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South Africa is place incredibly dear to my heart. It was the very first country I traveled to outside of the United States in my whole life! It’s the place where I really fell in love with travel and sealed my desires to make it apart of my lifestyle. Seriously, South Africa changed my life! So here’s the short story of my trip:
In 2016, I lived in South Africa for 3 months, the majority of my time spent partaking in an internship working with prisoners and young boys at risk for being incarcerated in the future. In my off time, I explored Cape Town and the surrounding area with my close group of friends from around the world whom I met upon arrival. Together we climbed mountains, attempted to surf, grilled an abundance of food at braais, drank immeasurable amounts of wine, swam in a cage next to great white sharks, camped in the Cederberg valley, cliffjumped into natural pools, watched sunset over the city, took a road drip through the country, drank beer and cheered at a soccer game, sunbathed on beaches, and danced in front of a super moon over the Cape Town city lights. The memories go on. South Africa is magical place, a place I firmly believe everyone should visit once in their life!
South Africa is place incredibly dear to my heart. It was the very first country I traveled to outside of the United States in my whole life! It’s the place where I really fell in love with travel and sealed my desires to make it apart of my lifestyle. Seriously, South Africa changed my life! So here’s the short story of my trip:
In 2016, I lived in South Africa for 3 months, the majority of my time spent partaking in an internship working with prisoners and young boys at risk for being incarcerated in the future. In my off time, I explored Cape Town and the surrounding area with my close group of friends from around the world whom I met upon arrival. Together we climbed mountains, attempted to surf, grilled an abundance of food at braais, drank immeasurable amounts of wine, swam in a cage next to great white sharks, camped in the Cederberg valley, cliffjumped into natural pools, watched sunset over the city, took a road drip through the country, drank beer and cheered at a soccer game, sunbathed on beaches, and danced in front of a super moon over the Cape Town city lights. The memories go on. South Africa is magical place, a place I firmly believe everyone should visit once in their life!
Cape Town, South Africa might be one of the most alive and vibrant cities in the world! It’s a place full of culture, food, art, natural beauty, and energy! You’ll find food from all over the worl...
Cape Town has 11 official languages, the most spoken being Zulu, Xhosa, and then Afrikaans. Next is English which many people speak especially in bigger cities like Cape Town.
South African Rand
SYMBOL: R
ABBREVIATION: ZAR
CONVERSION: The currency rate is subject to change but typically $1 USD ~ R16
South Africa uses plug types D, M, and N with voltage 230V and standard frequency 50Hz. For those coming from the USA this is both a different plug type and higher voltage than home and therefore you should travel with a plug adapter with a voltage converter.
U.S. citizens can travel without a visa to South Africa if staying for less than 90 days. Visa information is subject to changes so double check here.
To check health advisories and what vaccinations are needed and what health precautions to take traveling to South Africa check the CDC website.
In my opinion, South Africa is safe to travel to, but there are precautions you must take. I tell these especially because I do know several people that were pickpocketed and one girl who was assaulted. I say this not to give a bad rep to the country, but for transparency.
South Africa can be visited year round, and when the best time to come really depends your activities. If you’re looking for some sun, surf and festivals then the best time to go is in the summer months November – February. However, if you plan to go on a safari then the winter months of June – August are best.
While living in Cape Town for 3 months, I stayed in a house that was about $400 USD per month and stayed in hostels only during the Garden Route road trip. Since my trip, I’ve looked up accommodation costs.
In South Africa hostel dorm beds are around $10-15 USD per night while standard private rooms with Airbnb or hotels can vary greatly from $30USD – $150 USD. And then there’s the luxury stays in South Africa that can be several hundreds or even thousands of dollars.
Food costs greatly vary in South Africa depending on where you go, as there are standard restaurants and then mega luxury restaurants. For a standard cafe you’ll probably pay a few dollars whereas a nicer restaurants dinner and a drink is about $10 USD. As for the luxury places..well I didn’t go there!
The cost of renting a car in South Africa is budget friendly, I believe I rented for about $35 USD a day with insurance and split this with friends.
A budget in South Africa is difficult to estimate because there are so many luxury options that can be pricier. But the country can also be traveled on a tight budget. For me, I traveled South Africa on $50 a day. This was done by not going to super fancy restaurants and staying in luxury places, however I did not hold back in experiences at all.
In cities such as Cape Town, international credit cards are accepted widely. If you go to markets though cash must be used.
