Travel to South Africa and Mozambique: Itinerary, expenses, impressions
THE ENTIRE SERIES OF TRAVELOGUES FROM THE “MY AFRICA” TRIP:
1. Preparation and useful tips – > here
2. shocking changes –> HERE
3. Stop in Nairobi, Kenya –> here
4. Johannesburg: Tribal Stories -> here
5. Johannesburg: Faith and Urban Contrasts –> here
6. Missionary Base in Maputo, Mozambique –> here
7. Me and the children of Africa –> here
8. Cape Town: Cape of Good Hope –> here
9. Cape Town: Arabs and Bulgarians in South Africa –> here
10. Return to Europe –> here
route (25.04 – 6.05.2024)
Day 1 – Ryan Air flight from Sofia (10:05 a.m.) – Paris Beauvais (12:00 p.m.)
Transfer from Bouvet Airport to Charles De Goul Airport
Flight with Air France from Paris Charles de Gole (8:35 p.m.) to Nairobi (6:00 p.m.)
This day took a complete turn. I actually flew with Wizz Air from Sofia to Brussels. Then from Brussels to Paris by bus. Overnight in Hôtel CIS Paris Ravel, Paris. And it wasn't until Day 2 that I had a flight from Paris to Nairobi with a late arrival in the evening there.
Day 2 – Accommodation at Joy Palace Hotel, Johannesburg
Morning – Tour to Neighborhood (Getto) Cybera – Dropout
Afternoon – Tour to Cultural Village Bomas – Dropped
Day 3 – Flight with Kenya Airlines from Nairobi (6:30 am) to Johannesburg (9:45)
Accommodation at Onomo Hotel Johanesburg Sandton
Individual tour to the Museum of the Origin of Man and the Lessedi Cultural Village (reserved here)
Day 4 – Morning – Church Christian Revival Church
Remarkable Bus (Hop-On Hop-Off Bus incl. Soweto) (reserved here)
Apartheid Museum
in the evening - church Littlefalls
Day 5 – LAM flight from Johannesburg (8:50 am) to Maputo (10:00)
Accommodation at an Iris Ministries missionary base Zimpeto (see here)
Day 6 - Iris Global Zimpeto Activities
Day 7 – Iris Global Zimpeto Activities
Day 8 – activities at Iris Global Zimpeto
LAM flight from Maputo (5:55 p.m.) to Cape Town (20:25)
Accommodation in 12 Greenpoint Guesthouse, Capetown
Day 9 – Organized full-day tour to Cape Point, Cape of Good Hope and Boulder's Penguins Beach (Reserved here)
Day 10 – Remarkable Bus (Hop-On Hop-Off Bus) Here)
Dinner with a group of Bulgarians in a restaurant zest With a Bulgarian chef!
Day 11 – Flysafair flight from Cape Town (05:50) to Johannesburg (7:55)
Flight with Kenya Airline from Johannesburg (10:45 a.m.) to Nairobi (15:50)
Check-in at Lantern Serviced Apartments
Day 12 – Kenya Airlines flight from Nairobi (09:20) to London Heatdrow (15:15)
Transfer from Heatdrow Airport to Luton
Accommodation at Luton Home Near Airport Private & Shared Bathroom Option
Day 13 – Wizz Air flight from London Luton (8:35 a.m.) to Sofia (1:45 p.m.)
EXPENSES:
South Africa visa: BGN 65.
Mozambique Visa – $150 (and it should have been $50)
ETA permissions to enter Kenya - 2 times $35 = $70
Flight Johannesburg - Maputo with LAM - BGN 129.
Flight Maputo - Cape Town with LAM - BGN 182.
Flight Cape Town - Johannesburg with Flysafair - BGN 111.
Flight Paris-Nairobi-Johannesburg-Nairobi-London - BGN 550 - Yes, you read that right - BGN!
Flight Sofia-Paris with Ryan Air - BGN 185 (changed with Sofia-Brussels with Wizz Air for BGN 220, the difference being taken by Ryan Air due to flight cancellation)
Flight London - Sofia with Wizz Air - BGN 160.
1 night Joy Palace, Nairobi – $18 = BGN 33.
3 nights Onomo Hotel Sandton, Johannesburg with breakfast - BGN 137.
3 nights 12 Greenpoint Guesthouse, Cape Town - BGN 170.
