1. Ebola: numerous people expressed concern that we were going to South Africa but keep in mind that 4 Australian continents will fit into Africa. The Ebola affected countries are actually closer to Europe than they are to South Africa.
2. Red Tape: few things happen quickly where government officials are involved. Getting into a national park or going into Lesotho or Swaziland takes more time than it should.
3. Food outlet service: fast food means slow service, restaurant meals means snail pace service. The one thing they are very good at is taking your plate away, even if you haven't quite finished. However, food and drink is very cheap by Australian standards and generally very tasty so allow enough time in your travels for lunch breaks when traveling. Our tour guide was spot on with this.
4. Internet: this can be quite hit or miss in many of the hotels we stayed in and most of our group were not happy that it was "broken" in Hazyview because they wanted to tell family about Kruger. I purchased a data SIM for my iPad in Cape Town and it was the best $25 for 30 days that I spent while here. It is the MTN South African Network and it gave me 4 Gb of data. Just remember to turn it off when you aren't using it. The best place to get them is at a dedicated MTN shop in the main towns.
5. Tipping: we got good advice from Macleay Valley travel on this but make sure you have smaller notes for day tour guides. They like Rand and most people tended to give about 50 Rand ($5) per person for a day trip. Waiters expect at least 10% but if the service is terrible then think twice about it.
6. Safety: be guided by people in hotels and motels about local conditions. We have had no incidents and have enjoyed all contact with the locals. Many houses have Fort Knox security so there must be a problem in many towns, especially considering the high level of unemployment.
7. Charging electronic equipment. Most of us travel with at least 2 things that need topping up so bring at least 2 adapters and don't expect specialized outlets in all hotels. You will find yourself pulling furniture away from walls looking for power outlets, especially in more remote areas. The SA plug is like the British plug except it has round pins. The smaller European plug with round pins won't fit power points.
8. Bring a torch. SA's power grid is on the point of collapse and the whole country went down for 3 hrs while we were here because a coal conveyer broke. There is serious concern until they build new generators.
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