Author Topic: Southern Africa (SA/Zim/Zam/Botswana/Namibia) Master Thread (Read 473726 times)

PlatinumGuy · « **Reply #1260 on:** July 22, 2018, 07:21:34 AM »

Quote from: Danlover111 on July 22, 2018, 07:13:49 AM

any body ever stay in the Four Seasons Hotel Westcliff, Johannesburg?

my sister would like to go there
is it safe?
is it worth $280?
thanks

I stayed there. It's safe. Money is subjective.

nafnaf12 · « **Reply #1261 on:** July 28, 2018, 03:54:17 PM »

How does one pay for the toll roads here?
Does Hertz charge a fee for using the tag in the car

Yehoshua · « **Reply #1262 on:** July 28, 2018, 06:03:04 PM »

Quote from: nafnaf12 on July 28, 2018, 03:54:17 PM

How does one pay for the toll roads here?
Does Hertz charge a fee for using the tag in the car

Hertz didn't charge me a fee, just the toll.

nafnaf12 · « **Reply #1263 on:** July 28, 2018, 09:53:59 PM »

Quote from: Yehoshua on July 28, 2018, 06:03:04 PM

Hertz didn't charge me a fee, just the toll.

thanks!
Did you use cc insurance?
I wanted to but they said they'd put a 50krand hold on my CC and I reaad the reviews it's a real pain to get it back and they usually "find" damages that weren't there

Yehuda57 · « **Reply #1264 on:** July 28, 2018, 11:30:15 PM »

Every time I've rented insurance has been mandatory and they would not let me rent with CC insurance. Perhaps you will be more persuasive.

They do tend to find nicks, scratches and all kinds of problems, though I wouldn't say they make any up, IME. (in CPT, the guy marked the entire car as being scratched when we picked up, he was angling for a tip).

In South Africa in general, and car rentals specifically, agents tend to be meticulous in rule following, no matter how stupid the rule. Sixt would not let my brother rent with a credit card that doesn't have raised/embossed numbers. They use the old fashioned "scratch" thingy magig to mark the credit card number on the contract and refused to simply write it out. (of course, they had the cc number in the computer system too).

Yammer · « **Reply #1265 on:** July 29, 2018, 01:17:43 AM »

Quote from: Yehuda57 on July 28, 2018, 11:30:15 PM

Every time I've rented insurance has been mandatory and they would not let me rent with CC insurance. Perhaps you will be more persuasive.

Even if you bring a letter from cc company?

nafnaf12 · « **Reply #1266 on:** July 29, 2018, 02:04:28 AM »

They were willing to let me use my CC insurance, but demanded a 50k Rand hold

Yehoshua · « **Reply #1267 on:** July 29, 2018, 02:44:33 AM »

Quote from: nafnaf12 on July 29, 2018, 02:04:28 AM

They were willing to let me use my CC insurance, but demanded a 50k Rand hold

I used my cc insurance and that's it.

Yehuda57 · « **Reply #1268 on:** July 29, 2018, 08:32:27 AM »

Quote from: Yammer on July 29, 2018, 01:17:43 AM

Even if you bring a letter from cc company?

Once I brought a letter from chase. Didn't mean anything.

Truth is, it might depend on the company. Dollar didn't let me use cc insurance, and europcar I mostly used prepaid rates which included insurance

mijo · « **Reply #1269 on:** July 29, 2018, 11:00:05 AM »

Used Hertz, Avis and Europcar this year in CPT and JNB with Chase CC insurance.
Hertz wanted to put a R50K hold on the car but then a "manager" reduced it to R10K.
Wait 10 mins when you return the car to make sure you get a "clean report" and all will be well.
Haven't had any damage charges in the past year in SA (9 trips)

Tolls - no equipment charge, just the toll charge a few days after the rental.

nafnaf12 · « **Reply #1270 on:** July 29, 2018, 02:14:53 PM »

Quote from: cdlaz on July 29, 2018, 11:00:05 AM

Used Hertz, Avis and Europcar this year in CPT and JNB with Chase CC insurance.
Hertz wanted to put a R50K hold on the car but then a "manager" reduced it to R10K.
Wait 10 mins when you return the car to make sure you get a "clean report" and all will be well.
Haven't had any damage charges in the past year in SA (9 trips)

Tolls - no equipment charge, just the toll charge a few days after the rental.

thank you! Answered all my questions!

