Touring South Africa
I had the good fortune in March 2024 to participate in a trip to South Africa – a postponed COVID trip that finally happened for me. New country! New continent! Very exciting.
This was a touring only trip, with many of the participants being friends from my local outdoor club. We had a full itinerary planned that included stops in Cape Town, Stellenbosch, Kruger, Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe) and a day trip to Eswatini, giving me 3 new countries.
Cape Town
We started in Cape Town, with a visit to Hout Bay on the agenda for Day 1. This included a really cool visit to Seal Island. Seal Island is more like a big rock – with tons of seals. It was wonderful! Definitely worth the trip despite being a very windy day on a small boat.
On Day 2, we did a tour of Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela spent 18 of his 27 years in captivity. All tours are led by former political prisoners who had also been jailed there and are able to add a lot of insight into what life was like for them. It is a place of world significance and I am glad that I saw it, but the feeling among the group afterwards was one of sadness and reflection on how badly people can treat other people.
The next day one of our destinations was Table Mountain. Nelson Mandela declared Table Mountain “a gift to the earth” on World Environment Day in 1998. It really is a spectacular site, accessible to all by either the cable car (5 minutes) or by foot (closer to 4 hours if you choose the direct route both ways). Given time limitations we chose the rotating cable car, which got us to the top (3558 ft) very fast and made us aware very fast of how cloudy, windy and rainy it was going to stay at the top that day! So, we descended after lunch and explored Cape Town a bit on foot, ending up at the National Gallery for a visit. Fortunately, we had other sunny days and were able to see Table Mountain from a distance, including the curious “table cloth” (clouds formed when warm ocean air is directed up mountain slopes into colder air).
“During the many years of incarceration on Robben Island, we often looked across Table Bay at the magnificent silhouette of Table Mountain. To us on Robben Island, Table Mountain was a beacon of hope. It represented the mainland to which we knew we would one day return.” – Nelson Mandela 1998
On to Stellenbosch
On Day 4 our destination was Stellenbosch, heading south out of Cape Town along the famous Chapman’s Peak Drive, a bucket list drive for those who love scenic car rides, particularly coastal ones. It’s only about 9 KM long but has 114 curves. This route is also part of the Cape Town Cycle tour, the biggest timed race in the world. We were there the weekend before the 2024 race and saw a number of people doing practice rides. This year there were almost 22,000 participants, and nearly 18,000 finishers. Wow – that is a lot of bikes on the road, even spread out over 109 KM! We were fortunate to have good weather for our road tour, and it truly was a beautiful ride.
Other stops along the way included the Cape Point Ostrich Farm, the Cape of Good Hope (the most south-western point of the African continent), and my favourite, Boulders Beach. Penguins! I have never seen penguins in their natural habitat – such a joy to watch them.
Over the next couple of days we explored Stellenbosch and visited some of the local wineries. People who build wineries really know how to select beautiful locations! The scenic beauty of South Africa was unexpected for me. Stellenbosch is a charming university city, filled with interesting restaurants and cafes, wonderful street art, with many historical buildings in the Cape Dutch architecture style (a mix of medieval Netherlands, Germany, France and Indonesia).
Kruger Safaris
Next –a short flight to the airport near Kruger National Park. I was very excited to be finding out what a safari was all about.
My first learning was that the animals don’t like the heat either, as we waited just after 5 am for the park to open. Here are some springbok on the move at dawn.
We spent the next several hours in the open truck, limbs safely inside, peering out trying to be the first to spot something fantastic. As newbies to this role, we were slow, but we had a wonderfully experienced guide who knew where to look. Wow – we saw so much. What an absolute delight to see these magnificent animals in their home. My favourite were the giraffes – they are so elegant when they walk.
We were fortunate to have a night safari, as well as a second safari in a different part of the park. Each time you go, you see something different.
