Intercontinental Art and Tourism is a registered member of Travel Buddy which is a network of volunteers who look out for travellers, welcoming and advising them and, most of all, making sure they are safe. Travel Buddy also enables tourists to tap into an electronic messaging system - eBlockwatch - that alerts its members to incidents of crime and danger zones. eBlockwatch links around 11 000 members around the country - including police, neighborhood watches, industries and the general public - via SMS and e-mail.
Depending on the severity of the emergency, SA Travel Buddy will inform all relevant government, South African Police, and South African Tourist Association members who are responsible for the safety of international visitors.
SA AIRPORTS INCREASE SECURITY
As of 1 June 2007, international travellers using South Africa's airports are prohibited from carrying hand luggage containing liquids, aerosols and gels exceeding 100 millilitres. Passengers are recommended to place all liquids, aerosols and gels (LAG) in their check-in luggage, and however passengers who decide to carry LAGs for various reasons need to take these regulations into account when planning their trips.
With the new regulations, passengers will not be allowed to carry on board items in their hand luggage which exceed 100ml, such as perfume, shampoo, suntan lotion, creams, toothpaste and hair gel. Hand luggage with LAGs exceeding 100ml will be confiscated, while passengers will only be allowed to carry one parcel onboard.
International travellers will be required to place essential liquids to be carried on board in a re-sealable clear, plastic bag with a capacity of not more than one litre and a total diameter of 80 centimeters.
Each item containing liquid cannot exceed 100ml in quantity and must fit comfortably inside of the sealed bag. These will be available in retail stores. With prior arrangement, permission will be granted to people with medical problems if they produce a doctor's prescription to that effect.
Items carried on board that need to be placed in bags include formula, milk and food for babies in small containers, prescription medicine in liquid and gel form, essential non-prescription medication not exceeding 100ml per container, eye care products, liquids and gels, including juice needed by diabetic passengers. Lipsticks in tubes, solid deodorant, lip balm and similar solids will be allowed on board as well.
Any duty free liquid, gel or aerosol products purchased after security checkpoints should be placed in special security bags by the store and customers connecting to further destinations are advised to keep these sealed throughout their journey.
HEALTH TIPS FOR TRAVELLERS
Inoculations
If you're an adult, you won't need any inoculations unless you're traveling from a yellow-fever endemic area (the yellow fever belt of Africa or South America), in which case you will need certification to prove your inoculation status when you arrive in South Africa. It is recommended that you have the required inoculations four to six weeks before you travel to South Africa (a yellow fever inoculation certificate only becomes valid 10 days after inoculation - after which it remains valid for 10 years).
Hepatitis B inoculations are recommended for children up to the age of 12 who have not completed the series of injections as infants. Booster doses for tetanus and measles can also be administered.
Medical facilities
Medical facilities in cities and larger towns are world-class, but you will find that in rural areas the clinics and hospitals deal with primary health needs, and therefore do not offer the range of medical care that the large metropolitan hospitals do. Trained medical caregivers are deployed round the country, so help is never far away.
The sun
We have a warm sunny climate and you should wear sunscreen and a hat whenever you are out of doors during the day, particularly between 10am and 4pm, regardless of whether there is cloud cover or not. Even if you have a dark complexion, you can still get sunburned if you are from a cooler climate and have not had much exposure to the sun. Sunglasses are also recommended wear, as the glare of the African sun can be strong.
Can I drink the water?
High-quality tap (faucet) water is available almost everywhere in South Africa, treated so as to be free of harmful micro-organisms and in any area other than informal or shack settlements, is both palatable and safe to drink straight from the tap. In some areas, the water is mineral-rich, and you may experience a bit of gastric distress for a day or two until you get used to it. Bottled mineral water, both sparkling and still, is readily available in most places.
Drinking water straight from rivers and streams could put you at risk of waterborne diseases - especially downstream of human settlements. The water in mountain streams, however, is usually pure and wonderful. In the Cape, particularly, the water contains humic acid, which stains it the colour of diluted Coca-Cola - this is absolutely harmless, and the water is wonderful. You may also find this colouring in tap water in some areas. It's fine though, it just looks a bit weird in the bath.
Do I need to take malaria tablets?
Many of the main tourist areas are malaria-free, so you need not worry at all. However, the Kruger National Park, the Lowveld of Mpumalanga and Limpopo, and the northern part of KwaZulu-Natal do pose a malaria risk in the summer months. Many local people and some travellers do not take malaria prophylaxis, but most health professionals recommend you do. Consult your doctor or a specialist travel clinic for the latest advice concerning malaria prophylaxis, as it changes regularly.
Whether you take oral prophylaxis or not, always use mosquito repellent, wear long pants, closed shoes and light long-sleeved shirts at night, and sleep under a mosquito net in endemic areas (the anopheles mosquito, which carries malaria, operates almost exclusively after dark). It is advisable to avoid malarial areas if you are pregnant.
HIV/Aids
As in other countries, always take precautions when having sex. South Africa has one of the highest rates of HIV in the world. For more information, see (google) HIV/Aids in South Africa.
Other health issues
Bilharzia can be a problem in some of the east-flowing rivers, but it is easily detected and treated if it is caught early. Perhaps it would be a good idea to have a routine test a month or two after you get home just to reassure yourself. Ticks generally come out in the early spring and may carry tick bite fever, which is easily treated. You should also be aware of hepatitis, for which you can be inoculated
CRIME
Tips for staying out of trouble
Crime, like anywhere else in the world, can be a problem, but you really need not do much more than take all the usual sensible precautions. Know where you're going before you set off, particularly at night, watch your possessions, don't walk alone in dodgy areas, and lock your doors at night. Much like anywhere else. And, like anywhere else in the world, there are some areas of major cities which are more dodgy than others. It is easy to avoid these and still have a good time.
