I love all the places, but South Africa has a special spot in my heart.

After Canada, South Africa is the country where I’ve spent the most time and where I can say I’ve built a life in. Cape Town feels like a home away from home, which is ironic because it’s just about the furthest city on the planet from my home of Vancouver. I’ve been back to Cape Town 3x in the past 2 years, and this past trip took place for 90 days (the length of my tourist visa) and I was able to explore more of the country while I was there. All of these trips were on my own as a solo female traveller, and all of those trips made me lifelong friends that I still talk to every day.

I thought I would share my advice on travelling solo in South Africa, for other travellers looking to experience this incredible country!

This is going to be high level stuff, but if you are interested in detailed recommendations and my personal experiences, please check out any of the following posts:

Safety

Okay the main question everyone asks me when it comes to solo travel in South Africa is about crime and safety. Especially my first trip there, everyone who heard I was there on my own would respond with: “You’re here by yourself?! Be careful!” and it started to freak me out. Then I learned how to navigate it and just fell in love with Cape Town. So let’s get this topic out of the way.

South Africa is not the safest country to travel. There is a high level of crime and you need to keep your wits about you a little extra compared to many other places.

That being said, I would never advise any solo traveller not to go. I have never ever had a problem with safety in South Africa and the majority of people I’ve spoken to who have had a problem (ie. been mugged) say they saw it coming. They were walking by themselves at dark, they were venturing into an area that felt sketchy, they were being careless with their belongings, they had a gut feeling.

So my safety tips, which are mostly for Cape Town, are as follows:

Understand your surroundings and where to avoid. Do research, talk to locals, and gauge the vibe.
If you’re getting an off vibe, cross the street, go into a restaurant, or book an Uber. Trust your gut.
Don’t walk by yourself after dark.
Get a SIM card so you can always Uber or Bolt, rather than walking (these rideshares are safe).
There are some areas (townships, Woodstock, near the bus station, Long Street at night) that I would never walk alone, no matter what time of day.
Don’t walk with your phone out, don’t leave it out on your table on a patio, don’t have it out at the bar. Don’t be careless. Be conscious that people can snatch it at any time.
Go with a reputable tour operator, like Brett Horley Safaris for your safari, Ashton Tours if you need transport from Joburg to Kruger, and Baz Bus for the Garden Route so you know you’re in good hands.

Okay onto the adventures! I’m splitting my South Africa guide into 3 sections: Cape Town, Garden Route, and Safari!!

Cape Town

This is the best city in the world. Most people I talk to, as well as myself, do not expect this when they picture “Africa”. Cape Town is a modern, trendy, bustling metropolis, with unbelievable landscapes and scenery and food and people. It has EVERYTHING. I get butterflies just thinking about it.

Where to stay:

Budget: Atlantic Point Backpackers (it’s the best hostel in Cape Town!)
Boujee: Get a sweet Airbnb in Camps Bay or Clifton or Sea Point… or Green Point (there are so many amazing neighbourhoods to stay in in Cape Town). Or if you wanna ball out, stay at the Silo Hotel in V&A — that’s bucket list stuff.

What to do:

Hike Lion’s Head at sunrise. This is a non-negotiable.
If you’re there in the summer, DEFINITELY go to Kirstenbosch outdoor concert series. Go on a day when there’s a fun South African artist playing, bring wine, and get ready to dance your bootay off.
MARKETS! Old Biscuit Mill and Oranjezicht. This is also non negosh. You’ve never been to markets like these — so vibey.
Have a rooftop bev at Silo Hotel or Radisson Red, or Tigers Milk Camps Bay for sunset
Do a peninsula day trip: drive along Chapman’s Peak, explore the Cape of Good Hope, go see the penguins at Boulders Beach.
Beach it: Check out Clifton’s 4 beaches, stroll across to Camps Bay. Check out the colourful huts at Muizenberg, the surf beach. Visit my personal fave, Llandudno aka paradise.
Can hike Table Mountain or take the cable car but tbh i fricken hate hiking down that thing. Skeleton Gorge is nice to go up, it’s through Kirstenbosch. Do not hike down India Venster whatever you do.
Winery tour! Constantia is 20 mins from Cape Town centre, or you can drive 1 hour to Stellenbosch or Franschoek which are STUNNING! You can do a tasting for like $6 CAD.

