BootsnAll Travel Community

I was wondering whether most hostels in South Africa provided sheets, or if many require you to have a sleepsheet.

Also, how far in advance would you advise booking if I'm traveling in October, primarily between PE and Cape Town? I'll be traveling via Baz Bus. Do you typically book online or by phone? Normally I arrange all my accommodation on my own, but on my last experience traveling via backpacker bus (with Kiwi Experience) the bus driver booked for us. What's it typically like with the Baz Bus? Also, do people tend who meet on the Baz Bus tend to stick together and stay at the same hostels?

I never had to use a sleepsheet in South Africa. It can't hurt to have one though if it's small enough and doesn't take up too much space in your bag. I wouldn't book anything until you get to South Africa or Cape Town. I stayed at Cape Town BackPackers in Cape Town and the staff there was awesome, gave me great advice and booked me on the baz bus without any problems. If I had to do it again I would try to get in with people who were renting a car and share the cost, can work out to be a bit cheaper and no schedules. If you do the baz bus each hostel will help you in booking a hostel for your next stop. You will meet lots of people on the baz bus. You will run into them randomly as you travel up the coast. I recommend the following places in SA.

Wilderness, cool backpacker on the coast. Saw whales playing in the surf from the deck that overlooks the ocean.

Port St. John - first time i hitch hiked in South Africa, never thought I would do that. Safe town, cool hiking, and beautiful beaches.

Port St. Lucia - coolest places. Good place to do a game drive and see tons of wildlife. Cool backpacker place there too.

There's not really a comparison between the Baz Bus and the Kiwi Experience. From my experience with both, the Kiwi is more of a lets-all-go-out-together-and-get-pissed-when-we-get-to-the-same-hostel whereas although the people on the Baz Bus were friendly they seemed to be using it as more of a means to an end to get about. Don't get me wrong, the people were just as nice (although there are always exceptions wherever you go!!!) but it was more relaxed. As far as I remember I think the Baz Bus could book accomodation but weren;t as keen just to get you to a particular one and could drop you at another one if you wanted. Depending on when you're going (i.e. if you're going off season)you could probably just ask to be dropped off at a hostel and see if they have a spare bed on the day.

All the hostels I stayed in provided linen on the beds already so I honestly don't think you'd need a sleep sheet (I didn't use mine). In contrast to the recommendation above, I can highly recommend The Backpack as a fab hostel in Cape Town - worth it for the view of Table Mountain out the back!!!

Hope this helps - am so very jealous of your jaunt to SA, enjoy!

same advice from me as per all before

the baz bus is quality, you can get most hostels by turning up, i recommend booking the really popular or the ones you really like. but other than that enjoy

coffee bay was cool, fresh oysters on the bar most nights and cheap cocktails and shooters,

If you find my gravis flipflop, from swimming in the sea whilst drunk, I'd pay the postage to have it back

ps. don't swim in the sea sharks swim there

if you get the chance to hang out in capetown...it is one of the few places where doing the tourist thing is cool. Robben Island, Table Mountain, the Bopap district, but also hangout downtown at night, the area is reminiscent of new orleans where people just pack the streets wandering from bar to pub to club, fun fun fun. lots of culture and hangout by the V&A waterfront, lots of free music but pricey eats.

Hey there

I used the Baz bus for 5mths traveling in SA and wrote a bunch of articles on it, check out www.southafricalogue.com search under baz blogger, or trekker's hostel highlights.

All the hostels in SA provide linens and blankets.

Feel free to PM me if you have any questions or need any advice with planning on the baz. I also think I ended up staying at almost every hostel during my travel due to marketing for a hostel I worked at for 2mths.

Trekker