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South Africa
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Namibia
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Information on South Africa; the country and its history: Many of our guests have chosen to travel with us, specifically because they want more from their journey then just sightseeing. On this page we suggest a number of sources which you may consult to read more about South Africa and its history.
Passport and Visa: Here you will find information on how to obtain a visa and what the costs are. There are special requirements for people travelling with minors (children under the age of 18 years). These are discussed on the page ‘New visa requirements for travelling with children’.
Travelling with children: With its beautiful scenery, wildlife and rich cultures; South Africa is the ideal destination for a family vacation. On this page we highlight a few important issues when planning a family trip through South Africa.
What is the best time to travel to South Africa, and what shall we expect the weather to be like? What about Namibia? A good question, to which a detailed answer can be found on this page.
South Africa and Namibia have a variety of accommodation to offer, and Tailor Made Safaris has carefully selected each of the accommodations we use during our trips. On this page we describe the selection criteria.
Safety: If you often watch the news you may question whether it is safe to travel through South Africa. We are happy to explain why you need not worry about this.
Health and vaccinations: Can you bring your medicines into South Africa? What vaccinations do you need for visiting South Africa? And what is the quality of the hospitals like? We have answered all of these questions on this information page. In fact, we even have a special page which discusses the risk on Malaria for you!
Smoking: For this we don’t even need a special page. In public areas in South Africa, as in Europe, smoking is not allowed. This also applies to our vehicles, and ‘open game viewers’ on game drives. However, we often stop to stretch our legs and take in the scenery, which also provides an opportunity for smokers to smoke.
Electricity: The voltage of the power supply in South Africa is 230 volts. South Africa also has a unique plug. But don’t worry, European-to-South African adaptors can be found easily at either the airport prior to departure or at supermarkets in South Africa. Alternatively, Tailor Made Safaris’ guides always have spare adaptors available for guests to borrow. Thus you may leave your world plug at home.
Telephone and internet (WIFI): Naturally, you’d want to keep in touch with home. Hence Tailor Made Safaris offers you the use of a Mobile Phone with a South African SIM card, making the cost of phone calls considerably lower than using your International SIM card. During your journey with us, you will stay at many lodges, guesthouses and restaurants that offer WIFI. However, they often limit the amount of data that you may use to 30Mb. During your stay INSIDE the nature reserves you usually won’t have access to WIFI, as there simply is none. Please bear in mind that internet connection speeds in South Africa are ridiculously slow in comparison to Western Europe. Internet speed in South Africa varies between 10kb/s to a maximum of 200kb/s (Note: this is Kilobyte, not Megabyte!). Checking email, and posting small photos online is not a problem however, video Skype and uploading large resolution photos is usually not possible. As such backing up your holiday photos online may not be possible, thus we recommend that you bring an extra hard drive or simply enough memory cards to store all your photos and videos on.
Money and tipping: Here we provide information on the South African currency, exchange rates and ATMs. We also gladly give advice on tipping, when to tip and how much to tip in a given situation.
During the booking process, people often ask what additional costs they can expect during their holiday in South Africa, you'll find a short list here.
Meals and the risk of food poisoning. An important topic, but fortunately not one you need to worry about. You can read more here.
In European summer (winter in South Africa) there is no time difference with Central European Time and South Africa is one hour ahead of British Summer Time. In European winter (summer in South Africa) South Africa is one hour ahead of Central European Time and two hours ahead of British Summer Time. So there is no jet lag when flying between Europe and South Africa.
What to bring? On this page you will find a list of what to pack. For your convenience, we’ve created a special page on binoculars and cameras.
Have you booked a guided tour? Read the following page about your private guide to see what you can expect from him or her.
Travel with the right expectations to avoid disappointment. We, here at Tailor Made Safaris, are very proud of our safari product. We are a small company with a small team, and yet we get good reviews in which guests praise us for our excellent service. However, occasionally some guests are less satisfied with certain aspects of their experience. Usually the cause of the dissatisfaction is the fact that certain expectations were not met. As such we believe in discussing your expectation up front and planning your trip accordingly, thereby reducing the chance that these small disappointments will ruin your trip.
