TRAVEL TIPS FOR SOUTH AFRICA II

We left off last time at Hluhluwe Umflozi Game park and today we are going to travel back to the "real" world, and civilisation. Travelling through rural Africa is a treat as there is plenty of space and you'll have a chance to see local housing, quiet sleeping petrol stations and encounter herds of cattle crossing the road. You'll see locals walking,  these two with their goats in the middle of nowhere. The roads are generally good. Make sure you have enough petrol as you don't really want to stop in any unknown rural areas.

 

Heading towards Durban for a short stay in Umhlanga Sands, you'll have beautiful coastal drives alongside the Indian ocean. The weather here is hot and humid and it has a large Indian population because of the slaves brought to the sugar plantations a few hundred years ago. For that specific reason, Indian curries are the best local cuisine speciality to try. Take a walk along the beach boulevard towards the lighthouse and admire the splendid rocked beach,

rock pools, with local fishermen, surfers, picnicking families and walk the Shark pier. The beach front is totally non-commercial so no snack bars so just clean sand and sea,  fresh and scenic. Upmarket cafes and restaurants are just off the beachfront up the slight incline. 

Umhlanga sands has European like pubs and restaurants. If you stay a few days, there are many Bed & Breakfasts, or use Air BnB. Umhlanga is small and easy to walk around and you can visit the tour office to plan a snake park tour, caves, Zulu dancing or local rondavel villages. Remember though that distances are always quite great. 

From Durban the journey west will see you leaving Kwazulu Natal and take you towards the Eastern Province which is where Nelson Mandela, (Madiba) was born and is buried. Although private, it is nice to know that it is in the African hills about 5 hours north east from the next big city, Port Elizabeth  (PE) so you'll be driving somewhere past it in the vast space. Madiba was from the Xhosa tribe, they are smaller and lighter than Zulus and have a musical click in their native tongue Xhosa. Here are some tribal shoe delights of this tribe. Photographed in a PE supermarket. As there is a lot of driving entailed in SA, you might want to hop on one of the many flights to PE which is just an hour. From there you should take a car to drive to Cape Town so as to view the scenic and famous garden route.

  

EASTERN PROVINCE HILLS AND MOUNTAINS IN KWAZUNGA

Port Elizabeth, also on the Indian ocean has beautiful beaches, Go to Summer Strand or Humewood and if you can, visit a tea garden at the weekend, out near Sardinia Bay, where you can horse ride. Early morning is also recommended. Or Visit Van Staden's river mouth where you have massive sand dunes to surf or boogie board down. Tip: The walk up is not easy. :)  PE itself is a quiet sleep city with a few pretty streets and old churches, but the beachfront is lovely, also at night, with good restaurants and nightclubs. Be careful where ever you go and if you can go with locals as it's not a good idea to get lost. When you park, there will always be a car minder to prevent theft and it's customary to always give a few rand upon return. It's best to actually stay in one of the beach front hotels or again use Air B&B. Remember everywhere in SA there is high security, with security gates, alarms, armed response in suburbs and you should be vigilant. Crime is high because of poverty and past mass urbanization with insufficient employment and housing. You should steer clear of any ghettos for your own safety. This link explains the history and current economics in SA well. Sad of course, because tourism brings money but the growth of the middle class is a slow process and 90% of the land in SA was in white hands at the turn of apartheid. Little has changed in that percentage since then, so it's a classic situation of the top 1% owning everything. There is a link at the end of the blog for reference and further insight.

Locals in Eastern Province who work on farmlands

PORT ELIZABETH PIER ON THE INDIAN OCEAN

CHURCH IN CENTRAL PE

 ENTRY TO BEACH FRONT

Needless to say, South Africans although friendly, are tough people, who can be insular due to lack of international contact. They are hospitable though and you should join them at home if possible for a traditional braai because a trip to SA without a lot of fires is just a tourist cruise. Expect guns, kept for protection at homes, hunters who keep Kudu populations done in season and pet snakes. Do try some local biltong, play with the many ghekkos, and enjoy the flora and fauna which is abundant!

 HONEYSUCKLE HEDGES

BOTTLEBRUSH TREES

 That's it for this week! Next week we'll be doing the Garden route, passing through Knysna, and other coastal towns hitting the international destination and well known Cape Town. Tune in!

NKOSI SIKHELE AFRIKA....

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/24/business/south-africa-economy-apartheid.html?mtrref=undefined