South Africa – an experience of a lifetime

I only had 8 days’ leave, but in just a week, I accumulated a life’s worth of experiences and I am only scratching the surface.

From game drives to hot air balloon rides to flying over the Savannah in a Cessna to tasting its delectable wines to visiting the southernmost point of Africa at Cape Point where the Atlantic meets the Indian Ocean to watching the African penguins at Boulders Beach to experiencing the South Africa’s rich history in Cape Town, the experiences just don’t end.

Kruger National Park

Kruger is the kingdom of animals. Literally. There are close to 150 species of birds and animals but it is the Big 5 that get the most attention: lions, rhinos, hippos, elephants and leopards; then there are the Ugly 5: hyenas, wildebeests, warthogs, affectionately known as Pumba, vulture and the Marabou Stork, as well as other animals like kudus, impalas, zebras, water buffaloes, giraffes, ostriches, cheetahs, crocodiles, wild dogs and all kinds of birds like Southern ground hornbill, Southern red-billed hornbill or Zazu in the Lion King, starlings with shiny blue-black coat, storks, eagles, owls and many many more.

There are many kinds of game drives – full day, morning drive and evening drives as well as a trip to animal sanctuaries where you can get up close with the rescued animals.

Of the Big 5, it is easy to spot lions and elephants – in fact, there is currently an over-population of elephants so it is common to see herds. Hippos spend all day in the water and come out only in the evenings. Black rhinos are not easy to see but white rhinos can be spotted. Hardest are the cheetahs and leopards as they are often perched on trees.

Hot Air Balloon

Hot air balloon rides have a 50-50 chance as it is extremely weather-dependent but if you fall on the positive side of the 50%, the trip is absolutely out of this world.

The French created an endearing tradition of ending hot air balloon rides with a chink of sparkling wine. Most rides being before sunrise have added to this tradition by mixing the bubbly with orange juice and offering mimosas or morning glory.

Cessna flights

Another way to see the African landscape from above is through a small aircraft which takes you close to the mountains, through the gorge, over the rivers and flies you over the savannah like in the film: Out Of Africa. Cessna rides are also cheaper than hot air balloon rides and a unique experience to have.

Hermanus

Winter is the season for whale watching and you can see large pods of whales during July and August. Unfortunately for us, the weather didn’t make it possible for us to go on the tour. For all weather dependent cancellations, the tours are fully refunded and we instead took the day to explore Cape Town – and I have termed it as the most beautiful city in the world.

Wine tours

Easily the most delectable part of the trip. Stellenbosch is a huge wine region with hundreds of wineries.

We went to Franzhoek, Afrikaans for French Corner, which was home to French Huguenot settlers. The French brought their culture, wine being one of them.

Franzhoek is a quaint place with cafes, gift shops, art galleries, wine shops, churches, chocolateries, scenic drives, hikes and of course wineries.

Cape Point

Cape Point is where the Atlantic meets the Indian Ocean. About 1.5 hours away from Cape Town, it is the most historic point – both geographically as well as historically that must have seen so many sea voyages en route to the Spice Islands.

The most gobsmacking thing for me was the wrought iron lighthouse that was hauled up on top of the cliff. It stands centuries on, a beacon of hope at the Cape of Good Hope, assuring the ships of the midway point before they cross another ocean towards India, Indonesia, Malaysia and onward to China.

Cape Town

Saving the best for the last. Cape Town is the most beautiful city in the world. Yes, I know this position is highly contested and extremely subjective but I absolutely stand by my grand proclamation.

Nestled between the Table Mountains on one side and the Atlantic on the other, the city is rich in history, architecture and is a melting pot of culture with influences from so many different nationalities; significant advancements in science and medicine thanks to Dr Christian Barnaard who was the first to perform human-to-human heart transplant; museums and art galleries; parks, waterfront promenades and hiking trails in the Table Mountains and of course the flea markets filled with beautifully handcrafted objects made with wood, horns, beads, wires, cloth, paints, hemp and metal.

I was only in Cape Town for 2 full days and will attempt to do justice to it through a separate blog, but even if I were to live there, it will take an entire lifetime to experience every part of its rich heritage and still only scratch its surface.

South Africa gave me an experience of a lifetime. But even a lifetime is insufficient to experience it all.

8-day itinerary

I didn’t have much leave from work so I wrapped up my trip in just 8 days. There were others who were touring for 3 weeks and said it wasn’t enough. There can never be enough time for a country so rich as South Africa, but for what it’s worth, here is my itinerary.

Day 1: Arrive in Joburg and fly to Hoedspruit

Day 2: Full day Kruger tour ending with a campfire and looking at the stars

Day 3: Hot air balloon ride in the morning and afternoon game drive in Khaya Ndoglu private reserve

Day 4; Visiting Moholoholo animal rescue centre

Day 5: Morning Cessna ride and departing for Cape Town

Day 6: Drive to Cape Point

Day 7: Visit Franzhoek for wine tour

Day 8: Visit Hermanus though as it was cancelled, so I toured Cape Town instead.

Day 9: Departure