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www.maxpages.com/africa1 NOTE: A photo collection which illustrates this trip may be elicited by clicking: Cruise to South Africa: Images and Impressions. Southern Africa: Images and Impressions. South Africa to Victoria Falls: Images and Impressions. After departing the Pacific Princess in Cape Town on 20 Oct 04, the first order of business was to investigate this famous port city (map). I rented a car and moved into a neat apartment for a few days in the Oceantide Apartments just one-half block from the water. The weather the first day was very rainy and I expect those passengers on the Pacific Princess, who had only a day to spend and were going on to Australia, did not get to see too much of the lovely city (photo). In any event, I busied myself with visiting one of the huge shopping malls, a number of well known sites and then spending a day touring the south via the spectacular Chapman's Peak Drive which has been four years in the rebuilding and had just been reopened after some debris had slid down the mountainside during the previous rain. Then it was south to the spectacular beaches of Kommetjie and eventually to the naval base at Simonstown. The Cape Peninsula coastline (photo) is renowned for its expanse of pristine beaches, coves and tranquil bays (photo). The weather improved enormously and was to continue that way for the next three weeks. Departing Cape Town (map)after spending some time with newfound friends from the ship who reside half the year in the attractive port city, the first destination was east to the wine country around Stellenbosch, the Afrikaan center of a most beautiful valley of rolling countryside. Of course, one has to visit a winery and not only taste the wine and have a meal but to go away with a half dozen bottles of some great wine at a most reasonable price. Then it's along the scenic Helshoogte Pass to Franschhoek, another town renowned for its fine wine, exclusive restaurants and sidewalk cafes. The history of this French Huguenot settlement dates back to 1688 and its history can be readily viewed at the local Huguenot Museum. The night was spent at the extraordinarily nice Strawberry Hill Country Lodge inland a few miles from Wilderness which itself is on the coast. In fact, the hospitality and tranquil nature of the place required a second night. During the day a visit was made to the picturesque beach at Herold's Bay for a very cold swim. No matter, the day was fine and the water invigorating. This stretch of coast extending east to the Storms River area and the end of the famous Garden Route is very popular and it is easy to see why. The scenery is ever changing along the water and the countryside is very inviting. The Afro-montane forest and the fynbos-covered low mountains contribute to the highest biodiversity at species level in the world within the Cape Floral Kingdom. Africa is a very large continent (map) and the southern region alone is as large as the mainland United States. In fact, there is room in Africa to fit almost four countries the size of the US into it. South Africa is the principal country in southern Africa and a land very attractive to the overseas visitor. It is certainly the most diverse ethnically in Africa and contains the greatest number of whites although still a small percentage of the total inhabitants. It has a vital quality that is very noticeable and it has cultural and geographic variations that make it most interesting. The major roads in South Africa are surprisingly good throughout the country, although further north there are some signed pothole sections, and keeping on the left for Americans was not that difficult. The national routes are particularly fast with some toll roads available here and there. As one leaves the southern coast near Port Elizabeth and heads north, the country changes quickly as the coastal mountains are passed and the great flat plateau country charcterized by the Karoo are negotiated. A stop in Addo Elephant National Park was a real treat as their tents on platforms are positioned right at the electrified fence protecting the visitor accommodations and their elevated porches overlook the stamping grounds of elephants, antelope and water buffalo to name the largest animals. At night it is marvelous to see the outlines of a hundred water buffalo passing below while they forage with a lot of grunting. If one wants to see more, then a floodlit water hole is a few steps away that is complete with seats and facilities. It is a great place to become acquainted with most of the big five: lion, elephant, water buffalo, rhino and the elusive leopard. A day's tour of the park provided rich scenes of ostrich mating rituals, zebra, various kudo/springbok/impala groups, elephant and the occasional lion. After Addo, it was a rather straight line north to the Gariep Dam where an overnight was had at Oviston and then on to Bloemfontein for a quick stop. This capital city is one of three in the nation with its prime mission as the judicial center while Cape Town is the legislative center and Pretoria the administrative center. The night was spent in Ladybrand at the Lesotho border. Lesotho is a small enclave of a nation entirely within South Africa and has an up and coming touristic future; however, its location makes it difficult for most visitors to experience its attractions. The capital city of Maseru is more of a business center and the tourist will have to tour the countryside but with a limited network of roads that do not provide good access to any of the larger South African cities. Its charm will have to be as a less developed country with its own culture. Again, a traveler will have to spend a minimum of time in this area if the overall objective is to see a good part of Southern Africa. Pushing on, the drive north to Sun City is easy and relatively fast. Little traffic is experienced if one can avoid huge urban areas such as Johannesburg. Sun City is the African version of Las Vegas with a little Disneyworld thrown in for good measure. It is certainly worth a visit and I enjoyed the huge wavemaker at the Lost City swimming pool. There was an international golf tournament on a beautiful looking course going on at the time I was there and everything was bustling. It was a good change of venue