VAT refund: In South Africa a 14% tax (VAT) is levied on most goods and services. As a foreigner you can claim back VAT on items that you have purchased and not used during your stay. On this page we explain how it works. Tailor Made Safaris, at your service again!
What is a game drive really, and how does it work? A very important topic, so be sure to read this page carefully. Here, we describe not only how a game drive operates, but also what the risks are, and how to optimise the opportunities to see animals.
On this page we explain what certain activities (other than game drives) hold in store for you. From the variety of activities available in South Africa, there are some which entail certain risks. Tailor Made Safaris uses only reputable companies for such activities, where no unnecessary risks are taken however, we still wish to draw your attention to the possible risks and how best to avoid them.
Hugging lions is not something we offer. Find out what activities you should avoid for ethical reasons, and where Tailor Made Safaris will therefore not make bookings.
Read here about the differences between European and South African cultures and what you can expect from the locals. We also explain how you can overcome feelings of embarrassment.
Driving and traffic: Another very important topic, so if you have booked a journey with us, be sure to read this page carefully. It describes South African traffic rules as well as some risks of driving in South Africa.
Distances and actual travel time: A page unique to Tailor Made Safaris, as few other tour operators have as much local knowledge as we do. Here we explain why the estimates made by other tour operators and online tools seldom match the reality of how long it takes to travel in South Africa, and how to calculate accurate travel times.
“Indemnity Forms'': You will often be asked to sign so-called indemnity forms in South Africa. On this page we explain what these are, and why you do not have to concern yourself much with them.
Unforeseen situations – This Is Africa (T.I.A.): The last information page, but certainly not the least important. This is also a unique Tailor Made Safaris page and we recommend that you read it before your trip to South Africa begins, thus ensuring that you a properly prepared from the start, and know what you’ve gotten yourself into ;)
Information on South Africa; the country and its history: Many of our guests have chosen to travel with us, specifically because they want more from their journey then just sightseeing. On this page we suggest a number of sources which you may consult to read more about South Africa and its history.
Passport and Visa: Here you will find information on how to obtain a visa and what the costs are. There are special requirements for people travelling with minors (children under the age of 18 years). These are discussed on the page ‘New visa requirements for travelling with children’.
Travelling with children: With its beautiful scenery, wildlife and rich cultures; South Africa is the ideal destination for a family vacation. On this page we highlight a few important issues when planning a family trip through South Africa.
What is the best time to travel to South Africa, and what shall we expect the weather to be like? What about Namibia? A good question, to which a detailed answer can be found on this page.
South Africa and Namibia have a variety of accommodation to offer, and Tailor Made Safaris has carefully selected each of the accommodations we use during our trips. On this page we describe the selection criteria.
Safety: If you often watch the news you may question whether it is safe to travel through South Africa. We are happy to explain why you need not worry about this.
Health and vaccinations: Can you bring your medicines into South Africa? What vaccinations do you need for visiting South Africa? And what is the quality of the hospitals like? We have answered all of these questions on this information page. In fact, we even have a special page which discusses the risk on Malaria for you!
Smoking: For this we don’t even need a special page. In public areas in South Africa, as in Europe, smoking is not allowed. This also applies to our vehicles, and ‘open game viewers’ on game drives. However, we often stop to stretch our legs and take in the scenery, which also provides an opportunity for smokers to smoke.
Electricity: The voltage of the power supply in South Africa is 230 volts. South Africa also has a unique plug. But don’t worry, European-to-South African adaptors can be found easily at either the airport prior to departure or at supermarkets in South Africa. Alternatively, Tailor Made Safaris’ guides always have spare adaptors available for guests to borrow. Thus you may leave your world plug at home.
