General Travel
Useful Information.
Although there's no need to be fearful, you should be conscientious wherever you go in South Africa, particularly cities. Also note that there are periodic, daily power outages— “load shedding”—to prevent overloading the national power grid. This won’t affect public spaces during the day as most places are equipped with backup generators, but your accommodations likely won’t be. It’s a nice excuse to light candles. You can find more information here.
Cape Town Travel
Flights.
We recommend searching for flights into Cape Town (CPT) or Johannesburg (JNB), and purchasing domestic flights separately either through South African Airways, CemAir, Lift or FlySafair to Durban (DUR), King Shaka International Airport.
Key Contacts.
Grace van Velden: 734 834-3643
Alex Darr: 313 212-8162
David van Velden: 734 604-0098
Safety & General Advice.
Cape Town is the most naturally beautiful and warmly welcoming place—you are guaranteed to have a wonderful time. Like any big city, though, be alert while you are traveling and listen to your intuitions. If you're planning to enjoy the mountain trails—like masses of runners, hikers, and others do everyday—venture out with a friend and avoid solo excursions or places that aren't well traveled. While lots of people walk around the city, we don't recommend walking more than a couple blocks between locations as neighborhoods shift quickly and you won't be familiar with safer routes the way you would be in your home cities. Rideshare is very cheap and easy! Avoid the Central Business District when it gets dark. If you have any questions whatsoever, reach out to Grace; she lived in Cape Town and goes frequently.
Transportation.
It's worth renting a car if you are planning any side trips off the beaten path. Bear in mind, South Africa traffic drives on the left side of the road and cars are right-hand drive. If you're sticking to the city, Uber and Bolt (the local option) are safe and readily available. Plan ahead for your destination though as rideshare can be a long wait once things start closing down or if you're outside the city. If you're planning on vineyards and don't want to rent a car, there are loads of tour companies that offer wine tours and shuttles.
Neighborhoods to Stay in.
Baxhoven, Camps Bay, Oranjezicht, Newlands, Tamboerskloof, etc.
Things to do.
Table Mountain, Lions Head & Signal Hill, Oranjezicht City Farm Market, Robben Island Museum, Kalk Bay & Simons Town, Cape of Good Hope, Constantia Wine Route, Shops, & Trails, Stellenbosch & Franschoek & Paarl, Kirstenbosch Gardens & Newlands, Chapman's Peak Drive & Hout Bay, Cape Aguhlus, Garden Route, etc.
Restaurants & Cafes.
Ouzeri, Between Us, Hemelhuijs, Ramenhead, Biesmiellah, Kloof Street House, The General Store, Upper Union, Honest Chocolate, Kleinsky's Deli, Marco's African Place, Sundoo, Tamboerswinkel, Blondie, Arthur's Mini Super, Clarke's Bar & Dining Room, Bao Down, ëlgr, Pizza Shed, etc.
Durban Travel
Transportation.
Transportation will be arranged from the garden to your accommodation on Saturday. Otherwise, rideshare is easy and cheap to get around. Umhlanga and the outlying areas are safe to explore on your own, but you’ll need a car to get between them. Driving at night is not advised.
Accommodation Recommendations.
We would recommend the Oyster Box Hotel (18km from King Shaka International Airport, and 13km from the Garden). For large groups, consider:
Things to Do.
Umhlanga Promenade, Forest Boardwalk within the Umhlanga Lagoon Nature Reserve, Durban Botanic Gardens, etc.
Additional Travel in KwaZulu-Natal
Drakensberg Mountains.
Just a 3-hour drive north of Durban, the Drakensberg Mountains are the tallest in South Africa and one of the world’s most dramatic landscapes. There are countless trails for hiking, biking, and horseback riding. The Ampitheatre Hike offers incredible views of the landscape, including Tugela Falls. The Witsiehoek Mountain Lodge is a great base for exploring the Ampitheatre.
You can also take a 4x4 along the Sani Pass, a rocky road the winds through the mountains, into the Eastern Highlands of Lesotho.
We can’t wait for you to see South Africa!
Elephant Coast.
The Elephant Coast is world famous for its game reserves, such as Tembe Elephant Park, which is home to some of Africa’s largest and oldest elephants and accessible only by 4x4. Additional game reserves include Hluhluwe iMfolozi, Ndumo, and Mkuze. A number of private reserves such as Phinda, Nambiti and Thanda are also located in Maputaland. Whether self-driving or on an open vehicle, guided tour, it’s an incredible experience.
Whale Watching is another highlight on the Elephant Coast between July and December when Humpback and Southern Right Whales visit these coastal waters on their migrations north to Mozambique and then south again on the way to Antarctica.
Kruger National Park.
Kruger National Park is the largest, and possibly most iconic, of South African National Parks. They offer a range of luxury game lodges and tours. It’s a farther drive from Durban—about 8 hours—but truly a place of its own. The diversity, density and sheer numbers of animals are almost unparalleled, and all of Africa’s iconic safari species live here, along with a supporting cast of 137 other mammals and over 500 varieties of birds.