for a day and a bit of fun. The real attraction, though, was the nearby Pilanesberg National Park which had been stocked with over 6,000 animals over the years (photos). In an old volcanic area of high hills, these animals have multiplied and prospered. In addition, the park, which is run by a combination of public and private organizations, is very well maintained with excess brush along the roadways periodically cleared so that viewing the animals is easy and a pleasure from private automobiles. A variety of game ranging from giraffe and zebras to rhino and hippos were on display. A series of hides, or blinds, were constructed and fenced off so that visitors might exit their vehicles safely and watch animals at close range usually at water holes. A great place in a malaria free area. One night was spent in the park and another just outside at a self-catering lodge. From Pilanesberg and Sun City, the road led south and east to Pretoria, the Jacaranda City, and all the trees were at their purple best. Generally considered the capital of South Africa, it actually shares its governmental duties with Cape Town and Bloemfontein as mentioned earlier. The city has a number of attractive buildings and monuments and an overnight was warranted in the city. There was one other area to be visited before departing the country and that was Swaziland, a small country on South Africa's eastern boundary. It was a pleasant and fast drive to Mbabane, the nation's capital and the border formalities went fast enough. The tourist hotels are heavily concentrated in the Ezulwini Valley and that is where a night was passed right below the picturesque peak called Execution Rock which is part of the hill arrangement known as Sheba's Breasts. A drive around the western part of the country revealed some of the prettier reforested parts of the small nation and the people were exceptionally friendly at every level. The next day was reserved for the drive to the Johannesburg Airport area and a nearby overnight to prepare for an early flight to Victoria Falls and Zambia. A very nice Bed and Breakfast was found in Kempton Park near JNB and a lot of excess clothes were given away so as to meet the 20kg weight limit of Nationwide Airlines for the relatively short 1.5hr international flight up to malaria country. Incidentally, having a window seat on the left side of the aircraft was a good choice as the interesting Botswana landscape was clearly visible as was the falls flyover (aerial photo) on the final approach (map) to Livingstone Airport (LVI) on the Zambia (map) side of the border. Three nights were reserved at the Zambezi Sun which is a very nice hotel within minutes by foot to the falls. It is next to a national park and the first day I saw zebras walking past the swimming pool! It served as a perfect base of operations and the first afternoon was spent walking the falls which were in their low water season. The rains start in November but had not yet come so it was a plus inasmuch as one could not only see part of the falls clearly without the usual clouds of mist obscuring everything but one could ascertain the deep canyon that has been built by the river and the plunge pools and river below. Secondly, the game along the upper Zambezi was more observable as the grass and vegetation had not yet taken off with the rains nor had the rains allowed the animals to stray too far from the river lowlands. In any event, the dry late springtime turned out to be fortunate for good sightseeing which was the principal objective. The next day was set for Zimbabwe ($30 visa charge for Americans and $55 for UK citizens at the river border crossing) to view the western or heavier part of the falls. Here the mist rose well above the surface and when the falls are at their heaviest it is said that the mist can be seen from twenty miles away. The waterfall is supposed to be the biggest in the world and one must agree that it is a huge drop, over three hundred feet or twice that of Niagara, and a very wide waterfall exceeding a mile in width. Incidentally, the Zambezi is the fourth longest river in Africa. While in Zimbabwe, it seemed a good idea to view the venerable Victoria Falls Hotel which had been built over one hundred years ago and was to be torn down once the bridge was built so as to not mar the view but here the hotel still stands as a tribute to the early builders. A lot of royalty has used this hotel and it is still a most popular center for the international visitor. The next day was reserved for a land and water game ride in Botswana. An arrangement with the most capable Zambezi Transfer Services started with a 45-mile drive west along the Zambezi to Kazungula (map) where a speedboat carried five of us across the river at where Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Botswana all meet. A 4x4 open vehicle then moves us along the Chobe River to where we can board small boats that can carry no more than eight passengers up the river. A rather slow speed allows approach to any number of animals ranging from elephants to crocodiles and water buffalo to all sorts of birds to include the African fish eagle. It is a marvelous experience especially from a boat. The animals visit the wetlands and there is no obstacle to see them clearly and up close and personal. The Chobe National Park from Serondela extending east to Kasane, a rich riverine forest with its Namibian bordering floodplain, is considered to be one of southern Africa's finest short safari game drives both overland and on the water. The afternoon is taken up with a 4x4 drive along dirt and sand roads to view more game especially hundreds of elephants. Quite a day. Finally, the day arrives to fly back to Johannesburg and then overnight to London. I kept on flying to Chicago and then to Los Angeles and on to Ontario ... five flights and some forty eight hours of travel. But not too bad and a great way to end a cruise and overland African tour. NOTE: A photo collection which illustrates this trip may be elicited by clicking: Cruise to South Africa: Images and Impressions. Southern Africa: Images and Impressions. South Africa to Victoria Falls: Images and Impressions. General Cruise Information. Travel Articles by the author. Copyright 2004, All Rights Reserved. |
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