Getting there/around:

Getting to Cape Town from Vancouver is not quick or cheap but guys, it is SO. WORTH. IT.
I usually have a layover somewhere (Europe/NYC/maybe Kenya or Dubai) and then a layover on Joburg, and then from there it’s a 2-hour fight to Cape Town.
Travel hack: if you have time, give yourself a nice little extended layover so you can see a new city on the way. I did 3 days in Paris on my way to Cape Town last time (just call the airline to book) and it was actually cheaper than the “quick” one way flights!
Definitely get a SIM card so you can Uber everywhere. I buy mine at the airport from Vodacom and you can top up at grocery stores, pharmacies, etc.
There is a Citi bus that’s supposed to be reliable. You can also rent a car.

Where to eat/drink:

Old Biscuit Mill & Oranjezicht markets are FOODIE HEAVEN.
Gardens: Tigers Milk, Kloof Street House, pizza @ I Love The Dough, Japanese @ Tjing Tjing, lunch @ Clarke’s, overpriced but Instagrammable acai bowl at Nourish’d
Camps Bay: Tigers Milk, Chinchilla rooftop (both of these for sunset)
Partying: Athletic Club is unreal. Asoka on a Tuesday night is life. Go to “Up Yours” (upstairs from Yours Truly), cocktail at Gin Bar, d floor at Sgt Pepper, dance to rap music at Waiting Room. Go to First Thursdays on Bree Street which is an epic street party on the first Thursday of every month!
Green Point: Hudson’s is right by Atlantic Point, I also looovvvee nü cafe (the miso chicken bowl omg. also the chicken and roasted veggie wrap), Bootlegger, Jason Bakery. Get fresh, delicious means at Giovanni’s Deli.
Sea Point: Kleinskys Bagels, Scheckter’s Raw (health food), Jarryd’s for brunch, Mojo Market (this is also a vibe)!!
Digi nomad spots: Bootlegger anywhere, Jason Bakery (although WiFi is limited, I like the vibe), i LOVE Cocoa Oola, Truth Coffee, Strangers Club is boujee but v cute/trendy.
V&A: Silo Hotel Rooftop, Radisson Red Rooftop, La Parada is so nice, Bascule Bar is soo lovely for a Table Mountain view glass of bubbly.

Garden Route

The Garden Route is a stretch along the coast of South Africa full of vast beaches, lush vegetation, rugged cliffsides, and epic adventures. I’d recommend 7-10 days (or more!) to road trip it. There are tons of other travellers at hostels along the route, so if you’re solo you can usually make friends to go adventure with!

Where to stop & stay:

I did this route:

Mossel Bay

Mossel Bay Backpackers - town was a bit sleepy, I would defs come back for the shark cage diving in season (September is supposed to be the best), and the private room in this hostel was lovely.

Wilderness

Beach House - view was unreal. you can hear the ocean waves from your bed. the beach is beautiful, you can paraglide over it. hike Kingfisher trail to the waterfall, it’s beautiful. Go to Blue Olive and get the gourmet chicken burger, and can digi nomad at a quirky cafe called Green Shed.

Knysna

Island Vibe - this finally felt like real Africa to me instead of the old wealthy retirement communities i’d been seeing along the garden route so far. definitely go to Knysna Heads and stroll around the viewpoint, it’s incredible.

Plettenberg Bay

Nothando - a nice homey vibe a couple blocks from the main street. I think Plett would be soo fun during Dec/Jan. Go to Viewpoint restaurant. Also went canyoning with Africanyon and to Knysna Elephant Park!

The Crags

Wild Spirit - Came here just for this hostel and it did not disappoint. It is ADORABLE. hippie, zen vibes, set in nature, so peaceful, everything is so instagrammable. i felt like a prancing little pixie here. the food is farm fresh and UNREAL (get the cold breakfast!). campfire vibes at night, yoga in the morning.

Storms River

Tube & Axe (LOVED this “hostel” — campfire, restaurant, bar, pool with mountain views and a unicorn floatie. all you need in life). definitely go to Tsitsikamma National Park, it’s breathtaking. do the suspension bridge and first part of the Otter Trail. then from here I did the bungee!!

Jeffrey’s Bay

Island Vibe (one of the most epic hostel setups I’ve ever stayed at). chill, beach, couple cute cafes, lots of amazing surf shops like billabong factory outlet that took all my money. get the savoury french toast (pesto argula) at indood coffee society.

