iahphx

So I've been to South Africa several times over the past 15 years, but hadn't visited since the pandemic. I wasn't really certain what I'd encounter, given that I know the country is somewhat unstable and in seemingly perpetural decline. That said, our trip this month was easy (except the long flights), safe, highly enjoyable and extremely affordable. I would say any American with at least some foreign travel experience can easily and safely visit South Africa. For first timers, I'd recommend a weekly long self-drive safari to Kruger (drive yourself to and from JNB, about 4 hours to the southern gate) and then fly from JNB to Cape Town and see the Western and Eastern Cape provinces for at least a week, and preferably two. I'd practically guarantee you an amazing time. At a cost that's a tiny fraction of what a comparable vacation would cost you almost anyplace else in the world. And you'll see lions, elephants, hippos, giraffe and so much more. Such trips are extremely popular among Europeans, but I encountered virtually no Americans in South Africa. A shame.

rankourabu

We've been three times since the pandemic in Kruger, the cape and driving the garden route .
Had a great time each time, we've felt way more unsafe in NYC, California or Florida.

However, the lack of Americans is actually very nice and preferred when it comes to a vacation destination

iahphx

Yup. I think that's the best itnerary for visitors. I like driving from JNB to Kruger and then flying to Cape Town during a circle route through the Little Karoo and then back to CPT on the Garden Route.

I'd like to see more Americans visit. As a people, we're ignorant of Africa, and I think it would be helpful if more people saw it for themselves. South Africa, for good or bad, is like no other place on Earth. Not sure I'd want to live there -- even if I were obscenely rich -- but it does make an outstanding and interesting vacation destination.

Swanhunter

I semi-migrate to Mpumalanga for 2-3 months every Northern Hemisphere winter. I'm torn between recommending it to everyone and valuing many parts of the country not being over-run! That said it genuinely is a higher risk destination so you do need some street smarts.

Other places to explore - Wild Coast in the Eastern Cape, the coast north of Cape Town, the Drakensberg range, some of the historic sights of KZN (if you enjoy history and warfare) and both eSwatini and Lesotho are easy places to explore. If visiting Kruger, Chimp Eden outside Nelspruit is an interesting half day, as is Gods Window and Pilgrims Rest about 100km north. The Geo trail south from Barberton to the Swazi border is fun if you like geology.

iahphx

The safety issue is a hard one. I think the Western Cape is the safest region (although once you get to Kruger, the national park feels extremely safe from crime). That said, in the Cape Town region, there are sprawling impoverished townships that scream "danger" to an American. Obviously, unless you're an idiot, you're not going to wander into those townships by yourself. If you stick to places where there are plenty of affluent people hanging around, I think it unlikely you will be a victim of a serious crime. It feels pretty safe. But you certainly never know.

rankourabu

Americans should feel right at home safety/crime wise
https://www.nationmaster.com/country...d-States/Crime

