South Africa

Official Languages: English, Afrikaans, Zulu, Xhosa, Swati, Sotho + 5 more! Currency: South African Rand

Cape Town Garden Route Nambiti Game Reserve Panthera Sanctuary UMhlanga

As I reminisce on South Africa and my month spent there, it’s hard to know where to even start for this spiel. What started out as the only impromptu stop on my trip up to this point, quickly turned into my favourite country, hands down. Not just countries I’ve visited on this trip, but #1 of all the countries I’ve ever visited. As much as this surprised me, it probably shouldn’t have. Visiting South Africa was an absolute dream come true. Ever since I was a kid, my dream vacation and top spot on my bucket list was to visit South Africa and more specifically, to go on a safari. I hadn’t initially planned to do it on this world trip, mainly because of the costs and how far out of the way it seemed at the time, but I was very quickly convinced otherwise, and I am so glad that I was. What I didn’t realize before going to South Africa is that I would fall in love with everything about the country. Whether you’re a wine fanatic like me and want to spend your days sipping your way around the country, a nature lover that wants to lounge all day on the beach, hike every mountain, go surfing, get out in the bush on a Safari admiring the incredible wildlife, or are a history buff that wants to learn more about the Apartheid and the momentous strides that this country has taken, South Africa will give you a little taste of it all. The people are incredibly hospitable, the wine is delicious, the bush and beaches are to die for, and the history here is unprecedented.

For more info on South African history, tips on safety, how to get around, and how to plan your vacation - keep reading. For more information on the cities that I visited and experiences that I had, scroll down or click on specific places above. Feel free to reach out or message for more information or for any questions you may have.

A bit about South African History & Apartheid

South Africa, as well as neighbouring Namibia, was subjected to the Apartheid (meaning ‘separateness’ in Afrikaans) from 1948 to the early 1990’s. It was a system of institutionalized racial discrimination founded on white supremacy, which ensured that the countries white population dominated economically, politically, and socially. White citizens had the highest status, followed by Asians, Coloureds, and lastly, Black Africans. Now, nearly 30 years later, the long lasting economic and social affects of the Apartheid are still evident in day-to-day lives of South Africans.

Apartheid was formally adopted as a policy by the S.A. Government after the National Party (NP) won the 1948 general election. The policy demanded the segregation of public services, social events, housing, and employment opportunities by race. The first major laws of the Apartheid were in 1949 and 1950, and made it illegal for S.A. citizens to marry, or date someone that was a different race. Subsequently, the Population Registration Act in 1950 classified all South Africans into 1 of 4 racial groups based on their appearance: ‘White’ (European), ‘Black’ (the majority - ‘native’ or simply ‘African’), ‘Coloured’ (mixed race), and ‘Indian’ (Asian). Where you lived, and how you were treated, was determined based on which racial class you fell into, and between 1960 and 1983, ~3.5 million Black Africans were removed from their homes, forced into segregated neighbourhoods, and striped of their citizenship as they were absorbed into their ‘tribal homelands’.

In 1953, Education was separated by the Bantu Education Act, which made separate educational systems for Black S.A. students and to prepare this class for a life of ‘labor’ work. Separate universities were created for Black, Coloured and Indian people, and existing universities were not allowed to enroll new black students. In the 1970’s, 10x more money was spent on the education of white children than on black within the Bantu system. As you can imagine, this has had long lasting effects on these groups as they have grown and now entered working society.

During the 70’s and 80’s, resistance to Apartheid laws became increasingly rebellious, and the NP government prompted crackdowns and violence that left many dead or in imprisonment. It wasn’t until 1987-1993 that the National Party entered into discussions with the ANC (African National Congress), the prominent anti-apartheid political party, to make steps towards ending segregation and introducing democracy. In 1990, major ANC figures, such as Nelson Mandela, were released from prison, and in 1991, Apartheid legislation was abolished. In 1993, De Klerk (the President at the time), and Mandela were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for their work for ‘peaceful dissolution of the Apartheid rule, and building a new, and democratic South Africa’. In 1994, after the ANC won the general election, Nelson Mandela became the new leader, changing the course of South Africa and its citizens forever.

Safety Tips:

Safety in South Africa was a big thing for me to be aware of, and should be for everyone whether as a local, or a tourist. I was lucky and didn’t face any bad experiences with this, but that does not mean that it doesn’t happen. As a traveller, we are some of the most vulnerable to mugging, pick pockets, etc. whether in SA, or anywhere around the world, as we are forced out of our comfort zone and don’t know our way around, or all of the places to avoid. Be sure to keep your belongings secure on you, and don’t carry around anything that you aren’t willing to lose. With that being said, most of the South Africans that I met were all very welcoming and hospitable, and always looking out for you, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t bad apples out there (as there is everywhere). I travel with a PacSafe backpack (they also have other bags/packs to fit everyone’s travel style), which help ensure my belongings safety, and have some extra security measures to help protect them! In the event that you do get mugged, most importantly – don’t fight back. As shitty as it is – let them take it. Your belongings may be gone, but jeopardizing your life for your phone or wallet is NOT worth it. Don’t leave any valuables behind in your vehicle, and as long as you be smart, and be aware of what’s going on around you, you will have a great time!

Getting Around:

With safety a top priority for me, and others travelling in South Africa, how to get around is an important topic. I was lucky to have my friend Lauren (a South African local) to talk to before I arrived in South Africa, and she was able to give me a few suggestions for this. You can fairly easily get around South Africa by Uber, and is one of the cheaper forms of safe transport. In Cape Town, you can take the MyCity Bus, but only during the day (I never actually did this as Uber’s are super cheap). Other public transport, such as buses, minibuses and trains, are all ‘no-go’s’ if you want to better ensure your safety and not willingly put yourself in harms way. Its also advisable not to walk anywhere after dark; if you’re in a big group heading down Long Street to go out one night, thats one thing, but its better to just hop an Uber home to make sure you all get home safely after a few drinks.

To get between cities in South Africa, you can easily rent a car, or as I did as a backpacker, take the BazBus. The BazBus is a hop-on-hop-off style van transport that takes tourists all over South Africa, picks you up from your accommodation, and drops you off at your next stop along their route. You pick which cities you would like to stop at, and they have many different kinds of passes available (weekly/monthly unlimited, as many stops until you reach your destination, etc.) The route runs from Cape Town in the West, to Durban in the East, and Northward to Johannesburg, and is an easy way to get around — though, it’s not the cheapest option for a big group. This is ideal for backpackers as it is a great way to meet people, and they hit most of the stops that you would visit! They also offer short day or multi day trips for specific areas (like to Cape Point or surf trips) if that’s more your travel style as well. For more information on pricing, routes, etc. check out the BazBus website here. As a solo traveller, this was a no brainer for me to take, but if you’re travelling as a family, couple, or group, I would look into renting a vehicle or getting a car share.

Planning your South African Adventure:

I did the planning of my South Africa trip essentially by myself, doing most of the research and planning my own stops based on what I wanted to see and do as I went along. With that said, I know many people who travel want to do very little planning themselves, don’t like planning on a whim, or are too intimidated to do so — especially in such an unfamiliar country and environment. If you are one of those people – don’t fret - you aren’t alone! There are many amazing travel companies in South Africa that can help you arrange your ideal vacation, but I would recommend Satori Africa (website here or IG @satoriafrica). The owner, Mark, not only is native to South Africa, but has travelled much of the African continent, and can help you plan your African adventure from his first hand experiences and networks. Satori is a bespoke travel company that will plan your ideal vacation, with little hassle for you. If you want to combine different countries, or stick to one area or style of vacation, he’s your guy. Simply give Satori your budget, how long you want to travel for, wish list of places/things to do, etc. and he will do the rest of the work to plan your custom, dream vacation. All you have to then do is show up!

