Africa - South Africa in August/September?

So I unexpectedly have two weeks off, the last week of August and the first week of September, and enough miles for trip in F on AA/BA to South Africa- which is, amazingly, available online as of today. I would be traveling alone, and on a limited budget. Getting to SA has long been a dream trip of mine- my question is, is it crazy to go at this time of year? Seems like most sites do not recommend traveling to SA at this time, but then again, I've already checked and their is no mileage redemption during the December/January, which would be my other option.

Any recommendations on itineraries if I went, or warnings?

Thanks!

Well, I've been told September is a wonderful time to be in Cape Town. I will be going in early/mid August due to work schedule constraints, and I understand the weather may be uneven then. But I had the impression from locals that going just a few weeks later would be close to ideal. I don't have firsthand knowledge, however.

The weather isn't so bad by late August/September.

A lot depends on whereabouts you want to go. Joburg can be sunny but still relatively cold. Durban can have bad days but it's still very possible to go to the beach and swim.

Thanks, that's useful and encouraging news! Ideally I would do a few days of fun/good food and wine/sightseeing in Cape Town, and in a perfect world get in some sort of safari experience... I'm nervous about renting a car, since I'll be by myself and they drive on the opposite side of the road from what I'm used to...

I'll be in Cape Town on my own from August 31st to Sept. 4th, on a total whim. Am renting a car, and planning to drive to Hermanus to see the whales. I hear it's a great time of year to see them. If you're around that time, you're free to join. A few other FTers might join, but doubtful.

Wow, that would be really fun! If I end up going, I'm definitely in.

I'll be in Cape Town on my own from August 31st to Sept. 4th, on a total whim. Am renting a car, and planning to drive to Hermanus to see the whales. I hear it's a great time of year to see them. If you're around that time, you're free to join. A few other FTers might join, but doubtful.

When driving to Hermanus suggest you take the coast road starting from Gordon's Bay one way and the main road over the passes on the way back. Great views both ways! Haven't been in August/September so can't be of any help re the weather - sorry.

August/September is IMO the very best time to visit some of the northern game reserves and/or Kruger National Park. Winter is the dry season, which means the animals come to the water, plus the absence of foliage (winter) means they're easier to spot. It's generally sunny, high temps in the 70s, low in the 40s. No bugs, so you can probably skip the malaria meds.

For example, Objects in mirror are closer than they appear. (http://gardyloo.us/SAf09J%20243as.JPG)

In the south, by September you can start seeing wildflowers in the Western Cape and especially along the Atlantic coast north of Cape Town. They're stunning, e.g.:

http://gardyloo.us/aug24b%20044s.JPG

Any month is great for SA, August/September included.

Don't sweat the driving - it's easy. Get an automatic transmission to make it easy on yourself.

Wow, Garyloo, looks beautiful! I think you've convinced me to take the plunge.

August/September is IMO the very best time to visit some of the northern game reserves and/or Kruger National Park. It's generally sunny, high temps in the 70s, low in the 40s.True, but especially in September the odd cold front can stir things up, bringing rain and very cold winds or even gales. For some strange reason, I particularly remember the front that swept in on 9/11. Conversely, it can also get extremely hot, with gale-force winds fanning runaway wildfires.

No bugs, so you can probably skip the malaria meds.Definitely. Forget about the prophylactics.

Don't sweat the driving - it's easy. Get an automatic transmission to make it easy on yourself.It is not anything I personally worry about (worrying is just a waste of time), but traffic in SA is notoriously deadly. Driving during the hours of darkness is not something I would recommend, especially if you are not used to driving on the left.

Johan

Roughly speaking, the summer months are December to March, autumn is April to May, winter is June to August, and spring is September to November. Because southern Africa is such a large area, and each region's offerings change with the seasons, when you go may determine where you go.

We just got back from two weeks in SA...very similar itinerary and loved every minute of the trip. I plan to do a full TR when I get some free time, but in short we did five nights safari at Pondoro in Balule and can't say enough good things about it. It was amazing in all aspects. Then we flew down to Cape Town, rented a car and drove down to Hermanus, staying at Grootbos. We saw the whales and sharks and had some fantastic meals overlooking one of the best vistas I have see. The flowers were just starting to bloom so they should be in full force shortly. As for driving, I am from the US so driving was the opposite for me as well, but it really wasn't a problem, you will get used to it quickly, and if you can drive a manual transmission, it will be cheap (5 days from avis for a VW Polo sedan was $110). Next we did a couple of nights at Asara in Stellenbosch for some winelands time and then three nights in Cape Town proper. One of the highlights in CPT was dinner at the Test Kitchen, highly recommended. Regarding the weather, everyone down there told us they get 5 seasons in one day...the fifth being confusion. We only had one day of rain the whole time, but you never know...bring layers and expect it to change and you will be fine. Feel free to PM me for any other details...SA was fantastic so if I can assist with any planning I am happy to.

We leave for our third trip to Kruger on Wednesday. 3 weeks. We do the long haul to JNB do an overnight and then SAA to Nelspruit. Still trying to figure out how SAA can sell SAA tickets and then have the flights not be Star alliance flights . Oh well ....