South Africa has a special place in my heart. I used to spend quite a bit of time in the country, especially Johannesburg with my previous work. There is not too much to do in the city itself and because I used to travel there by myself knowing the safety of the city I was not actively going around the city by myself. However, I have visited safari in the Pilanesberg and the Lion Park. The Safari was absolutely worth it. It was a full day out, I was picked up from the hotel and it cost me around £150 back in 2017 I believe. I saw rhinos, giraffes, elephants and zebras. The only animals I did not see from the big 5 were lions. I have not visited the famous Kruger park or went on a safari near Cape Town so I will not be able to say much about other parks.
Why Southern Africa? If you are a nature and safari lover and enjoy dramatic ocean drives and views.
Top Things to see - Various safaris and national parks e.g. Pilanesberg, Chobe National Park, Victoria Falls, Lion Park, Table top Mountain, Camps Bay, Boulders Beach, Cape of Good Hope and vineyards.
Best time to visit - Winter (as in Southern Hemisphere it is summer then).
Safety - You have to be cautious. I found South Africa the most dangerous of all, especially Johannesburg. I have visited SA by myself though and with caution you will be fine.
Costs - South Africa is very affordable, except safaris and tours. I found Zambia very expensive to my surprise. I did not stay in Zimbabwe or Botswana but safari and visiting Victoria falls was also expensive.
I have been to Cape Town 3 times - all for 2 days. It is definitely a place to visit in South Africa. The stunning Table Mountain and Boulders Beach where you can see penguins in the wild. The Camps Bay with wild ocean beach waves and long walks. There is just so much to do in Cape Town and I have only done a few things. Unfortunately, I have not done any of the hikes that the city has to offer such as Lions King or Table Mountain and neither I have visited the famous Vineyards.
However, what I did and absolutely recommend is a tour to the Cape of Good Hope which is the most Southern Point in Africa. Along the way you will get to visit the Boulders Beach and local fishing villages. The drive is around 2 hours and the ocean views are so beautiful.
Once you enter the National Park area, you will see a lot of monkeys rooming around. The tour costs £50 and overall took 6 hours. Oh, have I mentioned the food in South Africa? I honestly think it is one of the most delicious food you can get worldwide. Any cuisine. I have had the best sushi, pasta and risotto in South Africa. I did have steak there (before I was vegetarian) but I have never really been a meat lover so I cannot comment on that much. And of course world famous wine. Country is very affordable in accommodation and food, however where you will spend money is safaris - they are not very cheap, but neither they are anywhere in Africa - at least as far as I know.
On one of my visits to Johannesburg I took my mum with me and we hopped on a flight to Livingstone in Zambia to visit the highest waterfall in the world - Victoria Falls and Chobe National Park in Botswana.
We booked an outdoors house in a camping site in Zambia and to my surprise, the accommodation in Zambia is very expensive. On a day one we went to Victoria Falls crossing Zambian-Zimbabwe boarder, which was an adventure itself. There were a lot of lorries and monkeys crossing the boarder alongside us. The falls were impressive, but after seeing Iguassu Falls in Brazil and Argentina for me nothing can compare still. There is a spot on the bridge where you can also enjoy (or what I would say - definitely not enjoy) a bungee jumping.
I had enough of watching it and having cold feet. On a day two we booked a tour to the Chobe National Park in Botswana. We were picked up by a local guide and then our adventurous journey begun, We drove through Zambian country side and I felt like I am finally in proper Africa! I cannot remember precisely, but I believe we were moved to 4 different cars and a boat to get to the National Park. We started off just mum and I in the car, then we were moved to another 4x4 before they put us in a boat to cross the river, then another 4x4 waited for us at the shore until we reached Zambia-Botswana boarder. At that point we were not even sure if we are going to the park and who are these people moving us between different transport modes. There was really no turning point back at the stage so we just went with the flow. After crossing the boarder we made another stop (an another vehicle change) in Botswana. Finally we met other tourists joining us on the safari and felt a slight relief. I have probably never been so happy seeing other tourists as there were moments where we were not sure if if will ever make it back safe. This all was an incredible adventure so worth making to see the Chobe National Park.
The safari is both on the water and land. I saw crocodiles up close lying on the sand out of water by the river and elephant families running on the beach. But the highlight was the boat ride on the river. The sound of hippopotamus swimming in the river and elephants by the shore. It was just so magnificent. It is one of my top 10 experiences in the world! We also got to see Namibian shore line and it made me dream of my next adventure to Namibia. See you soon, Southern Africa!
Comentarios