Cape Town

By the time I left South Africa, I had spent 12 days in Cape Town. More than any other city on this trip so far, and it was for good reason. There are so many things to do in and around the area that it was hard to do everything in only a few days, so I decided to extend — by a lot. During my time in Cape Town, I went to Robben Island to learn about the history of the island & prison, and its connection to Nelson Mandela. I went on a wine tasting tour through the winelands in the Western Cape, where I tasted over 20 different delicious wines (with cheese and chocolate pairing) and got to see my first taste of the countryside. I hiked up Lions Head, and took a cable car to the top of Table Mountain to overlook the city. If you want to go out to party, head to Long Street, and if you happen to be in Cape Town on the first Thursday of the month in the summer — even better! This is their ‘thirsty Thursday’ so you’re almost guaranteed to have a great time. Check out the beaches in Camps Bay, go for cocktails on Clifton 4th beach, and go for a stroll down Long Street, its markets, and wander past the colourful homes of the Bo Kaap area. I did a bunch of yoga, and tried all of the South African food — biltong, droewors, koeksisters, you name it! I went on a day trip down to the Cape Peninsula to see African penguins, Cape Point, and the Cape of Good Hope.

My trip in South Africa started out in Cape Town, where I spent some time before heading east to meet up with my friend, Lauren. Within hours, Cape Town quickly felt like home, and over the course of the next few weeks, became one of my favourite cities in the world. The very first night I was there, I went to my first hot yoga class in months, where I met another South African (and coincidentally my yoga instructor), Mark, who showed me around his amazing city and gave me tips on the top things to see and do in South Africa.

There is no shortage of things to occupy your time in Cape Town, or South Africa in general, so be sure to plan enough time here so you don’t feel too rushed or miss out on some amazing places!

For a great afternoon, head to the V & A (Victoria & Alfred) Waterfront in Green Point. There is a big shopping mall, an aquarium, the Cape Wheel (a Ferris wheel of sorts), many restaurants along the harbour with great drinks and seafood bites, beautiful views of Table Mountain, ferries & speedboat tours to show you around the area by water, and is the access point to get to Robben Island. Grab a coffee or glass of wine, listen to the Cape locals playing their music, or read a book along the waterfront and before you know it, days will pass you by.

For the avid surfers, there are a few places near to Cape Town that you are able to do some surfing. Though most would head further east past Cape town, along the east coast, you can definitely take a day or weekend trip down to Muizenberg to visit Surfers Corner, a good place to surf for beginners. For the more advanced, you’ll be able to find spots in and around Cape Town, like Glen Beach, or at Off the Wall.

Whilst spending time in Cape Town, there is something that you will be hard pressed to ignore — water usage. Cape Town, and the surrounding Western Cape, was hit by a severe drought starting in 2015, and only got worse over the next few ‘La-Niña’ years. The crisis hit its peak at the end of 2017/early 2018, when water levels were between 15-30% of the dam capacity. The city was literally counting down to ‘Day Zero’, when there would then be level 7 water restrictions put in place — municipal water would largely be shut off, and people would have to line up for their daily allotment of water. Cape Town was counting down the days to when they would potentially become the first major city in the world to run out of water. To prevent this, the city put significant restrictions for water usage in place, nearly halving its daily water usage by March of 2018. This, coupled with more significant rainfall that finally came in June, allowed the dam levels to once again start to rise. Even though water levels are now back to a controllable state, people haven’t forgotten, and are encouraged to lower their water consumption — taking only a few minute showers for example — and there are still significant water restrictions in place for agriculture and land use. So, when in Cape Town (or anywhere around the world for that matter), please try and respect your water usage and their restrictions. So many around the world live with very little (or zero) fresh water, so we need to be aware of the vital resource that we have, and realize that it is not infinite.

For more info on some of my highlights of the city and surrounding areas, keep reading below!

Robben Island & Nelson Mandela

Robben Island, an island located off the coast in Table Bay, is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and museum. The island was fortified and used as a prison from the late 1600’s through to 1996, when apartheid was ended. Starting in 1961, the island was mainly used by the government as a prison for political prisoners and convicted offenders. The end of Apartheid has since converted the island from what was once a prison, to what is now a popular tourist site.

One of the most well known political prisoners that spent time incarcerated here was Nelson Mandela. Mandela was a South African anti-apartheid revolutionist, leader, and humanitarian. Prior to being imprisoned, Mandela was repeatedly arrested for rebellious activities. Influenced by Marxism ideologies, he joined the South African Communist Party (which was banned), and led a sabotage campaign against the government in 1961. In 1962, he was sentenced to life in jail for conspiring to overthrow the state. Nelson Mandela was imprisoned on Robben Island for 18 of the 27 years (1964 to 1982) that he spent behind bars. In 1990, with growing pressure and fears over a racial civil war, Mandela was finally released. Mandela and the president at the time, F.W. de Kierk, negotiated an end to apartheid, and in 1994 a multiracial election was held in which Mandela became President. He was later awarded the Nobel Peace prize for all of his humanitarian and political contributions. He is held in very deep regard in South Africa, and often described as the ‘Father of the Nation’. Mandela passed away at the age of 95 in 2013.

Not only can you learn more about Mandela at Robben Island, but you can also visit his capture site (where he was arrested in 1962, in Howick). Here, you can visit the information centre, and walk a path which details the timeline of events in his life, ending at a sculpture showing Mandela himself.

The tour of Robben island leaves from the Nelson Mandela Gateway in the V & A Waterfront Harbour, and the price for a tourist for the tour is 550 Rand for adults (~$44 CAD). The cost of the ticket is quite high, but it is well worth the time spent here, and getting the opportunity to learn about this vital part of South African history is invaluable. The tour includes a ferry to/from the mainland to Robben Island, and a bus/walking tour of the prison and island guided by an old inmate with firsthand knowledge of living at the prison. As this is quite a popular attraction, it is advised to pre-book your tickets in advance!

Bo Kaap

Located at the foot of Signal Hill, and a short walk from Long Street, is the Bo Kaap area. Also known as the Malay Quarter, the history of this neighbourhood dates back to the 1760’s when rental houses were built and leased to the slaves. These slaves were known as the Cape Malays, and brought from the rest of Africa, Malaysia, and Indonesia to work in the Cape.

The houses here are most well known for their bright colours, on steep cobbled roads. While the original houses were all required to be white, the expression of independence when the slaves were finally allowed to purchase the houses attributes to the colours that we see today.

The first Muslim mosque in South Africa can be found in this area, the Aural Mosque, and there is also a museum here in Bo Kaap that you can visit that highlights this areas vast history.

Spend some time walking around the neighbourhoods, taking pictures of the bright homes, or visiting the museum, and you will get a great taste of the history and vibrancy that this area has.

Table Mountain

The iconic, flat mountain that presides over Cape Town is Table Mountain. Table Mountain is one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, is home to the smallest, yet richest floral kingdom in the world, and is one of the oldest mountains on Earth.

Table Mountain is part of the Northern end of the Cape Fold Mountain range. During an ice age approximately 300 million years ago, Table Mountain was still at sea level and ice sheets flattened the sandstone layers creating the flat top that we see today. When the continents split apart, stress & pressure built up in the crust, and the granite below the sandstone layers gave the mountains strength, forcing the pressure down. Over time, this process caused the rock layers to rise, becoming the 1000+ m high plateau that we see today. The mountain has been eroded by wind, fire, ice, and seawater, and the waves as the sea crashes against the rocks surrounding created the cliff edges that we see today.

The 57 km2 area that makes up the Table Mountain area is home to nearly 1500 floral species, many of them prevalent to this area. The sheer amount of species over this small space is unheard of!

To get to the top of the mountain there are 2 ways to do so – either by hiking to the top, or taking the cable car. Both ways are outlined below!

Once you’re at the top of the mountain, either by hiking, or via cable car, you have plenty to see and do. Be sure to bring your camera, as there are many impressive viewpoints up here, especially on a clear day! From the top of Table Mountain you are able to see Lions Head, Signal Hill, the Atlantic Ocean, Robben Island, the Twelve Apostles, and the surrounding city of Cape Town below. There are 3 easy walks that you can do on the Plateau – the Agama, Dassie, and the Klipspringer walks. There are also free, guided tours that depart every hour from the Twelve Apostles terrace viewpoint. You will also find a souvenir shop, restaurant and snack stop at the top if you want to grab a meal or enjoy a drink with a view. For the more adventurous, you also have the option to Abseil down a cliff of the mountain (with Abseil Africa). Here, you will repel down an 112 m sheer cliff with some incredible views on your way down. The activity is weather permitting of course, and will cost you 1195 Rand ($95) to do.