When walking through areas that are considered risky, avoid wearing visible jewellery or carrying cameras and bags over your shoulder. Keep cellphones (mobile phones) and wallets tucked away where no one can see them. Check beforehand that the areas you plan to visit are safe by asking your tour operator. It is not advisable to use local commuter and metro trains as attacks on foreigners have occurred.
Other sensible advice is not to hitchhike or accept or carry items for strangers. Our airport security is quite strict so, to avoid delays in checking in, remove all sharp objects (even nail files and hairclips) from your hand luggage.
ATMs and con artists
Watch out for con artists. A favoured target is the automated teller machine (ATM). Under no circumstances allow a stranger to assist you in your transactions. Should your card become stuck in the ATM, enter your PIN three times whereupon the machine will retain your card. You can then approach the bank to release it, or call the helpline number that can usually be found at ATMs for assistance.
Beware, too, of confidence tricksters who try and persuade you to invest in their schemes, requiring you to disclose confidential banking details.
Stay out of jail!
And, while on the subject of crime, do bear in mind that committing a criminal offence in any foreign country is always more of a problem than doing so at home. You're probably not planning to, but there are a few actions which could land you in one of our not-too-luxurious jails. These include smuggling, bilking, and trading in, or using, recreational drugs - with the exception of tobacco and alcohol. Poaching is probably far from your mind but, just in case you're tempted to "harvest" a rhino horn as a souvenir, remember our game scouts are armed.
Lost passports
Should you lose your passport, report the loss as soon as possible to your country's embassy or consulate, and to the local police.
SOUTH AFRICA'S WEATHER AND CLIMATE
A subtropical location, moderated by ocean on three sides of the country and the altitude of the interior plateau, account for the warm temperate conditions so typical of South Africa - and so popular with its foreign visitors.
South Africa is famous for its sunshine. It's a relatively dry country, with an average annual rainfall of about 464mm (compared to a world average of about 860mm). While the Western Cape gets most of its rainfall in winter, the rest of the country is generally a summer-rainfall region.
At the same time, temperatures in South Africa tend to be lower than in other countries at similar latitudes - such as Australia - due mainly to greater elevation above sea level.
On the interior plateau the altitude - Johannesburg lies at 1 694 metres - keeps the average summer temperatures below 30 degrees Celsius. In winter, for the same reason, night-time temperatures can drop to freezing point, in some places lower.
South Africa's coastal regions are therefore warmest in winter. But there's a striking contrast between temperatures on either side of the country, due to the warm Agulhas Current that sweeps the east coast, and the cold Benguela, fresh from Antarctica, that runs up the west coast.
Being in the southern hemisphere, our seasons stand in opposition to those of Europe and North America, so, yes - we spend Christmas on the beach.
Summer
Over much of South Africa, summer (mid-October to mid-February) is characterised by hot, sunny weather - often with afternoon thunderstorms that clear quickly, leaving a warm, earthy, uniquely African smell in the air.
The Western Cape, with its Mediterranean climate, is the exception, getting its rain in winter.
Autumn
Autumn (fall) in South Africa (mid-February to April) offers in some ways the best weather. Very little rain falls over the whole country, and it is warm but not too hot, getting colder as the season progresses.
In Cape Town, autumn is fantastic, with hot sunny days and warm, balmy nights which many people spend at outdoor cafes.
Winter
Winter in South Africa (May to July) is characterised in the higher-lying areas of the interior plateau by dry, sunny, crisp days and cold nights. So it's a good idea to bring warm clothes.
The hot, humid KwaZulu-Natal coast, as well as the Lowveld (lower-lying areas) of Mpumalanga and Limpopo provinces, offer fantastic winter weather with sunny, warmish days and virtually no wind or rain.
The Western Cape gets most of its rain in winter, with quite a few days of cloudy, rainy weather. However, these are always interspersed with wonderful days to rival the best of a British summer.
The high mountains of the Cape and the Drakensberg in KwaZulu-Natal usually get snow in winter.
Spring
Nowhere in South Africa is spring (August to mid-October) more spectacular than in the Cape provinces. Here the grey winter is forgotten as thousands of small, otherwise insignificant plants cover the plains in an iridescent carpet of flowers.
The journey to see the flowers of the Namaqualand in the Western and Northern Cape is an annual pilgrimage for many South Africans.
Best time of the year to travel?
That depends on what you want to do. The flowers are obviously best in August and September. The best time for game viewing is late spring (September and October). The southern right whales hang around off our coasts from about mid-June to the end of October.
The diving is best in most of the country outside of summer (i.e., from April through September), and so is the surfing - but that certainly doesn't limit either activity to those times.
River rafting is better in the Cape at the end of winter, and in KwaZulu-Natal in the height of summer (late November to mid-February). In Mpumalanga and Limpopo, it's less time-dependent.
The "shoulder" seasons - spring and autumn - are best for hiking, as summer can be hot over most of the country. In the Drakensberg, summer thunderstorms are dangerous, while there is a good chance of snow in winter. In the Cape, the winters are wet, so hiking can be a bit hardcore.
If you're a birder, the palaeoarctic migrants arrive around November and the intra-African migrants usually by mid-October.
Of course, if you want to lounge around on the beach, mid-summer is the best time - though everyone else will be there too. And - big bonus - the beaches of northern KwaZulu-Natal are warm and sunny even in midwinter.
