• HOME
  • BLOG | TRAVEL EXPERIENCES
    • NATURE AND LANDSCAPES
    • HIKING, OUTDOORS AND ACTIVE TRAVEL
    • CITIES, CULTURE AND ART
    • FOOD AND WINE
    • TRAVEL TIPS
  • DESTINATIONS
    • EUROPE
      • AUSTRIA
      • BELGIUM
      • FRANCE
      • GERMANY
      • GREAT BRITAIN
      • GREECE
      • ITALY
      • PORTUGAL
      • SPAIN
      • SWITZERLAND
    • ASIA
      • INDONESIA
      • JAPAN
      • MYANMAR
      • PAKISTAN
    • SOUTH AMERICA
      • ARGENTINA
      • BRAZIL
    • OCEANIA
      • NEW ZEALAND
    • AFRICA
      • GAMBIA
      • SOUTH AFRICA
  • LEARN ITALIAN FAST
  • ABOUT
    • WORK WITH ME
    • CONTACT
  • Menu
  • Skip to right header navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary navigation
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Before Header

  • Twitter

Wild About Travel

Travel Tales by a Travel Addict

  • HOME
  • BLOG | TRAVEL EXPERIENCES
    • NATURE AND LANDSCAPES
    • HIKING, OUTDOORS AND ACTIVE TRAVEL
    • CITIES, CULTURE AND ART
    • FOOD AND WINE
    • TRAVEL TIPS
  • DESTINATIONS
    • EUROPE
      • AUSTRIA
      • BELGIUM
      • FRANCE
      • GERMANY
      • GREAT BRITAIN
      • GREECE
      • ITALY
      • PORTUGAL
      • SPAIN
      • SWITZERLAND
    • ASIA
      • INDONESIA
      • JAPAN
      • MYANMAR
      • PAKISTAN
    • SOUTH AMERICA
      • ARGENTINA
      • BRAZIL
    • OCEANIA
      • NEW ZEALAND
    • AFRICA
      • GAMBIA
      • SOUTH AFRICA
  • LEARN ITALIAN FAST
  • ABOUT
    • WORK WITH ME
    • CONTACT
Home » Blog » Yes, South Africa is Great for Solo Travelers

Yes, South Africa is Great for Solo Travelers

//  by Simon//  9 Comments

After several years of dillydallying, I recently made up my mind and went for a solo journey through South Africa.

Drakensberg-Amphiteater
Awesome View from the Amphiteater Backpackers

What had held me for such a long time was the idea that it was a difficult country to travel alone, and by public transportation. Moreover, being a woman could have made things even more difficult. However, I found out from the beginning that my doubts were groundless and that South Africa is a very friendly country, and a great destination for solo travelers.

Getting around South Africa by public transportation is rather easy

Hiring a car is the easiest option but also the more expensive when traveling solo. Moreover, South Africans drive on the left, which can make things tricky if you’re not used to it. Public transportation includes several options.

BazBusThe city-to-city bus (Translux, Greyhound and others), modern and comfortable, is a good option for long transfers from one city to another.

To reach different interesting sites and stop along the route, the BazBus is a great deal. Specifically conceived for backpackers, the BazBus is a hop-on hop-off minibus covering the stretch from Johannesburg to Cape Town (and vice versa). It has many stops along the way and is connected with a number of backpackers lodges, which means that if you book one of them the driver will drop you off right at the door.

If you want to reach areas that are not covered by the BazBus or the long haul coaches you can treat yourself with the thrill of a wild collective taxi, called Minibus taxi by the locals. However, understanding how the transportation system works is a bit tricky but locals are usually doing their best to be helpful.

Lodging prices are affordable

Traveling solo has one major inconvenience: accommodation costs. Single rooms are rare, which means having to pay for two, or just a little less. South Africa offers a good choice of lodging at a good price in nice guesthouses, hostels or backpackers lodges. Alternatively, dormitory is the best option to stay on the cheap.

Surprisingly, many backpackers lodges are in breathtaking places, isolated and wild. Last but not least, all hostels have fully equipped kitchen for those willing to cook their own meals, and the basic ingredients like tea, coffee, sugar, salt, oil, are available to everyone for free.

You wont be alone for long

Especially if you travel by BazBus, you’re likely to meet again some of your fellow travelers on a previous leg. Hostels and backpackers lodges have a lot of common areas that make socializing very easy. I met many lovely people with whom I spent a funny night, had a hike and even traveled for a couple of days to explore the Drakensberg mountains.