Hiking to the Top:

If you’re looking to spend some time in nature with outstanding views, and get a great workout in, you may want to think about hiking to the top of the mountain. There are a few different routes that you can take depending on your hiking experience.

The Platteklip Gorge runs up the center of the main table, and is one of the more popular routes up. Though it is quite steep, with switchbacks encompassing much of the climb, the route is relatively straightforward and takes between 1-3 hours to climb. You will start this hike on Tafelberg Road, past the cable car station.

The easiest route, Kasteelspoort, is on the Atlantic side of the island and offers amazing view of Camps Bay. On this hike, you will have the opportunity (if weather cooperates) to see the Twelve Apostles, Lions Head, the Atlantic Ocean, and Robben Island. At the summit, you will see the ‘diving board’, where you can get your IG shot. This route takes ~2-4 hours to reach the summit, with some incredible views along the way!

For the more experienced hikers, you may opt to take the India Venster route. It requires a decent bit of scrambling, and takes anywhere from 2-4 hours to hike. The route isn’t as straightforward as some of the others, so be sure to do your research before venturing too far up this one.

If you want to take a longer route from the Southern suburbs of the city, there are a few options as well. Skeleton Gorge and Nursery Ravine both start in the Kirstenboch Botanical Garden (you will need to pay to enter here). Skeleton Gorge, with a forest-like starting point, and a beachy finish, is about a ~3 km hike along Smuts Track to Maclean’s Beacon. At 1086m ASL, this is the highest point on Table Mountain, so you will get some amazing views from this point!

Whichever path you choose to take, be sure to take lots of water, some snacks, a windbreaker or jacket (the weather at the top can vary significantly from the area below) and a hiking buddy! If you don’t want to hike back down after visiting the top, you are able to get a one-way ticket down via the cable car station at the top.

Cable Car to the Top:

If you’re looking for an easier way to get to the top of Table Mountain, or don’t have the time to hike, there is an easy solution. A cable car was built here in 1929, and was revamped in 1997. There are 2 cable cars in place, both which can carry up to 65 people. The cars heads up from 8 AM – 7 PM daily, and the last car down is at 8 PM, making this a great spot in Cape Town to catch the sunset. The trip up to the top of the mountain lasts ~5 minutes, and the car rotates, so you get 360 degree views the whole way up. The line for the cars get crazy busy during peak season and times, so be sure to plan accordingly. Tickets cost 360 Rand return ($29), or 200 Rand ($16) one way for adults in the morning, and 300/200 Rand for the afternoon. You can easily pre-purchase tickets online here to save yourself time in the lineup! The easiest way to get to the lower cable car entrance area is either via the MyCiti bus, the Hop on Hop off City Sightseeing bus, or via Uber! If you have a vehicle, parking is available, though the lot can get very busy during peak hours.

Lions Head & Signal Hill

Lions Head

Lions Head is a mountain in Cape Town situated between Table Mountain and Signal Hill. The peak of the mountain is at 669m ASL, and became known in the 1600’s by the Dutch as the Leeuwen Kop (Lions Head). This head emerges above the city and Atlantic Ocean, is part of Table Mountain National Park, and a hike up to the top offers 360° views of the city, Table Mountain & Bay, Robben Island, Camps Bay and the Atlantic Ocean.

The Lions Head hiking trail is a relatively short hike at 5 km (2-3 hours round trip), climbs ~500m with a winding path around the mountain, and some incredible views all along the way. The route is fairly well marked, and is easily accessed by foot. At one point there is a branch in the path that gives you the option of going the ‘easy’ route, or the trickier (quicker) one, which involves some metal ladders and chains to climb. Either route, you will end up at the same place! There is a bit of bigger rocks to climb near the top to reach the summit, but its still an easy enough walk up, and running shoes will easily do the trick. This hike is especially popular on a full moon night, where you will get to see the glistening of the moonlight off of the ocean below. Be sure to bring a torch up with you!

The hike begins at the Lions Head parking lot accessed off of Kloof Nek Road, and you will come back down the same path that you went up.

It’s no surprise that the Lions Head hiking trail is the most popular in the area as it’s fairly easy, relatively quick, offers a great workout, and its views are outstanding. Bring up a bottle of local wine and some snacks and enjoy the amazing views that the top of this mountain offers you. Enjoy the sunset or sunrise and the pastel colours that glean over the ocean and twelve apostles before heading back down!

Signal Hill

Another great place for sunset (or sunrise) is Signal Hill, also known as Leeuwen Staart (Lions Tail or Rump). This hill has a relatively flat top, stands at 350m high and marks the boundary of Table Mountain National Park (for the most part). The hill connects Kloof Nek to Lions Head, and is a very popular spot for sundowners. Together with Lions Head, this hill looks like the sphinx, or rump of a lion, which is where it got its nickname.

Signal Hill separates the Sea Point area from the City Bowl, and its name was given to it from its function as the site of the noon gun. The noon gun is fired everyday, a bit lower than the Signal Hill viewpoint, at the Lion Battery. The gun is operated by the S.A. Navy and Astronomical Observatory and is used to relay the moment of 1 PM Cape Mean Time to ships in the harbour. In the past, flags were also hoisted on the hill to let Capetonians known that a ship was approaching the harbour and to communicate weather warnings and anchoring instructions to ships to ensure adequate preparation for weather within the bay.

Signal Hill is extremely easy to access – not only can you hike up, but there is also a road that will take you right to the top. Driving up Kloof Nek and taking a right at the top of the hill will get you there. Since it’s so easily accessed, this is a very popular place to come to bring a picnic, watch the sunset (or sunrise if you’re an early bird) and enjoy the beauty of the lit up Table Mountain that is visible from here in the summer months. There are a few sacred shrines on the hill to check out, and for a fun activity, you are also able to paraglide off of the hill! If you’re up for a bit more of a hike, you can continue on to hike Lions Head from here as well.

Wine Country

Located in the Western Cape Province of South Africa, is one of my favourite areas — wine country! This region is stunning with incredible views of the winelands, mountains, and sea, depending on where you are within it. With over 300 different vineyards, South African winelands are one of the top 10 wine producers in the world. Not only that, but South Africa is also home to some of the oldest wine areas outside of Europe.

Wine history in South Africa began over 350 years ago when Dutch settlers & French Huguenots brought vines from their established vineyards in Europe to South Africa, in order to offer wine to the Dutch East India Companies merchant ships. The first vineyard was planted here in 1655, with the first vintage of wine released 4 years later. With very rich soil, it didn’t take long for South Africa’s wine industry to boom and for the country to become a key player in today’s market.

For the red wine lovers, unique to South Africa is now one of my favourite types of wine – Pinotage. Pinotage is a red wine, and a cross between Pinot Noir and Cinsault (both dry, French grapes). It was developed in 1925 by the 1st viticulture professor at the University of Stellenbosch. Pinotage is also commonly blended with other varieties, and this is referred to as Cape Blend wine. Pinotage wine is very common and only made in South Africa, so on a wine tour or while in the Western Cape area, it will be hard for you not to try a glass — and I urge you to!

If white wine is more enticing for you, South Africa is also well known for its Chenin Blanc. Though Chenin Blanc’s origin is the Loire Valley in France, 18% of South Africa’s acreage that is under vine is Chenin Blanc grapes, making it the most widely planted of all grapes here. It originated as a ‘workhorse’ as it has high yielding vines, the grapes add acidity to blends, and is a great base for distilling brandy. Today, Chenin Blanc is showcasing itself as a grape capable of yielding world-class wines. Given its range of notes and high acidity (varieties fall into 4 main categories: fresh & fruity, oaked, sweet, and blended), it is extremely easy to find a great pairing for any meal or dish, making this an extremely versatile and likeable white wine!

Not only is wine popular in South Africa, but brandy has also played an important role in the market. Over time on long sea journeys, the transported wine turned to vinegar; so distilling the wine would preserve it by converting it into brandy. It is still common for some wine estates to make brandy, opening themselves up to an entirely different market. If you’re a fan of brandy, be sure to try the offerings that some wine estates have!

