South African assistance please!

[neilstewart]

Mega trip planning.

OK the guvnors at work have finnally realised that I spend most of my days dreaming of my next dive vaccation and are streamlining me. Bad news to some but to me I see it as a huge opportunity to take that marine bio degree over the next 3 years that I really want to do.

Meantime I've got some serious travel plans to make for this summer, top of the destination list is South Africa. As a poor student again I need to do the trip cheap as poss, so those mega organised tours are out, I've already had a quote of over $5000 without flights, mind you it is one hell of a trip.

I am traveling after 1 July for 8 weeks. I want to see Aliwal Shoal, Protea Banks, Sodwana, Kruger, Drakesberg Area, maybe Ponta D'ouro in Mozambique and certainly another game park hopefully on foot.

Any information concerning cheap but secure accomodations (I have u/w video equipment that I need to keep secure when I'm not using it) how to get for one place to another, trains,self drive, greyhounds? the diving operators, what's the best and cost effective way to see Kruger and the game parks? and any other must include destinations like is the cage diving at Gansbaai a must do? what about the right whale watching around Cape Town? or just absolutely anything else will be well appreciated. I hoping for an overall $50 a day budget.

Someone said to me to just head off to Umkomaas spend some time there and just see what and who I could hook up with but I would like to have some sort of plan.

thanks in advance for spending the time.

Neil

 

[Twisticles]

Well, I'm off to Cape Town for a couple of weeks soon so I've been doing my homework on the 'net - there is plenty of stuff out there.

South Africa has a very well developed Backpackers trail, which can be as flexible and spontaneous as you like, or as rigid an itinerary as the average american vacation.

Either way, I found Coast to Coast, the backpackers guide to Zouth Affrika to be a very good resource.

All in all you can probably manage on $7 a day for accomodation and $5 a day for food, all activites extra of course.

Have a fabulous time!

Matt
www.cryogen.com/twisticles

 

[SA-Diver]

www.landers.co.za
www.rockybay.co.za
www.seafever.co.za
www.simplyscuba.co.za

All these places cater for expensive as well as budget trips and are used to having customers with video equipment etc.

I agree, just go to Umkomaas (Aliwal Shoal), and take it from there.
This is the best place to start in July as you might get there during the Sardine Run as well as the migration of the Raggedtooth sharks up the coast.

PM me with specific requirements and I will get you more info.

 

[SA-Diver]

Forgot to mention, you could easily get in for less than $50-00 a day.

 

[SA-Diver]

Try to get this book.

Dive Guid South Africa - Anton Koornhof

ISBN 1-85974-614-4

Very good info about the dive sites in South Africa as well as info on travelling in SA, where to stay etc.

 

[Prepare]

dont take your eye off that cam equipment. I lived in Durban for 10 years and Ive had my car broken into when Ive left coins on the dash.

I have only dived around the durban/Aliwal(sp?) Shoals area and its definatly a must see. I also did 2 days of cage diving in cape town but it was a little dissapointing.

if you plan on carryiing any gear around id stay well away from public transport.

 

[SA-Diver]

I fully agree

Don't leave any gear lying around - if in the car it should be in the boot.
Get yourself a rental and drive yourself.

Forget about the cage diving for sharks.
The time of year you are planning to be here (July) you are almost guaranteed shark sigthings on Aliwal Shoal (Umkomaas), and if you go to Protea Banks (same area but for more advanced dives), you could also see Great Whites, Tiger Sharks, and Zambezi Sharks in open water.
Another great dive in the same area is Lander's reef.

 

[Ryan Carney]

hi

You really should go to Protea for a shark dive, I think you have to have at least 20 dives to go and advanced - its about 30m so do it on Nitrox if you can,

also go to Mozambique, to a place called Tofo Scuba - www.tofoscuba.co.za. there are other dive operations there, but they are the best. no matter what get to manta reef!!

Tofo will organise you a place to stay, either back packers - where you might loose your kit, or a place called casa barry- about $ 30 a night, back packing places will be about $5 and up.

 

[sachar]

You can get to most places by public transport (greyhound, translux, bazbus, etc).

Sodwana is a bit hard to get to, but as far as I know you can take the bazbus from durban to insinkwe backpackers and from there coraldivers has a pickup to sodwana bay. Diving at sodwana was absolutly amazing.

ost backpacker hostels have a safe where you can store expensive stuff. Had all my photoequipment with me (no underwaterhouse) and didn't have a problem with keeping it save for about a month.

If you need more info about the drakensberg or general things send me a PM

Cheers

sachar

 

[scubashakur]

hi there!

im also planning to go diving in sodwana.
does anybody know how to get there, without driving yourself? are there any lodges or dive-operators which might have lifts from pretoria to sodwana?

thanks! cheers
pascal