Hello

I am planning to go to South Africa on a low budget tour - december 2003 to february/march 2004.
Does anybody know the daily costs - food, drinking, b&b/hostels, and travel expenses.

I will be staying in some of the cities - but also hike in the country.

I am looking forward hearing from those with experience

Regards from Annette

Annette Rudolph
a.rudolph@danbbs.dk

I've just got back from SA. I can very strongly recommend the Rough Guide, it's a relatively new edition and is generally very accurate and highly detailed. There's an awful lot packed in there.

South Africa is currently cheap, because of the rand's collapse a couple of years ago. But it's on the rise again. The RG says you get 16 rand to one pound sterling, but it's now more like 12 rand. Still, you can get a good meal with drinks for well under 50 rand.

We hired cars to travel around - quite cheap and easy, but the final amount you pay depends on the kilometrage you do. Normally the charge is something like 300 rand daily but then a rand per kilometre.

We stayed in good b/b's mainly, where the cost for 2 sharing was around £20-25 each per night; this included breakfast, evening meal and drinks.

State-owned tourist facilities are very cheap. The Pilanesburg national park, with lots of African wildlife - elephants, rhino, giraffe, lions, hippo etc is only r20 per car for entry plus r15 each person. This is absolutely amazing value and it's valid for two days at weekends.