How to Sabbatical in Southern Africa

If Southern Africa is not on your bucket list, it needs to be!  I totally underestimated what it had to offer and it has a little bit of everything no matter what kind of traveler you are. 

This overview is just a basic introduction for anyone considering a trip to Southern Africa.  If you want to know more about the heart behind our trip, you can read more about normalizing sabbaticals and strengthening families here.  We packed a lot in, but there was a lot more to be done.

Getting There

• Go non-stop if at all possible.  We had the option of going from Washington Dulles (IAD) on United Airlines all the way to Cape Town (CPT).  The departure times out of the U.S. are strategically timed to be primarily overnight both ways to help minimize jet lag and promote sleep to get through the 14+ hour flight.
• Stay at least 3 to 4 weeks to maximize the investment and all that the continent has to offer.

Packing Tips

1. Original Birth Certificates for children (needed for border crossings and airports as trafficking is common in Africa)
2. US Cash (if traveling to Zimbabwe or Victoria Falls).  Be prepared to purchase a Visa at the Zimbabwe/Victoria Falls airport upon arrival. Currency is different in each country…Rand in South Africa and Pula in Botswana.  Download a currency app to calculate conversions.
3. Insect Repellent, Supplements, Immune System Support
4. Binoculars
5. Towels if you stay at any backpacking lodges or camping excursions
6. Multiple Type-M Power Converters and Universal Convertors
7. Wireless power banks for phones (very helpful for camping or when blackouts happen in South Africa)
8. Additional Insurance (We recommend Safety Wing Insurance for nomads).  You can get very affordable packages by the month and for every adult. Every child is free for each adult.
9. VPN – Hacks are popular in Africa, so use VPNs on all your devices when connecting.  ExpressVPN is what we used.  When we had issues connecting to wifi, we had to toggle ExpressVPN on and off.
10. Shorts and Sweaters!  The temperatures can go from one extreme to another.  Pack light though as most rental properties are equipped with washers and dryers.

Packing for younger kids

1. Tablets with pre-downloaded movies/shows
2. Snacks, treats, and surprise gifts in a backpack
3. Pull-ups and changing clothes for every location
4. Patience!  Don’t overdo the scheduling and allow time to enjoy the various regions on your routes.

Travel Itinerary for 30 Days

1. Cape Town, South Africa (5 days) – Hout Bay or Camp Bay is where I would recommend staying instead of the city.  This place right on the water is great in Hout Bay.
   1. We flew from Cape Town to Victoria Falls on Kenya Airlines.
2. Victoria Falls (1 day) – Zimbabwe (stay in town near or at the Boma Dinner Experience.  Hire a guide for navigating the town and to/from Victoria Falls.  We stayed at a backpacking lodge here, but there are more expensive and glamorous options.
3. Kasane, Botswana (2 days)– Chobe Marina Lodge.  Fantastic safari experiences.
4. Nata, Botswana (1 day) – Bird Sanctuary Tour and stay here. If you want to camp out, go here!
5. Planet Baobab, Botswana (1 day) – If you go to Botswana, this is a must-do 1.5-day experience!  The Salt Pans is like driving onto the moon.  We backpacked here and thoroughly enjoyed the out-of-the-world experience.
6. Maun, Botswana (2 days) – Thamo Telele Lodge is an upscale hotel with their own wildlife sanctuary.  The last 20 minutes to the lodge is all dirt, sand, and potholes….but worth it.
7. Khama Rhino Sanctuary, Botswana (1 day) – the lodging isn’t all that great, but it’s an amazing animal-watching experience…and very close to the rhinos. 
8. Gaborone, Botswana (4 days) – Not much to do, but close to the border to drive to Johannesburg.  We had family here, so this was a great mid-vacation stop to do laundry, rest, and meet some of the amazing locals.
9. Johannesburg, South Africa (2 days) – (We stayed 30 minutes north in a wonderful community called Irene).  If you go there, I recommend the Marriott resort in Irene).
   1. Another option is staying in Harbeesport where there are various wildlife experiences and excursions in their picturesque lakefront town.
   2. We flew from Johannesburg to George.  Very affordable flight on SAFAIR Airways.
10. Wilderness, South Africa (4 days) – The coastline has to be one of the most beautiful scenes in the world.  In Wilderness, enjoy the beach, the wildlife, and day trips to Knysna, Sedgefield, Plettenberg Bay, and other coastal towns.  The best place to stay in Wilderness is here!
11. Swellendam, South Africa (1 day) – This quaint town is at the foothill of a large Mountain Range. You can arguably stay here longer to take hikes in the national forest, golf, or shop in their boutique section of town.  If you stop here, stay here!
12. Hermanus, South Africa (6 days) – If there is a place worth visiting over and over again, it would be Hermanus.  This place is a slice of heaven.  Better known for whales swimming in the bay during the winter months, but offers so much more.  You will be able to take day trips to the wineries, 5-star golf courses, whale excursions, and Cape Agulhas (most southern tip of Africa) are highly advised.  Their waterfront district and the cliff path are spots that can draw you in day after day. If you end up in Hermanus, stay on the water and stay here!

