I was about to book a group tour to Iran when I heard that someone with an Iranian stamp in their passport is no longer permitted to use the US Visa Waiver Program. Is this correct?
Eric Lowry, Great Haseley
Chris Haslam replies
In short, that is right. Recent updates to the Visa Waiver Program mean that British passport holders who have travelled to Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria or Yemen since March 1, 2011, need to apply for a B2 tourism visa and can’t just pay for the online Electronic System for Travel Authorization (Esta). This involves an interview at the US Embassy in London or the Consulate General in Belfast. The good news is that the visa — which costs £115 — lasts 10 years. The bad news is that having a US visa in your passport can mean more vigorous questioning at immigration desks in a range of other countries. For application details, visit uk.usembassy.gov/esta.
I’m planning a trip to South Africa. The cheap flights seem to go to Johannesburg, but I’ve heard it’s unsafe and best avoided. Should I fly straight on to Cape Town or is Joburg worth a look?
Oliver Alexander, Bristol
Adam Edwards replies
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Joburg isn’t the no-go zone it was in the late-1990s and early 2000s. There have been recent flare-ups in the out-of-town, informal townships over government corruption, but these are far removed from areas tourists might visit. The crime rate is high, however, so do take all the usual precautions.
Johannesburg is home to a few of South Africa’s biggest attractions, including the Apartheid Museum, where visitors are randomly segregated into “whites” and “non-whites” before being taken on a journey through the country’s violent recent past (£3.50; apartheidmuseum. org). Soweto is the bustling inner-city township whose history is synonymous with the battle against apartheid. Explore it on a cycling tour of the key sites, including Mandela’s tiny house (from £19; sowetobicycletours.com).
Joburg’s other draw is its newly cool postindustrial neighbourhoods. In Maboneng and Braamfontein you’ll find pop-up galleries, markets and ultra-hip bars such as the Poolside Cafe, famous for its pool parties (facebook.com/poolsidemaboneng). They also have edgy boutiques, including the women’s clothes shop Loin Cloth & Ashes (loinclothandashes.com), and artisan coffee joints such as Braamfontein’s Doubleshot, where Afro’d hipsters sit among vintage roasting machines (doubleshot.co.za). Check into 12 Decades, an art hotel with quirky studios, from £47 a night (urbanhiphotels.com).
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