Garden Route Travel Info

Electricity
220-240 volts is used throughout South Africa. Outlets generally accept three round pins arranged in a triangle as well as a two pronged plug (Adaptors are required for visitors from the United Kingdom). If you have a video or digital camera, make sure your battery charger is of the same voltage (Americas 110 – 120V).

Time Zone
South Africa GMT + 2

Currency
The South African currency is the Rand ZAR (divided into 100 Cents). Credit card facilities and cash machines (ATMs) are easily available.

Mobile Phones
The Garden Route has access to international roaming (GSM compatible) although some rural areas have poor or no reception.

Bugs
With the Garden Route being located in Africa you may encounter all manner of local wildlife (insects, reptiles, small mammals, rodents, cockroaches). Lights attract bugs so don’t leave your lights on when you leave your room.
The Garden Route is not a malaria area, however, mosquitoes can be annoying and are best dealt with by using mosquito repellent, long baggy clothing in the evenings and sleeping under a mosquito net.

Security
Please ensure that your passport, air tickets and money (cash and travellers cheques) are securely stored in your room safe. Do not leave jewellery, mobile phones, cameras or any other valuables in your room or in public areas.
In terms of your physical safety if you are on an organised safari then risks are minimal, if you are guiding yourself ask for local advice before heading off. There is a risk of theft and muggings in the bigger towns; however the crime level along the Garden Route is much lower than in other parts of the country. As a general rule avoid walking alone at night, especially in the town centres and on beaches.

Tipping
Tipping of guides and hotel personnel is customary along the Garden Route. Aside from the guides and drivers you may wish to tip anyone who works in service; waiters in bars and restaurants, porters and room cleaners.

Safety in Wildlife Areas
The basic rules of the wilderness are:
Don’t feed animals you don’t own.
If you don’t know ask.
Always listen to your guide.
Do not go walkabout without a guide.
Wild animals are called that because they are wild and unpredictable.

Road Safety
The Garden Route roads are in fairly good condition but there are considerable distances between towns. If you are self-driving it is recommended you plan your itinerary to allow for plenty of rest stops, as many road accidents are caused by fatigue. Drive slowly, with caution, in daylight if you can and always wear your seat belts. The laws around drinking and driving as well as speeding are very strict; tourists are urged to comply and adhere to these rules.

Health
These are merely guidelines please follow the advice of your local health practitioner and the World Health Organisation.

Compulsory Vaccinations
A Yellow Fever certificate is required if arriving within 6 days after leaving or transiting countries with infected areas. Exempt: Children under 1 year, those not leaving the airport whilst in transit and those entering Garden Route not having left an airport during transit in affected countries.

Recommended Vaccinations
Hepatitis A, Typhoid, Hepatitis B, Diphtheria, Tetanus, Poliomyelitis, Rabies, Tuberculosis & Cholera.

Visas (all subject to change without notice)
All travellers need a valid passport (usually valid for 6 months after your trip), with sufficient pages for entry and exit stamps (usually at least two).

Citizens of all countries must obtain a visa in advance from the South African Embassy, High Commission or Consulate in the country where you reside.

Nationals of the following countries do not need a South African visa (up to 90 days):
African Union laissez-passer, Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Botswana, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Czech Republic, Denmark ,Ecuador, Finland, France, Germany ,Greece ,Iceland ,Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg,Malta,Monaco,Netherlands,New Zealand, Norway, Paraguay, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Spain, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom of Great Britain, Northern Ireland, British Islands, Bailiwick of Guernsey and Jersey, Isle of Man and Virgin Islands, Republic of Ireland, Uruguay, Venezuela, United States of America,

*Zimbabwe (*temporary measure until further notice)

British Overseas Territories who are in possession of British passports namely: Anguilla, Bermuda, British Antarctic Territory, British Indian Ocean Territory, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Montserrat, St. Helena and Dependencies (Ascension Island, Gough Island and Tristan da Cunha), Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands, the Sovereign Base Areas on Cyprus South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands and the Turks and Caicos Island.

Language
The 11 official languages of South Africa are Afrikaans, English, isiNdebele, isiXhosa, isiZulu, Sepedi, Sesotho, Setswana, Siswati, Tshivenda and Xitsonga. The languages you are most likely to encounter along the Garden Route are English, Afrikaans and Xhosa.

Religion
South Africa has a wide variety of religions. The majority of the South African population follow Christianity, although Muslim, Hindu, Jewish and Traditional religions are also represented.

Culture and Customs
South Africa is a multicultural society; it is vast and rich in its offerings and experiences. The people of South Africa are polite and always welcoming of tourists. Rural Africans are formal in their elaborate greetings and displays of respect toward the senior members of the community.
Handshaking is the popular form of greeting and is usually an intricate African version that the locals are happy to teach foreigners. As many people in rural South Africa follow their traditional way of life, visitors should be sensitive to customs which will inevitably be unfamiliar to them. Bear in mind that outside urban areas and safari destinations, people may well not be used to visitors.

Lifestyle and Leisure
The Garden Route features many beautiful beaches, bays, capes, cliffs and mountain trails and the culture here is by and large an outdoor one, though resort towns such as Knysna and Plettenberg Bay also provide a buzzing social scene. Ranging from the Tsitsikamma all the way through Mossel Bay, with its western borders drawn by the Outeniqua and the Tsitsikamma mountain ranges, the Garden Route is well known and much visited for its lush vegetation, indigenous forests and wild flowers. The coast invites all kinds of water sports while the indigenous forest is a haven for copious colourful birdlife. A profusion of outdoor adventures are offered: include hiking, caving, abseiling, paragliding or simply taking long leisurely drives to charming little towns linked along the coast. The combination of a mild climate and spectacular marine and land attractions makes the Garden Route an enticing holiday destination holiday destination.

Photography
When photographing people ask permission; in some tourist areas it is customary to pay to take photographs.

When to travel
The Garden Route is an excellent destination all year round, due to its temperate climate. November to April is the best time to enjoy the beaches, bearing in mind that Christmas through to New Year is peak holiday season, when many of the destinations can get crowded and busy. The whale season is from June to November and the Knysna Oyster Festival – one of the calendar highlights of the Garden Route – takes place in July.