Travel Tips

1. Though there are native languages, everyone speaks English. All signs, ads, menus, and culture in general use English as their primary language. 
2. Roads are horrible in Botswana but not busy at all outside the larger cities.  Wildlife and potholes are the biggest obstacles.  If possible, rent an SUV/4×4.  The catchphrase for driving in Botswana is “getting an African massage“.  Beware of speed traps going from 120 KPH to 80 KPM.
3. Roads are glorious in South Africa, but busier.  Be sure to take the Garden Route to or from Cape Town!  It will not disappoint!
4. Ubers are plentiful in South Africa, but we rented our cars due to having small kids.
5. In Africa, you will drive on the left side of the road and the driver’s seat is on the right side of the car.  Be prepared to drive a manual instead of an automatic.
6. When driving, it’s common to go off the shoulder of the road (if there is room) to let a car pass on a single-lane road.  If you’re the car passing, flash your emergency signal twice as a “thank-you” measure.
7. Everywhere except Zimbabwe take credit cards and tap payment.  Only carry a little of the local currency for tips.
8. You are not allowed to pump your own gas.  Tips are optional but nice.
9. When in Cape Town, here are some of the great things to do:
   1. Nelson Mandela Prison/Robben Island.  Do this on the same day as the V.A. Waterfront
   2. Swim and dine at Hout Bay and Camp Bay
   3. Table Mountain
   4. Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens
   5. Chapman’s Peak Drive
   6. Bo-Kaap Community is the most colorful community you’ll ever see.
   7. Simon’s Town to see the penguins
   8. Driving the Garden Route up the Coast
   9. The Nappa of South Africa is Stellenbosch and Franschhoek.  Franschhoek is VERY high-end nestled into the valley of the high peaks!
10. On the Garden Route and if staying in places other than Cape Town, there are 3 towns that I couldn’t recommend more which were all mentioned above:
    1. Wilderness
    2. Swellendam
    3. Hermanus
       1. All 3 are small.  Wilderness and Hermanus are coastal towns.  From July through early November, whales are easy to spot anywhere in Hermanus.  Take a few days to stay in any of these destinations to be able to try out the various restaurants and the slower vibes.
11. South Africa Loadshedding!  It’s a thing and it’s normal!  About 3 times a day, rolling blackouts happen for at least 2 hours and sometimes last up to 4 hours.  A lot of rental properties are built with inverters to keep the core appliances and Wi-Fi going.  When renting, make sure your property has “inverters” and also read reviews.
12. Don’t drink the water out of the tap…always have litters and bottles of water available.
13. The U. S. dollar goes much further almost everywhere in Africa.  The best places to grocery shop are SPAR, Pick-N-Pay, and Woolworths.  If you have dietary restrictions, Woolworths has a bit of everything.  To fuel up, find your local “Engen” which is one of the nicer gas station brands.
14. If you ever order a burger, you must specify chicken or beef. If you are looking for everyday fast food, you will only find KFC and a small handful of McDonald’s.
15. Don’t go out after dark if you don’t have to.  If you are out after dark, be with a group or know your area very well.  With that being said, the culture exercises Southern Hospitality better than most Southerners…most people are over-the-top hospitable to the core.
16. Hitchhiking is normal, so don’t be alarmed at how many people are looking for a ride.
17. Botswana is very dusty, be prepared to get dirty.
18. Botswana and parts of South Africa are also very smoggy due to controlled fires happening throughout our stay.
19. Termite mounds are everywhere in Botswana.  Everywhere!  At first glance, it just looks like an 8′ tall dirt hill, but these constructions in every corner of the country are pretty marvelous!
20. Roadside pull-offs are very common in both countries.  The roadside symbol is a tree and a picnic table.  It’s exactly that and very helpful when there is not a restroom available for miles.
21. Be on alert for “pretend parking lot attendants” looking for tips.  Some are legit, but many are not. 
22. Flying out of Cape Town back to the States had more restrictions than normal.  Even after going through security, we could not board with liquids including bottled water unless through Duty-Free.  We also had to have minimal snacks and batteries.  Fortunately, we had young kids and made a case for how we were packing.

