3. Botswana og South Africa/ Sydafrika (Johanne & Dan)

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#006699" TEXT="#080000" background="0a3d05a3.jpg"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B>Somewhereintheworld.dk - Website of Derek & Marianne</B></FONT><B>    </B><B> |     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Somewhereintheworld.dk Website of Derek"><B>home</B></A></div> <div> back to  <A HREF="travel__rejser.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Travels / Rejser"><B>Travels / Rejser</B></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#FFCC66" TEXT="#080000" background="0a4d2123.jpg"> <div> <A HREF="id115.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="1. Victoria Falls / Victoria vandfald">1. Victoria Falls / Victoria vandfald</A></div> <div> <A HREF="id116.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="2. Prague / Prag">2. Prague / Prag</A></div> <div> <B>3. Botswana og South Africa/ Sydafrika (Johanne & Dan)</B></div> <div> <A HREF="lone___lars.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="4. Botswana, Vic Falls, South Africa / S">4. Botswana, Vic Falls, South Africa / Sydafrika (Lone & Lars)</A></div> <div> <A HREF="5_lesotho.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="5. Lesotho">5. Lesotho</A></div> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=390 width="100%" BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>Johanne & Dan</B></div> <div> <B>Trip: </B>July 2007</div> <div> <B>Tour: </B><U>Botswana</U><B> </B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Bookman Old Style" >- Moremi Game Reserve</FONT></div> <div> <U>South Africa/Sydafrika</U><B> </B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Bookman Old Style" >- Johannesburg/Pretorie, Drakensberg, Durban, Plettenberg Bay, Cape Town</FONT></div> <bR> <div> <B>Three weeks travelling in South Africa</B></div> <div> <I><B>Tre ugers rundrejse i Sydafrika</B></I></div> <bR> <div> Here is a little story about our great holiday to Botswana and South Africa during the [European] summer 2007. The idea is to give some travel ideas and recommendations to others planning to visit Africa. Our trip first went to Gaborone, Botswana, via Johannesburg, where vi visited Marianne and Derek. After a lovely and very adventurous week with them [MU: to Moremi Game Reserve, see page <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="about__om_botswana.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="4. About / om Botswana">4. About / om Botswana</A></FONT><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" > </FONT>] we went back to South Africa where we travelled around (backpacked) for three weeks.</div> <bR> <div> <I>Her er en lille fortælling om vores skønne ferie i Botswana og Sydafrika sommeren 2007. Tanken med dette er at give nogle rejsetips videre til andre, der også planlægger at aflægge Afrika et besøg. Vores rejse gik først til Gaborone, Botswana, via Johannesborg, hvor vi besøgte Marianne og Derek. Efter en dejlig og meget oplevelsesrig uge sammen med dem [MU: til Moremi Game Reserve, se side </I><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="about__om_botswana.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="4. About / om Botswana"><I>4. About / om Botswana</I></A></FONT><I> ] tog vi tilbage til Sydafrika, hvor vi rejste rundt (backpackede) i tre uger.</I></div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <I><IMG SRC="2b970d40.jpg" border=0 width="624" height="468" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></I></div> <div> Cape Point</div> <div> <U>Time of the year</U></div> <div> We decided to travel during the months of July and August. There are number of advantages and disadvantages to this choice. As the African winter is at the time of the Danish summer it can actually get quite cool in Southern Africa this time of the year. The days can be very pleasant with twenty+ degrees and a magnificent blue sky and sun. But when the sun sets it turns cold - even sometimes down to minus degrees. Hence, it is advisable to bring plenty of warm clothes (including cloves, long underwear etc.) so that you feel comfortable when you sit around the fire enjoying the stars on the beautiful night sky. The good thing about the winter period is that there is very little rain (we had one day of rain during our four weeks holiday). The weather is therefore perfect if you, as us, wish to do some hiking as it does not get too hot when being active. The area around Cape Town is however an exception as the winter there is characterised by rain and wind.