South Africa for a short break - am I mad??

[ChineAndWheeseParty]

I've got the opportunity to visit a distant family member (though I'm quite close to them) who lives in SA.

I would LOVE to go, but I'm a softy and don't want to leave the DC for too long (they'll be grand with DH, I'll just unashamedly miss them!).

What's the minimum amount of time you need there to make the trip and flight worthwhile in MN's opinion? TIA

I would do four days minimum and use the overnight flights assuming that you are able to sleep on a plane. I’d prefer a week though.

I did five days and missed the DC so much! Had loads of fun though and they were cool with it, it was overall worth it.

It's a 12 hour flight and a massive country so I wouldn't go for less than two weeks. Will you be staying in one part? Are you happy to share where? It's the most beautiful of countries and loads to see and do, are you hoping to do some sightseeing/exploring? Have you been before?

I've done SA in 3 days - overnight out, one night there and overnight home - for work (in Johannesburg) and I wouldn't recommend it. Having said that I think you can get a lot out of a week, as long as you are ready to be wiped after from the overnight flights. Similar timezones helps a lot!

The RSA is a big country with much to offer. There's no right answer, but it depends on how long you consider you need to stay to get over the 12ish hour flight and what you want to see.
Personally, I've been several times and wouldn't stay for less than a week. If you want to do a safari, see Soweto, Cape Town area, Robben Island (probably spelled it wrong), see the penguins around Simonstown, whale watching at Hermanus,and see some of the Garden Route, I'd take 2 weeks.
It's great value for money too - hotels, eating and drinking out are half what you'd pay in the UK.

I suppose its only a few hours longer than going to New York, or about the same as Las Vegas .... and folk do short trips there. And an hour's time difference.

If you only plan seeing your relative, then you don't "need" the sightseeing time ...

My minimum would be 4 or 5 days on-site, flight time in addition to that.

Then though there's the irrational justification of flight price - depends if you feel you need to stay a certain length of time to justify whatever the price!

I would say DO IT! Because of the length of flight then it would have to be a week minimum.

A happy, enriched mum is a better mum so you'd really be going in order to be a better parent! 🤣. Win win.

How old are your children?

Depends on where in sa. Cape Town or Joburg I think 4 days is doable, but you would be tired as 2 nights on flights!

But I would rather do 5-7 days at least. Kids will be fine.

Part of it will depend on flights. Jo'burg is direct overnight flights. Board around 8pm, land at 6am and similar on the way back. So spending 4 full days there is relatively easy.

There are fewer direct flights to places like Durban for instance so it won't work out as 'neatly' and it'll either be more time away from the kids or less time with your family member.

But a long weekend with a family member, assuming that your main focus is on spending time with them and less on exploring the winelands and national parks (not that you can't combine the two!) I think you'll be fine.

There’s no jet lag.

My brother has flown back here for the weekend for a football match.

If you can sleep on the plane then all the better.

It’s a fabulous country and well worth a visit.

I’m flying during the day soon.

can not wait.

Overnight flights, so you can make the most of your days there. Go for as long as you’re comfortable with. I’d probably do 3 full days minimum (and that’s still not enough to do anything ‘big’ in SA) - so for example fly out Sun night, have Mon-Tue-Wed there and catch the Wed night flight back. Land Thu morning.

I did three nights for work. Night flight on the thurs, and flew back mon night. I would say 5 days for a holiday though.

To answer a few questions:

• DC are late primary/early secondary (told you I was a softy).I have ZERO concerns about how DH will look after them whilst I'm gone.

• I can sleep on planes but in snatches

• relative is in Cape Town

• Of course seeing her is the main focus but I'd love to see some of the area/country.

• I can justify the cost of flights so no issue there. Can stay either with relative or in AirBNB close by (would probably choose latter option tbh to give everyone space)

This is a once in a lifetime opportunity - make the most of it! You've got the rest of you life to devote to the kids. Go for a week to 10 days.

Oh, and wine is number 2 priority ha ha!!

Agree, go for 7-10 days. You won't miss your children so much once you're there, it's the thought of it that's worse.

Go! because the time difference is only an hour or two depending when you go, you won't get jet lag, but and can fly overnight. Stay with your relative, and staffers are very hospitable, it is a pain not to have a car and it is safer.

I went to Australia for 3 days once - granted I was about 17 so could bounce back - now it would take me a month to recover! (DF had won an award and 'turning left' made a huge difference though!)
There's such a small time difference between here and SA - wouldn't that help?
Go for it!

The great thing about RSA is that it is only 1 (BST) or 2 (GMT) hours ahead of the UK, so the jet lag is minimal.

There is no jet lag at all …

Cape Town has good overnight flights and is close to the winelands so wins all around in my opinion!

As for how long to stay, entirely depends on what you want to achieve. If you're in Cape Town you can explore city, beach and mountain plus winelands within a few days. You also have Robben Island and sharks but they may be personal preferences. A long weekend is still achievable depending on what you want to fit in and how busy you're happy being.

The national parks are a bit further out. Not a parent, but I'm not sure I could do a safari with the kids at home though. Depends on your kids.

I went to SA with work and loved it but was with a VERY safety conscious company. I would urge caution with travelling alone and with taxis etc.

You need a minimum of a week really. And although there is no jet lag as such, I can never sleep on a plane so when I arrive in SA I spend the first day sleeping!

Dh is going this Thursday for 8 nights, he’s working so I’m not going this time.

It's often overnight flights both ways and there's next to no time difference so you'll have no jet lag, 4 days minimum I'd say. 3 at a real push and if you sleep well on flights so can make the most of the time there.

Yes! Do it for a week- I've done a few week long trips, there's no jet lag so you can manage at shorter break. You'd be able to fit in Constantia, Kirstenboch, Camps Bay Hout Bay, Cape Point, boulders beach in that time (buy tickets for the Red bus, so you can easily get round to everything, if you don't want your relative to ferry you round) and if you're really ambitious you could totally squeeze in two days safari on the Eastern Cape, just fly into port Elizabeth and its an hour transfer to game reserves. That would be a jam packed week, but an amazing one.

South africa is just magical.