SOUTH AFRICA FAQ’s

Cape Town, Johannesburg and Victoria Falls are all GMT +2hrs

South African Rand

Weather patterns around the world are becoming less predictable. However, as a general guide, in the Western Cape areas of Cape Town and the Garden Route, summers tend to be warm, cooled by ocean breezes, with rain falling occasionally. Durban and Ubizane, found in KwaZulu-Natal can have very hot summers and you should consider adequate protection, including sun-hats and high factor sunscreen. Johannesburg and Pretoria are situated at altitude on the highveld plateau and generally enjoy a hot climate with the occasional thunderstorm. Due to the altitude evenings can be a little cooler. Read the South Africa climate guide for more details.

Dress for our tours is generally relaxed and informal during the day, dressing to suit the weather conditions and the activity you are undertaking. It’s likely there will be occasions when exploring you’ll be walking on uneven surfaces, so we recommend sturdy and comfortable walking shoes. Wearing layers of clothing means it’s much easier to deal with potentially varied weather conditions and it’s always advisable to carry a waterproof.

Any included evening dinners are also informal, with smart casual dress being the norm. We would also recommend taking good insect repellent, a high factor sun-screen lotion and a hat for protection from the sun. Whilst on safari in South Africa, is it recommended to wear natural colours such as khaki, green or beige as bright colours can attract insects and cause diversions for the wildlife. For the safaris (which take place in the morning and evening in open vehicles) we recommend sun lotion and hats as well as warm clothing, as it can get very cold. If you have them, binoculars will provide a great opportunity for closer wildlife viewing. If travelling on Rovos Rail, evening attire is more formal – for gentlemen, a jacket and tie is a minimum requirement, while for ladies a cocktail /evening dress or suit is suggested.

Major credit cards and cash machines are widely available throughout your tour and your tour manger will be on hand to help you find the best places to exchange your money.
Local currency is always recommended for small purchases and tipping. Coins and small bills are ideal for this. When you change money, ask for some small bills and keep these separate from the larger ones, so that they’re readily accessible. We also recommend advising your bank of your travel plans prior to departing from the UK so you do not encounter potential problems when trying to withdraw cash.

A currency card is also a simple way to buy currency and lock in a great exchange rate before you travel. Distant Journeys recommends Revolut, a digital banking app which offers a pre-paid physical or virtual currency card. It is also simple to apply for, set up and use.

For more information on the Revolut Currency Card, please click here

Tipping is common practice in most destinations and should ideally be paid in the local currency. In South Africa generally tipping is expected. For restaurants 10%-15% is the norm unless a service fee has been added to your bill. In these circumstances tipping is optional, but of course still well received if offered. Hotel porters would normally expect a tip of 10-20 Rand. If you wish to tip other hotel staff, similar amounts should be offered. Tipping for taxi drivers is not expected, however rounding up the final fare and leaving the driver with the change is appreciated. If the driver has gone out of his way to help maybe consider tipping up to around 10%. If you have received great service from your Tour Manager, guides or driver you may wish to tip them for their service. We are frequently asked for guidance on this and would suggest a minimum of £2 per person per touring day, dependent on your level of satisfaction.

The following information on entry requirements, passports and visas is for British citizens only. Holders of a British Subject passport, non-British citizens and holders of a passport endorsed in any way should check immigration requirements with the relevant embassy or consulate of the country to be visited, as should clients with dual nationality or renounced citizenship. If travelling with a child aged under 18, there are additional immigration rules that apply. Please call us for further details and refer to the

Foreign Advice website as shown below.

A ten-year British passport is required for all holidays, valid for a minimum of 6 months after your return date to the UK. When travelling to South Africa you must allow two blank pages for immigration. If you are planning to join our Victoria Falls extension, we recommend four. If you are not currently in possession of a valid passport please make sure you leave plenty of time before your holiday to apply for this document. Our recommendation is that you should apply at least three months before your holiday.

Botswana
Currently a visa is not required for any travellers entering Botswana.
Important: If travelling to Botswana, as we enter/depart via Zimbabwe, please also refer to information on Zimbabwe visas.

eSwatini
Currently a visa is not required for any travellers entering eSwatini.

Mozambique
When travelling on our African Rail Adventure with Rovos Rail, you will be required to obtain a visa for Mozambique. Rovos Rail will help arrange for your visa (cost not included), whilst on-board. Cost is currently US$60 per person.

Zimbabwe
If travelling to Zimbabwe a visa is required.

If you are extending your Spectacular South Africa, or Very Best of South Africa holiday to Victoria Falls your visa can be arranged on arrival at Victoria Falls Airport, together with
payment. If you are travelling to Victoria Falls on our South African Rail Adventure, Rovos Rail will help facilitate whilst travelling onboard.
If you are only planning to visit Victoria Falls a single entry visa will be required. However, if you are considering taking our day excursion to Chobe National Park from Victoria Falls, or are booking our Chobe, or Victoria Falls & Chobe Holiday extension you must purchase a
double entry visa for Zimbabwe. Cost is currently US$55.00 per person, single entry and US$70.00 per person for double entry.

Health facilities, hygiene and disease risk vary worldwide. In South Africa, Zimbabwe and Botswana, many of the main tourist areas we visit are malaria free. However, some of the areas we visit may pose a low malaria risk. You should take health advice from your GP or local travel clinic about your specific needs as early as possible and ensure that vaccinations or preventative measures are taken early enough (which may be a month or more prior to departure) to be fully effective by the date of travel. For more information on health and vaccinations please visit the Foreign Office website www.gov.uk/foreign-traveladvice and NHS Travel Vaccinations website on: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/travel-vaccinations/

The government in South Africa has ordered the national utility companies to implement a system of controlled power outages, known as load-shedding, to conserve supplies and increase capacity. These outages are in the form of a power cut, typically lasting only a few minutes but occasionally longer. The hotels used by Distant Journeys have back-up generators, so any disruption caused by load-shedding will be minimal.