Three nights in the Drakensberg were enough for me, however due to the Baz bus schedule between Durban and Jo'burg, I was required to spend a fourth day and night. I was satisfied with the two day tours, and spent my free day writing and hanging around the lodge (bored). In the evening, I played Scrabble with a few German women and the lodge's manager and son.
The next morning, I took a two hour shuttle to connect with the Baz bus, and held on for the day long ride to Johannesburg. I had trouble deciding where to stay, and settled on Gemini Backpackers. I've learned the hard way that a hostel offering free internet access usually has a slow connection, ancient computers, or both, and Gemini was no different. If the dorm, toilets, and showers were in better condition, I might not have minded. And then there was the location, amidst the township of Alexandra. Its travel desk was really the reception counter, though to his credit, the manager was helpful in booking two tours for me.
First, I decided to get out of dodge immediately by booking a 4-day trip to Kruger Park departing the next day. Through the same company, Livingstone Trails, I also put down a deposit on a 7-day camping trip to Botswana's Okavango Delta. In between, I hoped to find a better hostel from which to base myself and tour a little of Johannesburg and Soweto (township).
I will be back another time, with sufficient funds, to join an overland tour of eastern Africa from Victoria Falls to Nairobi. In the meantime, I figured two smaller camping trips would be a good way to get a feel for the experience.
Planning a trip? Go Backpacking uses and recommends:
- G Adventures for small group tours
- Skyscanner for researching flights
- Hostelworld for booking hostels
- Airbnb for renting rooms and homes
- Rail Europe for train passes
- World Nomads for travel insurance
