Southern Africa - Summer 2018
June 28, 2018 – Day 1 NYC – Cape Town (Southern Africa)
14 years after our trip together, we are making good on our promise to bring our kids to South Africa. Of course, back when we made this promise, the very idea of even having kids was absurd. Now, our party of 4 is making the journey – “us plus” is actually a reality.
We left JFK at 11am Wednesday for a 15 hour flight to J’Berg, then customs & immigration, a layover and a flight to Cape Town – 25 hours door to door and we are at the CAPE ROYAL LUXURY HOTEL in GREEN Point. It’s a really nice hotel in the perfect location for exploring the waterfront.
We are pushing through the jet lag and trying to see a bit of the area. We spent time at the V&A Waterfront and rode the CAPE WHEEL. We listened to some a capella singers – Karen and I were sure we’d seen the same group in the same spot more than a decade ago. We walked and took it all in. We finished at dinner at HUDSON’S. B-Burgers but it filled a hole.
Now the kids are showered and wrapped in over sized hotel robes. They are travel champs so far. We’re all wiped out but excited to be on the road again. Finishing the night with a game of Gubs (card game) which is a reminder how – even after 30 non-stop hours of together time – this family still loves being together.
Day 2 – Cape Town
Today was quiet. We slept surprisingly well considering JET LAG. Breakfast was at the hotel where our waitress GRACE took good care of us all. We hit the TWO OCEANS AQUARIUM for a long while, especially enjoyed the jelly fish exhibit and the predator tank. We hit the V&A mall for some slightly warmer clothes and walked around the waterfront a little bit.
The weather is chilly and rainy. It’s fine now as we’re trying to pace ourselves while we adjust to the time change. By afternoon we were home at the hotel playing cards, trip planning and watching a little World Cup. A trip to Woolworths for groceries let us eat-in tonight. Then more GUBS and a stop at GELATO MANIA for a final treat.
Tomorrow we are up at 4am for our shark diving excursion!
Day 3 – Cape Town + Gansbaai
The alarms went off at 4:15am and our driver picked us up at 4:45a for the 2 hour road trip to Gansbaai where the GREAT WHITE SHARK Diving tours leave from. After breakfast and a briefing we loaded on the boat with about 26 other people and headed out. Our family was first in the cage and OMG it was cold water (mid-50s). Enzo and Finn were out of the water in an instant.
Their shark viewing would be from the deck of the boat. It looked like the day might be bust but then slowly the great whites showed up. We saw a good number of sharks, many breached the surface and gave us a good look. We even saw a huge stingray. Karen and I couldn’t help but notice how much lower the shark population was than what we had experienced 14 years ago.
Craig – tour guide spouse of Allison (Lisa Wheeler’s friend) was there with a group so we met him in advance of our trip to the Cape Peninsula tomorrow.
After a few hours at sea, we headed in to warm up, buy some video, and drive back in the microbus. Back at the Cape Royale, the weather continues to be uncooperative but we laid low and I went and picked up take out pizza from MARIOS on Main Rd (a C-minus was the verdict from The Brooklyn pizza mafia).
We finished the night with GUBS and writing time. Tomorrow we are off to the Cape Peninsula.
Day 4 – Cape Town, Cape Peninsula
CRAIG MILNER and his wife ALLISON plus their (very tall) 13 year old Hudson picked us up at the hotel at 11am for our day long trip down the Cape Peninsula.
Before our departure we braved the (ongoing) rain and walked down to LIMNOS bakery for excellent coffee and adequate breakfast.
The Cape tour was great we saw large Eland Bucks, ostriches, penguins and very bold Baboons. We drove through lots of quaint towns on our way to Simons Town and then the CAPE POINT. We hiked up to the Cape Point Light House and re-created a photo Karen and I had taken 14 years ago.
We had good weather (which has been very rare so far). On the drive back we had a robust political discussion – Craig as a white business owner felt marginalized and like he’s supporting a system of ignorance and dependence. He’s obviously very conservative but you can see how his world view has been formed by the corruption and stagnation of post-apartheid South Africa.
It seems that many places are closed on Sunday nights so we ended up back at HUDSON’S for dinner. Pizza and Burgers (again) a C-minus at best. We end the night with a series of GUBS games which has become our nightly tradition.
After much back and forth we decide to stay one more night in Cape Town, hoping for a break in the weather tomorrow that might allow a trip to TABLE MOUNTAIN.
Day 5 – Cape Town
Today was a regroup day between the continued bad weather and our need to do some logistical planning we laid low. Much of the morning – Breakfast was a highlight at THE BOOTLEGGER just down the road from the Cape Royal. The weather finally cleared mid-day and we headed back down to the V&A Waterfront for a bit.
