Health & Safety etc

You will be issued with a three month tourist visa at your port of entry to the Country. There is no charge for this.

You will need to take out normal travel insurance. You must have two clear pages in your passport and the expiry date must be at least six months after departure from South Africa.

PERSONAL SAFETY
Post Apartheid South Africa is blighted with an exaggerated reputation for violence and crime. Just as the Hollywood image of the USA is wildly inaccurate, so too is the British media image of South Africa. Sadly, there are still very many poor people and there still exists enormous disparity between wealth and poverty.

Social mobility and opportunities for poor people, nonetheless, compare favourably with many other large countries, whose public image is far superior in the minds of North Europeans and the situation is visibly improving with each year.

The country is politically stable and the recent elections in April 2009 were held with calm and a total absence of bad behaviour. Crime is rare outside the poor shanty towns. Towns and villages like Franschhoek are as safe as any English village and you can safely stroll about after dark, so long as you behave with common sense.

We at Cape Hiking recognise and understand that the attitude to risk of most visitors is one of complete aversity.

A holiday represents a window of time in which to experience something different, be it cultural or natural. By definition, however, it is severely constrained by both time and cost. The visitor has usually paid a lot of money and has only a little time to cram in as many and varied experiences as possible, at minimal personal risk.

The mission of Cape Hiking is to help expose international visitors to the natural wonders of the mountains of the Western Cape, whilst at the same time ensuring that all experiences are achieved as safely as possible.

MEDICAL CONDITIONS
You should need no injections to travel in Western Cape, but we advise all visitors to consult their local doctor. There is a high level of HIV incidence amongst the very poor, but diseases like malaria, yellow fever etc are non existent.

Insect bites are rare and generally confined to the occasional mosquito. Though we do have snakes, they are rarely seen and your guides will advise you accordingly

The Western Cape is quite unlike anywhere else in Africa. Having been settled for many centuries, it is both urbane and sophisticated . The infrastructure is the equal to most North European regions. The downside of this is that most of the larger animals are confined to Nature Reserves, which fortunately are widespread, but there is no danger from large predators.

Dehydration is the most serious problem facing hikers, particularly in the summer months. We strongly recommend taking at least 2 litres of water on each walk, though in many cases you will pass over springs of delightful fresh water. Apart from in late summer and autumn the Cape region is blessed with an abundance of beautiful unpolluted streams and you can drink this water without fear. If you are concerned, check with a Guide first.

Our tap water is treated to the highest Western standards, and stomach disorders, so common in many holiday destinations, are virtually unknown.

You do need to apply strong sun block, particularly when walking with the sun high in the sky. A hat is essential.

BEGGING AND TIPPING
Begging, so common in Asia and North and West Africa, is rare in Western Cape...tipping is similar to the UK.

DRESS CODE
Most South Africans are Christians and dress is a common sense reaction to the climate. Shorts are widely worn by men and in the evening even the best restaurants will only expect “smart casual” attire.

PEOPLE
South Africans are generally very friendly and respectful towards foreigners and you should experience no difficulty in communication. As a Nation they are obsessive about sport and are to host the football World Cup in 2010, having already successfully hosted both Cricket and Rugby World Cups in recent years.

This is truly a “Rainbow Nation” and nowhere more so than in the Cape, where you can expect to meet an incredible diversity of humanity.

DOS AND DON’TS
The only significant don’t is the obvious avoidance of flaunting of wealth eg cameras and jewellery in front of poor people.

LANGUAGE
Afrikaans is the first language of most whites and the Coloured population. Most Africans are Xhosa, and their language has the same name.

Local people speak English well, even if it is not their first language. Most signs are in English and it is increasingly used, being the language in most schools today.