travelling to south africa

[bigjobs]

I'm off to Sth Africa for the next couple of months at the end of this week.

Flying from BNE to Johannesburg and then on to regional centres in Sth Africa after spending a night at the Intercontinental at the airport.

I'm being met by locals and will have locals to guide me. For the most part I will be staying in a lodge (used as a conference venue) up near Palabora.

I am wondering a few things.

1. will my Telstra phone work there? (i have roaming on my account)
2. I want to wrap my bags in plastic as there are some valuable items I need to take that cannot be carry on. Is there a bag wrapping service in BNE other than the international terminal (I am leaving from the domestic airport)

thanks in advance

 

[browski]

Expect anything valuable (especially electronic) in your bags to be stolen, especially if your bags are going to be in transit at JNB.
Wrap, no Wrap, no diff.

Telstra phone will work, but just go and buy a vodaphone sim at the airport arrivals.

 

[admin]

Telstra phone will work, but just go and buy a vodaphone sim at the airport arrivals.

You will pay full price if buying a sim at the airport. You can usually get a sim at major departamental stores in the cities for a nominal fee (like 99 South African cents - basically zip)

Don't want to tempt fate, but I've transited through JNB many times and have never had anything stolen. But do be careful: a friend had her handbag stolen in the female toilets at the airport. She put the bag down for a few second to wash her hands, and it was gone!!

 

[albatross710]

IME you will need to collect you bags when transiting JNB and then recheck them into the domestic terminal. Sounds like you might have to take them to your hotel.

Also, the local SIMs are cheap as. You (and your company) will get ripped off paying Telstra global roaming charges. I wrote some notes on the topic :

http://www.australianfrequentflyer....nd-internet/south-africa-local-sim-26409.html

Have a wonderful trip - I'm jealous!

 

[bigjobs]

hey, thanks for the helpful replies.

will do on the SIM purchase. TLS can get stuffed :mrgreen: ... I'll have Skype anyhow for most calls.

in terms of the bag wrapping, I was going to get this done before leaving. I have some workshop training equipment that I can only go as checked luggage. I have a suitcase that is a combination lock (samonsite style) hard type of suitcase. That is the one I was going to wrap.

My personal gear (camera, laptop, ipad, etc) will travel with me in my carry on.

My personal checked luggage I was not going to wrap and will only be packing clothing and a toiletry bag in that.

based on what I've read this is the way I'm thinking at the moment.

thoughts?

 

[browski]

If your check-in luggage is knife proof then it should all be good. Also, if you are not doing an int'l transit at JNB then it should be ok.
Remember they x-ray the luggage at JNB, so the handlers know which bags are carrying goodies.

 

[casanovawa]

the fact that a few are also all wrapped up tight and protected is probably another slight give away that they might have valualbes in as well, even if no x-ray machine is available...

 

[james4321]

Definately wrap your bag in BNE, (at arrival you will know instantly if it has been interfered with) and in SA you can get it done for your return to Aus. It is widely available there, I believe that SAA wrap all bags on their flights as a matter of course (at their cost). Wrapping only available at Bne Intnl but you can call in there on your way to Dom, or get maybe you could it done the night before if you have an early departure.

 

[tracyt]

SAA do not wrap bags ex aus or ex south africa
It is offered by a seperate service provider at the airport and is a passengers choice and own expense
I havent seen alot of wrapped bags on my travels?