South Africa had been on my radar for as long as I can remember. I have a memory of going with my dad to pick up my grandparents from their trip there. They had brought us t-shirts from Kruger National Park. It was only fueled when I met South Africans on my travels, especially in Australia. So I thought it was the perfect place to celebrate my 30th birthday. But I learned a lot in my time there.
1. Always have toilet paper and hand sanitizer on hand. I said the same thing when I was traveling in Southeast Asia. I stopped at a few rest areas in national parks and gas stations that didn’t have the water on because of the drought, so I was glad to have my hand sanitizer.
2. The best places aren’t always the most hyped. Before I left and even while I was there, I heard about places I couldn’t miss. But as I’ve learned before, what I like is not the same as what other travelers like. I was surprised by Durban and Storms River, two places I hadn’t planned on staying for long.
3. Uber was a game-changer. While I prefer Lyft in America, I’m grateful for Uber’s international presence. I mostly got a SIM card for this reason. It’s a safe way, especially for women, to get around the cities in South Africa. It’s not without flaws, of course.
I met a traveler who had been carjacked in an Uber and found that some drivers won’t pick you up in certain areas. But it was overall an asset. I also was grateful for Uber Eats when I was too lazy or it was too late to wander out for food.
4. Iced coffee is not really a thing. South Africa has a great coffee culture and you can find a cup of joe in trendy city shops as well as at gas stations. I had more Wimpy’s (sort of like Burger King) coffees than I could count. But iced coffee like at home was rare. Every now and then I found iced Americanos, but otherwise, it was hot coffee in 90-degree heat.
5. Everything happens in its own time. I often underestimated just how big South Africa is, about the same size as Peru. I didn’t take public transportation apart from one day in Cape Town. It was delayed for over an hour and allegedly wasn’t continuing to the final stop, even though it did once I got off.
The TL; DR is to abandon your need to be timely, or “TIA, this is Africa.” I also had all-day bus journeys from one point to the next that I could have broken up with more time.
6. South Africa isn’t so different from America. I’d learned about apartheid in school since it ended in 1994 when I was six years old, but it wasn’t until visiting that I realized the parallel histories between South Africa and the American South.
For my country, segregation ended in 1968 but continues in defacto situations to this day. Apartheid is the same. It may be over, but its scars are still seen when comparing the townships in Soweto to the jacaranda-lined fenced houses in Pretoria.
7. Plugs and power aren’t reliable. I didn’t know that there are two types of outlets and the charger I’d bought online before my trip only worked for one. I often relied on cafes and other places to stay charged. This was especially stressful in the places where load shedding was going on, meaning I went without power.
8. There are so many landscapes. You sort of think about Africa as the savannahs of The Lion King, but there’s more to it than that. I saw rocky coastlines and densely packed cities. There were lush forests and dusty rust-colored areas. See the header photo from Hazyview to see what I mean.
9. You can find just about every type of food. South Africa is influenced by many cultures, including India and the Netherlands, as evidenced in dishes like bunny chow. But I was also surprised to find sushi just about everywhere thanks to the abundant fresh seafood. Even the grocery store sushi was fantastic.
10. The South African people are overall kind and welcoming. Apart from a few negative experiences in Port Elizabeth, everyone I spoke with wanted to tell me about their home. People are as passionate about showing visitors the “real South Africa” as I am the “real South,” beyond the headlines and stereotypes.
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