There are many different wine routes that you can take in the Western Cape, and you could spend weeks sipping your way through this area. I didn’t have the opportunity to see all of the areas, so I’ll tell you a bit about the 3 areas and the wineries within them that I did have the chance to visit.

If you are based in Cape Town and only have a day (or 2) to spend wine tasting, you can easily drive out to one or more of the areas for a day. Alternatively, you can plan a wine tour from Cape Town as I did. I went with a company called African Story Tours, and it was an incredible day driving through 3 different areas, and visiting 4 different wineries.

On the tour you will visit some of South Africa’s premier wine estates, in one of the most outstanding wine regions in the world. You will have the opportunity to taste many different varieties of wine — white, red, blends, Cape ports, brandy, dessert wines, sparkling wine, etc. You will also have the chance to visit a farm with a wine cellar where you will get to experience the wine making process and the different steps taken to get it from the vines, to the bottles that you will have the chance to taste afterwards.

At one of the wine farms on this tour (ours was at Fairview), you will also have the opportunity to do a wine and cheese pairing! I mean, who doesn’t love a good, fresh cheese? This will give you the chance to learn more about wine & food pairing, and what flavours compliment different varieties of wines.

African Story Tours is a company that supports local farms that not only produce amazing, award winning wines, but are also environmentally & animal friendly, pesticide free, and are carbon neutral. To book your tour or learn more, visit their website here. A day trip (~9 hours) costs 1100 Rand pp (~$88 CAD), and includes all of your wine tastings, a cheese tasting, a cellar tour, lunch, your guide and transportation. You can also book custom, private tours with them if you have a group or have your heart set on visiting specific wineries.

Stellenbosch

If there’s one wine route that everyone has heard of, its Stellenbosch. Founded in 1679, Stellenbosch (meaning the ‘town of oaks’) is the second oldest town in South Africa, and is considered one of the ‘can’t miss’ wine routes of the world. It is extremely well established, with over 200 wineries in the area. With the sustainable rainfall, well-drained soils, and mountainous terrain, this area has a great ‘terroir’ (as wine experts put it), making this a very sought after area for growing grapes and producing wine. Pinotage grapes were born here, and Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Shiraz are also popular and award winning wines that are now grown here.

The Stellenbosch wine route, as the oldest in the country and one of the most popular tourist routes in the Western Cape, is nearly impossible to see in only one trip, or one day. Instead, I would advise you to focus on 1 of 5 sub-routes within the area at a time – Stellenbosch Valley, Stellenbosch Berg, Bottelary Hills, Helderberg, and Greater Simonsberg. This way, you will be able to truly experience the area and not spend the majority of your day in your vehicle going between the different areas.

The Stellenbosch area is an ~45 minute drive from Cape Town’s City centre so is easy to do a day trip, or spend a few days out in the area to see more than one route and try out different wineries!

Paarl

The second most popular of the wine routes in the Western Cape, is Paarl. Located north of Stellenbosch, Paarl is the third oldest town (the 1st settlements here were in 1687), and it was named after a granite rock that was seen shimmering in the sun after a rain. The mountain was then called ‘Diamond and Pearl’ eventually deriving into the name Paarl as it is known today. The area has a very mediterranean-like climate, and very fertile soil, making it a perfect area to grow vines which produce some of the best red wines in the world. Paarl is particularly known for its varieties of Shiraz, though a large variety of grapes are grown in the area, including some varieties of white wine, like Chenin Blanc and Chardonnay.

There are over 28 farms that make up the Paarl wine district and are spread out around the central pearl-shaped rock. It is one of the most innovative wine regions in the Western Cape, creating the first bottle of SA’s Bordeaux style blend, as well as the worlds first white Pinotage.

The Paarl area is an ~40 minute drive from Cape Town’s City centre.

Franschhoek

Known as the culinary capital of the Cape, and originally known as Oshoek by the Dutch, is Franschhoek. In 1688, French Huguenots were fleeing religious persecution, and settled in this area. At one time, herds of elephants used to roam in this valley, and though they are no longer there, they add to the story of the sad and rich history of apartheid and slavery in Franschhoek. Located to the southeast of Paarl and enclosed by towering mountains on 3 sides, the tour of this wine region is absolutely stunning with all of its natural beauty and European charm.

The wine region is home to many Cape Dutch-style wine farms, known for producing many incredible blends of almost any type of wine. There is also a route here dedicated to sparkling wines!

Unique to this area, and to help prevent any drinking and driving temptation is the Franschhoek wine tram! This tour/tram takes you between different wineries in the region so that you can simply enjoy your day (and the wines!).

Muratie Wine Estate

Hidden along a long, winding road in the beautiful Knorhoek Valley in the north of Stellenbosch, is the quaint and rustic Muratie Wine Estate. This wine farm dates back to 1685, and oozes with its rich, historical significance. The farm building, which is now home to the tasting room and dining area, is lined with old, uneven and cracked cement, and layered with grapes and wine from decades ago. Muratie will make you feel as if you were stepping back in time and preserving what once was — the smell is earthy; the look is rustic, but charming and inviting. The floors are worn smooth, and cobwebs hang from the fireplace, ceilings, wine bottles, and everything in between.

As homage to its heritage, a plaque is displayed outside as a reminder of previous owners over time. The farm has had owners from every walk of life – from its beginnings, a German solider and his slave wife, evolving to the first Pinot Noir grape plantings in South Africa in 1927. The spectrum of owners has given life and legacy to the farm that we visit today.

Muratie’s heritage plays a significant role in not only how they run their business and farm, but also how they produce their fine wines. Muratie still hand-picks all of their grapes from the vine in order to better understand their quality, and selects only the finest of those to go forward into the wine making process. They use a balance of time-honoured methods, intuition, and best practices to yield the delicious wines that are created here today.

Muratie is best known for being the first producer of Pinor Noir in South Africa, but they also make tasty Port-style desert wines, as well as a wide range of other delicious wines! A standard tasting will cost you 60 Rand pp (~$5 CAD), or 95 Rand ($8 CAD) for a premium. They are able to accommodate groups, but by appointment only, so be sure to book ahead!

To learn more, or to visit Muratie to try their wines, check out their website here.

Remhoogte Wine Estate

In the heart of the Cape Winelands and a few km’s from Stellenbosch lies the impeccable Remhoogte wine estate.

The estate is family owned and operated, and they have adapted a minimalist approach in not only the cellar, but the vineyards as well. Their goal is to try to minimize the human impact on the final product, and allow the grapes to speak for themselves. Everything in the vineyards is done by hand, and in the cellars only a small amount of SO2 is added prior to bottling. The rest is all the natural, and the wines are matured in French oak barrels before being bottled.

Their motto is ‘wine should be experienced and not merely drunk, and we endeavour to make every bottle of our wine a memorable experience. We believe wine is made in the vineyards, and our goal is to allow the vineyards to express themselves by interfering as little as possible’.

This wine estate is very unique, in that its acreage is home to some wildlife, including zebras, wildebeest, and springbok! They offer tastings as well as wine & cheese pairings, and in the summer these are offered outside with beautiful views of the mountains, vineyards, and the wildlife. In the winter, you can stay cozy, cuddled up to the fireplace inside. A premium tasting of 6 wines will cost you 60 Rand ($5), or 90 Rand ($7) for a tasting of 5 of their reserve wines. These fees are waived if (and when) you decided to buy a bottle.

To learn more, or to visit Remhoogte to try their wines, check out their website here.

Backsberg Wine Estate & Cellars

Located on the hills of the Simonsberg Mountains, sandwiched between Paarl, Franschhoek and Stellenbosch, is a farm that occupies ~300 acres of vineyard – Backsberg Wine estate.

Dating back to 1916, and with 3 generations of hard work, the now father & son owned winery has created many firsts in the wine industry for South Africa. Not only was it the first winery to open a public tasting room, but it is also the first to be carbon neutral. Backsberg’s philosophy is simple; create easy to drink, sustainable, world-class wine, with the structure and finesse to please any wine drinker. They strive to create seamless wines — where the tannins, acidity, sweetness, and maturation all come together as one.

Many of the wines created here are named after people or places that were significant to the farm’s history. At Backsberg, you are able to do a full progression tour — visiting everything from the vineyards, to the cellars, and everything in between!

