Travelogue from South Africa: An unforgettable journey

In 2016, some of our customers, Mette and Martin, travelled to South Africa on the tour “Luxury Safari in South Africa & Cape Town”. Read their travelougue from the tour below.

We have now returned home from South Africa, but we are still tingling from the trip! It was a journey packed with fascinating experiences that we are sure to remember all our lives.

It all began the moment we arrived at Pestana Kruger Lodge, where we not only received a warm welcome from the charming staff, but also caught our first glimpse of the local elephants, hippopotamuses, impala, baboons and crocodiles. We could hardly believe our eyes – wild animals we had only ever previously seen at zoos or on nature programmes on TV were strolling around just below the balcony outside our room. Guess this is what they mean by ‘a room with a view’ …

We then enjoyed several wonderful days exploring the magnificent South African countryside, where we experienced a front-row view of life in the bush, both on foot, where we learned skills such as how to make sense of animal tracks, and at a faster pace in a specially designed jeep. In fact, it was like driving around in an amphitheatre, as everyone in the vehicle had a perfect view to all sides.

On the first day, we sighted the superstars of the safari

And what a view it was! Kruger National Park proved to be a veritable Eldorado of wild animals. As early as on the first day, we sighted the superstars of the safari: the ‘Big Five’ – lion, leopard, rhinoceros, elephant and buffalo. Our guide was skilled at spotting the different animals, and her impressive knowledge and infectious humour made the trip both fascinating and entertaining.

Most interesting of all was how close we could come to the animals to observe their behaviour in their natural habitat. For example, we saw a lioness feasting with her cubs on a wild boar she had brought down. We also stopped just a few metres from two grazing rhinos – so close that we could actually hear them chewing – and we encountered a large herd of elephants with a small calf capering around so joyously that he made us all smile. And then our hearts skipped a beat when we came to face to face with a large male lion that gave voice to a roar that every animal within a radius of several kilometres must have heard!

All our safari dreams came true

The icing on the cake was the chance to spend a few incredible days in Cape Town, which is rightly considered to be one of the most beautiful cities in the world. We were simply enchanted by the numerous spectacular natural sights: majestic mountains, beautiful beaches and verdant gardens which led us to suspect that Mother Nature must have been especially generous with her gifts in this part of the world.

The history of the city is a fascinating chapter unto itself. We visited sites including the infamous Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 18 years. We were given a guided tour by a former inmate, whose personal account added a thought-provoking dimension to the visit. Through his story, the prison changed from being ‘simply’ an historical backdrop to an overpowering physical presence, and we gained some insight into what it must have felt like to be held prisoner on this rough, barren island.

Another experience that left its mark – fortunately not literally – was the opportunity to interact with great white sharks. Early one morning, we sailed 4–5 km out from the coast and then eased ourselves into an underwater cage fastened securely to the boat. It may sound a bit crazy to do this voluntarily in waters known to be the habitat of one of the most terrifying predators in the world. However, with all the guides around us, we never felt threatened or in danger. Nevertheless, it was impossible not to feel a mixture of horror, awe and fascination when a four-metre-long great white shark swam slowly past the cage, so close that we could have touched it if we had stretched out our arms. We didn’t, though …

We would like to thank all the charming, cool, entertaining and professional Afrika-Safari staff who did their utmost to ensure that all our dreams of an unforgettable holiday came true!

Mette and Martin

TourCompass – From tourist to traveller