Telephone and internet (WIFI): Naturally, you’d want to keep in touch with home. Hence Tailor Made Safaris offers you the use of a Mobile Phone with a South African SIM card, making the cost of phone calls considerably lower than using your International SIM card. During your journey with us, you will stay at many lodges, guesthouses and restaurants that offer WIFI. However, they often limit the amount of data that you may use to 30Mb. During your stay INSIDE the nature reserves you usually won’t have access to WIFI, as there simply is none. Please bear in mind that internet connection speeds in South Africa are ridiculously slow in comparison to Western Europe. Internet speed in South Africa varies between 10kb/s to a maximum of 200kb/s (Note: this is Kilobyte, not Megabyte!). Checking email, and posting small photos online is not a problem however, video Skype and uploading large resolution photos is usually not possible. As such backing up your holiday photos online may not be possible, thus we recommend that you bring an extra hard drive or simply enough memory cards to store all your photos and videos on.
Money and tipping: Here we provide information on the South African currency, exchange rates and ATMs. We also gladly give advice on tipping, when to tip and how much to tip in a given situation.
During the booking process, people often ask what additional costs they can expect during their holiday in South Africa, you'll find a short list here.
Meals and the risk of food poisoning. An important topic, but fortunately not one you need to worry about. You can read more here.
In European summer (winter in South Africa) there is no time difference with Central European Time and South Africa is one hour ahead of British Summer Time. In European winter (summer in South Africa) South Africa is one hour ahead of Central European Time and two hours ahead of British Summer Time. So there is no jet lag when flying between Europe and South Africa.
What to bring? On this page you will find a list of what to pack. For your convenience, we’ve created a special page on binoculars and cameras.
Have you booked a guided tour? Read the following page about your private guide to see what you can expect from him or her.
Travel with the right expectations to avoid disappointment. We, here at Tailor Made Safaris, are very proud of our safari product. We are a small company with a small team, and yet we get good reviews in which guests praise us for our excellent service. However, occasionally some guests are less satisfied with certain aspects of their experience. Usually the cause of the dissatisfaction is the fact that certain expectations were not met. As such we believe in discussing your expectation up front and planning your trip accordingly, thereby reducing the chance that these small disappointments will ruin your trip.
VAT refund: In South Africa a 14% tax (VAT) is levied on most goods and services. As a foreigner you can claim back VAT on items that you have purchased and not used during your stay. On this page we explain how it works. Tailor Made Safaris, at your service again!
What is a game drive really, and how does it work? A very important topic, so be sure to read this page carefully. Here, we describe not only how a game drive operates, but also what the risks are, and how to optimise the opportunities to see animals.
On this page we explain what certain activities (other than game drives) hold in store for you. From the variety of activities available in South Africa, there are some which entail certain risks. Tailor Made Safaris uses only reputable companies for such activities, where no unnecessary risks are taken however, we still wish to draw your attention to the possible risks and how best to avoid them.
Hugging lions is not something we offer. Find out what activities you should avoid for ethical reasons, and where Tailor Made Safaris will therefore not make bookings.
Read here about the differences between European and South African cultures and what you can expect from the locals. We also explain how you can overcome feelings of embarrassment.
Driving and traffic: Another very important topic, so if you have booked a journey with us, be sure to read this page carefully. It describes South African traffic rules as well as some risks of driving in South Africa.
Distances and actual travel time: A page unique to Tailor Made Safaris, as few other tour operators have as much local knowledge as we do. Here we explain why the estimates made by other tour operators and online tools seldom match the reality of how long it takes to travel in South Africa, and how to calculate accurate travel times.
“Indemnity Forms'': You will often be asked to sign so-called indemnity forms in South Africa. On this page we explain what these are, and why you do not have to concern yourself much with them.
Unforeseen situations – This Is Africa (T.I.A.): The last information page, but certainly not the least important. This is also a unique Tailor Made Safaris page and we recommend that you read it before your trip to South Africa begins, thus ensuring that you a properly prepared from the start, and know what you’ve gotten yourself into ;)
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