A tasting at Backsberg, where you will have the opportunity to sample 5 wines, will cost you 50 Rand ($4) for their premium range, and 60 Rand ($5) for their exclusive (black label or family reserve). If you would like to try their Brandy, they have 2 to sample; the Cape Ruby, and Pinneau, and will cost you 60 Rand ($5). Backsberg also gives you the option to do chocolate or cheese pairings with your wine tastings, if you’re looking for that little bit extra! They also have a full restaurant, making this a great stop for lunch during your day of tastings.

To learn more, or to visit Backsberg to try their wines and visit the cellars, check out their website here.

Fairview Wine Estate

Sat on the southwest slopes of the Paarl Mountain range, ~60 km from Cape Town, you will find the Fairview wine estate. First designated as a farm in 1693, this estate has had a wide range of agriculture on the property over the years. Originally named Bloemkoolfontein (meaning cauliflower fountain in Afrikaans), in the late 1800’s the farm was renamed to be Fairview.

In 1937, the farm was purchased by the Back family for 6500 pounds, and has remained in the family ever since. Wine production began on the farm in 1699, but it wasn’t serious business until the Back’s bought in. Consult wines were planted, and in the 40’s and 50’s, this was the vast majority of wine that was produced. In 1955, most of the vineyards were replanted with a wide range of varieties – everything from Cabernet Sauvignon, to Shiraz, and Pinotage. Fairview was one of the first wine producers to break away from the regulatory body that controlled South African wine and its market. Cyril Back established the farm as an independent state, and in 1974, the first wines under the Fairview name were bottled. A year later, he held South Africa’s first public wine auction, selling off his entire 1975 collection in less than 3 hours.

Fairview began to diversify their range of wines in 1978, adding white wines like Chenin Blanc, and trying new innovative winemaking practices to produce even higher qualities of the existing wines. To this day, 70% of the wine production at Fairview is different varietals of red wine.

These early years of the Fairview estate have built up to the business that has formed today. Fairview now produces ~50 thousand cases of wine a year (that’s 600 thousand bottles!), and 70% of this production is exported all over the world. Fairview wine estate strives to offer excellent value, while maintaining its easy drinkability and high quality standards.

Not only does Fairview create quality wines, they also create a whole smorgasbord of cheeses! They started creating cheese in 1980, and have since become South Africa’s prominent producer of high quality specialty and artisanal cheese. Their Cheesery produces over 50 different kinds of artisanal cheeses, both from cow, and goat milk. They offer everything from low fat and salty, to creamy and rich - their white and blue rock cheeses are award winning, while their more traditional cheeses, like Brie or Camembert, offer something for any palate. My personal favourites are some of their herb goat cheeses, and their brie!

To try out their wines or cheeses, pay a visit to their world-renowned tasting room. Your tasting will give you the option between two different sets of wine, each with 6 different varieties (both white and red), as well as a drool worthy cheese pairing to sample with each! If you’re like me, you’ll want to buy all of the cheese and wine to take home with you. Their wine & cheese tasting will only cost you 40 Rand pp ($3, so cheap!). If you would simply like to do a cheese tasting (or want another spread of the cheese), it’s only 20 Rand ($1.50). For the charcuterie lovers, 70 Rand (~$6) will get you 6 wines, paired with 4 cheeses and 2 cured meats! How can you say no to deals like this?

To learn more, or to visit Fairview and try their wines & cheese, check out their website here.

Cape Peninsula

For a day trip from Cape Town, ~50 km south, is Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope. This area is a rocky headland on the Atlantic side of the Cape Peninsula that was once believed to be the southern most tip of Africa. The belief at the time was that this was the dividing point between the Indian and Atlantic Oceans. Over time, we have learned that this intersection point is actually Cape Agulhas, about 150 km to the E/SE along the Garden Route.

The Cape of Good Hope is the point at which a ship begins to travel more eastern than southern, and in 1488, a Portuguese explorer was the 1st to round the Cape, marking a huge milestone in establishing trade relations with Europe, the Far East and Australia via the Cape Route (& Clipper route). The area is known for its stormy weather and ships encountering tumultuous seas, as the Cape is situated at the convergence of the cold Benguela current, and the warm Agulhas current. Dangerous waves from these currents have caused many shipwrecks, and according to folklore, these wrecks have created the legend of the Flying Dutchmen. The Flying Dutchmen was a ship that was supposedly crewed by damned ghostly sailors who were doomed to sail the oceans forever after being lost in a severe storm near here. With the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869, this route has become inefficient to make the way around the African continent, so is now rarely used.

The Cape Peninsula is what forms the western boundary of False Bay. The rocks at the 2 Capes are part of the Cape Supergroup and are made of the same type of sandstones that make up Table Mountain. Both Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope offer stunning views - the entire southern portion of the Peninsula is composed of rugged rocks and cliffs with wild waves crashing against them, and it is a relatively untouched national park. The Cape Peninsula is also home to 1100 species of indigenous plants that grow here, and nowhere else in the world. The Cape Peninsula is actually 1 of 8 protected areas in the region and was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. With only 0.5% of the land area of Africa, nearly 20% of the continents plants are found here. It is a beautiful area, but be cautious as the area is known for very unpredictable weather, and some bold baboons that will raid your backpack (and car) if they see food! If you come between June and November, you also may get lucky and spot some whales!

Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope are 2 different places on the headland, though only separated by about 2 km’s and joined by a hiking path, so its very easy to walk or drive between each point. As they are in the National Park, there is a fee to get in — for tourists, the cost is 320 Rand (~$26 CAD) for adults, so be sure to spend some time here to get the value out of the ticket. There is a restaurant/cafe in the parking lot by Cape Point, so you can stop here to have lunch or a drink and enjoy the views for a while longer.

Additionally, Cape Point has a lighthouse that you can visit, and has many spectacular viewpoints on the walk up, but be careful with your camera over the edges as the wind gusts can sweep it away very quickly! There are a couple different ways to get to the top where the lighthouse is. The first, is to take the path and walk from the Cape of Good Hope to Cape Point (or visa-versa), and the second is to take the Flying Dutchmen Funicular, a transit system that will take you up and down from the parking lot in 3 minutes for a small fee.

Take a couple of hours admiring the natural, wild beauty of the Cape Peninsula, then head back north to visit the penguins, head to some surf spots in the bay, or head back to Cape Town.

To get down here, you can either drive, get a ticket on the City Sightseeing ‘Hop On Hop Off’ bus, or do a day tour through BazBus. One of the routes will take you on a day trip down south towards Cape Point, also stopping at Simon’s Town/Boulders Beach to see the penguins and give you time to check out the naval town and harbour.

Boulders Beach & African Penguins

A day trip from Cape Town, or a short drive from Simon’s Town, is Boulders Beach - known for its penguins! Boulders Beach in False Bay is one of Cape Towns most visited beaches, and the only place in the world where you are able to get close to a colony of African Penguins (also known as Jackass Penguins from their braying) in their natural habitat.

A few of these African Penguins first settled here in 1982, and with great conservation efforts, the population is now estimated between 2-3 thousands birds. The beach here is protected from the wind and stormy waves with the large granite boulders (that give the beach its name), which makes it the perfect place for the penguins to settle down. The African Penguin is an endangered species, but thankfully Boulders Beach and neighbouring ones now form part of the Table Mountain National Park Protected area. This helps ensure that beaches are kept clean, and the penguins remain protected. Colonies of these penguins can be found from southern Namibia all the way down the South African Coast, but few places offer the viewing points that you will find here.

3 wheelchair friendly boardwalks were constructed a few years back to accommodate the many tourists that pay a visit to these fluffy birds every year. This is mainly constructed on Foxy Beach (just next to Boulder beach), and here you can learn more about the penguins and walk around different viewing points near the colony. You aren’t able to swim within this area, so if you’re hoping to do that with the Penguins, be sure to take extra time to visit an adjacent beach!

Though you have to pay to access the boardwalk where the main colony lives, you are able to swim on a beach nearby, where some penguins like to frequent. This gives you the opportunity to get up close and personal with them, right in the water or on the beach.

