As OBC to South Africa

My journey started with a job request. This time to South Africa - my first time. Start was Hamburg via London to Johannesburg with destination Port Elizabeth.

Start was on 24.01.2020 when Corona was not yet an issue. I flew from Hamburg with British Airways. I have flown with this airline to London many times myself and I have to say that I always enjoyed flying with it.

It started quite late in the evening from Hamburg to London and then from London at 20:00 to Johannesburg with an A380. This is actually a very spacious type of aircraft, but I was very disappointed with the space in this plane. There was hardly any legroom because there was a box under the seat in front, which made sleeping very difficult.

In the end, I survived the 11-hour flight quite well and went on to customs. Unfortunately, I was missing some documents there, which is why I was not allowed to continue flying.

Nevertheless, I didn't mind a little break and was able to enjoy the airport grounds.

With ice cream and nice weather in winter at just under 25 degrees.

Unfortunately, after a long wait, I found out that I would not be able to continue flying today and that my flight would be postponed to the next day.

During my waiting time, I was able to inform myself about South Africa and knew that it is not completely safe here. Normally, I always drive myself with a rental car, but I decided not to do that here.

When I arrived at the taxis, I was approached by many drivers asking if I wanted to ride with them. I then decided on the one that seemed the safest to me.

On the drive to the hotel, my taxi driver told me that you should never go out alone at night and never stop at a red traffic light. There are good reasons for this, because at night, attempts are made to break into the car and steal it and all valuables. However, during the day, I had no fear myself, but it was a great experience.

When I arrived at the hotel, it almost felt like a prison for protection.

High fences, a barrier at the entrance, and bumper so that no one simply drives into the hotel complex with a car.

However, the view from the room was breathtaking.

After arriving at the hotel, I went down to the restaurant and ordered something to eat. There was steak with fries and for dessert, ice cream with fruits, as well as a cola. I was very surprised that I paid no more than 10€ for everything together.

The next morning, I took a taxi back to the airport to continue traveling to Port Elizabeth.

Arriving at the airport in Johannesburg, I got a great English breakfast to start the day off well.

Then, finally, it was time to continue and I could enjoy the flight in good weather.

After arriving, I handed over the package and started my return journey.

Back in Johannesburg, I had some more waiting time and I was able to calmly explore the rest of the airport and wait for the departure to London.

My conclusion about the trip to South Africa:

I would come here again privately as well. Even though it doesn't seem safe, I always felt comfortable. There are numerous guided tours and the cost of living is low here.

So for those who like to fly and want to travel far, South Africa is worth a trip.