{"id":87553,"date":"2011-10-04T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2011-10-04T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/travelstartblg.wpenginepowered.com\/sa-express-cape-town-to-hoedspruit\/"},"modified":"2025-11-04T14:31:34","modified_gmt":"2025-11-04T14:31:34","slug":"sa-express-cape-town-to-hoedspruit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.travelstart.co.za\/blog\/sa-express-cape-town-to-hoedspruit\/","title":{"rendered":"Cape Town to Kruger in Under 3 Hours"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

SA Express – Cape Town to Hoedspruit<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

I was recently invited by SA Express<\/a> to experience their new Cape Town to Hoedspruit<\/strong> route. The route officially launched in July 2011 and it\u2019s a perennial (all year) direct flight<\/strong> lasting about 2 hours and 40 minutes<\/strong> – ample time to check out SA Express\u2019 offerings and get a feel for this longer than average internal flight.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

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\"SA<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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I met SA Express\u2019 representative Vicky Liggins<\/strong> at Cape Town Airport<\/a> on the morning of 27th<\/sup> September; check in went smoothly (thanks to the efficient SA Express team on the ground) and soon enough we were waiting terminal side for the bus to take us out to the CRJ 200 Canadian Regional Jet <\/strong>at the opposite end of the apron.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The CRJ 200 seats 50 passengers<\/strong> but I\u2019m told that this will be upgraded by August 2012 to an 86 seater as demand is expected to increase for flights from Cape Town (CPT) to Hoedspruit (HDS)<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Book cheap flights to Hoedspruit<\/a> on Travelstart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Up in the Air<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Our flight departed Cape Town International<\/strong> as scheduled and soon I had the birds-eye-view perspective of False Bay – from Gordon\u2019s Bay in the north to Simonstown and beyond in the south. The plane banked to the left and we were on our way inland; a welcome time for the commencement of the in-flight service and I was looking forward to settling into a leisurely light breakfast and some coffee.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"SA<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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As I hoped, the food came quickly and flew in the face of the stigma attached to \u2018typical plane food\u2019. I enjoyed a light brunch of pasta salad, some chicken, whole-wheat biscuits and cheese, and a lemon cheesecake for dessert. It\u2019s worth mentioning that we were given the same food on the outbound flight as we were on the inbound. Variety is the spice of life so perhaps SA Express should consider varying the menu, if only for the sake of passengers that fly the route regularly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I spent the rest of the journey browsing through Indwe <\/em>\u2013 SA Express\u2019 inflight magazine<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Legroom on an SA Express flight \u2013 Not bad for a 50 seater jet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Hoedspruit\u2019s Eastgate Airport<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The moment you land at Hoedspruit Airport <\/strong>(check out the video I shot below) the feeling of an authentic African safari adventure<\/strong> washes over you. It was hot and dry when we landed and I wouldn\u2019t have been surprised if I had spotted an elephant chewing at a Marula tree next to the runway (I didn\u2019t). The private airport (not part of ACSA) is quaint and rustic and definitely one of the most relaxed I\u2019ve ever experienced. Instead of the typical scramble around the baggage carousel your luggage is brought straight to the car park.<\/p>\n\n\n\n