Frequently Asked Questions
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Enjoy the braai, but make sure everything is safe: think fire hazard! Always put a full bucket of sand next to the braai.
Moreover, always be careful with fire, especially in times of drought.
Smoking is prohibited throughout the house.
Water is scarce in South Africa, so be aware of this and keep it in mind.
The electricity supply is 220 Volt. The sockets are standard for South Africa. Adaptors are available on site.
Consciously deal with electricity. Turn off the airco’s and fans the moment you leave the villa.
Linen and towels are provided in Lowveld Escape.
Arrival: Between 10h and 19h. Before your departure, please contact our contact person to inform us of your time of arrival.
Reception location is the main gate of Zandspruit Estate, located on the R527 towards Hoedspruit, or Hoedspruit Airport.
If this procedure is not followed, the landlord is not responsible if the tenant is unable to move into the house upon arrival.
On the day of departure you must leave the house no later than 10 am.
Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)
No more than 6 persons are allowed to stay in the holiday home, unless otherwise agreed in advance with the landlord. If you arrive with more persons without warning, the person who arranges the reception may refuse access to the holiday home for these additional persons.
As said it is 4 to 5 hours by car from Johannesburg to Hoedspruit. If you prefer not to drive yourself, the shuttle service of “Ashton Tours” can take you from Johannesburg to Hoedspruit. As said before, Johannesburg is the nearest large airport for airplanes from Europe, but you can also fly further from Johannesburg to Hoedspruit Airport, where you will be brought within 1 hour at 10 minutes from Hoedspruit itself. Here you can be picked up by Sue, our host.
By far the easiest way to get around is by car. So it’s best to rent a car during your visit if you’d like to have a look – the road network is good, as I said. Everything is also well signposted, but renting a GPS is not superfluous if you want to keep an overview.
In Hoedspruit and Johannesburg you will find both ‘Budget’ and ‘Avis’ car rentals.
By car it takes 4 to 5 hours from Johannesburg to Hoedspruit. A ride that can seem rather boring during the first 2 hours, but after that a ride through the mountains becomes a very varied landscape to change into the lowveld. This way you gradually get in the right travel mood!
Why a holiday in Lowveld Escape is a dreamed choice? First of all, you’ll find yourself in a safe area with a very attractive climate. Sunshine remains a successful ingredient for just about any holiday. But of course, that’s not the main reason for visiting South Africa.
Come here for the peace and quiet that we all long for sometimes, and find it in an incredibly beautiful area and a house that offers all the luxury you need. Animals love to come and have a look when you’re sitting at your breakfast table or on the waterfront terrace, so you don’t even have to leave home to experience South Africa.
But if you want to actively seek out even more impressive fauna and flora, there are numerous safaris in the area and the spacious surroundings. Moments when you can experience the splendour of this continent to the fullest.
You fill in your holiday as you wish, but come back as a different person anyway.
Because in wilderness, you sense the miracle of life.
+ peace and luxury under one roof
+ attractive climate
+ safe
+ easy to reach
+ shops, restaurants, medical services in the immediate vicinity
+ many opportunities for relaxation
It is customary to tip 10% in bars and restaurants, but this is not obligatory. You don’t have to fill up at gas stations and your windscreen is usually cleaned spontaneously. For this you can give a tip of about 5 Rand.
Most residents speak English. You will also hear and understand Afrikaans.
No compulsory vaccinations are required for your trip to South Africa. If you are travelling from a country where there is still a yellow fever, you will need a vaccination.
Hoedspruit is located in a region where there is a low risk of malaria. Malaria repellents, such as sprays, are recommended during humid periods, from October to April. In the Kruger Park there is a higher risk of malaria. During the moister periods it is recommended to take malaria medication. The mosquitoes are active from the evening until the early morning.
The villas are treated annually against the malaria mosquito. The fans also stop mosquitoes.
No, you don’t need this. Only an international passport is required.
Parents travelling to South Africa with children under the age of 18 must carry a copy of the child’s birth certificate in English from 1 June 2015. Ask your local authority for a multilingual extract of the birth certificate, which is also in English. For children under the age of 12, the Kids-ID is accepted as a replacement document. This is also available from your local authority. However, some airlines do not accept the Kids-ID as a replacement document. It is therefore advisable to contact your airline in advance to ensure that you have all the necessary documents. If you are not travelling with both parents, a written authorisation from the parent who is not present is also required, also in English and available from your local authority. You can have the signature legalised at your municipality.
Yes, you can pay almost anywhere with VISA and Mastercard.
Our host Sue can book all activities for you. There is an information folder about what to do in the area at your disposal in the villa.
Life in South Africa is about 1/3 cheaper than in Belgium. In the restaurants you pay half the price of in Belgium.
It also depends on which trips you are still planning. A visit to the Kruger Park costs R304, on the Panorama Route you pay around R15 per view point. Moholoholo Animal Rehab Centre costs R145 for an adult.
Yes, you can with your credit card. There are several banks in Hoedspruit.
This depends on the season in which you fly.
Flights are most expensive during the Christmas holidays. Then the price for a flight to Johannesburg can be up to 800€ and more. In our summer holidays the prices vary between 600€ and 750€. If you can leave a day earlier or return a day later, this immediately results in a much lower price.
Outside the holiday periods the price is much lower. If you look carefully, you can fly for less than 400€. Normally the price is around 500€.
You should also take a look at airports other than Zaventem. Amsterdam-Schiphol, Paris – Charles De Gaule or Frankfurt can be cheaper.
Night flights are the most pleasant: you take off in the evening and you are in Johannesburg the next morning.
You don’t have to worry about jet lag either. South Africa is in our summer all year round.
The weather is great all year round in Hoedspruit. It has a temperate savannah climate.
During the winter in South Africa (our summer) temperatures climb to about 23-30° during the day. At night it can cool down to 7° as a minimum. Normally it is dry.
During the summer in South Africa (our winter) the thermometer can rise above 40°. At night we get about 20°. Because of the low humidity this heat is well tolerated. During this period a heat storm can sometimes break out.
The annual average maximum temperature is around 28.5°.
Hoedspruit is a cosy village in expansion. It is safe there. Of course there are pickpockets walking around like in Belgium.
Zandspruit Bush and Aero Estate is completely fenced. This is mainly to keep the animals inside, or outside. But also burglars will stay away because of this. You will not enter the estate without permission of an owner. There is a 24/24h guard at the entrance.
Around larger cities like Johannesburg and Durban there is more poverty, which brings more crime.
Easiest option is the plane. There are only 2 airlines operating this route, namely CemAir and South African Airways. At 40min you are on the spot. Our host Sue will pick you up at the airport of Hoedspruit.
There are several private companies that provide transport by road. Ashton Tours provides a daily shuttle, which covers the route at fixed times.
Last but not uninteresting option is to rent a car that will pick you up at the airport. You can use this for the duration of your stay, or return it to Hoedspruit (subject to a surcharge). The advantage is that you can travel the 450km route at your own pace. If you just drive on, you will be in Hoedspruit in about 4 hours. The first 2 hours are on the highway, after that you dive into a beautiful mountain landscape to end up in the “lowveld”, the low country. Recommended to stop during the afternoon is Dullstroom. Here you can eat delicious fresh trout.
An international driving license is required.