Incredible Beauty in South Africa
Our time near Kruger also included the Panorama Route, the Graskop Gorge, Bourke’s Luck Potholes, and Sudwala Caves (which apparently has great acoustics and has hosted concerts for up to 350 people).
The Panorama Route is spectacular. The Blyde River Canyon, third largest in the world (The Grand Canyon in the USA is #1) passes a rock formation known as the “Three Rondavels” – which resembles three African style houses known as rondavels. You also see a viewpoint called “God’s Window” and when you see this, you know why it is called that. An amazing day – so much natural beauty to see.
Another special treat was a day trip to Eswatini – another country, formerly known as Swaziland. It was so interesting how a country could be so close, yet have different scenery and vegetation. A highlight was a trip to a cultural village where we experienced some traditional African music and dwellings.
Victoria Falls as seen from Zimbabwe
As a grand finale to this wonderful trip, we enjoyed a brief 3-night excursion to Zimbabwe with the prime destination being Victoria Falls. As someone from Canada’s Niagara region, I was excited to see this competitor for the world’s most beautiful falls. Victoria Falls are actually in Zambia, but the best viewing is from the Zimbabwe side. With 16 viewing points, it was a spectacle not to be missed. I feel so privileged to have been able to see these amazing falls.
We headed home full of appreciation for the magnificent scenic beauty of Africa. Three new countries, what a wonderful introduction to this amazing continent.
Where else can I go?
Please reach out if you are interested in discovering wonderful places with a new travel community!
3 highlights:
- Safaris – I really did not know what to expect on a safari – it was an astounding experience.
- Victoria Falls – their beauty and magnificence is worth going out of your way to visit.
- Spectacular beauty of South Africa – a wonderful and thoroughly enjoyable surprise.
3 things for the next time:
- A safari in a different park – I don’t think you could ever get tired of looking at these animals.
- Botswana, Namibia, Madagascar – during our travels we heard so much about other African countries worth visiting.
- Hiking or cycling in Africa – as we toured, I heard of several hiking and biking routes – these would be worth looking into.
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Touring South Africa
I had the good fortune in March 2024 to participate in a trip to South Africa – a postponed COVID trip that finally happened for me. New country! New continent! Very exciting.
This was a touring only trip, with many of the participants being friends from my local outdoor club. We had a full itinerary planned that included stops in Cape Town, Stellenbosch, Kruger, Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe) and a day trip to Eswatini, giving me 3 new countries.
Cape Town
We started in Cape Town, with a visit to Hout Bay on the agenda for Day 1. This included a really cool visit to Seal Island. Seal Island is more like a big rock – with tons of seals. It was wonderful! Definitely worth the trip despite being a very windy day on a small boat.
On Day 2, we did a tour of Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela spent 18 of his 27 years in captivity. All tours are led by former political prisoners who had also been jailed there and are able to add a lot of insight into what life was like for them. It is a place of world significance and I am glad that I saw it, but the feeling among the group afterwards was one of sadness and reflection on how badly people can treat other people.
The next day one of our destinations was Table Mountain. Nelson Mandela declared Table Mountain “a gift to the earth” on World Environment Day in 1998. It really is a spectacular site, accessible to all by either the cable car (5 minutes) or by foot (closer to 4 hours if you choose the direct route both ways). Given time limitations we chose the rotating cable car, which got us to the top (3558 ft) very fast and made us aware very fast of how cloudy, windy and rainy it was going to stay at the top that day! So, we descended after lunch and explored Cape Town a bit on foot, ending up at the National Gallery for a visit. Fortunately, we had other sunny days and were able to see Table Mountain from a distance, including the curious “table cloth” (clouds formed when warm ocean air is directed up mountain slopes into colder air).
