Seven handy apps to travel South Africa

by admin

Handy app for your South Africa trip

Are you taking a vacation to South Africa? We have already listed a number of useful apps for you that make your holiday in South Africa easier and even more interesting with all the information you need in your pocket. Do you know a handy app that is missing from our overview? Let us know in the comments! Before downloading, another tip: upon arrival you can easily and cheaply buy a local sim. This will avoid high roaming costs.

Group of Elephants inn Kruger Park near Villa Tall Horse

Scenic route in the Kruger Park?

1. Online Krugerpark guide

The App "KrugerExplorer"or "Latest Sightings" are a must-have if you want to plan your route in advance or if you want to navigate your way while in the park. Both apps work 100% offline, making it easy to use throughout Kruger. The apps provide lots of details about the animals and where you have a high chance of seeing them. Always check the distances you want to drive and make sure that you are back at the gate before closing time. Many visitors are surprised about the time it takes to travel from A to B. You can always send us a message for customized advice. (KrugerExplorer for IOS and Android and Latest Sightings – Wildlife for IOS, Latest Sightings – See More! for Android).

South African Rand

Make a saving

2. Favourable exchange rate

If you want to save money on exchange rate costs, use “Revolut” or "Wise”. Both online banks are trusted platforms with millions of users around the world. The advantage of an app like Revolut is that you can easily convert an amount into South African Rands without high costs. You can control the time and rate at which you want to convert. After your holiday, you can easily convert any remaining credit back to your own currency. An additional advantage is that the Revolut debit card can also be used in your iphone wallet with which you can pay directly almost everywhere. (Revolut is available for IOS and for Android. Wise is also available for IOS and for Android).

Master bedroom 1 of Villa Tall Horse

Where to spend the night?

3. Local booking app

You are surely familiar with sites like “Booking.com” and “AirBnB”. In South Africa, "LekkeSlaap” is very popular and very convenient to find your perfect overnight stay. The offer on this app is even more extensive than on the well-known platforms. There are many beautiful villas and lodges to be found in South Africa, for different budgets. Villa Tall Horse is, of course, our favourite for the Limpopo region and can be booked via these platforms, but it is also possible, and often cheaper, to book an unforgettable stay directly from the owners.LekkeSlaap for IOS and for Android).

Which bird is this?

Which bird is this?

4. App for bird lovers

If you are a bird lover or bird watcher and you will visit South African's nature, you should definitely try “Sasol eBirds South Africa"or "BirdPro". Both apps give you access to a wide variety of bird details and bird sounds. The free version provides a lot of basic information, but the paid versions are recommended for unlimited bird details. (Sasol eBirds South Africa available for IOS and for Android; BirdPro available for IOS and for Android).

Which vineyards?

5. Easily plan your visit in the wine region

Are you planning to visit the region around Cape Town? Then a visit to the vineyards is undoubtedly on your bucket list. Visit some beautiful Vineyards and do several wine tastings. The App “Champion Wine Farm Guide” (via IOS and Android) or "Stellenbosch Wine Routes"(only IOS) will give you good suggestions. Our favorite wine? Tall Horse wine of course!

Wat is load shedding

Is there loadshedding today?

6. Load shedding schedule at hand

The largest energy distributor Eskom is having major problems meeting the demand for energy. That is why they have introduced load shedding, which means that the energy supply to the regions is temporarily switched off for a couple of hours according to a phasing plan. Use the app “EskomSEPush” to see when your area is cut off from electricity. But no stress…. our Villa Tall Horse is equipped with solar panels and a 10KW battery. (EskomSEPush available for IOS and Android). See also our previous blog about this topic for more info.

Seven tips for a self-drive vacation in South Africa

Guidebook in your pocket

7. Online guidebook

Don't want to take too many road maps and heavy travel guides with you? You can also very well use the app “Tracks4AfricaGuide"or "South Africa Travel Guide". With both Apps you can easily navigate through the beautiful country and it gives you good information about special sights, restaurants, bars, attractions and much more. Please note that the free version has limited information. (available for IOS and Android)