Port Elizabeth

Island Vibe, which is like a giant manor - it felt good to be back in an actual city, went dancing at White Tiger/Beer Shack, saw the dolphins at the beach, was lovely :)

Fave parts:

Knysna Heads was the first part of my trip that really took my breath away.
Bungee jumping was just so next level. That adrenaline rush lasted for days.
Tsitsikamma National Park is soo stunning. The Otter Trail is quite challenging but so beautiful and unique.
Wild Spirit is so chill and rejuvenating.
Staying at Island Vibe in JBay and hearing the ocean waves outside my private room. that was magical.

Getting around:

I went with Baz Bus, which is a hop-on hop-off backpacker bus that takes you door to door to your accommodation. it’s super easy, safe, and comfortable, but it’s less flexible than if you were to rent your own car, which a lot of people do! Baz Bus is the best option for solo travellers because it’s full of OTHER solo travellers, and you will likely make friends right on the bus!

When to go:

Dec/Jan will be the most bumpin’ cause that is their summer. I went in Feb and it was kinda dead in some places! Weekends fill up with locals, so book ahead of time.

Safari

If you can do one travel experience in your life, do a safari.

I did two in South Africa: Klaserie Private Reserve in Kruger and Roam Game Reserve in the Great Karoo. I also write a blog post about what to know for your first African safari here, including where to go, what to pack, how to book, etc. I’ll include some info for safaris specifically in SA here!

Where to go

Great Karoo: Chill & close to Cape Town

I stayed at Roam Game Reserve, which is so so stunning and one of the most peaceful places I’ve ever been. It’s about a 5-hour drive from Cape Town, and you’ll get the lux safari experience of waking up for an early drive, spotting animals, amazing meals, being treated like royalty, etc. There are no leopards, lions, or elephants here, but you can see game like buffalo, giraffes, Springbok, and walk with habituated cheetahs. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who wants to go on a magical, relaxing safari that’s close to Cape Town! Read about my experience here.

Kruger: The safari I’ve always dreamed of

I went with Brett Horley Safaris to Klaserie Private Reserve in Kruger National Park, stayed 2 nights at nThambo Tree Camp and 2 nights at Africa on Foot, and it was an absolute DREAM. Lions, baby elephants (and so many other elephants — I cried more than once), walking safari with giraffes and rhinos, waking up to the sounds of a hyena laughing, an elephant trumpeting, and zebra chewing on grass. It was so relaxing and rejuvenating and I was pinching myself the entire time. Read about it here.

Solo safaris

I actually didn’t safari solo in South Africa (well I went to Aquila solo, which is basically a glorified zoo). In the Karoo I joined a group of digital nomads on a Coworking Safari, and in Kruger my bestie Carmen met me and Brett was our guide. Operators like Brett can help you decide the best option for safariing solo, whether you’re looking to go relax at a lodge and have some you-time, or are looking for something a little more budget and/or as part of a tour group (I did this as part of an overlanding tour in Kenya and Uganda — blogs on my experience here and overlanding tips here). You will have to feel it out and see what works best for you!

Getting there:

Kruger is the quintessential South African safari park where you have the closest shot to seeing the cast of Lion King IRL, so it is definitely worth the money and time to get there. You fly into Johannesburg airport and arrange a transfer for the 5-6-hour (stunning) drive to Kruger. Ashtons Tours is a great reliable shuttle operator.

What to expect

Expect early mornings. Wildlife are most active at sunrise and sunset. then you can probably nap during the day.
These are wild animals; no sighting is guaranteed. do not put too much hype on the Big 5 or any specific species. appreciate everything — my favourite birds are the queleas because they look like they’re twinkling in the sky, and seeing these just felt so authentically Africa to me. look for the little things.
The animals will come right up to your car but they aren’t inclined to hurt you. most animals are scared of you, or they are accustomed to the safari vehicle and consider it a part of the landscape. also your guides know the warning signs and will never put you in danger.
I don’t want to spoil any surprises but… sundowners. are. the. best. give me a glass of bubbly on the savanna to an African sunset with a chance of leopard and i’m a happy camper.
A good safari guide makes ALL the difference. make sure you’ve done your research and are setting yourself up for success. or when in doubt, check with Brett Horley Safaris.
For the most part, even though you’re out in the African bush, you can expect working facilities, Wi-Fi, and regular standards of cleanliness. if you’re on a luxury safari you can expect a LOT MORE than that. my budget safari was a little less. so know what you’re signing up for and embrace it either way :)
Don’t forget, no matter what happens: #TIA, baby. This. Is. Africa.

Okay solo travellers, are you ready to go to South Africa yet?! Drop any questions into the comments below and I will update this post accordingly! :)

A solo traveller's guide to South Africa