Feb in South Africa - Sodwana and Aliwal Shoal -- advice and buddies

[Roblynn]

A friend and I are going to South Africa in February and are interested in diving in Sodwana Bay as well as the Aliwal Shoal. We aren't interested in great white cage diving, so I don't imagine we'll do much/any diving further south or out of Cape Town -- but I'm open to other suggestions.

Anyone want to join us at the beginning of February? Or have specific suggestions etc? Ideas for how to get to Sodwana, since we weren't planning to rent a car?

We are both in our late 20s, Canadian, one Divemaster and one Rescue Diver. Very well travelled but new to Africa.

Thanks!

 

[ocdiver1]

You'll probably get some more up-to-date answers from some SA locals, but since I was also trying to get to Sodwana without renting a car early this year I thought I'd tell you what I found (at least at the time). I couldn't find any regular bus service to Hluluwe, the nearest major jumping off point for Sodwana, and from where I'd found a lot of the dive resorts could arrange pick up from if you made it there. There was a backpacker hop on/hop off type bus that used to go there (Baz Bus) but they had stopped running that itinerary not that long before I went...but is probably worth checking to see if they resumed. In the end I did rent a car and made the drive from Durban (after going to Aliwal) and it wasnt bad at all..rental car prices in SA were pretty reasonable, and the roads were good all the way into Sodwana. It also came in handy having a car there for driving from where I stayed to the launch site, and into town frequently to buy groceries etc.

I spent two months diving SA and Mozambique and loved it! If you have any extra time, getting to Tofo in Mozambique is well worth it...some of the best diving I've done anywhere outside of Asia. Also, while you are in Aliwal don't miss out on diving Protea Banks...just about an hour's drive from where you'll be in Umkomaas. Famous for it's shark encounters, you've got great chances that time of year for tiger, bull, bowmouth guitar, and oceanic black tip sharks.

 

[Roblynn]

Thanks very much for this, really helps. How did you cross over into mozambique from SA? Also, between Durban and Sodwana did you do some self-drive touring or just head straight there? Did you really NEED a car once in Sodwana or was or just somewhat handy? My theory is that if we are going to be sticking to one spot then it seems like a strange time to pay for a rental, but if there is actually cool stuff to get out and see then it's worth thinking about. Thanks again for the help!!

 

[ocdiver1]

Going into Moz I explored just taking the car from Sodwana..but it would have had to have been a 4x4 to handle the roads on the Moz side. I also thought about returning the rental car and getting into Moz some other way, but there was nowhere near to be able to return the car and I ran into a problem after I'd get to the border anyway...you'd have to rely on chapas on the Moz side to get you into Maputo. There was no easy way to do it. The two times I went into Moz I returned my rental car in Richard's Bay and took a bus from there (I think it was called the "Africa Bus" but I can find the info for you if you wind up needing it) through Swaziland into Maputo, then took a chapa organized by the hostel in Maputo up to Tofo...quite a long, uncomfortable trip. The other time I just flew from Jburg to Inhambane..far easier but of course more expensive. To drive SA into Moz you need special permission from the company you are renting from, and likely will need a 4x4 as roads aren't as good..plus I heard lots of stories about people who run into trouble with the Moz police wanting bribes, etc. I'd say having a car in Sodwana is more "essential" than "handy" now that I think more about it. Not just in getting there, but getting around once you are there. The accommodation seems pretty spread out, so that you really do have to drive to the launch site for diving. Also, unless you plan on going nowhere and just having your meals where you are staying, a car is also really handy...unless you are going to try and hitch rides from others...almost everyone else will likely have a car from my experience. A car gets you to town for groceries, to the launch site, and to surrounding things to see. You'll find everyone just does a two tank am dive..so the afternoons are free. There are some really good game parks within about an hours drive, where you can either self-drive or use the game lodge's transport for the game drive. I think you'll definitely find renting a car is the best way to both get there and get around once you are there.