You are able to visit the penguins year round, though summer is when you will get the most activity. The penguins feed out as sea in September and October, so fewer penguins will be on the beach during these months. If you visit in the summer months (November-February), you will have the opportunity to see the juvenile birds molting on the beach (the babies lose their baby feathers and gain adult ones, much like children losing teeth). The birds are typically most active early in the morning or late afternoon, so try to get here for these times.

To get to Boulders Beach, there are a few ways to get there from Cape Town, and it is on the way to Cape Point if you’re headed down that way anyways! A day trip to see the Penguins and Cape of Good Hope is very easily done. To get to Boulders you can go around the mountain via the Southern suburbs towards Kalk Bay, or from Camps Bay via Hout Bay and along Chapman’s Peak drive. The latter is an incredible scenic drive, so you will probably find yourself stopping along the way to check out some amazing views!

If you’re using public transport you can catch a train from Cape Town Station to Simon’s Town (buy a 1st class ticket!). From Simon’s Town you can either walk 30-minutes through the town, or catch a taxi to get to the beach! Alternatively, you can also get a ticket down south on the City Sightseeing ‘Hop On Hop Off’ bus or through BazBus. One of the routes will take you on a day trip down south towards Cape Point, stopping at Simon’s Town/Boulders Beach. A trip to Boulders is well worth a few hour stop if you’re heading down south to visit the Cape of Good Hope. These cute, fluffy birds are incredible to watch!

Wine Country

Located in the Western Cape Province of South Africa, is one of my favourite areas — wine country! I know, surprise, surprise, but the wine isn’t the only great thing about this area. This region is stunning with incredible views of the winelands, mountains, and sea, depending on where you are within it. With over 300 different vineyards, South African winelands are one of the top 10 wine producers in the world. Not only that, but South Africa is also home to some of the oldest wine areas outside of Europe.

Stellenbosch

The Stellenbosch area is an ~45 minute drive from Cape Town’s City centre so is easy to do a day trip, or spend a few days out in the area to see more than one route and try out different wineries!

Paarl

The Paarl area is an ~40 minute drive from Cape Town’s City centre.

Franschhoek

The wine region is home to many Cape Dutch-style wine farms, known for producing many incredible blends of almost any type of wine. There is also a route here dedicated to sparkling wines!

Muratie Wine Estate

To learn more, or to visit Muratie to try their wines, check out their website here.

Remhoogte Wine Estate

In the heart of the Cape Winelands and a few km’s from Stellenbosch lies the impeccable Remhoogte wine estate.

To learn more, or to visit Remhoogte to try their wines, check out their website here.

Backsberg Wine Estate & Cellars

Located on the hills of the Simonsberg Mountains, sandwiched between Paarl, Franschhoek and Stellenbosch, is a farm that occupies ~300 acres of vineyard – Backsberg Wine estate.

To learn more, or to visit Backsberg to try their wines and visit the cellars, check out their website here.

Fairview Wine Estate

To learn more, or to visit Fairview and try their wines & cheese, check out their website here.

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The Garden Route

Travelling east from Cape Town, you will start to drive along what is called the ‘Garden Route’. The town of George and Mossel Bay signifies the ‘gateway’ to the Garden Route, and this 200 km+ route stretches through beaches, bays, lakes, mountains, rivers, and forests with remarkable views and pitstops around every corner. For many reasons, this route is one of the most popular holiday destinations while travelling South Africa. The vegetation, ever-changing topography (and mind-blowing views that come with it), wildlife, and outdoor & adrenaline pumping activities will have you asking yourself why you would ever want to leave. You could spend weeks in this area alone exploring and trying all of the activities, so be sure not to rush through here. Take some time to slow down and enjoy the beauty that this natural area has to offer!

Click on the different areas below for more information on the stops that I made along the Garden Route.

Nambiti Big 5 Private Game Reserve

Going on a Safari has been at the top of my bucket list for my entire life, and because of this, I was keen to splurge in order to get the best experience that I could. My friend Lauren had planned to come with me, and having been on many safaris and game drives before, she knew exactly what to plan and where to go to get the best experience.

The most popular place for a safari in South Africa would undoubtedly be Kruger National Park. It is an area in the NE of South Africa, nearly 20,000 km2 in area, making it one of the largest game reserves in all of Africa, and is home to more than just the Big 5. There are also many smaller, private game reserves in South Africa that can give you the same (or better) experience, but in a much smaller area. Because of this, it can be easier for guides to find and track animals for good sightings, including going off road into the bush. In big parks like Kruger or Hluhluwe, this typically isn’t allowed, and because of their size, it can be harder to see all the animals in only a few days.

With that said, Kruger is one of the most popular options for people, and you can easily ‘build your own’ safari here to accommodate many budgets and make the most of the time that you do have. You can typically get a day pass for a reserve for a day for ~$25, but then you will need to sort out your own accommodation, as well as game drives. Everything is an additional cost that adds up pretty quickly — food, game drives, accommodation, etc. If this all sounds like too much work and hassle for you, you can do as we did — splurge, and go to a ‘fancier’ place that does it all for you. You can do this within Kruger, or go to a smaller, private game reserve. We opted to go to a private game reserve a few hours outside of Durban, called Nambiti. Nambiti is a private game reserve in KwaZulu Natal, that is 23,000 acres in size, and is home to over 40 game species aside from the ‘Big 5’, which means that you will undoubtedly see some amazing wildlife during your time there. To learn more about Nambiti, check out its website here.

There are many different lodges that you can stay at within this game reserve, but they all work together to ensure that you will have an amazing experience. Lauren had done most of the planning beforehand, so she had done most of the research on which lodge to stay at, etc. I didn’t even look at photos before we arrived, as I wanted to be surprised by the experience – and she didn’t let me down. We stayed at a lodge called Ndaka, a small lodge with a few private, luxury tents. The lodge itself was impeccable; our room was a (huge!) private ‘tent’ with an outdoor shower and living room, with everything opening right up onto the reserve, allowing game animals to come right up to it. The lodge had a shared infinity pool overlooking the reserve, and the meals (all included) were to die for. The staff here would go above and beyond to ensure that we had the essentials (+more), and the guides were incredibly knowledgeable in the wildlife that we would come to see. We spent 2 nights here, and I could have spent a week. They allow for 2 game drives per day – one for sunrise, and one for sunset, each 3 hours long, so you get to spend so much time admiring the incredible game within the reserve! To check out Ndaka or to book your own safari experience, you can get to their website here.

Everything about Ndaka and the game drives that we went on was a literal dream come true. I was like a kid in a candy store the entire time – my eyes wide, watching all of the incredible wildlife that the African bush had to offer unfold everywhere in front of me. The animals must have known we were coming, because they were there to put on a SHOW. We went on 4 game drives in the 2 days we were there – one at 5 am, and the other at 4 pm every day to try and see different animals when they are most active. The sunrise drive included a stop with some coffee & Kailua with homemade biscuits, and the sunset included a stopping place to have a sundowner drink overlooking the game reserve and immaculate sunsets that seem to happen here every night. Going on 2 drives a day gives you the opportunity to see the ‘Big 5’ when they may be most active, or coming out to play. The big 5 include elephants, lions, leopards, buffalo, and rhino and are given the title, as they were the 5 most dangerous, and therefore hardest animals for hunters to kill to claim their trophy. Though this is the ‘standard’ big 5 in safaris, my big 5 was a bit different. I was thrilled to be able to see lions, elephants, leopards, giraffe, zebra, rhino, cheetah, and warthog– okay I had more than 5, the list could still go on. Though we missed seeing the leopard, we got spoiled with what we did see and got the opportunity to experience. Keep reading below to see some amazing photos from our drives (thanks Linda for some of these!), hear some remarkable stories about the experiences we got to witness with some of the wildlife, and some fun facts about the animals.

Overall, my first taste of a safari was more than I could have ever wished for; I got to see the most amazing animals in their own habitat. Lion, giraffe, zebra, rhino, buffalo, cheetah, elephants, hippo, kudu, warthog, wildebeest, dung beetles, ostrich, a bunch of neat birds, and more, were all there to show us how incredible nature truly is.

Our first game drive was the evening that we got there, and on this drive, one of the big 5 - the elephants, treated us. We managed to find a big herd of them, including babies, before one large elephant came right up to our bukkie (the truck), nearly sticking his trunk right inside, no more than a foot in front of me.

