*** It's a great week to be in South Africa. See you there! ***
UPDATE #24: I've received everyone's arrival flight information. The travel company would like to know if anyone is departing Johannesburg on Sun. Aug. 13th before 5pm. If so, please send me a message via my Meetup profile (do NOT comment on the event posting) with your departure time. Also, payment for the night drive in the previous UPDATE would be cash only on the day of the drive.
UPDATE #23: The travel company would like to know who would be interested in a night drive in Kruger on night 2. The cost is ZAR520 (~$39 USD) (cash only) and would leave at 4:45pm and return 7:30pm. Please send me a message via my Meetup profile (do NOT comment on the event posting). Thank you!
UPDATE #22: For our welcome dinner on our first day (see "Itinerary - Sat. Aug. 5th: Day 1, Johannesburg" section of the trip posting), we will meet at the self-service bar area near the hotel reception at 7pm. We'll meet and get to know each other a little bit before heading into the hotel restaurant (the only one at the hotel) at 7:30pm. A detailed itinerary of our trip will be provided then. Getting. excited!
UPDATE #21: For those who wish to communicate during our trip via WhatsApp, please download the app (if you don't already have it) and go to this link https://chat.whatsapp.com/35BKVOzRGFVFf6CTvlFLtm . If you don't have it on your phone already, and don't have an international calling plan, you will need to set up the app before you depart (it sends to you a verification code). We used this for our last trip, and it worked out quite well for group communication.
UPDATE #20: The contact information for our 2 Adventure Tour Leaders are (1) Hayden: hayden [at] outdoor-africa [dot] com, phone +27 (072) 573-7717 and (2) Toby: toby [at] outdoor-africa [dot] com, phone 828-216-1515 (WhatsApp only). Please only use in an emergency as you are traveling to South Africa. I will have an international data hotspot with me, and you can email me at jt [at] goingoutgroup [dot] com. I will connect when I'm not en route. Two. more. weeks!
UPDATE #19: For those taking advantage of one of the of the group arrival transfers (see "Flights, Days Off, & Airport Transfer" section of the trip posting for full details), just a reminder to look for the person at the arrival gates with the sign that says "J.T.'s Washington DC South Africa Meetup Trip." If you are not taking advantage of the one of the scheduled group arrival transfers, the best way to get to the arrival point hotel (see UPDATE #18) is by securing a shuttle from the hotel. The cost is ZAR250 (~$19 USD) per shuttle (not per person) which can accommodate up to 7 people. You can email them at africasky [at] mweb [dot] co [dot] za, or call Leoni at +27 082 749 0674 to schedule. The wait time will depend on if the shuttle is currently out. The hotel is about 15 - 20 minutes from the airport. If you would like to schedule with them via email, I suggest doing so before you depart so that they have time to arrange.
UPDATE #18: The list of hotels has been finalized as follows (with address and phone): AFRICASKY (Aug. 5; 182 Outeniqua St, Pomona, Kempton Park, 1630, South Africa; +27 (0)82 319 4081), HANS-MERENSKY (Aug. 6; 3 Copper Road, Phalaborwa, 1390, South Africa; +27 15 781 3931/7), SANBONANI (Aug. 7 - 8; Stormvoel Way, Hazyview-Vakansiedorp, Hazyview, 1242, South Africa; +27(0)13 737 5600), PROTEA KRUGER GATE (Aug. 9; Portia Shabangu Road, Kruger National Park, Skukuza, Mpumalanga 1350 South Africa; +27-13-735 5671), CITY LODGE VICTORIA AND ALFRED WATERFRONT (Aug 10 - 13; Corner Dock and Alfred Roads, Cape Town, 8012, South Africa; +27 21 419 9450).
UPDATE #17: The rooming list has been finalized here... http://www.goingoutgroup.com/trips/southafricaadventurers.pdf . Please verify that I have you listed correctly. Feel free to use the list above to reach out to others (click on their Meetup profile to send them an message).
UPDATE #16: The travel company has graciously added another shuttle to our arrival transfer at 6:30pm.
UPDATE #15: If you have not received your book yet and plan to attend another one of my events before our trip, please let me know beforehand (send me a message via my Meetup profile - do NOT comment on the trip posting), and I can bring with me. Otherwise, I am available in the Tysons area (Silver line - Greensboro stop) for pickup. I'll will bring any leftover books with me on the trip provided I have space remaining in my luggage.
UPDATE #14: Just a reminder to familiarize yourself with recommended vaccinations and visa requirements (see the "Suggested Items to Bring" section, bullet #2 & #7 of the trip posting for full details). For U.S. citizens with U.S. passports, no visa is required; a Yellow Fever Certificate is required for those traveling through or from a Yellow Fever-listed country... http://www.southafrica.net/za/en/travel-tips/entry/travel-tip-yellow-fever-entry-requirements . So if you have a layover in one of those countries, you may need to provide a Yellow Fever Certificate. I suggest visiting a travel clinic prior to departure, since they can make recommendations on vaccinations that may be useful for travel to this country.
UPDATE #13: Just a friendly reminder, please send me your arrival flight airline, number, and landing time (see Traveler Information section of the trip posting) if you haven't done so already. Also, don't forget insurance is required for this trip, so please purchase it if you haven't already done so (see the Insurance section of the trip posting for full details). Thank you!
UPDATE #12: The trip has sold out!
UPDATE #11: The $2495 price has ended and the trip price is now $2595. I looking forward to seeing you on the trip!
UPDATE #10: The $2495 price will increase to $2595 before Thurs. June 1st (see Price section of the trip posting for full details). Follow the steps in the Payment section to secure your spot.
UPDATE #9: I've posted the event for the pre-trip embassy visit here... https://www.meetup.com/globaladventurers/events/240035139/ . Due to their schedule, the embassy requested that I move the date up 1 week. So instead of Thurs. June 29th, it's now scheduled for Thurs. June 22nd. I'll need to give the embassy a list of attendees, so please RSVP as soon as you can. I'll also hand books out to those that have not received one. Getting excited, see you there!
