Discussions started by Malijp

Hi everyone! I’m planning the Cape Town part of our trip and would love to hike up Table Mountain via Platterklip Gorge and take the cable car back down. Is it safe to hike this trail in early January without a guide (there are 4 of us: 3 adults and a teen)? If a guide is highly recommended, do you know a good one? If we end up taking the cable car both ways, is it safe to hike the summit without a guide (Mc Lear's Beacon trail)? Same question for Lion’s Head: with or without a guide? We’re used to hiking technical trails (Réunion Island), so my question is more about the risk of mugging on these trails. Thanks for your feedback! Malijp

Hi everyone! I’m still planning my Cape Town to Johannesburg trip in January 2027. I saw a documentary about the San people in Namibia, and the same day, I stumbled upon the Lonely Planet page about !Kwah Ttu. I checked out their website to learn more, including Michel’s travel journal about it. I’m really keen to go. So, I’m thinking of dedicating: - either 1 day out of the 4.5 I have in Cape Town... - or making a detour to !Kwah Ttu on the day I leave Cape Town for Montagu, instead of visiting Franschhoek and its Saturday market... To the VFers who’ve already been: is it really worth spending a day there? Thanks in advance for your feedback! Malijp

Hello everyone! It's been a year since I've been longing for South Africa. Our first trip in August 2025 amazed us, and—rarely—it was a unanimous hit with our little family! We were touched to the core, and from the moment we got home, we couldn’t stop talking about going back. 😄 I’d like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who gave me advice on the itinerary for that first trip (Johannesburg loop: Blyde, Kruger, Eswatini, St. Lucia, Durban, Drakensberg)! Thanks to you, our trip went like a dream! Since then, I haven’t stopped reading articles and discussions on VoyageForum to keep my head in South Africa a little longer! So, we finally caved and just booked our tickets for January 2027 (from the 3rd to the 26th), with a plan to do a road trip from Cape Town to Johannesburg in about 3 weeks. I’ve got a rough itinerary that seems great based on what I’ve read on various forums, but there are still some uncertain points, and that’s where I could use your advice.

3/01: Arrival in Johannesburg at 11:45 PM 4/01: Flight to Cape Town, pick up rental car. Afternoon sightseeing 5,6,7/01: Cape Town to visit the big classics in the area (any tips for finding accommodation: which neighborhood, a specific place?) 8/01: Overnight stop before Oudtshoorn—but where??? (Is it essential, or is the CT-Oudtshoorn drive manageable? If so, I’d gain a day in Oudtshoorn. Google Maps shows over 5 hours of driving...) 9,10/01: Oudtshoorn (or would 3 nights be better to really enjoy the area?) 11,12/01: Knysna, Plettenberg Bay (to have time for hiking—if you’ve got hiking tips, I’m all ears!) 13,14/01: Tsitsikamma (still to have time for hiking—who knows the must-do hikes in the area? But maybe 4 nights in the Knysna-Tsitsikamma area is too much—I’m not sure) 16,17/01: Addo Elephant (I’m torn between 3 nights at Addo or 3 nights at Mountain Zebra. Based on travel journals, especially Michel’s on MZ, I’ve scheduled 3 nights at MZ 😄...) 18,19,20/01: Mountain Zebra NP 21/01: Camdeboo NP (because it looks so beautiful!) 22/01: Overnight stop (where?) before wrapping up the trip with either 2 or 3 nights at Golden Gate NP or the Lesotho option, which appeals to me, but I don’t know if it’s doable in 3 days to be back in Johannesburg by the afternoon of the 26th.

That’s my trip idea for now... I’m eagerly waiting for your advice, ideas, and comments... Can’t wait to be back there again!

Hi there, We’re heading to South Africa in August 2025 and planning a classic loop that I’d love to finish with the Drakensberg (I’m a big hiking fan) before returning to Johannesburg to catch our flight. I’ve got 3 nights for this part of our trip. But I’m wondering if it’s actually a good idea to hike in the Drakensberg in August, since it’s the Southern Hemisphere winter (I’m from Réunion and we hike year-round there, but I don’t know what the climate’s like in South Africa, especially the Drakensberg). I’m particularly worried about getting stuck because of snow and missing our flight... ;) I’ve read so many different things that I’m totally confused! If it’s okay to hike at this time of year, what would you recommend? I’m torn between Champagne Valley and Royal Natal National Park. Thanks in advance for your firsthand tips! Malijp