Going on safari in South Africa next month

[englishteacher78]

What clothes should I take?

OOh it is the best time of year in KwaZulu mostly 22/23 and not not a horribly humid as it is in the summer.

Getting excited now! Just got reports to write and then I can get properly excited. Looking forward to heading to Go Outdoors for last minute bits and bobs.

I'm in Johannesburg, during the day I'm in jeans, long sleeve top and hoodie and boots at night add a winter wool coat. It's warm in the sun but as soon as the sun goes down its very cold.
An early game drive in Summer is cold, in Winter it will be below freezing, take lots of layers and a warm coat.

If disease carrying mosquitoes are likely to be a problem ( I didn't go to S Africa) and you have still to buy you bush clothes, it may be worth looking at clothes with built in repellent. Working on the principal that the first line of defence for malaria is not to get bitten and anti malarials are the second. Alternatively spray those you have already. Craghoppers do a range of clothes called Nosilife - including socks (very useful) shirts, tee shirts sweats and tube scarf and hats. I had the full kit but the item I used constantly was the long sleeved tee shirts ( sold as a PJ top), along with socks hat and trousers. I think Rohan and other brands also do some insect repellent clothing.
Hope you have a lovely time.

Fortunately don't need anti-malarials
Spending a day in Jo'burg when we first get there - any suggestions for what to do?

Soweto! Apartheid museum is amazing, plus Mandelas's house nearby and shebeens.

long trousers as sometimes walking in bush is prickly, good walking shoes/ sandals also a good scarf as sometimes on open trucks very dusty and you can wrap around your head and face, decent sunglasses, sometimes being fully covered with clothes is best protection against insects ticks etc, open toed footwear is not always advisable

would second the safari colour palate a cerise pink top is a bit obvious co

consider your own lightweight pair of binoculars

Actually wouldn't bother with central Jo'burg esp for just a day.

St Lucia in lovely location by wetlands. Look out for the free-range hippos around town munching on any available grass! Boat trip good also visit to crocodile place.

There are tours of Soweto and the Apartheid museum, Africana gallery or Gold Reef City

If the day falls over a weekend there are lots of good craft markets and places to buy curios.

There is also shopping ....

Have no choice about day in Jo'burg. We have to be there for the start of the organised tour trip. Don't think DH will be up for shopping Apartheid museum seems like a good idea then.

I'd say a head torch comes in handy walking from the dining hall to your tent. Also, we had people sleeping close to our tent and we would use our torch to get their attention if we had an early start so they could escort us to the trucks as the rules were we weren't allowed to wander around by ourselves in the dark as we would have wild animals wanderng around the tents at night/early morning.

I wore white on safari it wasn't a problem the animals are used to humans. However, I am doing the gorilla treck in September and I will use neutral colours there to be on the safe side (no security of a vehicle).

Have a fab time, there's nothing like Africa it's so beautiful.

I went to SA in their Spring and it was really chilly, especially places like Stellenbosch and Durban.

I'd say layers: vest, shirt, cardi/pullover and chinos for days. You can always put shorts in your bag.

I love SA. Have fun. Looks like Mandella is about to pass though so might be sad times coming

I will check for you but I'm sure that the apartheid museum is not open every day. What day are you on jhb? Gold reef city is next door which is a good day out (it's a theme park so not sure if this is up your street ) but there is a lot of history there. They are Closed on Monday's but if u are here over our school hols it may be open.

The weather is much milder in natal, so you will get nice warm days there.

Definitely take on board what everyone is saying about temperature. The sun sets very quickly, and the temp plummets incredibly fast. It is really easy to get very chilled, and because there are so few months like this, there is not heating systems etc for you to rewarm, so you can end up cold and miserable very quickly after being lovely and warm only a few hours before.
If you are camping, gloves, hats and warm socks for your extremities.
We think we get seasons in one day. SA definitely gets our warm spring, and our cold winter in one day. My stepmom was in Lesotho last week and it was -5, no central heating, and pretty miserable.

But have a blast, it's a beautiful wonderful magical place. I miss it so much.

Oh, and although gold reef is great, my kids love it, there is very little history left in it, although there is a mine you can go down (not done tht for a long time). The apartheid museum is amazing. I spent 4 hours there, and my DS was only 8, and even he wasn't bored. Can't recommend it highly enough.