Cape Town & Garden Route

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bad company

Original Poster:

18,483 posts

265 months

Friday 14th November 2014
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Mrs BC and I are off to South Africa next month for around 6 weeks (beats sitting here in the cold). So we are flying to Cape Town for a few days then taking a cruise for 2 weeks. When the cruise returns early in January we plan on touring the garden route and wine area in a hire car.

We are wondering what to do about our jewellery. We both have expensive watches (Rolex and Cartier) and Mrs BC has diamond earrings & other stuff all of which we would like to have on the cruise. The problem is whether it is safe to carry this stuff while touring in this part of South Africa. We understand that Johannesburg and Durban are the worst areas but does anybody here have much experience of the Garden Route?

Stephanie Plum

2,775 posts

210 months

Friday 14th November 2014
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I wouldn't. There are a lot of very poor people in SA regardless of whether you are in a tourist area or not. Why put temptation in their path? And don't make the mistake of thinking that hotel safes are secure either…..

Cape Town is widely regraded as safer but it still isn't like home. There are areas which are no go after dusk - get some local advice from the hotels you stay in as you travel.

Puggit

48,350 posts

247 months

Friday 14th November 2014
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SP has it spot on. Find somewhere secure and trustworthy - or better still, leave at home.

Henry-F

4,791 posts

244 months

Friday 14th November 2014
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Are you on the Sojourn ?

Henry smile

bad company

Original Poster:

18,483 posts

265 months

Saturday 15th November 2014
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Henry-F said:
Are you on the Sojourn ?

Henry smile
Yes, are you?

I'm now looking for a short term safety deposit in Cape Town but there may not be one.

Henry-F

4,791 posts

244 months

Saturday 15th November 2014
quotequote all
Yes we are smile

In terms of your driving tour I would suggest using the same hotel on the first and last night and leaving your cruise luggage with them. You won't want to carry all that clobber round with you in the car.

I don't think the places you are likely to visit on your driving trip would be classed as high risk but in SA there is no need to put yourself at risk by flaunting jewlery. Save it for the ship.

We are having a drive around before the cruise then spending a couple of days just outside Joburg afterwards before returning to the IK.

Henry smile

bad company

Original Poster:

18,483 posts

265 months

Saturday 15th November 2014
quotequote all
Henry-F said:
Yes we are smile

In terms of your driving tour I would suggest using the same hotel on the first and last night and leaving your cruise luggage with them. You won't want to carry all that clobber round with you in the car.

I don't think the places you are likely to visit on your driving trip would be classed as high risk but in SA there is no need to put yourself at risk by flaunting jewlery. Save it for the ship.

We are having a drive around before the cruise then spending a couple of days just outside Joburg afterwards before returning to the IK.

Henry smile
See you onboard. cool

Still thinking about the watches / jeweley. I did find a safe deposit company but they were not interested in short term and the banks only seem to offer safe deposits for their own clients.

Welshbeef

49,633 posts

197 months

Sunday 16th November 2014
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Ditch the watch rings etc

When we went (didn't do the cruise bit but did the garden route via hire car over 3-4 weeks) didn't have any valuables with us at all simply why put any additional risk? We ended up with a Dawoo Matiz ... Not ideal at luggage didn't fit all in the boot - however I did find that when we parked on many occasions a local Black chap would come up and offer to "look after the car" to which as it turned out I chipped in 5 Rand for an evening - thought it best to do that than say no and come back with car damaged. As it turned out evey place we did this the local was actually still say there on the fence/wall close to the car even though he had no idea what time we would be coming back.

We drove the st Alfred pass in the Matiz which did involve driving past/partly through a shanty area we did this at 9-10am it was utter poverty but we clearly didn't stop nor offer any lifts just keep on going (I'd not buy that Matiz it grounded out hard so many times and spent huge amounts of time deep into the red/on limiter as it had no power at all for all those hills - air con off button made a difference going uphill).

Stephanie Plum

2,775 posts

210 months

Sunday 16th November 2014
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[quote=Welshbeef]Ditch the watch rings etc

however I did find that when we parked on many occasions a local Black chap would come up and offer to "look after the car" to which as it turned out I chipped in 5 Rand for an evening - thought it best to do that than say no and come back with car damaged. As it turned out evey place we did this the local was actually still say there on the fence/wall close to the car even though he had no idea what time we would be coming back.
[/U]

standard practice across SA. Always pay it. Call it job creation or whatever you like but it's the only money these guys earn and with the exchange rate it's pennies to us.

gtidriver

3,334 posts

186 months

Monday 17th November 2014
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Last time I drove through the garden route from cape town to plettenberg bay,I noticed a huge infestation of speed cameras,so be aware of these,most are hidden as well or at the bottom of really long straight hills. Also the locals wander along the highways thumbing lifts, if you don't stop they try to kick the car. Also cango caves the crocodile park and the bungee jump are all on the garden route.

Welshbeef

49,633 posts

197 months

Monday 17th November 2014
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gtidriver said:
Last time I drove through the garden route from cape town to plettenberg bay,I noticed a huge infestation of speed cameras,so be aware of these,most are hidden as well or at the bottom of really long straight hills. Also the locals wander along the highways thumbing lifts, if you don't stop they try to kick the car. Also cango caves the crocodile park and the bungee jump are all on the garden route.
Cango caves are stunning.

When we were in Haut Bay we drove to Llandudno and someone had been walking in the road - the impact was huge bonnet smashed in and body on the ground a long distance away. Nothing covering the poor person up (I was nearly sick in the car seeing it) however worse to come 8 hours later body was still there on the road (Emergency services there all day) aparently the reason is IF they are dead and black/very poor they don't want to risk Aids if alive they would take them to hospital otherwise they await an undertaker
This is something we will never forget seeing.

Old Merc

3,486 posts

166 months

Monday 17th November 2014
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Been to South Africa a number of times,traveled the garden route,also driven about 1000miles inland,never had any problems.The garden route I found well policed,we even got checked out at a police road block.Every one you meet will be pleasant and honest.They earn their living from tourists so they look after them.

Mind you there are a lot of bad guys about so don't do any "tourist advertising".Showing a Rolex watch is just asking for it.In towns keep the doors locked and windows shut,never have anything visible in the car,Just ignore the hawkers at traffic lights,keep the fuel tank half full and only use large in town filling stations,always be ready to tip the screen cleaner,same with the "parking attendants".Plan your journey,keep to main roads and never go exploring down side roads.

I had two wallets,the main one hidden in the car,the one in my pocket had a wod of one US dollars and low rands and a useless credit card.My thinking was,if I was unlucky enough to come face to face with a guy with a knife he would grab the wallet and run.

After saying all this I`ve been a victim of crime and had many unpleasant experiences in my own town in the UK.