We rode the Cape Wheel again – this time with hordes of American tourists in the form of a traveling Boys Choir from Pennsylvania. The sun came out and we got nice photos of Table Mountain – although the cable way never opened up during our stay.
After the Waterfront, we shopped at Woolworths and made dinner at home – watching the World Cup and playing GUBS.
Day 6 – Cape Town → Durban → Hluhluwe
The day started at 4am with an alarm and some final packing. Then we said goodbye to the Cape Royale and made it to the airport for a very early morning flight to Durban where we rented an SUV from Hertz for the drive to RHINO RIDGE SAFARI LODGE – our big splash out stay on this trip. It would be hard to over state how magnificent the Safari Lodge is. It sits alone atop a mountain ridge on the Northwestern edge of the Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Game Reserve. It’s wildly expensive but also entirely worth it.
With sprawling views of the park, fireplaces in each of the 10 rooms and a beautiful lodge w/ good food. We have a guide/driver dedicated to us for the 3 days that we are here.
We arrived in time to do an afternoon/evening game drive (Rhinos, Zebras, Giraffe and a lone elephant). It was colder than we anticipated and we are all struggling to stay warm while out in the bush. Our room is spectacular. Enzo and Finn took hot baths to warm up after our drive.
Dinner was excellent – penne w/ bolognese parmesan plus a sort of Brownie pudding thingy for dessert. Back in the room w/ lit a fire in the fire place and played some cards before bed.
SIGHTING: Rhino, giraffe, impala, Cape buffalo
Day 7 – Rhino Ridge – Hluhluwe
The morning game drive is early and very cold – a tough combo for the kids. We saw a pair of female lions w/ 3 cubs walking through the scrub. Also had an encounter with a large bull elephant on the road and a very cool pack of wild dogs, who chased down a Nyala for breakfast. It warmed up over the course of the morning and ended up warm. Still, I made a trip down the road to the local PEP store and bought a layer of warm clothing for everyone.
We spent part of the midday playing cards on the deck overlooking the Game Reserve, discovering that all of RHINO RIDGE looks down on a watering hole. 2 elephants, a Cape Buffalo and a small group of Zebra were lingering in the area.
The evening drive was much more enjoyable thanks to some better weather & the additional layer. More elephant, zebra, and rhino on the evening drive plus we are joined by a South African couple that has just arrived.
Dinner is Chicken for the kids and sat & chicken for the adults.
Day 8 – Rhino Ridge – Hluhluwe – SA
Morning game drive – more WILD DOGS – this time eating a carcass as a pack. One has been recently tagged. More elephants and rhinos as well.
After breakfast we listen to a group discuss american politics and sit on the big veranda that over looks the park.
Finn makes friends w/ a girl named Phoenix from Cape Town who comes to our room to learn EXPLODING KITTENS from the kids. That evening we do another game drive & we encounter a research group tracking a lioness and her cubs. Using a VHF antenna they can tell the lion is not far away in the bush but we can’t see her.
Dinner is great and concludes with an amazing (small) Zulu show. Finn isn’t a fan of the topless Zulu women but the dancing and singing are great. Our last night includes packing up and getting ready to move on to Vic Falls.
Day 9 – Hluhluwe → Durban → Jo’berg
One last breakfast (tea & coffee) and game drive (not much to see) and we took our leave from Rhino Ridge. It was spectacular accommodations and good animal viewing. The drive back to Durban takes us back through Hluhluwe where a couple of Zebra and Nyala see us off.
When we return to Durban we’re a sort of shocked to find almost no accommodations. It’s been a small struggle to find “family rooms” in S.A. – the notion of a hotel room w/ two double beds where a family of 4 could crash out doesn’t really exist here. To solve the hotel room problem we change our flights and head to Jo’berg a day early ($$) where finding a hotel near the airport for $$$ is simple.
We settle in w/ peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and watch Brazil (lose) in the World Cup.
Day 10 – July 7 – Jo’berg → Victoria Falls
Up at a reasonable hour at the Aviator Hotel only to spend an hour on the tarmac as South African Airways waits for a broken down catering truck to get moved. The flight to Vic Falls is painless and Nyari from SWEET HOLIDAY HOME is waiting for us with a sign. The guest house is 5–6 rooms. Some en suite, some not – but we have it all to ourselves. Nyari is great – we use WhatsApp to communicate and there is Satellite TV, a pool (cold) and it’s 100% comfortable.
We head into town and tour the Zimbabwe side of the falls ($90). It’s amazing how much water is pouring over the falls – 14 years ago Karen and I visited in dry season and it was much less impressive. The kids are blown away – though Enzo doesn’t love getting soaked by the spray and getting soaked by the spray and we cut our walk a little short. We walked up to the local KFC, which – surprisingly – tasted exactly like KFC. From there we visited CHICKEN INN and the OK SUPERMARKET for basic supplies including ZAMBEZI Beer but not $14 Butter.
