🇿🇦 Johannesburg → Dullstroom: Our First Stop in South Africa
After an overnight flight, rushing was out of the question.
At 7:10 a.m., we land in Johannesburg. After our Cairo stopover with EgyptAir and collecting our bags, we head to the Sixt desk. We have booked an automatic SUV. Comfort matters: we know we have a lot of kilometres ahead of us.
We had deliberately kept this first day light. No sightseeing. No excursion. Just the drive to Dullstroom, getting used to driving on the left and shaking off the fatigue from the flight.
A stop at Alzu Petroport
On the way, we stop at Alzu Petroport for something to eat at Farmer’s. What was meant to be a simple break already becomes our first glimpse of the South Africa we had come to see.
From the restaurant, we can see animals around the site, including antelope, ostriches and rhinos.
After an overnight flight, it was exactly the right kind of stop: eat at a relaxed pace, take a breather and start watching wildlife before we had even reached the first real safari areas.
It is also the kind of stop that gives a road trip its charm. We simply needed a break, and suddenly we were already looking at rhinos.
Driving on the left was nothing new to me: thousands of kilometres in Australia had already taught me the basics. But old reflexes are stubborn. You still occasionally open the passenger door thinking you are getting behind the wheel.
Dullstroom allowed us to break up the drive before properly starting the trip the next day. Looking back, it was the right choice. On a busy three-week itinerary, trying to save a few hours on day one can cost you in unnecessary fatigue.
Our tip: after a long overnight flight, plan an easy first stop. You may lose half a day of sightseeing, but you avoid spending the next two days recovering.
South Africa, Panorama Route and Blyde River Canyon – Episode 1
From Johannesburg to Blyde River Canyon: follow our journey along the Panorama Route, its waterfalls and spectacular viewpoints, before discovering the canyon on foot and from the waters of Blyde Dam.
Practical information
• EgyptAir flights: €1,993.96 return for two people
• First Sixt rental: 7,000 ZAR
Alzu Petroport: much more than a service station
On the N4, around 35 km between Middelburg and Belfast, Alzu Petroport is designed as a genuine travel stop. The site overlooks a wildlife enclosure where you can see animals including white rhinos, buffalo, eland, zebras, ostriches and oryx. That was exactly what surprised us: even before reaching the Kruger reserves, a lunch break already felt unmistakably South African.
Why spending our first night in Dullstroom made sense
After an overnight flight and collecting the car, breaking up the journey is a decision we would make again. Dullstroom avoids going straight from Johannesburg to the Panorama Route and lets you start the trip rested. On a road trip with left-hand driving and busy days ahead, this first buffer keeps arrival day from becoming a race against the clock.
