We had one more day in Dar Es Salaam before embarking on a complex journey to Nepal. Despite booking our flight six months in advance, things still went sideways. Our itinerary was to fly from Dar Es Salaam to Johannesburg, then to Mumbai, onward to Delhi, and finally to Kathmandu, totaling 28 hours of flying time. However, we were denied boarding for our flight to Mumbai because we didn’t have Indian visas.
We mistakenly believed, after doing some online research and even calling Expedia, that we could transit through India without a visa since our layover was less than 12 hours. Unfortunately, that was not the case. Our flight required us to collect our luggage in Mumbai, meaning we would technically be entering India, and thus needed visas. We were stunned by this news and may have muttered a few choice words before retrieving our bags. With the next flight to Kathmandu not available for another nine days, we had to figure out how to spend our time in Johannesburg.
Surprisingly, we ended up really enjoying our unexpected stay in Johannesburg. We played golf every other day, visited the mall, indulged in plenty of wine, cooked our own meals in the backpacker’s kitchen, played board games, and watched movies. But the best part was getting to walk around. In other countries in Africa, we had spent so much time sitting—whether on long bus rides, in safari vans, or on the beach—not to mention the safety concerns that kept us confined to our hotels in many places.
Walking around Johannesburg was liberating. We stayed in a beautiful suburb, with blooming trees and flowers, and it was perfectly safe for daytime strolls. This unplanned stopover actually turned out to be a blessing in disguise. We strongly believe that everything happens for a reason. While we enjoyed our downtime in Johannesburg, we were also incredibly excited to finally get to Nepal and explore the majestic Himalayas!