Hi all,
I've just come back from South Africa. It was a great trip. The Victoria Falls add-on was fantastic. Flying over the falls in a microlight is a experience I will never forget.
One tip, make sure you have lots of rand. The optional tours for South Africa are priced in pounds but you have tp pay in rand. You can use dollars, pounds or rand in Zambia.
Regds
Jim
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Hi Jim
Glad you had a good time. I am doing this trip in March 2012. Can I ask you some questions, please?
1. How did you cope with the mosquitos.
2. How much money is needed (Rand and US $?).
3. What was the weather like ie temperature.
3. How was entry to Zambia and paying for the visa in US $.
4. And, how did you cope with sharing a room on the lodge part of the tour!
Hope you won't mind these ramblings...
Regards
Sylvia
Hi Sylvia,
You will love the trip. Everybody in my group had a great time.
Answers to your questions:
1. I had anti-malaria tablets (malarone) and a tropical insect repellant (50% DEET). Everyplace we stayed in had air-conditioning so you didn't have to leave your windows open. Still got bitten a few times but nothing serious.
2.You are only allowed to take 5000 rand into South Africa but we had plenty of opportunities to visit an ATM.I wouldn't bother with travellers cheques. In South Africa , most days you have to buy your lunch and on some occasions dinner as well. In Zambia you are on a bed and breakfast basis. It all depends on how many of the optional excursions you want to do too. I took the maximum amount of rand into South Africa and enough dollars to cover the costs of the visa for Zambia and a little bit more. Then if I needed more cash I just visited an ATM.
3. The weather was generally sunny and very warm, usually between the high twenties and low to mid thirties, although it did get to around 100F on a couple of occasions. We also had a couple of thunderstorms but these happened during the night.
4. Getting into Zambia wasn't too bad. You have to fill in an immigration form. Our tour guide collected all our passports and visa money at the airport and sorted it all out. You will get used to filling in forms if you do the optional trip into Botswana (which I recommend). You have to fill in a form to get out of Zambia and one to get into Botswana and vice versa.
5. No-one on our trip had to share a room at any of the lodges/hotels we stayed in. I know you have to share a room if you go on the Kenya trip but not on the South Africa trip.
Regds
Jim