1 night Lantern, Nairobi – BGN 51.
Tour Cape Good Hope, Cape Point and Penguin Beach – $60 (incl. entrance fees)
Humankind Museum & Lesedi Cultural Village Tour Included - $160
Hop-on hop-off bus Johannesburg with incl. Soveto district - BGN 60
Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Capetown – BGN 30
Traveling by Uber, taxis and train in London - BGN 250.
Other sights, gifts and food - BGN 600.
Total: about BGN 3450.
–> Browse and book a budget hotel in Cape Town at a discount. See here!
Internet
Roaming packages of Bulgarian mobile operators are too expensive when traveling to Africa, so I looked for e-SIM options to provide me with internet. E-SIM is a technology in which a physical card is not inserted into the phone, but by means of a certain application or scanning of a QR code, roaming is activated for a certain time with certain parameters. Sites that offer e-SIM are: maya.net, mobimatter.com, getNomad.app, etravelsim.com, Betterroaming.com, airalo.com, esim.net and many others.
I personally chose the esim.net site and despite some of the negative opinions I read, I had the Internet throughout the trip in all three countries - Kenya, the Republic of South Africa and Mazambique. The supplier of the service is Vodaphone and the price was around $30 for a period of 30 days and 25 GB included. In addition to the Internet, this package also included a free English phone number where they could call me or I could call, but only to local numbers in the country I am in. Due to the many conditions and the danger of blocking the card, I decided that I would not use the phone number, only the Internet. I recommend the 100% package.
I read that with many ESIM cards, users encounter difficulties in Mozambique and fail to contact an operator. I had no such problem anywhere!
Weather in Africa
Everyone who has not been to Africa thinks that it is constantly very hot, but the truth is that in South Africa (Johannesburg and Cape Town), the morning temperatures were 13-16 degrees, and during the day - 20-25 degrees. I was almost constantly with something high.
It was warm in Kenya (but not hot) both during the day and at night - temperatures between 20 and 30 degrees.
It was also warm in Mozambique during the day and at night, but not hot.
Security in Africa
In South Africa - in both cities - Johannesburg and Cape Town felt extremely safe. I followed the two simple rules: I avoided lonely places and after sunset I didn't go outside. In Uber cars, I have not felt threatened for a moment. Also in South Africa there is a mobile application - SECURA TRAVELER SA (cost 49 rand = about BGN 5), which functions with GPS coordinates and provides the opportunity to send a panic signal to the nearest police team for rapid response;
In Mozambique at the base also felt safe, unlike the area outside the base - there was complete chaos
In Kenya, Nairobi, maybe the only place I didn't like at all. Terrible traffic, dirt and I never happened to be at a hotel there.
An interesting fact about negroes, especially those who live in South Africa, that it is very strange for them when they meet a white person who cannot speak English. For them, the whites presumably speak English. Also, they often quite well-intentionedly look for her treat, money, some favor from the whites.
Statistics:
Total: 9 flights
- one canceled (Ryan Air, from Sofia to Paris)
- one canceled but re-certified for the next day (Kenya Airlines, from Paris to Nairobi, rechecked for Air France from Paris to Nairobi for the next day)
- one with a delay of 3 hours (LAM, from Johannesburg to Maputo)
Airlines - baggage and check-in policy
Kenyan Airlines (see here) – Check-in 30 hours before the flight or at the airport Free
Checked baggage: 2 pieces up to 23 kg. – Any sizes
hand luggage: 1 (55 x 25 x 35cm ) + 1 accessory up to 12 kg. (backpack, camera, etc.)
To my surprise, there is a Bulgarian phone number and email for contact with Kenya Airlines:
Address: 31 General Totleben Street, 1606, Sofia, email: kenyaairways.bg@apg-ga.com
Phone for Reservations: + 359 895 49 46 06, WhatsApp number: + 254 705 474 747
Opening hours: Monday-Fri: 10:00 - 18:00
LAM (see here) - check-in 24 hours before the flight or at the airport FREE
Checked baggage - 1 pc. up to 23 kg.
hand luggage - 1 pc. (35x40x22) up to 7 kg. (because the plane is smaller)
Flysafair (see here) – 24 hours before the flight or at the airport free
Hand luggage only: 2 bags of hand luggage, the larger one should not be heavier than 7 kg. and size 56x36x23cm
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