Travelling In South Africa

South Africa blew my mind! I’m embarrassed to say that I didn’t expect it to be anywhere near as cosmopolitan as it is, however I had just come all the way down the West Coast which is miles and miles of nothing so supermarkets were a wonderful thing.

South Africa has some beautiful beaches that rival Australia’s, wide open landscapes, amazing wine (Pinotage my favourite thing) and of course the animals. The Animals. The Animals. I got so lucky in South Africa and saw Lions on my very first Safari about 5 mins into Kruger National Park. It only got better from there.

I struggle to go back to places I’ve already been when there is so much out there still to do, but I would spend another 6 weeks in South Africa if I could.

All About South Africa

3 Must Do’s For South Africa

Camps Bay Cape Town

I stayed in Tamberskloof in Capetown which meant I could walk about an hour around the bottom of Lions Head and down to Camps Bay. It is so beautiful and I found it so easy to spend the day sunbaking, swimming and drinking coffee and wine. Click the image for some accommodation options in Camps Bay.

Hluhluwe-Imfolozi National Park

Hluhluwe-Imfolozi national park was so kind to me. I had to get up at 3:30am for the drive to the park from Saint Lucia but it was so worth it. I saw so many babies – baby elephants, baby zebra’s and baby elephants galore. It a little less known than Kruger or Addo so is quieter with heaps of animal life.  Check out the Safari link by clicking on the image.

Stellenbosch

I almost didn’t do the Stellenbosch area. I felt like I’d been to wineries the world over and it was just another wine growing area. I couldn’t have been more wrong. It is a beautiful slice of South Africa and I wouldn’t have discovered Pinotage if I hadn’t gone. Pinotage is unique to South Africa and is slightly more than a rose and less than a red. So Nice! Click the image for the tour I did.

More Things To Do In South Africa

My Fave Photo From South Africa

After arriving in Addo National Park a little early, I decided to try and get a quick sunset safari in before nightfall. I was due to be spending a full day in the park the next day, however I wanted to try and get some sunset photos inside the park. I hunted down one of the rangers who told me that one of the day tours had just come back and I could hire that jeep for $50 USD for the last 2 hours of the day.

I immediately agreed, ran back to get my camera and when others found out, they also agreed to come along. We had seen herds of Elephants, Giraffes, some Meerkats and even a couple of Marabou Storks when our driver suggested we just sit at the last waterhole for the sunset as sometimes some of the animals come to drink before it gets dark.

We were sitting in silence when out of the bushes stepped this Rhino. OMG I nearly peed my pants! He strolls down to the waterhole and proceeds to, very nervously, drink his fill. We were all grinning like fools and could not believe our luck. When he finally left our driver told us he had been driving in Addo for 7 years and had never seen that! I still feel incredibly privileged sitting here writing this today.

Tip for South Africa

Everybody will tell you how unsafe South Africa is. Johannesburg – YES – it can be very unsafe as can parts of Durban, however South Africa as a whole is OK. I spend a week in Cape Town and walked everywhere never feeling threatened in any way and the smaller towns like Titsikama or Graff Reineit I walked at night. Do be careful in the larger cities and if you are in an area that doesn’t feel right, but don’t just assume that all of South Africa is the wild west. That would be doing it a great injustice. Be aware, be careful and do tours to limit the time you spend on your own. Also never walk anywhere alone at night.