General Tour Information.

Visae:

Sth Africa:

A visa is not required for holders of Australian, New Zealand, US, Canadian and EU passports. Other nationalities will have to check with us.

Tanzania:

A visa is required for holders of Australian, New Zealand and UK passports. Visa consulate located in Melbourne.

Kenya:
A visa is required for holders of Australian, New Zealand and UK passports. Visa consulate located in Canberra. A visa can be obtained upon arrival at Nairobi airport.

Information Evenings

You are welcome to attend these two sessions. these sessions are for people who have deposited and those that are eyt to make up their minds.
10 May @ 7pm. 21 June @ 7pm. Both at the PBS studios in Easey St Collingwood.
Please register interest by calling PBS during office hours on (03) 8415 1067 or email Adrian, or Janelle.

Weather South Africa and East Africa

East Africa (Kenya and Tanzania) In general east Africa experiences dry weather during the months June through October. There are two rainy seasons - the long rains which fall March through May and the short rains which arrive in mid October and continue until mid December

Temperatures are moderate throughout the year with average daytime temperatures around 70 - 80 degrees Fahrenheit. June us the coolest month as it is mid winter. Evenings and mornings are often chilly, with cold nighttime temperatures at Ngorongoro Crater due to altitude.

A lthough Kenya lies astride the Equator, many of its climatic zones are a typical of the tropics, with the country?s geographical features exerting considerable influence on weather patterns. Kenya?s climate is best described as monsoonal, being affected as it is by both the northeast and southeast monsoons. While in Nairobi (altitude of 1700 m or 5,500 ft) you will be less subject to the risk of tropical diseases that are commonly found in the rest of the country. In general, there are four distinct seasons:

• Warm -dry season - from January to late March. This season is not devoid of rainfall, with Nairobi averaging some 80 mm per month with extremes of up to 250 mm. However the average number of rain days in January and February, however, average only five days of rain each . Nairobi is generally cool and dry during this period, with minimum and maximum temperatures of 120C and 250C respectively, and a mid-day relative humidity of only 46 per cent.

• Long rainy season - Late March to early June. During this season, rainfall amounts are relatively high, but it is frequently warm and sunny for part of the day, and often, it may not rain at all for two or three days at a time. Nairobi?s average rainfall peaks at 211 mm in April, although more than double this has been recorded with maximum 24 hr falls around 76 mm.

• Cool dry season - Mid June to early October. As the southeast monsoon sets in, the rains give way to the driest season. Low-level moisture, however, ensures there is a lot of cloud and, the sun may not be seen for days at a time in Nairobi.. In contrast, the nights are clear. Nairobi?s mean maximum temperature is reduced to 210C and its minimum temperature to 100C during this season.

• Short rainy season - Mid-October to mid-December. Nairobi's average, November's rainfall of 167 mm is exceeded only by that of April and May, although sunshine averages 7 hours a day compared with the 4 hours that accompany the dry months of June, July and August. Prior to the short rains, in September and early October, there is an abrupt change to warmer sunnier weather.

South Africa's weather and climate

A subtropical location, moderated by ocean on three sides of the country and the altitude of the interior plateau, account for the warm temperate conditions so typical of South Africa - and so popular with its foreign visitors.

South Africa is famous for its sunshine. It's a relatively dry country, with an average annual rainfall of about 464mm (compared to a world average of about 860mm). While the Western Cape gets most of its rainfall in winter, the rest of the country is generally a summer-rainfall region.

At the same time, temperatures in South Africa tend to be lower than in other countries at similar latitutes - such as Australia - due mainly to greater elevation above sea level.

On the interior plateau the altitude - Johannesburg lies at 1 694 metres - keeps the average summer temperatures below 30 degrees Celsius. In winter, for the same reason, night-time temperatures can drop to freezing point, in some places lower.

South Africa's coastal regions are therefore warmest in winter. There is, however, a striking contrast between temperatures on the country's east and west coasts, due respectively to the warm Agulhas and cold Benguela Currents that sweep the coastlines.

Being in the southern hemisphere, our seasons stand in opposition to those of Europe and North America, so, yes - we spend Christmas on the beach!

Summer

Over much of South Africa, summer (mid-October to mid-February) is characterised by hot, sunny weather - often with afternoon thunderstorms that clear quickly, leaving a warm, earthy, uniquely African smell in the air.

The Western Cape, with its Mediterranean climate, is the exception, getting its rain in winter.

Autumn

Autumn (fall) in South Africa (mid-February to April) offers in some ways the best weather. Very little rain falls over the whole country, and it is warm but not too hot, getting colder as the season progresses.

In Cape Town, autumn is fantastic, with hot sunny days and warm, balmy nights which many people spend at outdoor cafés.

Winter

Winter in South Africa (May to July) is characterised in the higher-lying areas of the interior plateau by dry, sunny, crisp days and cold nights. So it's a good idea to bring warm clothes.

The hot, humid KwaZulu-Natal coast, as well as the Lowveld (lower-lying areas) of Mpumalanga and Limpopo provinces, offer fantastic winter weather with sunny, warmish days and virtually no wind or rain.

The Western Cape gets most of its rain in winter, with quite a few days of cloudy, rainy weather. However, these are always interspersed with wonderful days to rival the best of a British summer.

The high mountains of the Cape and the Drakensberg in KwaZulu-Natal usually get snow in winter.

Spring

Nowhere in South Africa is spring (August to mid-October) more spectacular than in the Cape provinces. Here the grey winter is forgotten as thousands of small, otherwise insignificant plants cover the plains in an iridescent carpet of flowers.

The journey to see the flowers of the Namaqualand in the Western and Northern Cape is an annual pilgrimage for many South Africans.