Exploring South Africa (Part 1)
March 2016, we flew into Johannesburg from London Heathrow. We had booked BA World traveller seats as the budget couldn’t quite stretch too premium or above, so what a lovely surprise when boarding the plane and we got to turn left instead of right! My husbands’ brother was a BA pilot, so he managed to put in a request if there was availability for an upgrade. It really did start the trip off in an extra special way.
I will let you into a small secret, I might be a Travel Counsellor and love travelling, but I do have a fear of flying!! The difference in the extra comfort and space, not to mention the free champagne, suddenly flying didn’t seem too bad after all. After a 12-hour overnight flight and no time difference we both woke up feeling refreshed and ready to see what South Africa had to offer.
Landing in Johannesburg the weather wasn’t quite what we had expected especially when the average temperature for that time of year is around 27, it was lashing with rain and quite chilly! However, it was just day one and certainly many brighter days to come.
We set off to our first stop which was Sun City. A luxury resort and casino situated about 140km northwest of Jo' burg and bordering the Pilanesberg Game Reserve. Arriving at the incredible entrance to the resort was magical, it really is a World within a City. The resort offers four hotels on site each with its own individual style, we had treated ourselves to stay at The Palace. You must see it to really appreciate the grand proportions, tumbling waterfalls and views over The Lost City Golf Course.
There really is so much to see and do at Sun City but this was our first stop of many, so our stay here was just 3 nights. During this short stay we certainly made the most of what was on offer, from the waterpark to a safari and my husband even managed a game of golf on one of their world class courses. Leaving Sun City our next stop was an overnight stay in Pretoria before an early start the following day boarding the World renown Blue Train. An incredible experience I would recommend anyone to do and a truly awesome way to see the different landscapes and culture the country has to offer. We were going from Pretoria to Cape Town, but it is also possible to do the journey in reverse. From the moment you board the train via a red carpet, to the Butler service, words don’t really do the experience justice – definitely one to try for yourself.
After the extremely comfortable overnight journey with a stopover in Kimberley at the diamond Mine Museum, we arrived in Cape Town. We were hiring a car to continue our journey, a very easy thing to do and best way if you want to see things at your own leisure. We drove about an hour onto Stellenbosch and stayed at the beautiful boutique OudeWerf Hotel. The town is very quaint lined with cafes, boutiques, and art galleries. Stellenbosch offers so much as it is surrounded by vineyards and mountainous nature reserves so a great stop over and place to explore.
From Stellenbosch we drove onto Oudtshoorn about a 4-hour drive but certainly very scenic. Oudtshoorn is known for its ostrich farms so expect to see many along the way! We were staying at the Riverside Guest Lodge which is privately run and very homely. From here we had organised trips to see the Meerkats, if you don’t mind getting up early, the best time to see them is sunrise, and have your cameras at the ready. Also, the Cango Caves, the biggest show cave system in Africa. There are two tour options available, the heritage tour lasts about an hour and the adventure tour about 90 minutes. We opted for the adventure tour, it really is an adventure, and my only advice would be don’t opt for this option if you are claustrophobic or have back problems!!
https://www.oudtshoorn.com/project/cango-caves/
After our couple of days in Oudtshoorn it was then onto a private game reserve, this was one part of the trip I was most looking forward to, getting the chance to see the big 5. We decided on Botlierskop which is about an hour’s drive south from Oudtshoorn towards Mossel Bay. I was speechless on arrival through the very grand entrance, you could see views for miles. They have 4,200 hectares of reserve so plenty of things on offer from safari game drives, horseback safaris and spa therapies. There are different options for accommodation from lodges to villas. We decided on the tented lodge which I can only describe in today’s terms as “Glamping”. Shaded by a canopy of ancient African trees the tented lodges are colonial only in style. Every modern convenience and thoughtful touch made you feel welcome and pampered.
During our stay here we did two half day safaris, Elephants, Rhinos, Giraffes, Buffalo, Zebra and of course an amazing pair of lions, all from a very close 4-wheel drive Jeep!!