“During the many years of incarceration on Robben Island, we often looked across Table Bay at the magnificent silhouette of Table Mountain. To us on Robben Island, Table Mountain was a beacon of hope. It represented the mainland to which we knew we would one day return.” – Nelson Mandela 1998
On to Stellenbosch
On Day 4 our destination was Stellenbosch, heading south out of Cape Town along the famous Chapman’s Peak Drive, a bucket list drive for those who love scenic car rides, particularly coastal ones. It’s only about 9 KM long but has 114 curves. This route is also part of the Cape Town Cycle tour, the biggest timed race in the world. We were there the weekend before the 2024 race and saw a number of people doing practice rides. This year there were almost 22,000 participants, and nearly 18,000 finishers. Wow – that is a lot of bikes on the road, even spread out over 109 KM! We were fortunate to have good weather for our road tour, and it truly was a beautiful ride.
Other stops along the way included the Cape Point Ostrich Farm, the Cape of Good Hope (the most south-western point of the African continent), and my favourite, Boulders Beach. Penguins! I have never seen penguins in their natural habitat – such a joy to watch them.
Over the next couple of days we explored Stellenbosch and visited some of the local wineries. People who build wineries really know how to select beautiful locations! The scenic beauty of South Africa was unexpected for me. Stellenbosch is a charming university city, filled with interesting restaurants and cafes, wonderful street art, with many historical buildings in the Cape Dutch architecture style (a mix of medieval Netherlands, Germany, France and Indonesia).
Kruger Safaris
Next –a short flight to the airport near Kruger National Park. I was very excited to be finding out what a safari was all about.
My first learning was that the animals don’t like the heat either, as we waited just after 5 am for the park to open. Here are some springbok on the move at dawn.
We spent the next several hours in the open truck, limbs safely inside, peering out trying to be the first to spot something fantastic. As newbies to this role, we were slow, but we had a wonderfully experienced guide who knew where to look. Wow – we saw so much. What an absolute delight to see these magnificent animals in their home. My favourite were the giraffes – they are so elegant when they walk.
We were fortunate to have a night safari, as well as a second safari in a different part of the park. Each time you go, you see something different.
Incredible Beauty in South Africa
Our time near Kruger also included the Panorama Route, the Graskop Gorge, Bourke’s Luck Potholes, and Sudwala Caves (which apparently has great acoustics and has hosted concerts for up to 350 people).
The Panorama Route is spectacular. The Blyde River Canyon, third largest in the world (The Grand Canyon in the USA is #1) passes a rock formation known as the “Three Rondavels” – which resembles three African style houses known as rondavels. You also see a viewpoint called “God’s Window” and when you see this, you know why it is called that. An amazing day – so much natural beauty to see.
Another special treat was a day trip to Eswatini – another country, formerly known as Swaziland. It was so interesting how a country could be so close, yet have different scenery and vegetation. A highlight was a trip to a cultural village where we experienced some traditional African music and dwellings.
Victoria Falls as seen from Zimbabwe
As a grand finale to this wonderful trip, we enjoyed a brief 3-night excursion to Zimbabwe with the prime destination being Victoria Falls. As someone from Canada’s Niagara region, I was excited to see this competitor for the world’s most beautiful falls. Victoria Falls are actually in Zambia, but the best viewing is from the Zimbabwe side. With 16 viewing points, it was a spectacle not to be missed. I feel so privileged to have been able to see these amazing falls.
We headed home full of appreciation for the magnificent scenic beauty of Africa. Three new countries, what a wonderful introduction to this amazing continent.
Where else can I go?
Please reach out if you are interested in discovering wonderful places with a new travel community!
3 highlights:
- Safaris – I really did not know what to expect on a safari – it was an astounding experience.
- Victoria Falls – their beauty and magnificence is worth going out of your way to visit.
- Spectacular beauty of South Africa – a wonderful and thoroughly enjoyable surprise.
3 things for the next time:
- A safari in a different park – I don’t think you could ever get tired of looking at these animals.
- Botswana, Namibia, Madagascar – during our travels we heard so much about other African countries worth visiting.
- Hiking or cycling in Africa – as we toured, I heard of several hiking and biking routes – these would be worth looking into.