Yehoshua · « **Reply #1271 on:** July 29, 2018, 02:30:56 PM »

Quote from: cdlaz on July 29, 2018, 11:00:05 AM

Used Hertz, Avis and Europcar this year in CPT and JNB with Chase CC insurance.
Hertz wanted to put a R50K hold on the car but then a "manager" reduced it to R10K.
Wait 10 mins when you return the car to make sure you get a "clean report" and all will be well.
Haven't had any damage charges in the past year in SA (9 trips)

Tolls - no equipment charge, just the toll charge a few days after the rental.

Just a side note: I rented from Hertz in JNB, waited when I returned the car was given a clean bill, and subsequently was charged for fuel because I didn't fill up at the airport fuel station. They said they bring all cars to get filled up after the rentals and if there's any room for more fuel they charge you, despite the fact that I filled up right before the airport and the arrow on the fuel gage said full.

Also, all fuel stations are the same price all over the country, including airport locations, so it's not like you'll be paying more for it.

nafnaf12 · « **Reply #1272 on:** July 29, 2018, 03:01:30 PM »

Quote from: Yehoshua on July 29, 2018, 02:30:56 PM

Just a side note: I rented from Hertz in JNB, waited when I returned the car was given a clean bill, and subsequently was charged for fuel because I didn't fill up at the airport fuel station. They said they bring all cars to get filled up after the rentals and if there's any room for more fuel they charge you, despite the fact that I filled up right before the airport and the arrow on the fuel gage said full.

Also, all fuel stations are the same price all over the country, including airport locations, so it's not like you'll be paying more for it.

they charged my friend because he didn't bring a receipt! Even though he did fill up at the airport location

Dawie · « **Reply #1273 on:** July 30, 2018, 11:16:16 AM »

Quote from: nafnaf12 on July 29, 2018, 03:01:30 PM

they charged my friend because he didn't bring a receipt! Even though he did fill up at the airport location

standard scam
the receipt will only possibly help you fight it
they just slip it into the bill, like who is gonna fight a R20 charge

nafnaf12 · « **Reply #1274 on:** July 30, 2018, 11:24:39 AM »

Quote from: Dawie on July 30, 2018, 11:16:16 AM

standard scam
the receipt will only possibly help you fight it
they just slip it into the bill, like who is gonna fight a R20 charge

yup! I returned a car last week in Durben. When I brought it in I noticed he circled that I returned it 7/8 I told him to change it to 8/8, (he first did it on my copy, I said on your too)
And now I see I was charged $12
I called they said they called the gas station at the airport and since I only filled up $10 it must be that it wasn't returned on full!
Going to dispute this charge.

ludmila · « **Reply #1275 on:** July 31, 2018, 12:19:08 AM »

Quote from: nafnaf12 on July 30, 2018, 11:24:39 AM

yup! I returned a car last week in Durben. When I brought it in I noticed he circled that I returned it 7/8 I told him to change it to 8/8, (he first did it on my copy, I said on your too)
And now I see I was charged $12
I called they said they called the gas station at the airport and since I only filled up $10 it must be that it wasn't returned on full!
Going to dispute this charge.

Looks like an ongoing scam, they make more profit than from rentals, playing the gas fill up trick, $12 x ?? is serious money. By the way this happened to me in Argentina .

nafnaf12 · « **Reply #1276 on:** July 31, 2018, 04:03:35 AM »

Quote from: Yehuda57 on May 28, 2018, 08:41:24 PM

I have done the drive from JNB to Kruger, but I've only done it via the Panoramic Route on the return from Kruger to JNB. I would highly recommend it - The Blyde River Canyon at the Three Rondawels viewing point is one of my favorite places in the world. However it all depends on how comfortable you are making the drive in a foreign country driving on the other side of the road on roads that are not always in the best shape. (Most of the way is highway). To do the drive and make all the stops you mentioned, you'll be leaving very early in the morning, and driving unfamiliar single lane roads after dark. Especially after long flights, not everyone is up to that.

