Our journey to South Africa started in Johannesburg and ended in Cape Town. We arrived and checked into our apartment at the DaVinci Hotel and Suites located in Nelson Mandela Square. Check in process was smooth as we transitioned to the room to unpack. The apartment was spacious, had a great view of the city, and very cozy. Our itinerary was packed so we had to unpack and repack another bag, as the journey to the Safari started the next day, and we wanted to hang out with other friends who arrived before us.
We used a transportation service which chauffeured our party while we were in and around Johannesburg. The drive to the Ivory Tree Game Lodge, which was located in Pilanesberg National Park, was about three hours long. The drive through the countryside of South Africa exposed a mountainous country with beautiful landscape. The living conditions of the people on the countryside give a more simplistic view of necessities of life and the connection to nature.
After a long three hour ride, we arrived at Ivory Tree Game Lodge, checked in, and started our sunset safari. Our tour guide was a very nice and knowledgeable man named Michael, who presented himself as calm and fearless. During the first safari, we saw a variety of animals, lions, giraffes, elephants, wildebeest, and zebras. Upon arrival back we enjoyed a buffet style dinner and retired to our rooms in preparation for the sunset safari. The rooms had turn down service and we arrived back with our mosquito nets curtained around the beds. The tub was indoor, however a quick shower meant showering outside in a private shower overlooking the bush. Due to storms overnight, the morning was a lot cooler than expected. On the morning safari we encountered rhinos, a cheetah, more elephants, impalas and wildebeest. Even stopping for a break to share mimosas, coffee, and have some snacks.
Our journey for the day had not yet started as we still had to travel back to Johannesburg, while taking advantage of many places along the way. We stopped by Sun City Lost City and explored what we could. Next we stopped at Chameleon Village in Hartbeespoort to do some shopping. Chameleon Village is one of the largest market places in tat area with a variety of arts, food, and gifts.
When we arrived back in Johannesburg we headed straight for the Apartheid museum. We were only allowed to take pictures in the first exhibit so we only have a few photos. The Apartheid museum dove immediately and directly into the history of South Africa starting with zoning and creating of townships. Immigrants from Europe who now called South Africa home, created a government, took over the gold mining, and created the outline for one of the biggest fights for equality in the last 100 years in South Africa. Our tour guide walked us through exhibits and educated us about the ins and outs on the fight for equality. We finished the tour and completed our day with dinner at Moyo Melrose Arch and indulged in a variety of foods, wines, and face painting.
The next day, we head to Soweto to do the Lebo's Soweto Tour. Some of our group decided to ride and do the bicycle tour while others rode in tuk tuks. The staff at Lebo's were very friendly and passionate about their city. We tasted beef tongue and local beer, and drove through the city seeing smiling children racing behind us for high fives. The culture in Soweto is that of a proud community that can't be easily broken. The tour was completed back at the storefront where we had a walk through of an African celebration ceremony followed by delicious food. Following the Bike & Tuk Tuk tour, we went back to the village to visit Nelson Mandela's home and the youth uprising memorial.
We eventually flew to Cape Town where we checked in at the Portswood V & A Waterfront Hotel. The community is a busy community with lots of shopping and tourist activities. After a day of shopping and rest, our party gathered for our dinner cruise around the shore with Tigger Too. Dinner was provided by the company and we ate drank, spotted whales, and took the most beautiful pictures before sunset.
The next day we indulged in a South African wine tour. We stopped by a few wineries but my favorite was Marianne Wines. In addition to the delicious wine, the landscape was breathtaking with the fields filled with beautiful rows of lemons, grapes, and flowers. The wine I took most too was the Pinotage 2015. After the tour, we headed back to Cape Town and had dinner at Firefish.
A trip to Cape Town wouldn't be complete without a visit to Tabletop Mountain. Unfortunately, due to high winds, we missed taking the cable car to the top of Tabletop Mountain, but were able to go to visit Robben Island. To complete the trip to South Africa we ate dinner at Hussar Grill.
Overall, what a beautiful country filled with beautiful people and rich history. I can't wait to go again!
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