informally. Consequently for a "night on the town" we recommend elegant sportswear, but don't overdo it! Avoid too many layers of clothing wherever possible as it is not essential and leave the jewellery at home.

Hard suitcases are generally not accepted on tour minibuses and on smaller planes used on domestic flights.

Apart from your hand luggage, for a two-week tour you shouldn't need more than a soft bag and it should weigh no more than fifteen kilos.