I'm leaving Kruger in about an hour or so on the way back to joberg is there a shorter way to do the panorama drive? I'd like to make it back before the restaurants close (8ish)

mijo · « **Reply #1277 on:** July 31, 2018, 04:18:19 AM »

Quote from: nafnaf12 on July 31, 2018, 04:03:35 AM

I'm leaving Kruger in about an hour or so on the way back to joberg is there a shorter way to do the panorama drive? I'd like to make it back before the restaurants close (8ish)

Where are you leaving from?
Are you near Satara and want to go past G-d's Window and Blyde River Canyon? You should have plenty time to get back to JNB, some places close at 21:30: eg. Friends Kitchen & RTG (midnight on Thursday)

nafnaf12 · « **Reply #1278 on:** July 31, 2018, 04:20:34 AM »

Quote from: cdlaz on July 31, 2018, 04:18:19 AM

Where are you leaving from?
Are you near Satara and want to go past G-d's Window and Blyde River Canyon? You should have plenty time to get back to JNB, some places close at 21:30: eg. Friends Kitchen & RTG (midnight on Thursday)

at skukuza

mijo · « **Reply #1279 on:** July 31, 2018, 04:25:30 AM »

Quote from: nafnaf12 on July 31, 2018, 04:20:34 AM

at skukuza

It's about 3 hours from there to Blyde River and from there 6 hours to Joburg
Even if you don't want to get to Joburg for supper you need to be past Nelspruit before dark as it is a bit dangerous on those roads around Bush Buck Ridge.
Suggest to skip Blyde River and leave for Joburg now.

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Name	Type	Hours	Contact	Location & Description
Avron's Place (Sea Point)	Meat	S – T: 11am – 3pm; 5pm – 10pm; F: 11am – 2:30pm	+27 (0)21 439 7610 Link	19 – 33 Regent Road - Oldest kosher meat restaurant in SA. The humbly adorned, family-friendly eatery, serves a wide variety of dishes, including beef ribs, burgers, mixed grills, boerewors, Cape lamb curry, vegetarian platters, pastas and sushi. Prices rather reasonable. On Tuesdays there's a special on its beef burger and chips (R49 instead of the usual R59). Offers takeaways and catering and packed Shabbat meals for visitors. For the Sephardim the meat is Bet Yosef. But check to make sure.
The Press (Sea Point)	Meat	S – T: noon – late; F: 11am – 3pm; Sat: 1 hour after Shabbat till late	+27 (0)21 434 7724 Website	176 Main Road - Restaurant and Bar (many craft beers on tap).
Coffee Time (Gardens)	Milk	M – T: 8am – 3:30pm; F: 8am – 3pm	+27 (0)21 461 8414	20 Breda Street - Set in an old house in a lush, garden environment. Lawn seating with views of Table Mountain. Breakfast, brunch or lunch. Menu includes scrambled egg, salmon and humus wrap, fish bobotie with homemade chutney, tuna lasagne, sandwich, salad, quiche or smoothie. Early-morning special between 8am and 11am (a combo of two eggs, grilled tomato and mushrooms goes for R25) and also serves a delicious, and incredibly popular, buffet lunch every Wednesday between 12:30pm and 2:30pm. Gluten-free and sugar-free options. Offers catering. Proceeds support the Astra Centre.
Café Riteve (Gardens)	Milk	S – T: 8:30am – 5pm; F: 8:30am – 3pm	+27 (0)21 465 1594 Website	88 Hatfield Street - Located on a piazza that’s part of the same centre as the historical Gardens Shul, the South African Jewish Museum, the Cape Town Holocaust Centre and the Jacob Gitlin Library. Large and varied menu includes three-egg omelette, sushi salad, grilled hake, falafel with dukkah wedges and humus, tuna and mushroom cannelloni, smoked salmon and cream cheese sandwich and chocolate ganache-filled croissant. Also sells range of shakes and juices as well as kosher wine and liquors. Offers catering, takeaways, no delivery. They had some CY, just ask. The earlier you go the more likely the have.
Goldies Deli and Diner (Sea Point)	Meat & Pareve	S – T: 8:30am – 8pm; F: 8:30am – 4:30pm	+27 (0)21 439 3008 Link	174 Main Road - Meat and parev deli and bakery - next door and connected to The Press. Menu include burgers, steak rolls, schwarmas, bagels, salads, fish cakes, breakfast plates and more. Specials every Wednesday and Friday (deals like a three-course meal for four for R120). Delivery is free in Sea Point. Bakery treats include carrot cake, cinnamon twists, chocolate brownies, doughnuts, cupcakes, apple crumble, croissants and teiglach. Offers Shabbat meal orders.
Café B'tayavon @ Highlands House	Milk		021 461 1100	9 Gorge Rd, Highlands Estate - Snacks and Light Meals
Jean's Kitchen @ The Kaplan Centre	Milk		021 650 3064 info@jeanskitchen.co.za	The Kaplan Centre - University of Cape Town - Tea, coffee, sandwiches, gourmet salads, falafel etc
Baskin Robbins @ Mojo Market (Sea Point)				Note: This is the only kosher B & R All ice creams, ice cream cones, milkshakes and waffles are Kosher, milchik. The following topping ONLY are kosher: Crushed Almonds, Crushed Cashews, Fudge, Mini Astros, Mint Crunch NB: Cakes are NOT KOSHER