</div> <div> Another, very important, advantage of travelling during the winter period is that you avoid any kinds of bugs and insects - there were no mosquitos (so no need to worry about malaria [MU: which is not an issue in South Africa and only in the nothern parts of Botswana]), and we also didn't see any spiders - even during our safari trip with Marianne and Derek where we stayed three days in tents in the jungle [MU: well, the bush by the amazing Okavango Delta].</div> <bR> <div> <I><U>Tidspunkt på året:</U></I></div> <div> <I>Vi valgte at tage af sted i juli/august måned. Der er en række fordele og ulemper forbundet hermed. Da den afrikanske vinter som bekendt falder i den danske sommer, kan der blive ganske køligt i det sydlige Afrika på denne tid af året. Dagene er meget behagelige med godt tyve grader samt flot blå himmel og sol. Men når solen går ned, bliver det ret koldt - nogle gange ligefrem under frysepunktet. Der er derfor en god ide at medbringe masser af varmt tøj (herunder hat, handsker, lange skiunderbukser etc.), så man er varmt klædt på, når man sidder omkring bålet om aftenen og ser på den flotte stjernehimmel. Det gode ved vintertid er dog, at det stort set ikke regner på denne tid af året (vi havde en enkelt regnvejrsdag ud af de fire uger, som vi var af sted). Klimaet er derfor perfekt, hvis man som vi, ønsker at tage på vandreture, da det ikke bliver for alt varmt, når man bevæger sig. Området omkring Cape Town er dog en undtagelse, da vinteren her netop er præget af regn og blæst. </I></div> <div> <I>En helt anden, men meget vigtig, fordel ved vinteren dernede er, at man slipper for nærmest alle former for kryb - der er ingen myg (så malaria behøver man ikke at bekymre sig om [MU: malarie er dog kun et egentlig problem hvis man rejser til det nordlige Botswana]), og edderkopperne så vi heller ikke noget til - ikke engang på safarituren med Marianne og Derek, hvor vi boede tre dage i telt i junglen [MU: eller nok snarere kratskov "bush" ved det fantastiske Okavango Delta].</I></div> <bR> <div> <U>Transport:</U></div> <div> We flew from Denmark to South Africa (Johannesburg). From Johannesburg we took a bus to Gaborone. The bus leaves from Johannesburg bus station once a day and goes directly to Gaborone; the trip takes about six hours. The advantage is that it is a great deal cheaper than to take the plane (about DKK 150 each way). However, there are also a lot more hassles. The trip is the "African way" and it is not unlikely with some stops on the way because the bus breaks down or just needs a break. On the other hand, the journey through the country side is pretty and the bus is fairly modern, even showing movies on the trip.</div> <div> There is only one bus company that does the trip to Botswana. It is called Intercape and possible trips can easily be booked online via the company's webside: <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="http://www.intercape.co.za/services/mainliner.html" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.intercape.co.za/services/main"><U>http://www.intercape.co.za/services/mainliner.html</U></A></FONT></div> <bR> <div> In South Africa we travelled with the bus company Baz Bus which especially targets backpackers / travellers without car. Using the Baz Bus is an easy and safe way to travel - the company picks you up from and brings you to the various hostels with whom it cooperates. This way you avoid extra transport such as taxa to or from bus stations / airports. Baz Bus works really well and is reliable, it is used by both young and old as well as tourists and locals. It is a flexibel way to travel and you can buy both period card (for example two weeks unlimited use of Baz Bus between all its stops) or single trips. It is a good and very safe alternative if you do not want to drive in a country where they drive on the "wrong" side of the road! The only disadvantages are that the trips of course take longer as people are getting on and off on route and that the bus does not go every day on all parts of the route. For additional information about Baz Bus check their website: <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="http://www.bazbus.com/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.bazbus.com/"><U>http://www.bazbus.com/</U></A></FONT></div> <bR> <div> <I><U>Transport:</U></I></div> <div> <I>Vi fløj fra Danmark til Sydafrika (Johannesburg), hvorfra vi tog en bus til Gaborone. Bussen kører direkte fra Johannesburg busstation en gang om dagen, og turen tager ca. seks timer. Fordelen er, at det er en del billigere (koster ca. 150 kroner per vej) end at tage et fly, men det er selvfølgelig også mere besværligt. Turen er ”The African Way”, og nogle uplanlagte stop undervejs, fordi bussen går i stykker eller trænger til en pause, er ikke usandsynligt. Omvendt er det en flot tur gennem landskabet, og bussen er relativ moderne, så der vises ligefrem videofilm på turen.