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Driving in South Africa, Botswana
#23023
10/02/2013 08:45 PM
10/02/2013 08:45 PM
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Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 2,288
PelicanPirate
OP
Traveler
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OP
Traveler
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 2,288
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Digging into Safari planning and have studied numerous websites and ordered several books on Amazon including maps. So, wondering if I could self drive to various parks/camps and then go on drives from there?
In all my travels, I always have anxiety about what driving is like in a foreign country, usually unfounded in modern times as soon as we land and get the car. I've done pretty well in most countries. But I've never been to Africa.
So a few questions:
1) Main roads and highways from Johannesburg to Kruger and into Botswana --- what do they look like (divided highways, good repair, marked exits)?
2) What side of the road do they drive on?
3) Driver behavior -- generally normal? maintain lanes, turn signals, brake lights, etc.
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Re: Driving in South Africa, Botswana
[Re: PelicanPirate]
#23024
10/03/2013 08:30 AM
10/03/2013 08:30 AM
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Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 80,449 Central Florida!
Carol_Hill
Traveler
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Traveler
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 80,449
Central Florida!
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As far as Botswana in particular, I THINK that all the camps there are private, which means that you CAN'T drive into them, as you are trespassing. You can't be on their property unless you are a guest in their camps. And there ARE no roads to get into the camps that we went to in Botswana. The camps in Botswana are oases of civilization in the midst of the African savannah. They get all their supplies, food, everything, flown in by private plane.
As far as Kruger area, we didn't go there. Driving is on the left, I'm pretty sure, but we basically didn't ride in a regular car on a highway except for 2 or 3 short spells in two weeks in southern Africa, so don't really recall.
Carol Hill
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Re: Driving in South Africa, Botswana
[Re: PelicanPirate]
#23027
10/03/2013 11:35 AM
10/03/2013 11:35 AM
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Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 80,449 Central Florida!
Carol_Hill
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Traveler
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 80,449
Central Florida!
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For the camps that we went to in Botswana, light air transfers were included in the price. There ARE no roads close to them, that's why there are light air transfers. Because there are no roads, it would probably take days and days to drive to them, even if it were safe. You could get hopelessly lost or get tires punctured and be stranded, not to mention the possibility of animal attacks, or get into a swampland, etc. On one SINGLE game drive of a couple of hours, our driver had to change TWO tires because we ran over these horrible sticker thorns which are several inches long and had no more spare tires, so we had to drive on a tire going flat to get back to camp. These are professional drivers who have years of experience and know the area and have walkie talkies to be able to contact the camp in an emergency, plus someone from the camp would come looking if we did not appear back at camp. I really think you would be much safer and better advised to book one of the traveling tent camp excursions than doing it on your own.
Carol Hill
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