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Travel Journals
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Our Dream Family Safari to South Africa
Full Itinerary
On June 8th, after years of dreaming and months of planning, we (I, my husband, and our teenage daughter and our good friends with their two teenaged kids) left for a safari in South Africa, an experience that we will be talking about and remembering for the rest of our lives. With the expert advice of Jeanie Fundora (Cox & Kings), we set off to fall in love with Franschhoek, South Africa's charming wine country and gastronomic capital, float 30 feet away from the 40-ton Southern Right whales who migrate to South Africa to give birth, and of course to go on safari and know the thrill of waking up in the morning to find a herd of elephants going for a stroll, babies in the center.
We began our trip in Capetown, where we got an overview of the political history of South Africa. We all knew about the horrors of apartheid, but after going on a tour of the apartheid museum with a former political prisoner, we had a much deeper understanding. We knew who Nelson Mandela was before our trip, but after this experience we have such a greater sense of awe for this leader. Our children left with an understanding of human problems and human rights no book or movie could teach them. They were very impressed by what they learned. If our trip had ended here (our second day) it would have been worth it.
Capetown is a beautiful city on the tip of South Africa. We drove along the coast to the Cape of Good Hope, which we had all studied in history. The drives were spectacular and reminded us of driving the coast of California in some places and the south of France in others. We saw colonies of penguins and baboons along the way!
Franschhoek, a tiny village originally settled by the French over 200 years ago, has become the heart of South Africa's wine industry. It is a beautiful town nestled in the mountains. We stayed at Le Franschhoek Hotel and Spa, where we treated ourselves to massages, facials etc. The whole town is about wine and we visited many wineries for wine and cheese tasting. There is even an authentic Belgian chocolatier in the town where we tasted chocolates. This is the gourmet capital of South Africa and we enjoyed many great restaurants here. We had an especially wonderful lunch at Reuben's, its renowned chef and owner Reuben, came out to meet and greet us.
Our next stop was Grootbos, a private nature reserve near Hermanus, where we came primarily to see the great Southern Right whales migrate up from Antarctica. We were greeted in the lodge by the manager who invited us to have a glass of wine and sit on the terrace and enjoy an exquisite view of milkwood trees all the way down to the ocean. We stayed in luxurious private suites, just a short stroll down windy shaded paths from the lodge. Each suite had its own private deck where we could relax and just take in the quiet, watch the sunset over the ocean, or even bird watch. We went on jeep safaris to see the beautiful vegetation and forests. Our kids enjoyed horseback riding, and we all went cave exploring on the beach. And of course the whales. Nothing can prepare you for your first sighting of this 40-ton creature coming all the way out of the water and flapping its tail!
Flying on the very small "Chili Pepper" plane into Timbavati for our stay at the tented Tanda Tula was an adventure already. We loved it! Our guide was waiting for us at the simple airstrip with his Landrover jeep and transported us to camp. And on the way two giraffes crossed the road! This was only the beginning! We slept in tents—yes they were luxury tents with beds and attached bathrooms—but they were tents nonetheless. And we heard roars and hoofs of animals at night and slept in 40 degrees with hot water bottles tucked in our beds. We ate dinner outside at night around a big fire and met the other guests from all corners of the world. Totally Amazing. This was our kids' favorite.
We flew on the chili pepper again to the incredible Singita Lebombo. Lebombo is best described as a luxurious nest built high above the ground with sweeping views of a landscape and sky so different that you just have to go see it. Your every need and more will be filled here. Every time we returned from safari there was a bath drawn complete with champagne and rose petals. This was in a bathtub with a view over the riverbed with hippos and monkeys in the trees. Our suites were a paradise. The meals in the lodge were exquisite. There was breakfast, lunch, tea in the afternoon, and dinner. The wine sommelier hosted a private wine tasting for us in the wine cellar. Our safaris were wonderful. Our guide was fantastic. He knew not only about all the animals and vegetation, but about the stars as well. On our evening safari when it was dark we would focus on the sky and he would, with the help of a laser pointer, give us the most fascinating lesson on the stars!
Cox & Kings arranged guides for us who met us at the airports and took us everywhere we needed to go. They not only were experts on their country, they were wonderful people and we got a real glimpse into the important issues South Africa is facing today. Our guides added a whole different aspect to our trip that we would never have gotten otherwise, besides the fact of making everything so easy and stress free.
As we have shared our pictures and adventures with our friends at home, they all ask the same question? How did you ever plan such a trip? Everything was so interesting and fabulous and special. The answer is easy. Cox & Kings. I wouldn't do it any other way. We are now thinking about India as our next adventure and of course we will let Cox & Kings make our plans!
Do you have a C&K travel story you would like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Submit your travel tales and reflections to tours@coxandkingsusa.com.
Travel Journals
Laos, Land of a Million Elephants
Nat Waring's North Island, Seychelles Report
Memsahib in the Kitchen
The Tigers of Rathambore
Life Along the Ayeyarwady
North Island, Seychelles
Our Honeymoon To Kenya
Our Stay at North Island
Bali and Sumba Islands, Indonesia
Peru and the Inti Raymi Festival
Northern Thailand & Myanmar
Going Native in Malaysia
Bhutan, Nepal, Cambodia & Thailand
Exploring Ethiopia
Falling in Love—with India
A Perfect Safari to Kenya and Tanzania
A Thai Wedding
Indochina Sojourn
Family Safari to Tanzania
Exploring Malaysia
Our Dream Family Safari to South Africa
Safari to Botswana
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