South African Safari and Jozi

Liz Penn on 19 October 2015
In October this year I got the chance to take part in my first educational trip – 10 nights in South Africa. I was thoroughly excited as this was somewhere I had never visited, but I must admit to having a degree of trepidation at the thought of visiting Johannesburg, largely thanks to sheer ignorance!

Our Virgin Atlantic flights were great (I was lucky enough to be upgraded to Premium Economy but that’s another story) and thanks to the lack of time difference and a bit of kip I felt good to go when we got there. Just as well, as no sooner had we settled in to the beautifully sumptuous African Pride Melrose Arch hotel with its quirky features, such as a café/bar area within the swimming pool, than we were heading straight out to experience Johannesburg.

During our two days, we visited local food and craft markets – Neighbourgood Market and Arts on Main where I was introduced to random South African delicacies like bunny chow (does NOT include bunnies) and very cheap champagne – I think I know where I might retire to now. We also visited the fascinating Apartheid Museum and took an incredible bike tour around Soweto – an absolute highlight and something I will be recommending to future visitors to Jozi.

All too soon it was time to bid adieu to Joburg and head for the hills of Hazyview – our gateway to the Kruger Park area. Before we got stuck into four days of safari we took the time to see what this area had to offer – for those driving to Kruger (especially if they do so from Joburg) it’s a great place to break the journey. I have to admit, I was worried about breaking something else when we spent a day ziplining at Skyway Trails followed by white water rafting at Induna Adventures (you’ll note there are no photos of these exploits but that was out of sheer terror), but I lived to tell the tale and even managed to enjoy some of it! Still, if you’re going to do these crazy things I can think of worse places and we were rewarded with fantastic food and wine at the beautiful Rissington Inn and additionally enjoyed a night of traditional dance at Hippo Hollow, which duly lived up to its name by providing us with our first hippo sighting!

Very soon we were heading out for our safari stays but to get there we followed the aptly named Panorama Route. This relatively short stretch along the highway packs a scenic punch. First stop, God’s Window, a beautiful walk through the bush to what promises to be stunning views – if you get lucky and it’s not too misty! Waterfalls abound in this river canyon area and we went to check out Berlin Falls, an 80m drop. Next up was lunch and after a rather winding path seemed to lead us into the middle of nowhere we reached Potluck Boskombuis Restaurant. It’s very hard to describe just how random this place is! Next to a riverbank and with very limited resources, the owner decided it was the perfect spot for a restaurant. It feels like a ‘build it and they will come’ kind of place and if you’re in the area you have to see it to believe it! As lovely as it would have been to satisfy our inner hippo and wallow in the river all afternoon, we had to get to our safari reserve before nightfall and were only halfway through the Panorama Route – onwards!

Next stop was Bourke’s Luck Potholes – apparently the poor guy had no luck as he was looking for gold in the wrong place, but the massive cylindrical potholes, caused by stones of all shapes getting caught in currents are well worth the stop just to remind you what Mother Nature can get up to given enough time. Our last stop was by no means least. When I first heard about the Panorama Route I had seen photos of the Three Rondavels but just assumed they’d been taken by someone with an incredible camera from a helicopter. Then we got there. I’m not sure I want to spoil the surprise for anyone interested but for goodness’ sake don’t miss them – absolutely amazing!

It was dark by the time we reached Kapama Reserve, a truly stunning 13,000 hectare reserve complete with the Big Five plus many more! I got particularly lucky with a stay in Karula Lodge, the top end of the four wonderful places to stay on the reserve. For those of you thinking that safaris are all about tents, best check out the photo of my suite with private pool…tough job but somebody’s got to road-test the goods. Kapama is one of those places where a week wouldn’t be too long – it has a spa and wellness centre and a romantic sleep-out station where you can experience true immersion in your surroundings – after you’ve had your own 5 course meal cooked for you and secure in the knowledge that the wardens are only a radio call away! The guides were amazing and our sightings fantastic and I haven’t even started on how good the food was yet. Needless to say, this place sells itself, but I will certainly be recommending it.

Our final safari stop was Thornybush Game Reserve. Similarly positioned just outside Kruger, Thornybush also proved that you don’t have to be inside the famous park to have a great safari. Not only did we see the Big Five, we actually saw them all in one morning drive! Our home for the last two nights of our stay was Jackalberry Lodge, one of 12 different sites on the same reserve. This works really well, as there are varying levels of accommodation and service all with access to the same wildlife – from a self-catering bush camp through to a five-star luxury lodge with conference centre! My impression is that quite a few of the camps or lodges here would work well for a large group or extended family, so if you like the idea of having an authentic bush experience all to yourself, then I couldn’t recommend it more.

Overall, South Africa exceeded my expectations and I still can’t get over how much you can fit in in a relatively short space of time. I love the fact that you’re on the same time zone, it made a long distance bearable. So what did I enjoy the most? There’s something so special about a safari and the vibrancy of Johannesburg is not to be missed. Would I go again? In a heartbeat.