Friends-on-the-road

People are very welcoming

Often smiling and rather curious, locals are usually very welcoming and ready to offer their help. This is particularly useful when having to take the Minibus taxi, to understand on which road the right vehicle is driving and to tell the driver where to drop you off, since there are no official stops excluding the starting point and destination.

Street-Music

Danger is a matter of common-sense

Sure, South Africa is a country of great contradictions and with widespread poverty and criminality. The scars left by years of injustice due to Apartheid are probably not healed yet. However, with a little common-sense traveling the country is safe. Getting out alone after dusk or in the townships is not advisable, but this doesn’t mean having to be confined in the evening. You just need to call for a taxi and enjoy the nightlife.

# # # # #

While I was having such a great time I asked myself more than once why I have waited so long before deciding to go. I am ready to come back, and hope to have the chance to explore more of South Africa beauty soon.

And you, would you be ready for a solo journey in the Rainbow Nation?

 

Simon

Travel addict and passionate about photography, Simon Falvo started Wild About Travel back in 2009. Leveraging her strong PR background, she developed an extensive knowledge of Digital Communications and Social Media Marketing. Besides travel writing Simon holds workshops and trainings, she collaborated with tourism boards for digital marketing campaigns and participated as a speaker at several events.

Category: SOUTH AFRICATag: adventure

Previous Post: «London, Borough Market Flowers The Colors of Borough Market: A Photo Tour
Next Post: The Unique Charm of Brighton in Winter Brighton Beachfront»

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. James L. Costantino

    at

    Simon it is great to be here and knowing so much about you and your solo journey of Africa . I am also a person who love to visit desert , mountain , rocks and do adventures . The Africa is such perfect place to feel the nature beauty closely and dare to being with animals . love it …

    Reply
  2. Renuka

    at

    Glad to know South Africa is good for solo trippers. I keep looking for destinations ideal for solo travel.

    Reply
  3. Emily | emilymeetsworld.com

    at

    This is Fab! As an Africa addict I’m always trying to persuade people to get over there – particularly south Africa is so much easier to travel than people think!

    Emilymeetsworld.com

    Reply
  4. Lily

    at

    Thanks for this post! I was wondering about this very topic as I’m considering heading there soon solo. How long would it take to explore the country, do you think (a month or more)?

    Reply
  5. EJ Juen Jr

    at

    I agree with the danger of going out at night even in seemingly safe places. It’s really hard to tell what may happen in a place you’re not familiar with.

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. The Downside of Unplanned Travel says:
    at

    […] winter, I jumped on a plane to Johannesburg, with barely a rough itinerary in mind and nothing booked. I only knew that at some point I wanted to see the Drakensberg mountains, the penguins and the […]

    Reply
  2. Travel and Dangerous Places: Is it all a Matter of Perception? says:
    at

    […] Certainly I stay away from the countries where there’s a war under way (the only real dangerous places in the way I see things), and in countries with a high criminality rate, I take my precautions. However, it never occurred my mind that I should not visit Venezuela or South Africa alone. […]

    Reply
  3. Wild and Remote Northland, Pure New Zealand Beauty says:
    at

    […] starting to travel around New Zealand with the Stray Bus and after the great experience with the BazBus in South Africa last year, I was […]

    Reply
  4. Remembering Soweto Students Uprisings in 1976 says:
    at

    […] More reading: Yes, South Africa is Great for Solo Travelers […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Time limit is exhausted. Please reload CAPTCHA.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

about me

simon-falvo

Hi, I’m Simon!

A solo and independent traveler for over 20 years, and a 50+ girl young at heart.

I worked for over a decade in Investment Banking, then a few years in one of the largest international PR groups. In 2009, after a burn-out, I left the corporate world and started a new adventure.

MORE

book your stay



Booking.com

book a tour / skip the lines

questions about italy?

Send me an e-mail

 

featured posts

Fun Facts about Italy

Fun Facts About Italy: Interesting Things You May Not Know

Vie di Dante - Views from Dante's Train

Dante’s Train: A Beautiful Train Ride From Faenza To Florence

Ski resorts in Switzerland

Ski Holidays in Switzerland: How to Pick your Ideal Mountain Resort

Footer

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • About Me
  • Work with Me
  • Cookie Policy

Copyright © 2021 · Mai Lifestyle Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.Accept Reject Read More
Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

Non-necessary

Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.

SAVE & ACCEPT