17th October Arrival in Cape Town
After several hours of flying, we landed in the afternoon at the international airport in Cape Town and after settling in to our accommodation in the hotel, we had a nice dinner at the V&A Waterfront.
18th October Day trip across Peninsula
We began to explore the beauty of Africa immediately the following day, on a day trip to the Cape of Good Hope. We drove along the coast of the Cape Peninsula, Camp Bay and Llandudno until we reached Chapman´s peak. Along the way, we made a spectacular voyage to the Island of Seals in the Hout Bay, we sailed around Simon´s Town and Boulders Beach, which were besieged by African penguins. We had a beautiful view of the Cape of Good Hope from the summit of Cape Point, where we arrived by Cable Car.
19th October Day trip to the vineyards and Table Mountain
We rode through the wine regions and Hottentots Holland Mountains, which was associated with a trip to the towns of Stellenbosch or Franschhoek. There was also a tour of wine cellars as well as tasting delicious, local wines from the world-known vineyards KWV Wine Emporium and Haute Cabriere. The trip was ended by way of a cable car to Table Mountain which forms the main landmark of Cape Town.
20th October A trip to Robben Island
Our trip to Robben Island began in the morning at the V&A Waterfront. During the cruise we could experience the exciting possibility to observe the world´s largest animals in their natural environment, the Southern right whales, which can grow up to 15 meters. On Robben Island we had a tour and visited the prison, famous for the imprisonment of Nelson Mandela. After returning to Cape Town we partook in a tour of the local sights, such as, the castle, parliament, city hall and the colourful Bo Kaap district.
21st October Flight from Cape Town to Durban
After parting from Cape Town, we flew to Durban, seaside resort on the Indian Ocean coast.
22nd October Trip to the Valley of Thousand Hills, a traditional village of Zulu tribe and the Phezulu crocodile and snake Safari Park
The day trip to Phezulu Safari Park, which is 35 km from Durban, was unforgettable. The captivating views of the valley of 1000 hills were waiting for us. We had the privilege to experience the culture of the Zulu tribe, saw their tribal dance performances, and could travel through the village to see their humble homes. Afterwards, we embarked on our visit to the crocodile and snake park. Our local guide enriched us with lots of information. Some of us even dared to have a snake wrapped around our necks.
23rd October Full day visit to UShaka Sea World in Durban
In the middle of our stay we had another amazing trip. UShaka Sea World is the fifth largest aquarium in the world, containing 32 tanks that hold a combined 17,500 cubic meters of water. This Aquarium boasts a large collection of various sharks, moray eels, stingrays, jellyfish and many other marine animals. It was possible to watch performances with both dolphins and seals nand we also learned many interesting things about the cute penguins.
24th October Trip to Hluhluwe reserve through the town of Santa Lucia
After a brief visit to the museum of sharks, we left Durban and went on a trip to Santa Lucia, where our cruiser sailed us through the lagoon of Wetland Nature Reserve, where it was possible to watch hippos, crocodiles and a variety of waterfowl species.
25th October A ride through the Hluhluwe reserve to Umfolozi National Park
Across the shore of Indian Ocean, we went to the Hluhluwe Nature Reserve. We saw representatives of African fauna including hippos, giraffes, zebras, monkeys and many others. After the thrilling experiences of our safari we waited to move outside of South Africa, to the Kingdom of Swaziland, the second smallest country in Africa.
26th October Visit to handicraft market and a demonstration of Swaziland candles
We visited a typical Swaziland Mantenga village with a demonstration of dances and life of the indigenous population. Our visit was not deprived of craft markets offering traditional handicraft products, or demonstrations of the production of the known Swaziland candles.
27th October Journey to Mount Sheba hotel
On this day we made our way from the Kingdom of Swaziland back to South Africa. We were all intrigued by the landscape and made a short break in the local glassworks workshop, gaining insight on traditional glass manufacturing.
28th October Panorama tour to the city of Hazyview
Our wander through the highlands of Drakensberg, was interrupted several times with a stop on the most interesting places of the route including The Three Rondavel´s, stunning Blyde River Canyon which is the third largest canyon in the world. There was a tour of natural geological phenomena Bourke´s Luck Potholes, God´s Window and the prospect of a fascinating view of the huge Lisboa waterfalls. Accommodation was held in a beautiful hotel on the border of Kruger National Park.
29th October All-day ride through Kruger National Park
The last day we had a full day of wandering the world-famous reserve Kruger National Park with experienced rangers in off-road vehicles. Because of this, it offered us the opportunity to observe, in the wild, many species of African animals and in particular we saw the Big Five, five dangerous and respect commanding mammals, among which include the African Elephant, the Rhinoceros, the African buffalo, the Lion and the Leopard.
30th October Travel by car to Johannesburg across Pretoria
The last day we went early in the morning, across the landscape of Eastern Transvaal, to explore the main attractions of one of the main cities of South Africa, Pretoria. We saw for example Church Square or the governmental Union Buildings and we reached the monumental statue of Nelson Mandela. Then we had to leave for the Oliver Tambo International Airport. Although we were sad to say, ‘good-bye Africa’, within each of us lied an enduring happiness. We are honoured to have had this wonderful opportunity to enrich our knowledge and be a part of this stunning two-week experiential stay that will remain forever engraved in our memories.