jsnydcsa

While I generally don't disagree with anything above and always tout a trip to South Africa for just about any American. I think some things are preventing USA to SA Travel
1) Very long flight times - that's just not something a non-frequent flier or even a tourist might be "ready" for. Even a direct flight (v. layovers in Europe, which take more time). I've had Americans over and they came off the plane looking shell shocked that they survived being in a metal tube for so long. And, some of them are pretty heavy travelers. I've had to convince Americans who are frequent travelers to Europe that they can "manage" and "do it" on the somewhat longer flight to SA.
2) Massive time zone difference - granted this is true for trips to Europe and Asia. But, think about a 10hr +/- time difference between the West Coast and SA - compared to about 2hrs time difference between Europe and SA.
3) My general experience is that USA-SA flights are generally much more expensive than Europe-SA flights. I haven't done AI-level analysis but my general look is that it almost always costs more to fly to SA as a choice for a trip v. a trip from the US to Europe (or US to some parts of Asia). So, if someone is choosing a trip based on airfare (which lets be honest is just one factor for a tourist) that factors into one's choice.
4) Let's be honest, most Americans are bad with geography-and-the-news, they hear about XYZ happening in Addis or Nairobi and they just lump it all in with "Africa" and think it's unsafe or politically unstable. Heck some Americans think San Fran is a zombie-homeless-filled wasteland. So, when the news is bad out of Africa, it's hard to convince people that they're not going to be in the middle of a Niamey street battle.
5) General lack of experience by travel agents and tour operators - maybe this is a chicken and egg thing - but I've always found it hard to find SA travel experts. My personal experience sure. But, without good marketing (I've been to Consulate D.C. and seen OLD travel stuff), SA isn't going to be in the mix.
6) Time for a trip. Listen, in my younger days, I've done trips as short as three days on the ground in SA with day 1 being arrival day and day 3 being departure day. But, I've always said you need a LONG two weeks, closer to three weeks if you really want to get acclimated time-zone wise, enjoy yourself and see what you want to see. And, that LONG two weeks isn't doing everything ... game/Kruger and Vic Falls and JNB-SA-History and Cape Town and wine farms and food and Garden Route and beaches and outdoor (sharks, ziplining, camping, moutainbiking). You need a lot of time and leave. If you've got kids, how to you fit that into US School break schedules (if you go during US summer, you could hit interesting SA wx depending on where you visit in SA).

btscott

Same could be said for Canadiens eh:-)

Swanhunter

Cape Town is where I have had my most sketchy experiences TBH. It can sometimes feel a like a bubble, and people drop their awareness as a result. Jo'burg, well I keep aware the whole time but actually really enjoy the place. It's a lot more real and interesting than the V&A/Camps Bay/Constatia bubble in the Cape IMO.

B747-437B

Interesting factoid - Cairo is closer to Canada than it is to Cape Town.

iahphx

Yeah, the distance/time thing is definitely a problem -- as it is with Australia and New Zealand, which undoubtedly see more American tourists (but make less interesting vacations, IMO). This is exacerbated by a paucity of good flight options. The 16 hour flights from the East Coast of the US to South Africa are both rare and expensive. Going through Europe or the Middle East is a slog, especially since the connections tend to be long. I actually don't hate (but don't like) the super long haul flights. You get into a rhythm of basically never thinking about how long the trip is. I've done it both in coach and business class. Obviously, business is much nicer, but also not worth anything approaching the extra cost if you're paying for it. From the East Coast of the US, I would personally take a nonstop in coach over a European or Middle East connecting business class flight.

Time is also a problem. Spending less than 2 weeks on the ground in SA -- and preferably 3 -- is flat out stupid.. And most Americans can't/won't commit to that amount of time. The good thing is that travel expenses on the ground are cheap (at least everything other than gas). The on-the-ground cost of a Hawaiian vacation is probably 5x that of South Africa, and much less enjoyable.

SJOGuy

I've never bought this reasoning. Back home, we know the lay of the land. We know (or are more likely to know) which places are safe for travel and which are not. We know we can count on the police for help (not always the case in many places). We have a home-field advantage that we don't have when we travel. So, trotting out America's very real crime statistics and comparing them to South Africa's very real crime statistics isn't the issue. We know better how to minimize the risk back home.

iahphx

Very true. That said, it's not hard to figure out what areas are safe in South Africa, and which are not so safe. If the area looks affluent it's almost certainly reasonably safe (at least as safe as any US urban center).

LAX_Esq

This entire OP is entirely ridiculous and based on the false premise of there being "virtually no Americans in South Africa."

A quick Google search reveals that USA was the world's leading country in sending tourists to RSA in August 2023:

https://www.statssa.gov.za/publicati...August2023.pdf

Amazing that OP just made the unsupported -- and false -- assertion that virtually no Americans go to RSA, and everyone ran with it and nobody questioned the basic premise.

This thread just seems like an excuse to bash Americans as insular, boorish and stupid.

YVR Cockroach

FWIW, South Africa seems to be an attractive place to emigrate to for "African Americans". Similarly, Canada seems to be an attractive place for Afrikaaner South Africans to emigrate too. Run across more than a few where I'm located.