Summary
I visited South Africa (8 nights – 4 nights Cape Town, 1 night Jo-Burg, 3 nights Kruger) in May 2009 with two close friends as part of a larger trip to Africa. We had an amazing trip, facilitated by Roy (the owner) at African Wanderer Tours & Safaris. As part of this leg of the trip, we also visited Zimbabwe and Botswana for 2 nights, but that will be discussed in a different post. South Africa is a fascinating place with many interesting and exciting options for any kind of traveler. While a long, multi-leg journey form the US, the trip is worth the distance. We flew to Cape Town via Europe, then flew directly to Zimbabwe/Botswana and back to Johannesburg/Kruger to end our trip.
Accommodations
Given that we went as students, we prioritized high-quality, cost-effective hotel accommodations with optimal locations. In Cape Town, we stayed at the V&A City Lodge which is steps away from the V&A Waterfront, where many of the city’s best restaurants are situated (not to mention nice walks and great views). In Johannesburg, given we were there one night, we stayed at the Johannesburg Airport City Lodge. In Kruger, we stayed in a bungalow at the Skukuza Rest Camp which is the largest rest camp and perfectly situated for a variety of Safari-type activities.
Select Favorites
Cape Town
Dining
Cape Town has some of the best steak in the world and our favorite place for it was Belthazar. For some great international options in town, we loved Sevruga and Ginja. We also enjoyed lunch at Col Caccio Pizzeria as well. We spent one day in wine country and loved Reuben’s for lunch sandwiches and Le Quartier Francais for dinner
Activities
With so much to do, 4 days/nights is a minimum for me. We spent a full day driving through wine country visiting the Boschendal estate in Stellenbosch and the Franschhoek Cellar in Franschoek. We spent a half day visiting Nelson Mandela’s former prison at Robben Island (where the tour guides are former prisoners) and another half day around and on Table Mountain enjoying the spectacular views. On windy days, the tram to the top may get suspended so keep checking regularly for service. We really enjoyed a half day drive to the Cape of Good Hope – where we stopped at the southern tip of Africa at Cape Point, enjoyed the views on Chapman’s Peak, saw a ton of seals on Seal Island and African Penguins at Boulders Beach. For an important, yet sobering, cultural / historical perspective, we took a tour of the local Townships which was an essential part of our visit. For sunset drinks and nice beach time, we enjoyed Cafe Caprice while at Camps Bay Beach and The Bungalow while at Clifton Beach (a Sunday activity). Our favorite daytime bar was Forrester’s Arms, for the evening we visited Dubliner and our favorite late night lounge was Asoka.
Johannesburg
Dining
Given our short visit, we started our evening at the Polo Bar at the Four Seasons Westcliff and then went to the Emperor’s Palace complex for a great dinner at Aurelia’s. There are many other options to dine at other Emperor’s Palace Restaurants. During the time of our visit, Jo’Burg was not felt to be that safe so we went to very tourist-centric places taking the abundance of caution
Activities
We spent our one evening at the Emperor’s Casino and then spent an educational half day at the Apartheid Museum. This visit was a sobering yet powerful reminder to us of what South Africa has dealt with in its past
Kruger National Park
Dining
In Skukuza, we ate lunch and dinner each day within or around the camp. We tried the Ngala Restaurant, and explored Kruger Park Dining but we were plan takers on food based on what was available via our tour group and our rest camp
Activities
We drove to Kruger from Jo’Burg and spent our 2 full days doing a variety of Safaris. It is important to do multiple days because it is not always a given to see some of the featured animals each day (if at all). Plus, much of Kruger is only viewable on roads (instead of directly in the grass/fields) so we wanted to make sure we got as many chances as we could to see wildlife. We took part in Full-day Safaris, Kruger Night Safaris, and the Morning Walking Safari with Park Rangers
Recommendation
I would certainly recommend a trip to South Africa. Given the distance, I would add another destination like Zimbabwe/Botswana which we did or something else (e.g. Mauritius, Seychelles etc) to maximize the time away. South Africa is one of the few places that I have enjoyed so much that I agreed to go again with my wife in a few years (I usually don’t like to repeat leisure travel destinations). On a future trip, we would likely stay at the Emperor’s Palace or Four Seasons Westcliff in Johannesburg, the Singita Sabi Sand in Kruger and the V&A Waterfront Hotel In Cape Town. Enjoy the trip!