</I></div> <div> <I>Der er kun et busselskab, der tager turen til Botswana. Det hedder Intercape og eventuelle rejser kan nemt bestilles online på deres hjemmeside:</I><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="http://www.intercape.co.za/services/mainliner.html" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.intercape.co.za/services/main"><U>http://www.intercape.co.za/services/mainliner.html</U></A></FONT></div> <bR> <div> <I>I Sydafrika rejste vi med busselskabet Baz Bus, som er specielt tilegnet backpackers/folk uden bil. Baz Bus er en nem og sikker måde at rejse rundt på  - selskabet henter og bringer dig ved forskellige hostels, som det samarbejder med. På den måde slipper man for alt andet overflødigt transport såsom taxa fra og til busstationer/lufthavne. Baz Bus fungerer rigtig godt og pålideligt, og det anvendes både af unge som ældre samt af turister og lokale. Det er en fleksibel måde at rejse, og der kan købes både periodekort (fx to ugers ubegrænset adgang til Baz Bus mellem alle dens stoppesteder) og enkeltture. Det er et godt og meget sikkert alternativ, hvis man ikke ønsker at køre i bil i et land, hvor de kører i den ”forkerte” side af vejen! De eneste ulemper er, at turerne selvfølgelig tager længere tid, fordi man sætter folk af og på undervejs, samt at bussen ikke kører hver dag på alle ruter. Yderligere oplysninger om Baz Bus kan fåes på deres hjemmeside</I><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >: </FONT><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="http://www.bazbus.com/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.bazbus.com/"><U>http://www.bazbus.com/</U></A></FONT></div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <IMG SRC="2b03bac0.jpg" border=0 width="571" height="428" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Sunset in Soweto / <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#336600" FACE="Arial" ><I>Solnedgang over Soweto</I></FONT></div> <bR> <div> <U>The trip and its high lights:</U></div> <div> After a great week in Botswana with Marianne and Derek we went to South Africa, starting off in Johannesburg. Vi decided to stay in Pretoria as it was both cheaper than Johannesburg and said to be safer. We stayed in the "student suburb", Hatfield, which is a really nice and interesting suburb with lots of restaurants and bars. It can be recommended to stay close to Burnett Street which is the street where "it happens". If you choose to go to Johannesburg it is certainly worthwhile to visit the Apartheid museum. The museum gives a good insight into the history of South Africa and a good understanding for the country and its culture.</div> <bR> <div> <I><U>Turen og dens højdepunkter:</U></I></div> <div> <I>Efter en skøn uges ferie i Botswana sammen med Marianne og Derek gik rejsen til Sydafrika med start i Johannesburg. Vi valgte at bo i Pretoria, da det både er billigere end Johannesburg og har rygte for at være mere sikkert. Her boede vi studenterforstaden, Hatfield, som er en rigtig hyggelig og livlig forstad med masser af restauranter og barer. Det kan anbefales at bo tæt på Burnett Street, som er gaden, hvor det sker. </I></div> <div> <I>Hvis man vælger at tage til Johannesburg, er Apartheit-museet bestemt et besøg værd. Det giver et godt indblik i Sydafrikas historie og en god forståelse for landet og dets kultur.</I></div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <IMG SRC="2b352bd0.jpg" border=0 width="594" height="445" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Drakensberg</div> <bR> <div> After Johannesburg we went to the Drakensberg mountains which was one of the best high lights of our trip. Drankensberg is a mountain range which borders Lesotho and there are plenty of possibilities for some fantastic hiking trips. We stayed in the northern part of Dragensberg at the Amphitheatre Backpackers which arranges several different trips in the area, including an amazing and challenging hiking trip to the mountains. Amphitheatre Backpackers is beautifully located by the foot of the mountain range and the delux rooms have a stunning view, own shower and a fully kittet kitchen for only Rand 210 and is recommendable. There is also a restaurant at the "hotel", but the food is not particularly good so it is better to bring food. For more info check: <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="http://www.amphibackers.co.za" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.amphibackers.co.za"><U>www.amphibackers.co.za</U></A></FONT></div> <bR> <div> <I>Efter Johannesburg gik turen til Dragensberg-bjergene, som var en af turens allerstørste højdepunkter. Dragensberg er et bjergområde, der grænser op til Lesotho, og der er gode muligheder for fantastiske vandreture. Vi boede i det nordlige Dragensberg på Amphitheatre Backpackers, der arrangerer flere forskellige ture i området, herunder en fantastisk og udfordrende vandretur i bjergene. Amphitheatre Backpackers er smukt placeret ved foden af