August 2023
After my layover and rest in Qatar, I am on my way to Johannesburg, South Africa. The flight is another 9 hours from Doha.
In Johannesburg, South Africa — What a change from Qatar! I flew into Johannesburg and walked out to a temperature of 61° from 101°, felt refreshing! Met two new friends and looking forward to this week in South Africa.
In Dullstroom, South Africa — We had lunch in this adorable little town. It’s known for its fly fishing so I had to have the smoked trout pancakes and the local town beer for lunch.
At Blyde River Canyon, South Africa — Today we set out for Kruger and drove the Panorama Route in the Mpumalanga province. It is one of the Africa’s great natural wonders and one of the world’s most beautiful driving routes. We stopped at Blyde River Canyon, the world’s third largest canyon, and the Three Rondavels for some beautiful views!
At God’s Windows — More along the Panorama Route, these highlands in Mpumalanga are famed for some of the province’s most spectacular scenery. There are lush mountain peaks, magnificent waterfalls, and raging rivers. We hiked up to a view called God’s Window and Rainforest with views to Mozambique.
Off to Kruger! Biltong is like our beef jerky but so much better. We snacked on it all the time, buying it whenever we saw it. All different types like beef, impala, wildebeest, steenbock and lots more. I also loved the dried mango with it 🥭
At Ndula Lodge – Our lodge is located in Mpumalanga Lowveld region of South Africa near the town of White River. Close to Kruger National Park, the Blyde River Canyon and the scenic Panorama Route we drove to get here. The name “Ndhula” means “Giraffe” in the local Zulu language. They are all over the property!
Safari Day One, Part 1, Kruger National Park, South Africa
Up at 4am to leave for the park at 5am, we were all so excited! While the weather is nice, high sixties to low seventies, it is very chilly that early, about fifty degrees, so we were all bundled up in the open air vehicle. We saw two of the Big Five already, a lion and a water Buffalo. The lion was resting behind a tree and we kept a good distance away, would have liked a closer picture but I was comfortable at this distance! The second was the water Buffalo and it was just a fierce looking!! We also saw zebras, impalas, a hippo, crocodiles and a wart hog.
A boma dinner is a quintessential part of an authentic African safari. Boma is a Swahili word for an enclosure and refers to the wall or fence that surrounds the area where people are dining – to protect them from any surprise visits from wildlife. There is always a fire and the thrill of being outside in the bush at night and under the twinkling African stars. There is storytelling, dancing, drumming and delicious food and drinks.
At Kruger National Park — Safari Day One and Two, Kruger National Park, South Africa
The game drives we were on start at 6am and last until 3pm. We take about 3 breaks during this time to stretch and eat since we sit in the vehicle for hours looking for wildlife. We also stay pretty quiet as to not disturb the animals. This increases our chances of seeing more and also keeps them from getting aggressive towards us. When you are inside the vehicle they really don’t notice you much as they are used to the vehicles and don’t see them as a threat. It’s when you make noise or stick your body out that can cause problems. We saw the third and fourth Big Five animal, the elephant and the rhino! We saw so many elephants, they are huge and also cute, especially the babies. It was great to see the rhinos because there aren’t too many left due to poaching. We also saw so many giraffes, baboons and vultures. It was a great day!
At Kruger National Park — So excited to see the last of the Big Five, the leopard!! They are usually hard to find and when in trees with their spots, it acts as a camouflage. Right at the base of that tree is a hyena waiting for scraps to fall from the kill that was in the tree with the leopard.
We were also lucky to see two cheetah, they are not Big Five but not seen often either, so it was a good day!
Today I am so happy, checking off another bucket list experience….an African Safari and seeing all of the Big Five!
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We left Kruger this morning with a stop in Pretoria before getting to the airport in Johannesburg. The Union Buildings are named for the Union of South Africa, which was formed in 1910, while the buildings were being planned. In 1961 the country changed its name to the Republic of South Africa, but the Union Buildings kept their original name. There is a 9 meter tall Nelson Mandela statue there as well where there were a lot of school kids who wanted to take photos with us.
From there we flew from OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg south to Cape Town. Romney Park is where I am staying in Greenpoint, my room is large and very cozy, a big change from the tented camp!
A great start to a Cape Town visit is to go to wine country. We started at A beautiful wine estate overlooking False Bay! We had a gorgeous day for wine & cheese and beautiful views in Cape Town.
The Victoria & Albert Waterfront is the oldest working harbour in the Southern Hemisphere, it’s so picturesque and we were here as the sun was setting so it had a nice glow.
It’s impossible to find a spot that’s not in the shadow of Table Mountain, it dominates the city’s skyline and is Cape Town’s most prominent landmark. It’s hard to plan when to visit because the clouds roll in and out so quickly but I was lucky and had gorgeous views over the city and the ocean.
We woke up to a chilly and drizzly morning in Cape Town but it cleared it very nicely for our trip to wine country. Our first stop was a winery in Paarl called Fairview. We had a tasting paired with local cheeses and wandered around the beautiful grounds. Paarl is located north of both Stellenbosch and Franschhoek and the third oldest settlement in South Africa.
After our first wine tasting in Paarl, we stopped in the town of Franschhoek. It means “French Corner” because of the French settlers who lived there. It is known for having some of the top restaurants in the country, a strong wine culture, pristine natural and architectural beauty. This is what has made Franschhoek into what many describe as the “food and wine capital” of South Africa. It is absolutely beautiful, we walked around, stopped for a bite to eat and shopped before going to Stellenbosch. The weather was really nice now and we loved the town.
Moving on from Franschhoek in wine country, we made our way to Stellenbosch. Stellenbosch is like the Napa Valley of South African wine. The Cape Winelands is such a stunning part of SA, made up of three main wine areas. We started in Paarl, then moved on to Franschhoek and now Stellenbosch. These valleys produce some of the world’s finest wines, and Stellenbosch dominates this wine scene in terms of quality. We did a wine tasting and lunch in a beautiful wine cellar at Lanzerac. It was so beautiful in the cellar and of course the wine was amazing.
On our way to see the penguins we took Chapman’s Peak Drive, one of the world’s most spectacular coastal drives. It runs along the Atlantic south of Cape Town towards the Cape of Good Hope with 114 curves. The road is amazing, it was hacked into the near vertical face of the mountain! While I enjoyed the scenic drive, our destination was to Boulders in Table Mountain National Park to see the African Penguins. These African Penguins are endemic to South Africa and closely related to the Humboldt, Magellanic and Galapagos Penguins. Penguin fact – penguins are only found in the southern hemisphere except for the Galapagos Penguin which is found north of the equator. They were fascinating to watch and of course, so adorable!!
One of the southernmost points of the African Continent, the Cape of Good Hope is a rocky headland on the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula. It is narrow and juts out into the ocean with lots of wind. It is beautiful but has unpredictable weather, baboons that will raid your car, and adorable penguins playing in the water. With a love of geography, it was amazing to see a place that I have wanted to see since I was young.
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We started our evening with a Djembe drumming session in a huge restaurant decorated on every open space with African artifacts, puppets, beautiful beadwork, and wooden carvings. It’s definitely touristy but really enjoyable. The 14 course “Taste Safari” had dishes from all over Africa and the servers were dressed in beautiful local dress, so everyone was different and such gorgeous colors and patterns. Throughout dinner performers sing, drum, and dance. It was the perfect way to end a trip to South Africa
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