Name	Cost	Distance from CPT	Description and Notes
Boulders Beach	R170	35 min	• "I found that there were two different entrances, boardwalk and beach. The boardwalk has a higher density of penguins but if you want a better experience, I recommend visiting the beach side- especially at low tide. Because of the tide I was able to walk past the few dozen folks on the beach, climb under and over some boulders, and encounter effectively a different private beach- with penguins!!" • For budget travelers, take the train to Simonstown and from there a cab to Boulders beach - R20.
Betty’s Bay		1.25 hours	Also features African Penguins though less crowded than Boulders beach, though further.
Chapman's Peak Drive	R45/car	45 min	• Beautiful scenery, you have the mountain on one side and the ocean on the other side, great pics, great to make a BBQ come during daylight hours. NOTE: You need Rand or an SA issued card to pay for the Chapman's Peak toll.
Cape of Good Hope/Cape Point	R360/pp	1.5 hours	• LONG but AMAZING drive • almost a full day activity
Lions Head			• Hike - not difficult • Paragliding - around $85 (prices might be outdated). Book ahead
Robben Island			Tours depart three times a day and take about 3.5 hours, consisting of a ferry trip to and from the island, and a tour of the various historical sites on the island that form part of the Robben Island Museum. These include the island graveyard, the disused lime quarry, Robert Sobukwe's house, the Bluestone quarry, the army and navy bunkers, and the maximum security prison. Nelson Mandela's cell is shown. Reviews are mixed
Table Mountain (Cable car or hike)	~R350		• Follow on Twitter for updates on if open or closed • Cableway costs ~R350 rand pp - depends if morning or afternoon • Can repel down • 895 rand pp (prices might be outdated) • repel for like 15 mins • hike back up is 25 mins • Closes 6pm • BOOK IN ADVANCE
Signal Hill			Go there for a sunset with bit more a "local" flavor. Views aren't great compared to Lion's Head and can be quite crowded at sunset.
V & A Waterfront
The Garden Route			long scenic drive