The elephant is an incredible animal, they are incredibly smart, and are fascinated by humans just as we are by them. In the wild, they can live up to 70 years old, weigh up to 7 tons, and up to 13 ft tall – in other words, African elephants are massive – in fact, they are the largest land animals on Earth. Different than many other herd animals, elephant herds are matriarchal – led by a female. She typically leads a herd including other females (cows) and their babies. Males (bulls) usually roam on their own, or in smaller, all-male groups.

The biggest threat to survival of an elephant isn’t other animals – its (sadly) humans. Poaching is a significant threat to the elephant species, and as the ivory trade expands and more and more elephants are poached for their tusks, the closer the elephant gets to extinction. Before the Europeans began colonizing Africa there were an estimated 26 million elephants living in the wild. Now, there are less than 400 thousand. Poaching has also had another huge effect on the evolution of elephants – they are now starting to become tusk-less. Studies have shown that areas with more poaching now have higher than normal females, which are becoming naturally tusk-less. Even though the commercial ivory trade was banned in 1989, it hasn’t stopped the desire for the them, putting the elephant still at risk. As a result, many private game reserves (such as Nambiti) will remove the tusks of the elephants so that if poachers somehow manage to make their way in to the reserve, they have no desire for the animal, and are less likely to kill it. These are some immaculate animals, and seeing them so close up will give you a huge appreciation for them, and the elegance that such a large animal can have.

King Mufasa, is that you?

We were able to spot one male lion a couple times around the park throughout our game drives, and he was mobile every time we spotted him. The guides believe that he was out looking for his brother, who they had spotted a few days prior. One night after sunset, on our way back to the lodge, we shut off our engine of the buckie and listened, and got to hear the lions chuffing, or calling out, to try and find one another. Lion roars can be heard from 8 km’s away, so when you hear one, you don’t necessarily know how close it is to you. Lions also have superior vision at night – 6x better than humans, and so they are huge predators at night when much of their unassuming prey may be sleeping.

Saving our best for last - our last game drive was my absolute favorite. We had been looking for lions during the drives, and had only seen one male up until this point. This morning though, the girls came out to play. We came across two female lioness’ — sisters, who had evidently come out to find some breakfast. Within minutes of spotting them, they were giving us more than we could have ever wished for. Before we knew it, one of them had spotted a group of unaware warthogs (poor Pumba) nearby, and was watching them intently before she went for it. Running through the bush with 3 of them scampering away, all you could hear at the end was the little squeal of one of the warthogs, as it had become her latest bamba (kill). I had just witnessed my first kill – something people are lucky to see in 50 game drives, let alone 4. The lioness carried her hog into a bush to munch on, but our show wasn’t done there. Out comes her sister from the bush, and also hungry, decides to pursue her own breakfast. She was a bit more ambitious, and went for a big one. What she, nor did we expect, was that this guy would fight back. After her initial chase, the warthog used its tusks to come after her (also unheard of), before having a standoff for 10 minutes before the lioness actually gave up. She spotted another group of hogs to go after, so this initial one had a bit of luck and was able to sneak away from her and live to see another day. The lioness went for attempt number 2, and to her demise, tripped on her run to get it and missed another one. She wasn’t having a good day, but her sister decided to share some of her food with her, so she at least had something to tide her over until her hunting skills were back up to par. Lions/Lioness typically only eat every few days, and are very lazy animals in between feedings, so being able to see this was an incredible sight, and something I may never get the opportunity to see again.

Though not one of the traditional big 5, this spotted beauty was still high on my list to see while on a safari. It’s spotted panther ‘friend’ the leopard, is the one on the big 5 list, but we never managed to spot one of these — instead getting the opportunity to see a cheetah. On our first sunrise drive, this girl was spotted out near the edge of the park, and we managed to make it there in time to track her for a while.

Cheetahs are the fastest land animals, putting most cars to shame. Cheetahs can go from 0-60 mph in 3 seconds flat. They are incredibly nimble, and are fierce predators. They mainly hunt during the day, and use their outstanding eyesight to watch their prey in long grasses before making their pounce. As they move so quickly, they tire easily, and most chases will be done in less than a minute, so seeing these cats move quickly is extremely rare.

The same morning that we spotted our cheetah, we kept driving in the same area of the reserve and came across a group of over 20 giraffe — an unheard of number to all be in one spot at the same time. Our guide had never seen anything like it. They were all grazing in the same area, near a watering hole, and we were very lucky to come across them and to get as close to some of them as we did.

Giraffe are the world’s tallest animals, reaching up to 6 metres in height. Their long legs (nearly 2 m alone) allow them to run at speeds up to 35 mph. Male giraffes (bulls) will battle one another for dominance using their necks and heads, usually ending when one giraffes submits. Giraffes use their height to eat fruits and leaves that are on high tree tops (acacia trees and their pointy needles are a favourite — shown in a picture below), and they use their extremely long (21”) tongue to grab all the food from the branches to satisfy their hunger. Giraffes eat hundreds of pounds of food every week, so they spend a ton of their time awake eating (can you blame them). Even with their large size, they still have predators, the most common being the big cats.

One of the big 5, and the closest thing to a modern day dinosaur (in my opinion), rhinoceros are basically prehistoric, moving rocks. In fact, if you don’t look closely, from a distance, you probably will mistake a rhino for a large rock. There are 2 different kinds of rhinos exclusive to Africa – white, and black, and it has nothing to do with the color of them. Rhino are the second largest land mammal on Earth (second only to the elephant). The black rhino, aka. hook-lipped, is smaller, and is a low-level grazer and prefers to eat shrubs from low bushes and twigs. The white rhino, aka. square lipped, is much larger than the black, and prefers to graze on short grasses.

On another one of our sunset game drives we found black rhinos, a mom and baby only a few months old, with momma teaching her baby how to roll in the mud right in front of us. As we approached, and then backed up to give them space, the mom found a puddle to bathe in, before the baby rhino followed suit shortly after.

Sadly, another huge threat to the species is humans, and poaching of rhinos for their horn. Like elephants, rhinos are some of the most poached animals, so seeing them up close and having them so comfortable to do this only a few meters in front of us was incredible. This goes to show how amazing Nambiti is, and what it is doing to ensure the protection, safety, and comfort of all of its animals. Anti-poaching units are present in the national parks and private reserves, and even though it is still illegal, poachers still slip through some cracks.

Having never seen a Zebra before, I was pretty excited to see one initially, though their excitement wore off fairly quickly – turns out these are EVERYWHERE. On our first drive, our guide didn’t even stop when I first spotted one, as they don’t think anything of them anymore (or maybe it was because I pronounce it ‘Zee-bra’ instead of ‘Ze-bra’ as they do).

On a later drive, we did end up seeing a bunch of Zebra right close by, and one of the moms had a baby with her, so this was a pretty neat sighting. Just like a human with unique fingerprints, or cheetah/leopards with unique spots, every zebra has their own set of stripes unique to them. They are herd animals, and males will chase/battle one another for dominance over their herd.

The river horse, or hippopotamus, spends up to 16 hours of their day submerged in water in order to stay cool in the hot sun. They can hold their breaths for 5 minutes underwater before coming up for air, so they are some impressive free-divers!

When on land, hippos have to be very careful not to get sunburnt. They typically come out in the evenings to graze, when they are less likely to expose their skin to the hot sun for long periods of time. They secrete an oily, red fluid that coats their skin, and acts as a sunscreen to help protect them from getting burnt.

We never came across a hippo out of the water on our game drives, but did manage to see a ‘school’ of them sleeping on top of one another in one of the reserves ponds.

A prize to hunters, but a monster to any of its predators, the African Cape Buffalo are one of the big 5, and roam in huge herds throughout Sub-Saharan Africa. Gathering in such large groups help ward off their predators, and when they aren’t fending off big cats, they can usually be found eating huge amounts of grass.

Hunters sometimes refer to the Cape buffalo as ‘black death’, as they have such a dangerous personality — spontaneous, unpredictable, and irritable. They are also surprisingly fast - they can clock in at up to 37mph, so they can sneak away rather unexpectedly.

