Would you go to Kenya/South Africa alone?

[OvOp]

DH works away A LOT. He's ruled out any long holiday this year because of work commitments.

I've had a particularly trying year with illness and a death in the family. This summer I'll finally finish my university studies (postgraduate mature student) so want to celebrate by treating myself to the trip of a lifetime.

I'm animal mad, have volunteered for many years with various animal charities and often holiday alone with seeing wildlife as my primary goal. So, I'm thinking my treat will be a safari!

I'm currently deciding between:

• 10 days in Kenya, seeing the Masai Mara, Amboseli, DS elephant orphanage and giraffe centre

Or

• 2 days Cape Town, Garden Route tour (7 days), which includes penguins, whale watching and Addo elephant park, then one week at Kruger.

Both trips are a similar price. I'd be joining group tours for both. SA offers more variety of wildlife but Kenya provides a far larger concentration of animals in far smaller reserves. It's also more of an authentic safari experience.

Whichever trip I don't do, I'll likely do it another year with DH (although god knows when that'll be).

So would you do either alone?

If so, which one would you prefer?

Yes.... and I have... not been to Kenya but South Africa and adjacent countries were amazing

I wouldn't go to SA at all, but no way on earth would I go there as a woman alone.

I'd go to Namibia and possibly Botswana or Zambia on my own and join a tour, but not Kenya or S Africa.

Wow interesting difference in the responses.

birdy why do you feel Namibia and Zambia are safer than SA/Kenya?

I went to live in Kenya on my own and did a few safaris on my own.
Then met a Kenyan man and had his baby.

If you’re joining a tour, what would be the risk?

I think Kenya is safe, I still go back there regularly.

doesthislookoddtoyou

I've been twice solo to South Africa (and not with a tour group), had a fantastic time both times.

OP, also been to Kenya. I would recommend that one as the distances between the parks are shorter.

The penguins by the way are on Boulders Beach, south of Cape Town (by train). I didn't see any along the Garden Route.

Oh, and make sure the whale-watching is in the right time of year for it.

Have a great time! Africa is amazing!

Good for you. I wouldn't do it though.

Namibia has the infrastructure from when it was part of S Africa - great roads etc - but is a much more integrated and politically stable country than either Kenya or South Africa, where there is a wide black/white divide (or at least, was when I was younger). I've never been to Zambia myself but have a friend who lives there and again it seems politically stable and well integrated.

Also, Namibia is too dry for mosquitos which wins it huge plus points from me :)

But you won't be on your own, you'll be perfectly safe, guided and managed on a group tour. Either. I don't know Kenya, but I've travelled quite a bit independently in S.A. and I reckon it's reasonably safe as long as you are very alert, sober and streetwise.

We had a family holiday in South Africa when dd1 was 3 and I was pg with dd2, it was fantastic and Id go without dh, no problem. However South Africa has a huge water shortage to the point where people are not showering, washing hair or flushing toilets. Day zero (when water runs out) has just been pushed back to July. I don't know if I'd want to spend so much money on a holiday where I couldn't wash as often as I wanted and I wouldn't want to add pressure to such a fragile resource.

marco how amazing that you get to visit Kenya regularly and have someone who knows the area to show you around, very lucky!

Ifly the Garden Route tour I've found is one for wildlife-seekers so I think goes out of its way to visit the penguins 🐧I couldn't visit SA without seeing them. Thank you for the info and reassurance, much appreciated.

Thank you for that, birdy. I'd never considered Namibia so will take a look at some tours. From my very quick google just now, Etosha seems pretty incredible at first glance.

Terfy I'd only ever do the trip by tour if going solo as it is hopefully much safer, so I guess the only risks would be getting to and from the beginning/end bases (excluding the tour group being targeted or the tour group containing shady characters of course). That's easily sorted with transfers so I do feel fairly confident in the safety aspect.

It's just there are no end to the terrifying travel stories and advice against going, I suppose it's good to be as prepared as possible though.

I lived in South Africa, alone, and travelled the full south coast, alone, when I was 17. Do it. Its beautiful and the people are amazing.
So long as you're sensible and follow basic precautions (don't go out at night alone, don't get into random cars, stay in public areas) it's no more dangerous than London.

Yes I have done both and it’s fine. And you’re part of a group so you’ll be extra fine.

OP, if you want to hang with the penguins go to Simons Town. It's a short journey from Cape Town and has the bonus of an amazing bakery.

Don't be afraid to travel around, during the day it's the same safety levels as any other city.

I've bee Kenya alone and there were lots of solo females travelling too.

Sounds like you'd be sticking to the well travelled tourist route too so less likely to encounter problems. If you join tour, even better!

And stay at The Penthouse on Long Street, it's really well located and the staff are great, they really know the area and will likely take you to Boulders Beach if you ask.

I've been to both, and other neighboring countries, but alone and never as part of an organised trip. I'd say go to Kenya on a group trip and then when your DH is free consider going to South Africa together on a self-drive holiday (if one of you drives) rather than as an organised packaged trip. Kenya is possibly more challenging as a solo tourist than South Africa and therefore being on an organised trip might be better for you. But I'd go for the freedom of setting your own agenda in South Africa, which you can only do if you travel independently.

I would go to both alone but I would never ever go on an organised tour!

(But, for perspective, I live in West Africa. Alone.)

And actually I say I would go to both but I didn't enjoy Kenya at all - have heard Tanzania is much nicer. Haven't been to South or indeed southern Africa at all.

Absolutely, I’d go to either in a heartbeat!

South Africa alone as a woman - absolutely not. I have a lot of SA friends who say not to go there alone, let alone as a woman! With others is fine & you really need to research where to go & where's safe etc.

I went on an explore holiday a year or so back, I think it was called 'cape escape'. It was amazing, and the group were lovely too.

I haven't been to Kenya so can't really compare but I can say that SA is a wonderful country. However I would seriously monitor the water situation in Capetown before deciding to stay there.