The Baz Bus: A Review – Cape Town, South Africa
The ‘Baz Bus‘ is a hop-on hop-off bus service travelling between Cape Town and Victoria Falls via Northern Drakensburg or Swaziland. The concept is the same as OZ Experience and Kiwi Experience. Passengers pay for a ticket which is valid for twelve months and en route they can jump off and hop on a following bus as many times as they like and at their convenience.
The route travels mainly along the Southern Coast of South Africa. From Cape Town along the Garden Route (Eastern Cape), then into the Transkei before hitting Durban. From Durb’s, depending on which ticket has been bought, passengers will either travel on to Johannesburg via the Drakensburg Mountains or via Swaziland.
My ticket took me via The Drakensburg Mountains. Those who choose the Swaziland route still get to hop-off in the Southern Drakensburg before hitting Durban.
There are other ways to travel South Africa. Car hire is cheap, especially if travelling on the British Pound, and there is a reasonable Express Bus service operating to most parts of the country. You can even buy a car then sell it just before you fly home, although this practice isn’t as well set-up for travellers as it is in places like Australia.
The Pro’s and Con’s
Pro’s
Con’s
Conclusion
All in all the Baz Bus is a convenient way to travel the main Backpacker drag of South Africa and into Zimbabwe. The price is pretty good and the flexibility of the ticket isn’t oppressive, meaning you can allow your plans to change or just don’t plan.
If you’ve travelled or know of the OZ Experience then this is a no thrills version. The drivers are polite but light on conversation and there is little or no commentary about the places you’ll pass through between stops.
If you are a first time traveller then this is an ideal way to find your feet, which will also give you peace of mind from a safety point of view. If you are a hardened traveller you may have wished you’d saved a little harder to buy your own vehicle or rented a car. If you’re intermediate…well, find a nice chick or bloke to fall in love with, just to keep yourself amused on those long journeys.
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