The sheer amount of wildlife that you will have the opportunity to see on a safari is like nothing you could come to expect, and there is no way that you will remember everything that you see. From the different variety of birds, to dung beetles, kudu, antelope, wildebeest, warthog, ostrich… I could go on for hours. Depending on which reserve you go to may dictate which animals you may get to see (Nambiti for example, doesn’t have wild dogs or meerkat), but you will always get to see an outstanding example of the creativity of mother nature and how varied the animal population is. Keep your eyes, and ears open, and you will have the chance to witness a plethora of spectacular wildlife.

Panthera South Africa Big Cat Sanctuary Lion Obi Oliver 2.jpg

Panthera Big Cat Sanctuary

Volunteering has always been a big part of my life back home, and I knew that whenever I went to South Africa, volunteering was something that I wanted to incorporate into my trip. Back at home, I’ve typically always volunteered with kids or families at organizations like the Ronald McDonald House or Big Brothers, Big Sisters, so while abroad, I wanted to try and do something a bit different. So, before heading to South Africa, I planned to spend at least a week volunteering, ideally with animals, but I knew that I couldn’t just go anywhere. I googled ethical places to volunteer with animals in the country and a list of 7 came up. They were a mix of monkeys, big cats, sharks, etc. but the minute I saw Panthera and did a bit of research of what the sanctuary was about, I knew they were the one for me, and luckily, they had availability! I committed to spending a week here, but by the end, I wished I could have stayed much longer.

One of the most known uses of animals in captivity is the use of big cats (or many other animals) for show in the circus, or in zoos. Many of these animals (especially in the circus) live in crates no bigger than a few m2, and never have the opportunity to live freely. Big cats (or any animal for that matter) in zoos are often said to be part of a ‘conservation’ plan, as they breed the animals to help them from going extinct, but if they are no longer wild, are we really preserving anything? These animals are confined to small spaces for their entire lives, and often bred into captivity (it can’t just be released into the ‘wild’) — either way, any animal confined to a small space doesn’t have the life that it deserves.

One of the saddest, and most overlooked reasons for an animal coming to Panthera is the use of the big cats for the bone trade & canned hunting industry. The owners of Panthera, Cat & Lizanne, were involved with many of the cats from birth, and is why they have chosen many of the cats that they have to come to Panthera. They initially came as volunteers to other ‘sanctuaries’, and were told that these cubs had been abandoned by their mom and needed their help in feeding them. What they came to learn, was that these cubs had been forcefully pulled from their mom within hours of being born within a breeding facility, and required significant attention in order for them to survive.

Cubs have a significant value right from birth – volunteers will pay to come and spend time holding, feeding, and cuddling the cubs, often paying upwards of thousands of dollars to do so. Once a cub is old enough to walk on its own and is still in its ‘cute’ stage, people can come in for day visits and will pay a fee to pet and hold the cubs. This is a lucrative business for ‘sanctuaries’. A cub is only ‘cute’ to people for so long, so these businesses need a steady flow of cubs to do so, which means constant breeding. Once the cubs are too old for the ‘petting’ side of the industry, they often get moved into an area where people are allowed to walk with the cats. They are then trained and often beaten with sticks (so that they become scared of these) so that humans can walk alongside them and get their photos taken with them. After this stage, the animals have very little value left for the owners. At this point, they either get placed into the breeding facilities themselves, where they do not receive enough food, become malnourished and are either sacrificed into the bone trade, or get sent into a canned hunt.

The bone trade in China is a lucrative business, as they believe that tiger bones have significant health benefits. This was banned a long time ago, but is still an issue to this day. As the amount of tigers in the world decreases, people are looking for other ways to get ‘tiger’ bones, and many people will use lion or other big cat bones in their place — unless you see the carcass and skin itself, you would never know whether you have a tiger or lion bones.

If the cat doesn’t die for its bones, it’s likely to be sent into a canned hunt. A canned hunt is essentially a trophy ‘hunt’ that isn’t a fair chase. People go online, select which cat they would like to ‘hunt’ and this cat is then placed within an enclosure so that it is unable to escape, essentially guaranteeing the kill. Its too easy for the ‘hunter’ and impossible for the animal to evade the inevitable. Many people will do this for the trophy alone — and has become such a big problem that many countries have banned the trophies from being brought into the country. Sadly, this is technically not illegal in South Africa, as no part of the government wants to be the one responsible for the industry and the repercussions that would come with shutting it down, and admitting that it has been in the wrong for so long.

A big part of Panthera and its philosophy is education. Informing the public about what is going on behind closed doors is essential if change is ever going to come about. Big cats are used in many unethical ways. There are more big cats in captivity as pets in the United States, than there are wild cats left in the world. This is absolutely heartbreaking — big cats are wild animals and should have the room to roam freely.

So what does Panthera do to help these animals? Panthera is a not for profit, truly ethical animal sanctuary for big cats from all over the world, giving safe havens to big cats that have had a rough upbringing. Panthera works closely with the Born Free Foundation, and takes in lions, tigers, leopards, cheetah, caracal, jackal, you name it. Most of the animals that come to Panthera were used in the tourism trade (such as cub petting, walking with cats, circus’ or zoos), or were in a breeding facility to be used for canned hunting or the bone trade. At Panthera there is no petting or touching of the animals of any kind, absolutely no breeding, and there is always a fence between the animals and us, and they are treated as closely to ‘wild’ animals as possible.

Food comes in random intervals every few days so that the animals don’t start to expect it at a certain time, and all of the food is donated by nearby farmers (and never slaughtered to feed the cats). They are given medicine & supplements to help them overcome sicknesses brought on by the breeding facilities (such as malnourishment) or from inbreeding, and are given enrichment toys to give them something to play with and have some fun. Their enclosures are huge and built specifically for each animal, so that they all have the best life that they possibly could, and all seem very happy and relaxed.

The main point that I want to get across is how important it is do your research before you think of volunteering or visiting any animal sanctuary, zoo, or circus. There are over 200 big cat ‘sanctuaries’ in South Africa, but only 7 of them are truly ethical. Don’t be afraid to ask questions before you sign up or visit. If they have nothing to hide, they shouldn’t mind you prodding a bit. How do they really treat their animals? How do they get there? Are you going to be holding a baby lion, petting a cheetah or tiger or walking alongside them? None of that is natural to them, and the minute we cuddle them or hand feed them, they’re toast. They can no longer go back into the wild as some may suggest, as they will no longer see humans as a threat, and instead as a source of food. Would you still cuddle the cub knowing that in a few years it would be killed for its bones, or sold online and thrown into an enclosure for a ‘hunter’ to come and put a few bullets into it to hang their trophy on their wall?

As a volunteer at Panthera you wont be petting any animals, instead, you’ll be doing the dirty work, but that means providing the animals with an incredible life that they wouldn’t have had the opportunity to have otherwise. My time as a volunteer included picking up big cat poop, cleaning out enclosures, going on educational tours that they offer to the public, building enrichment toys for the animals, and spending time visiting with the big cats. They all have different stories of how they got there, but they love the company and home that they have now.

For more information on Panthera Africa, things you can do to educate yourself, or ways to help, please see the links below.

Panthera Africa Born Free Foundation

Durban/UMhlanga

Durban is a city on the South East Coast of South Africa, along the Indian Ocean. Durban isn’t the safest place to be in South Africa, so unless you plan on using it as a stopping grounds to get around, there isn’t too many reasons to visit.

I came to the Durban area as my friend Lauren lives in UMhlanga, an area just outside of Durban, which is where I was staying prior to and after the safari. As a home base for a few days, I had some time to check out the things that there are to do around, including going to the waterfront and spending time walking along the promenade, and treating myself to a day at the Oyster Box Spa.

The promenade walk is a beautiful walk at any point during the day! You will pass by a lighthouse, surfers along the bay, and the whalebone pier. If you’re looking for somewhere to try out a yoga class, Manifest Yoga is a great studio offering up a variety of different classes for any level.

The Oyster Box is a high-end spa in UMhlanga where you can spend a day truly pampering yourself. I had a full body massage here, and with that, you get access to small bites, a hot tub, and an area to relax and unwind with tea and refreshments. If you’re looking for a place for some real RnR, this is the spot!

Durban is also known for its Indian curries - there is a large indian population here, so if you love a good curry like I do - be sure to try it out!