Korean Job Discussion Forums

[paula1972h]

Hi,

Has anyone out there in Dave's ESL Land visited Africa?

Any suggestions? Recommendations? Stories?

[dulouz]

Ghana gets good reviews and i'd like to visit the skeleton coast in Angola. There are some good 4 wheel drive trips there.

[crazylemongirl]

I've been to South Africa. J'burg is best avoided... but I loved the highvelds to north and capetown to the South.

[Wangja]

I've only been to Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, Nigeria and Congo Brazzaville.

Apart from the first, and maybe the last in better times. I'd not recommend any.

[LL Moonmanhead]

Namabia, South Africa, and Botswana. All of them fantastic. Highly recommended. . Oh, i did get robbed at gunpoint by two guys in Cape Town. But, twas just one blip in an otherwise great trip.

Tip: whilst in South African cities (i particularly Jo'Burg), it is best to only keep the money you are willing to part with in your pocket. Stick the rest down your socks, underpants, etc..

[Zark]

Lived in Botswana 89-91 and got to visit Zambia, Zimbabwe and South Africa - fascinating area - magnificent wildlfe.

Also visited Tanzania about 2001 - and loved it. Also fantastic.

If you take a tour - it is very worth spending the money for a private safari - and overall is only maybe 25-40% more than a group safari. Then you can focus on what you want to do - instead of having to stop for bathroom breaks and smoking breaks and long pauses to photograph monkeys.

With your own guide you can tell them what YOU want to see and they go all out to find it. When I went we wanted to see big cats - and our guide must have found every one within a couple hundred kilometres. In the mean time - you get to see everything else too.

I thought that Tanzania would not be so special after living in Botswana and having seen a LOT of wildlife - but it was in fact very special.

Recommendations? Please excuse my spelling and here we go:

S.Africa - the "Garden Route" from Cape Town to Durban - beautiful coastal drive!

Zimbabwe - Motopos National Park near Bulawayo - Hwange National Park - and Vic Falls National Park for animals - and Vic Falls - of course - for the falls! If you decide to go - PM me for how to get - uh . . . less than the going rate Zim Dollars - that can make your vacation almost free. Don't worry - everyone who lives in Botswana does it.

Botswana - Chobe National Park - more elephants than anywhere else in the world. Okavango Delta for a one place in the world unique experience.

Tanzania - Serengeti - of course! And also super neat is Ngorongoro Crater - a microcosm of almost everything.

It would be hard to find anywhere more fantastic - but it is not a very cheap place to travel unless you REALLY like roughing it. And CRIME is a major problem - so roughing it is NOT recommended.

[endo]

I'm planning a trip to South Africa, Botswana, and Lesotho in a few years from now and i'd like some advice.


I will likely be flying into Joberg from Cairo. I'm thinking it's best to land there in the morning as opposed to the night as I hear the cities quite shadey.

I don't really intend on spending much time in the city, but plan on using it as a jumping off point into Botswana. I'll either fly or take the train to Gaborne.

1) If I decide to stay in Joberg for a few days what should I see and how should I commute through the city?

2) When I make it into Botswana I intend on staying for 10-14 days. What are the best places to see in this time period?


After chilling in Botswana, I plan on making my way down to Lestho (in which i'll have to head back through Joberg.)

What's the best way to get to Lestho from Joberg? (i.e. car, train, plane)


After Lestho I plan on heading to Rourke's Drift and then on to Durban. (is Durban worth visiting?)


Then from Durban i'll head to Cape Town. Should I go the coastal route or inland if possible?


I'll then depart Cape Town to Europe (Lisbon or London, or maybe Sao Paulo).




Basically, that's my itinery. I'm open for change however.


Some other points to include:

1) i'll most likely be traveling by myself

2) i really don't want to get robbed, cause i'm afraid i'll fight back and get myself merked (killed)

3) wouldn't mind finding some herb to smoke

4) i'm giving 35-40 days total for this trip (is this enough?)


thanks

[Zark]

[Woland]

I've been to Eritrea. I went a few years back when a cousin and a friend of a friend were working there. Conditions have turned for the worse in the country, with the government becoming more repressive and a lot of economic damage arising from the war with Ethiopia and the resulting end of economic ties.

Really too bad. Asmara is a beautiful city, full of 1930s Italian futurist architecture, a real world treasure in that regard. The road to Massawa on the coast is stunning, dropping 2400m in less than 60 kilometers. The two offshore islands in Massawa are full of crumbling Ottoman architecture. The roof was blown off the covered market by bombing in the war of independence and only the struts remained when I was there. Karen in the highlands was a real treat, especially with its haunting military cemetary full of anonymous graves from the WW2 battle fought there.

I didn't get to Nakfa, where the Eritreans built an underground city with hospitals and schools to sustain them in the war of independence.

There's good Italian food to go along with the local fare, amazing coffee shops with 1930s equipment still working, friendly people, and just lots of things you've never seen before.

I understand that it is now even more difficult to get a visa than when I went. It took a couple weeks of persistent phone calls from Turkey to the relevant ministry in Asmara plus numerous faxes of documents to get permission to receive a visa. It helped me that the friend of a friend was working teaching English in the Justice Ministry.

Do not attempt to enter the country without a visa or explicit permission to receive one at the airport. You will be immediately deported otherwise; I saw it happen to a Spanish guy on my flight coming to work as a tutor. Even with the family that hired him waiting on the other side, they sent him back.

It was a lot of work, but one of the most worthwhile trips I've taken.

Highlight of highlights: I arrived early in the morning on Epiphany, the biggest holiday of the year there and got to join the crowds for the outdoor mass near the stadium. As the mass went on, I saw everyone in the crowd had plastic buckets with them. These were used to collect holy water from the fountain at the end of mass. Children then ran throught the crowd, soaking everyone (including me) with blessings. After this there was a parade through the city and the faithful splashed water on people in the street as they went by. Many of these were Muslims, but the whole event was seen as something shared by everyone, so no one objected to getting wet.

[crazylemongirl]

J'burg go to soweto and visit nelson mandela's old house!

Go up to pretoria and see the old colonial architecture.

Watch your f'ing back that's one mean city.

[spinario]

Spent 8 months in Tanzania. Spent time in Kenya, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Burundi, Rwanda, etc.. East Africa.

Had an offer to assist prosecuting the Rwanda genecide war crimes (the court sits in Arusha).

Climbed Kili. Good times.

Zanzibar is a nice island to relax on. Botswana for the wildlife! Awesome. Serengeti, of course.

South Africa is not the third world. In other words, it's not Africa.

Your experience in Africa will depend on the size of the purse you bring. You can hunt lions for a license that'll cost you tens of thousands or you can stretch $2k over 2 months (minus flight).

[endo]

Zark, thank you so much for the advice.

It really helps.




Also has anybody been to Ethiopia?

[Zark]

[spinario]

incorrect.

Zark, you made my mouth laugh.

Westerners visit Transkei or Ciskei? Negative. They visit Cape Town.

But I commend you for being aware of these strongholds of apartheid.

Reality. You're in the vast minority.

And look, I can play this game too. The 18 arrondissement is famous for pimps, prostitutes, violent sex crimes and attracts the classless and the vagabonds.

Therefore, Paris is nothing but a cheap red-light district.

[Zark]