The landscape changes dramatically when traveling from Brits (Johannesburg) to Richards Bay (East Coast). You transition from a dry, arid, and burnt field climate to a fertile, lush green area with warm and humid weather. Despite it being winter, we swam in the Indian Ocean with daytime temperatures around 27 degrees Celsius. In the evenings, the temperature drops to 10 degrees. Richards Bay is a well-maintained town compared to the Johannesburg area, and overall, it feels safer, although vigilance is still necessary. South Africa is a stunning country, but it also presents many challenges if you’re not aware of the risks. I travel with white South Africans, which doesn’t always make things easier. Racial tensions remain high, a delicate topic that I won’t delve into here. Traveling in this country has made me realize that as Europeans, we have no idea what it truly means to live in South Africa, both for white and non-white individuals.
Nevertheless, the best way to travel serenely is to keep your eyes wide open. 😊
Regarding traffic on the roads, it’s essential to understand it. Personally, I wouldn’t trust driving on the highways here. South Africans walk everywhere, even on the highways. They cover kilometers and kilometers on foot. Since many people don’t own vehicles and can’t afford taxis (which operate as buses here), they walk. Entire families, groups, or individuals—no matter what, they walk to the work, to the market, or wherever they need to go. The distances they cover on foot are enormous—possibly tens of kilometers per day.
In Richards Bay, we tried the famous Durban curry, which, surprisingly, I found delicious despite not typically liking curry.
Traveling from Richards Bay southward and then inland toward Lesotho, you’ll encounter kilometers upon kilometers of sugarcane plantations, fruit trees, and trees used for paper production. This country is a continuous discovery!
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