# Has anybody been to South Africa? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 1, 2016, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anybody-been-to-south-africa/750853 "2016-04-01T17:56:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2016, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anybody-been-to-south-africa/750853/41 "2016-04-09T03:15:51Z")
> [@Penfeather](#): > > “Belgium is a low-lying country on the North Sea coast in the Benelux. With the majority of West European capitals within 1,000km or 622 miles of the Belgian capital of Brussels, and as a member of the long-standing international Benelux community, Belgium sits at the crossroads of Western Europe. Its immediate neighbours are France to the southwest, Luxembourg to the southeast, Germany to the east and the Netherlands to the north. I am certainly having a wonderful time in this country of Belgium that I am absolutely in.” Um, yeah. I am not sure what your point is. I am only a decent person myself but I do have great relatives and we stick together. In all seriousness, you are creeping me out in a huge way. Normal posters do not obsess about simple travel reports from other posters. Everything I said was true and rather mundane. I was trying to give the OP a recommendation for something they might like to see if they are interested in that type of thing. Instead, you decided to try turn it into a conspiracy theory. You appear to have some extreme issues and I wish you well but I would prefer that you only write again once the shuttle has landed. Most areas have free mental health consultation services available and you can always 911 if you are in the US. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2016, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anybody-been-to-south-africa/750853/42 "2016-04-09T04:25:22Z")
> [@Penfeather](#): > > Well, I’m no expert on globe-trotting sinew-stiffeners, so for all I know they _do_ write their personal blogs like a 12 year old whose Social Studies assignment is due tomorrow. > [@Guinastasia](#): > > Sure she did. Knock it off. Either contribute to the thread in a meaningful way or stay out. Do not continue this hijack about another poster’s relative. ---
**Author:** ![Penfeather](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penfeather/32/384_2.png) [@Penfeather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Penfeather)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2016, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anybody-been-to-south-africa/750853/43 "2016-04-09T04:26:27Z")
Fair enough. ---
**Author:** ![Lurking\_Quahog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lurking_quahog/32/21274_2.png) [@Lurking\_Quahog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lurking_Quahog)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2016, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anybody-been-to-south-africa/750853/44 "2016-04-09T11:28:19Z")
Don’t make me take my belt off! If I had known my trip to South Africa was going to stir up this kind of trouble, I never would have booked the trip. 🙂 Seriously though, thanks for all the input from everyone. We’ll be leaving on Wednesday and are looking forward to a great trip! ---
**Author:** ![Svejk\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea666f/32.png) [@Svejk\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Svejk_1)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2016, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anybody-been-to-south-africa/750853/45 "2016-04-09T13:09:10Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > I am only a decent person myself Cite? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2016, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anybody-been-to-south-africa/750853/46 "2016-04-09T13:31:18Z")
I visited South Africa several years ago. The recommendations you’ve gotten sound good to me. Especially table mountain. In addition to the view and terrain, it has different plants from anywhere else in the world. South Africa has a very friendly climate, and if you like plants, the botanical garden (near Capetown? Not sure) is the best I’ve ever been to, with enormous variety. I’d skip Johannesburg before I’d skip Robbins island. To get there, you drive past ugly country side littered with big dead hills that nothing at all grows on. That’s because they are hills of mine waste and have been treated with toxic stuff to extract the ore. The city itself is crime ridden and one if the least attractive cities I’ve been to. There are so many beautiful and exciting things to do in South Africa–other cities, wine country, coast, gardens, mountains, and magnificent game parks–spend your time at those instead, if you can. I found the race relations very uncomfortable. Enough so that it detracted from my enjoyment of the trip. So i preferred the non-human parts, like the penguins, game parks, and gardens more than the more urban stuff. Your tastes may be different from mine. The food was excellent though, as was the wine. Try antelope if you have the chance. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2016, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anybody-been-to-south-africa/750853/47 "2016-04-09T18:18:31Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > In addition to the view and terrain, it has different plants from anywhere else in the world. > > South Africa has a very friendly climate, and if you like plants, the botanical garden (near Capetown? Not sure) is the best I’ve ever been to, with enormous variety. Right. The [Cape area constitutes one of only six global floristic regions.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_Floristic_Region) > [@](#): > > The Cape Floristic Region, the smallest of the six recognised floral kingdoms of the world, is an area of extraordinarily high diversity and endemism, and is home to more than 9 000 vascular plant species, of which 69 percent are endemic.[1] Much of this diversity is associated with the fynbos biome, a Mediterranean-type, fire-prone shrubland.[1] ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2016, 11:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anybody-been-to-south-africa/750853/48 "2016-04-12T11:02:46Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > Um, yeah. I am not sure what your point is. I am only a decent person myself but I do have great relatives and we stick together. > > In all seriousness, you are creeping me out in a huge way. Normal posters do not obsess about simple travel reports from other posters. Everything I said was true and rather mundane. I was trying to give the OP a recommendation for something they might like to see if they are interested in that type of thing. Instead, you decided to try turn it into a conspiracy theory. > > You appear to have some extreme issues and I wish you well but I would prefer that you only write again once the shuttle has landed. Most areas have free mental health consultation services available and you can always 911 if you are in the US. You knock it off too. Start a Pit thread or don’t respond, but take it out if here. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anybody-been-to-south-africa/750853.md?page=2)