Kirstenbosch Gardens
Shark Diving	$88 +$34 for video (prices might be outdated)	2 hours	Can do in Gansbaii. Links:1, 2, 3
Sandboarding			Bring goggles!
Skydiving	$170 (prices might be outdated) Cheaper
Quad Biking (ATVs)
Hout Bay market
Kayaking at Hout Bay	Link		Amazing experience. Views may very but can often see Heaviside dolphins jumping right in front of you
Cheetah Outreach			Where you can go and pet cheetahs and other animals super cool. Website
Aquila Private Game Reserve		2 hours	Pricey but quality accommodations for overnight stays. Good for people who aren't leaving Cape Town area but want to see wildlife. Some dismiss as a "glorified zoo"
Cango Wildlife Ranch		5 hours

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Yehoshua	Link

Name	Type	Contact	Location & Description
Corner Cafe (Glenhazel)	Milk	+27 11 440-3160 Link	Corner of Queens square and cross road in Glenhazel. Corner Café is the best place to go (or maybe the only) for kosher gluten free muffins. I’m told they’re very good. They also have great breakfasts and pastas, but I usually stick with a toasted cheese and chips.
Dee-Jays (Sandton)	Milk	+27 11 883-2265 Link	Morningview Shopping Centre, 100 South Road, 2196 - Dee-Jays provides casual dairy food that is perfect for a breakfast out with the family. Their fishballs are really good and if you need a cake in the Sandton area, they’re the place to go.
Market Cafe (Norood Mall)	Milk		Cholov Yisroel cafe
KosherWorld, Mi Vami Kosher and Chop N Wok (Glenhazel)		+27 11 440 1402 Website	1 Long Avenue, Johannesburg, 2192
Gelatisimo (Glenhazel)			Across the road from Kosher World, authentic Italian gelato. Chalav Yisroel. Absolutely fantastic.
Michelos (Glenhazel)	Milk	+27 11 885-1500 Link	17 Northfield Ave, Johannesburg, 2192 - Michelos is the second best pizza restaurant. They are very centrally located (in the Jewish area of Glenhazel) and their food is nice. Never go there the night after Pesach because you’ll wait hours but most other times are good, plus they serve chalav yisrael.
Nandos Kosher (Savoy)	Meat	+27 11 885-1496 Website	553 Louis Botha Ave, Savoy, Johannesburg, 2090, South Africa - Nandos is a large chain of Portuguese chicken restaurants, but there is only one kosher Nandos in South Africa, so be aware that you can’t step into any of them! They serve top notch chicken but be sure to also try their beef burger (and order extra sauce).
Next Door "Non-CY" (Norwood)	Milk	+27 11 728-2577 Link	80 Grant Ave, Johannesburg, 2192 - Next Door is rated as a top restaurant in Johannesburg, kosher and not, so you know it must be pretty good. It is usually full so booking is highly recommended. While their sushi may not be top class, their pizzas certainly are and, if you’re around in Summer, definitely try their fish braai (barbeque in South African).
Pie Works (Sandringham)		+27 11 485 2447 Website	74 George Ave, Johannesburg, 2192 - Their pies (clearly) are the best kosher pies in the country and are perfect if you want to buy some to take home and reheat. Their burgers are delicious and the have a milk side with pizza that is really good. They’re situated on what is known as the Kosher Strip, so any Jew will be able to direct you.
RTG "Ready to Go" (Norwood)			A fast food place next door to ... Next Door. While they do offer steak and a Chinese menu, the focus is their extensive burger and hot dog menu.
The Deli Store (Sandton)		011-656-3142 / 4915 info@thedelistore.co.za, http://thedelistore.co.za/menus/main-menu/	Shop 52, (opposite Woolworths) Morning Glen Shopping Mall Cnr Bowling & Kelvin Road Gallo Manor - Reviewed in CBS's TR, as having excellent food for very low prices. According to Google is "Permanently Closed".
So Sushi (Glenhazel)
Jozi Blue (Glenhazel)	Milk		They have some items Cholov Yisroel, which they will serve on disposables on request

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Author Topic: Southern Africa (SA/Zim/Zam/Botswana/Namibia) Master Thread (Read 473726 times)