 

[AndyT]

I would not want to be in Sodwana without a vehicle - if the diving is wiped out for a day there are some nearby game reserves that are worth visiting.
However this is not a deal breaker, just the way that I would do things.

If you want to go to Moz there are a few options:

1. Leave the rental at the Kosi Bay border post and arrange for the dive centre to fetch you - friends of mine did this a few years ago when they dived Ponta do Ouro and Ponta Molangane.
2. If you want to go to Tofo this is not the right point of entry - you will need a 4x4 to go further North than the Kosi Bay border post as far as Maputo. I drove this road a few years ago and it is certainly 4x4 territory only.
3. You can drive to Tofo in a sedan by entering Moz at Komatiepoort, North of Swaziland. As ocdiver stated you will need premission from the rental agency to cross the border. The roads are now in good condition if you choose this point of entry.

Hope this helps, if you need more info please ask and I will assist if I can.

 

[Roblynn]

Thanks to both of your for your help! I suspect we'll get a rental car. Thanks again!

 

[widget]

Frankly the only way to get to Sodwana is with a rental car if you travel alone. Remember diving at sites like Sodwana are surf launches, and the authorities there restrict vehicle access to the beach where all the boat launches take place, so you will need to book accommodation or dives with an approved operator with 4 x 4 for access to the beach, otherwise you will have to park your car in the park lot and carry everything to the site yourself, all the Sodwana operators below will transport you and all your gear from their accommodation sites to the launch site and back with 4 x 4 vehicles.

To dive along the Natal coast in SA now you also need a local dive permit as the areas are proclaimed marine sanctuaries, and the funds generated from the sale of the permits are used to protect the local marine areas, they are cheap roughly $5-10 dollars depending on the duration, but you must have one, diving without one will incur a hefty fine if you are caught, you can buy them at all the local post offices here, generally all the good dive operator's will sell them as well and none will take you out without one.

Some dive shops run tours to Sodwana Bay and have a minni bus which generally leaves from Johannesburg.

Driving from Johannesburg to Sodwana is a 7 hour trip and the roads are not all that great, driving from Durban is also a roughly 4/5 hour trip, its very doable from both areas, but if you can, my suggestion would be to try and use a dive shop travel operation.

That said Sodwana is an awesome dive site, probably one of the best in SA, good dives abound and the reefs are fairly shallow at around average 15 meters. Well worth the effort.

Aliwal shoal is an easy access dive site and there are a number of local places for accommodation who will take you from their place to the launch site or of course you can just rent a car and drive there if you want to stay off site. Aliwal is great to see bigger pelagic's, there are two good wreck dives and of course always the possibility of a shark sighting - the diving is a little deeper with the average been 18-25 meters and the visibility, although it can be stunning, is usually not as good as Sodwana.

Some suggestions -

For Aliwal check out - Aghulas house, Agulhas House - Umkomaas Accomodation | Aliwal Shoal | Scuba Diving | PADI Dive Courses or Aliwal dive centre Aliwal Dive Centre, scuba diving charter, dive school and PADI 5 star Instructor Development Centre or Umkomaas Lodge Lodge Accommodation | Scuba Diving Resort | Aliwal Shaol Diving - all excellent operators who will look after you well.

For Sodwana trips a good operator leaving from Johannesburg is Ocean Explorers - Ocean Explorers - good operators at Sodwana Bay are Coral divers Coral Divers - Dive Centre situated in Sodwana Bay, South Africa. or Sodwana Bay Lodge - main Index page

Feb. in Sodwana, and Aliwal actually, is excellent for diving and the weather is hot - dont forget the sun screen.!

Have fun.

 

[philip.legrange]

Car is essential in SA, public transport is unreliable and not particularly safe.

Aliwal Shoal is great, make sure to dive the Produce (a wreck with some pretty large Potato Bass living in it). I highly recommend The Shoal Diving Center (The Shoal) I always use them when I go there. Rocky Bay is also quite nice and some of the Aliwal charters also go out there, bout 20km further out.

Ditto what Widget said about the sunscreen.

Phil