Nyari picked us up and took us back to the guest house where we handed over laundry, played GUBS and watched Croatia beat Russia in a super dramatic match.
Day 11 – July 8 – Zimbabwe (VF) → Zambia (Livingston)
We start the day at 8am making a basic breakfast at the lovely kitchen of Sweet Holiday Home (oatmeal & Frosted Flakes). At about 10am Nyari picks us up and drives us to the border. We zip through immigration on the Zimbabwe side.
The walk is much longer that remembered/expected and the mist from the falls arcs over the road and douses us all. Lines of trucks taking goods into Zambia sit and wait as wild baboons climb all over them (we call them the monkey customs inspectors).
The bridge that defines the actual border has great views and a Bungee jump (no takers) that is 100+ meters tall. Immigration on the Zambia side is easy (we don’t need our Irish passports, which are non-visa and free, because our multi entry Zim Visa includes visits to Zam for free).
We finally reach a working ATM and get Zam $, half of which we change to $USD. The Zambian side of the Falls is great and very wet (but this time we are better prepared). We walk the catwalks and across the Knife Edge bridge. Then stop for a Coke Zero (gone are the days of Coke Light) and dry out a bit. We hike down to the BOILING POT – where the swirl of currents from the falls rages in the Zambezi. It’s a good hike and it’s a little tiring – also a little stressful for Enzo who has developed a fear of the very aggressive baboons. But we make it, and the view is great.
We taxi into Livingston Town (way over priced) and lunch at OLGA’S which we found in a Lonely Planet PDF. Great Pizza – Enzo calls it “La Villa” quality, a reference to his favorite pizzeria in Brooklyn. After a walk around, we negotiate a more reasonable taxi, back to the border and walk back into Zimbabwe. We hike all the way into town and grab dinner at CHICKEN Inn (Zim’s answer to KFC) and then call Nyari for a ride back to the guesthouse. We arrange transport back to ZAM for our flight out and settle in for some re-packing and TV.
Day 12 – Vic Falls → (Livingston) → Nelspruit
Up after a good night’s rest at Sweet Home – the continued saga of the Thai boys soccer team trapped in cave plays out on the news. It’s looking like they will all make it.
We say our goodbyes and do the series of taxis and transfers from Zim to Zam to Livingston airport. We arrive adequately early – leaves us time for breakfast.
The flight is smooth. We catch a distant glimpse of Mosi-oa-Tunya (or at least the mist) on our way out of the country. At Nelspruit airport (Kruger) our car reservation isn’t waiting and we have to go counter to counter until we find a (slightly over priced) RAV4 to rent for a few days and return to Jo’berg. We make the drive to HAZYVIEW. It gets a tiny bit sketchy, but we roll into TRANQUIL NEST with no issues. The Guest House is lovely – a fire pit, 2 bedrooms, a kitchen and a hot tub (and it’s clean and hot). We settle in to find a load of literature and info from our hosts – most of it is either hardcore safety information that makes us fear for our lives or hardcore religious information that makes us fear for our souls. But we also find directions to the Perry’s Bridge Outpost where find TOPOLINOS – home of slow service but BF pizza and pasta. We make our way home and hit the hot tub for a simple end under the incredible spread of stars. We finish the night with GUBS and we add some “advantages” to the game – honing our own version of the rules to suit our expert skills.
Day 13 – Kruger | Hazyview
After breakfast at the guest house we head to the Phabeni GATE for Kruger Nat’l Park. We had forgotten how good and satisfying self driving can be and how amazing Kruger is. KAREN NAVIGATES us to a watering hole and we see a herd of HIPPOS plus a lone Cape Buffalo surrounded by a sprawl of impala.
We wind our way through the park for about 2 hours and see zebra, elephants, giraffe, wildebeast, and more. We exit through the Paul Kruger gate where we check out the sightings board and buy a map. From Kruger we do our event with SKYWAY and do some awesome ziplining all through the bush. Enzo is hesitant, Finn is ecstatic. But in the end everyone loves it. Despite a couple of lost gloves, ziplining is a hit.
We grab a late lunch at Topolinos (pizza) and then head to SPAR and TOTAL to get supplies. We head home to make a campfire and jump in the hot tub. Karen falls in love with astronomy, we download an app and stargaze for a long while. Then it’s back into the house for GUBS and sleep.
7/11/2018 Quote Of The Day Finn: I WANT TO GET CORRUPTED
Day 14 – Hazyview → Sabi Sands
We’re up and off from our lovely stay at Tranquil Nest. In the morning we see Zebra feeding behind the fence and as we load the car. We head into Perry’s for a great breakfast at IN-D-A-BELLY and a little window shopping at SENQU and the craft shops in the Plaza.