bjergkæden, og deluxe værelserne med flot udsigt, eget bad og fuldt udstyret køkken til blot 210 rand kan anbefales. Der er også en restaurant på ”hotellet”, men maden er ikke specielt god, så fyld hellere bilen op med masser af mad hjemmefra. Se mere på</I><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="http://www.amphibackers.co.za" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.amphibackers.co.za"><U>www.amphibackers.co.za</U></A></FONT></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="765" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 285 ><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="2b671150.jpg" border=0 width="369" height="277" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <I><IMG SRC="2b773160.jpg" border=0 width="371" height="278" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></I></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> Hiking at Plettenberg Bay / <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#336600" FACE="Arial" ><I>Vandretur ved Plettenberg Bay</I></FONT></div> <bR> <div> Another high light was Plettenberg Bay which is on the Garden Route. Plettenberg Bay is a little town which is beautifully positioned by the water. The biggest experience here was Robberg Nature & Mariane Reserve where we took a four hour hike around an peninsula. The trip was really bueautiful with lots of rough nature, seals as well as the possibility of seeing dolphins and whales if your are lucky.</div> <div> We stayed at a very cosy hostel, Albergo for Backpackers. There was a good atmosphere and every evening the staff would make a big fire on which you could cook your own food which was a really nice alternative to restaurant food. The homepage is: <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="http://www.albergo.co.za/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.albergo.co.za/"><U>http://www.albergo.co.za/</U></A></FONT></div> <bR> <div> <I>Et andet højdepunkt var Plettenberg Bay, der ligger på Garden Route. Plettenberg Bay er en lille by, der ligger flot ud til vandet. Den største oplevelse var her Robberg Nature & Mariane Reserve, hvor vi tog på en fire timers vandretur rundt om en halvø. Turen var virkelig smuk og bød på en rå natur, sæler samt muligheden for både at se delfiner og hvaler, som man er heldig. </I></div> <div> <I>Vi boede på et meget hyggeligt hostel, Albergo for Backpackers. Der var en god stemning, og hver aften tændte personalet op for et stort bål, hvorpå der så var mulighed for at lave sin mad, hvilket var ganske dejligt som en afveksling for restaurantmad. Deres hjemmeside er</I><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="http://www.albergo.co.za/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.albergo.co.za/"><U>http://www.albergo.co.za/</U></A></FONT></div> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="772" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 367 ><NOBR><div> <I><IMG SRC="2bf1a590.jpg" border=0 width="282" height="345" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></I></div> <div> Penguin at Boulders Bay / <FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#336600" FACE="Arial" ><I>Pngvin ved Boulders Bay</I></FONT></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="2becc590.jpg" border=0 width="460" height="345" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> Cape Town from the Table Mountan / <FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#336600" FACE="Arial" ><I>Cape Town fra Table Mountain</I></FONT></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> The trip ended in Cape Town which must be one of the most fascinating cities in the world. The city simply got everything: great eating experiences, great shopping opportunities, lots of culture, beaches with good swimming opportunities as well as lots of nature adventures including the Cape Point, penguins at Boulders Beach and of course Table Mountan. This is a city that really should be experienced and you can easily use a small week there. One last good advice: if you want to go to the Robben Island (where Nelson Mandela sat prisoner) you should book several days before.</div> <bR> <div> <I>Turen blev afsluttet i Cape Town, som må være en af verdens mest facsinerende storbyen. Byen har simpelthen alt: Gode spiseoplever, fantastiske shoppingmuligheder, masser af kultur, strande med gode bademuligheder samt spændende naturopevelser, herunder Cape Point, pingviner ved Boulders Beach og selvfølgelig Table Mountain. Det er en by, der virkelig må opleves, og man kan sagtens bruge en lille uge der.   </I></div> <div> <I>Et sidste godt råd er at bestille turen til Robben Island (øen, hvor Nelson Mandela sad fængslet) i god tid, da der godt kan være op til fem dages ventetid før, der er plads. </I></div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>