General Tips

Wildlife

• You can find Game Drives and safaris just about anywhere in Southern Africa.  Do your research.  But to get a true experience of wildlife game drives without the fences, the place to go is Kasane, Botswana along the Chobe River and National Park.  If you don’t go into Botswana, you can find game reserves along the Garden Route of South Africa.  Here is one that seems amazing (but I didn’t experience this one). 

Non-Adventurous

• If wildlife is not your thing or if you just want a restful few days, there is a wide selection of small towns from Cape Town all the way up to Port Elizabeth (5 hours north of Cape Town via the Garden Route).  As mentioned above, Hermanus, Swellendam, and Wilderness were our picks and they did not disappoint.

Lodging

• Booking.com is popular in Africa, but there are more scams on that platform.  Use Airbnb if you have the choice and be sure to read the reviews.  Key factors for our family were walkability to food, grocery, and local destinations (beach, hikes).  A house or an apartment with security, laundry, and inverters is an additional bonus.

Weather

• I can only speak for our experience in August and September which is late winter/early spring for Africa.  For South Africa, it can get very windy on the coast with temperatures ranging between 45 and 65 Fahrenheit daily.  In Botswana, it was warmer with temps getting in the 80’s almost daily.  Pack to dress in layers.

Safety

• We had a great experience and didn’t run into any issues.  It does not mean that there are no dangers.  The economic disparity does drive corruption and crime.  Make sure you research where not to go when traveling in Cape Town and Johannesburg.  In regards to wildlife safety, listen to your guides, stay on trails, and you’ll be okay.  Be sure to lather up in repellent in Botswana since the mosquito population is quite high there.

Miscellaneous Tips

• Alert your credit card companies of your travel. 
• Don’t forget to purchase an international pass for your mobile phone. 
• Give your entire travel itinerary to multiple family members and friends along with digital copies of your identifications.
• Have a couple of buffer days on the front and back end of your travel to ease in and out of the travel.  This will reduce stress not only on your work but on you personally, as your body adapts to the rhythms of the time change.

Southern Africa is one of the most beautiful and diverse places on this earth!  

I can’t underscore it enough, it’s a must-see and must-experience destination.  When and if you are ever to make it there, be sure to be intentional.  Find a way to serve and bless their nation and their people.  Be intentional in enjoying the beautiful wildlife and creation at every turn.  Be sure to stop and take in the awe of the mountains, coastal ridge lines, sunsets, and stars.  Be sure to observe the rhythms and pace of life and appreciate the beauty of the slower and appreciated life.

If you need more guidance, please be sure to reach out via the “Contact Us” form on this site.  I would be honored to support your sabbatical.