We hit the road heading for Sabi Sands private game reserve around 11am and no sooner do we get on the road than we are pulled over by the police for “speeding.” We’ve been warned at length about bribes and corrupt cops. I ask to see the radar proof that I was, in fact, speeding and Karen photographs the officers (and they tell her not to). In the end, they let us go – giving us a little scare and a good story. The kids are all a flutter about the encounter. All they can talk about (and in Enzo’s case worry about) is corrupt cops, bribes, etc.
The drive to Sabi is about 2 hours – much of it on bad dirt/gravel roads. Where there is asphalt we play a robust game of “dodge the pot hole.” The towns along the way are bustling. Some substantial and chaotic, some tiny and dusty. But all give an interesting look at life in Africa outside the large urban sprawl.
As we close in on Sabi we meander through small villages, bumping and thumping along dirt roads to the GOWRIE GATE into the private reserve.
Sabi – like Kruger – is flat, low, scrubby. Down 8km of road we find ELEPHANT PLAINS GAME LODGE. We are booked in for one $1200 a night, so we are anxious to make the most of it. Only 24 guests are allowed at a time so the place is quiet. It’s not luxurious but it’s beautiful and positioned on a small rise above a watering hole.
After check-in we meet a family from Argentina and get to practice our Spanish a little bit. We also get to know some Americans from DC and the 2 groups from Brazil who join us on our game drive that afternoon. GERRIT is our game guide and CHRIS is our spotter. The weather is so much better now and though there’s a little chill in the air no one is cold and miserable.
On our drive we see Hippos, Wildebeast and a male Leopard known as KOMORI. It’s sleeping on a giant termite mound with one eye on a warthog hole – waiting for dinner (or maybe breakfast) to make the mistake of poking its head out.
We enjoy sun-downers at the airstrip (a dusty dirt patch) and head back for a terrific dinner in the BOMA – a circle semi-circle where all 24 guests dine outdoors under the stars. By the time we get back to our rooms we are ready for bed and our 5am wake up for the morning drive.
Day 15 – Sabi → J’berg
The day starts with a 5am knock on the door to get us up and ready for the 6am game drive. We get out after a coffee and head straight for the termite mound to see if KOMORI had any success with hunting. The Leopard is gone and there’s no sign of a fight. When Chris & Gerrit stomp on the ground a bit the termite mound ERUPTS in a cloud of dust and commotion and the 3 terrified warthogs bolt out from a hole and scatter in different directions.
Further along the drive we spot the usual animals and then Chris raises a hand and Gerrit stops the vehicle. Chris has noticed a leopard footprint in the sand and no sooner points it out than a female leopard goes leaping through the brush. We follow her. A huge advantage of Sabi lodges is the ability to take game off road. We spent about 40 mins slowly stalking her – she seems to be tracking the scent of yesterday’s Leopard. The trackers call her Xiduli. She really allows us to spend a lot of time with her – sometimes stopping to play, or groom herself, sometimes stalking sounds from the bushes.
After a long while with the female leopard we make our way across the reserve (encountering zebra and wildebeest) and find a pride of 11 lions (10 female, 1 young male). They are lounging and sleepy – some rolling up long enough to reposition then flop down again. They play and nudge and cuddle – lethargic and fun to watch. It really makes the time and expense of visiting Sabi worth it so much in only 2 drives.
Sadly when the drive is over, we have to pack up and leave. The drive back to Johannesburg is 7 hours but goes by with surprising ease. No corrupt cops or melt downs. We end up at the airport to return the car and see if we can possibly get on the flight home a day early. But the cost of changing is ridiculous so we keep the flight and the car and drive to THE VANTAGE – a bookings.com choice that is 40 minutes from the airport and seems for a minute to be a questionable choice – but then we arrive and find a great, 2 bedroom corporate apartment in a very upscale neighborhood. We settle in for laundry with wine and pizza and enjoy our very last night in Africa.
Day 16 (July 13) – J’berg → Flight home
We try to sleep in but our bodies wake us up. We have breakfast at Starbucks and walk around – finding very little that we love $ as far as gifts go. We’d like to have something for the Ozols family (who has cared for Peace the dog). So today is about doing a little shopping.
We lounge (aka charge devices) at the apartment until noon then drive to a market we find in the book – its a bust as markets go but it allows us a really pleasant tour of some of Johannesburg’s nice areas. We decide it’s best to be early to the airport so we return the car, breeze through check in and immigration and land ourselves in the ASPIRE LOUNGE where – for $110 – we treat ourselves to comfy chairs, free food/drink, good wifi and chargers. It’s been a great trip and everyone is excited to now be heading home.