Amazing South Africa Adventure
This detailed itinerary from our trip to South Africa in December 2016/ January 2017 was prepared to help friends prepare their own trip to one of the most amazing places we have ever visited.
Itinerary, Hotels, & Flights
Cape Town — We flew into Cape Town on the day after Christmas and stayed 4 nights at the Premier Hotel Cape Town. The hotel did not have a pool, but the rooms were spacious, the location was good, and there was a free shuttle to the Waterfront.
Pretoria/ Joburg — We took the short flight from Cape Town to Johannesburg and stayed 4 nights with great friends, the Hales.
Hazyview — Our two nights in a three-bedroom chalet at the upscale, and comfortable Kruger Park Lodge were superb. The drive from Pretoria took us about 5.5 hours (including a stop for lunch).
Marloth Park — We planned to stay two nights in Marloth Park on the south side of Kruger. We decided instead to stay only one night in the Lion Tree Bush Lodge — a private house in the bush only 4 meters away from a lion preserve — because it was really really hot (no A/C), there was huge rain storm, and at least one of us (hint: it’s me) does not fully appreciate the rugged lifestyle. #notaneaglescout. We opted instead to book a Protea (Marriott) hotel halfway between Kruger and Pretoria. This was a great choice because it allowed us to get back to Pretoria by the early afternoon to connect with the Hales before heading for our 7:30 pm flight.
Extra Days in Jozi — We ended up getting stranded for four extra days because our flight to Istanbul was cancelled due to snow! We stayed at the posh and luxurious Southern Sun OR Tambo International Airport Hotel. It was actually neither posh or luxurious, but it gave us a place to stay while we explored a couple of additional sites in Johannesburg that we would not have otherwise seen or done.
CAPE TOWN
Day 1 — Arrival
We arrived in the early afternoon. One benefit of coming from Europe is that there is no time difference and no jet lag. Everyone was tired from the long trip so we freshened up and took the hotel shuttle to the V&A Waterfront. There are tons of activities to do at the Waterfront — shopping, restaurants, boat rides, aquarium, movies, departure point for Robben Island, etc. Robben Island, the prison that held Nelson Mandela, was fully booked for the entire time we were in Cape Town, so we missed it. Book tickets online to make sure you see this attraction. We opted to eat at Gibson’s Gourmet Burgers — since we don’t get good burgers in Albania. It was very good, but for a good, more local experience, Karibu came highly recommended.
Day 2 — On The Waterfront
We started the morning with a trip to Two Oceans Aquarium. It’s a decent aquarium with a nice penguin presentation. We especially enjoyed the diver feeding the animals in the large aquarium because he talks to the audience from inside the tank. The visit took us about two and half hours.
Tip: Book aquarium tickets online to save a bit of time in line when you arrive.
We enjoyed a quick walk through the watershed which had some of the nicest, higher-end souvenirs that we saw. We picked up a small african-themed nativity set (you know how much I love nativity-themed items). After a quick lunch, we headed back.
In the afternoon, we rented bikes (including a trailer for Andrew) and rode from Sea Point to Camps Bay beach. The guy at the bike rental place advised us not to do it, because there is not a clear path the whole way, and there is one big hill, but we didn’t have any major issues. We returned the bikes to their office in Camps Bay and spent the afternoon at the beautiful beach. We had dinner at Ocean Basket — a casual seafood chain. But for a very nice, higher-end experience,The Codfather looked really nice and is Tripadvisor’s #1. We took an Uber back to our hotel, which cost us around $5.
Day 3 — Penguins, Seals, and The Cape of Good Hope
We decided that we wanted to see several sights between Cape Town and the Cape of Good Hope. Rather than self-drive or take a group tour, we hired a driver/guide and van for the day. Our guide Michael was excellent and took us exactly where we wanted to go. We would have never been able to see everything that we did without him. We went to seal island, where we took short boat ride out to see the thousands of seals. He took us to a beach that has a penguin colony. There were lots of people there, so the penguins were a bit shy. At Cape Point, Matina and Carter took the short hike to the lighthouse overlooking the cape. Ryan and the little kids took the short funicular ride.
Guide Recommendation:
Michael was very knowledgeable, friendly, and easy going on our Cape Town tour. contact him at michaeldinile@gmail.com or 0785426516.
Day 4 — Eating Waffles, Kudu, Ostrich & Springbok
Took the hour-long drive to Stellenbosch — the quaint university town in South Africa’s wine region. Most people go there for the wine and wineries. The Spier Wine Farm was a perfect stop for us, because they had a very nice organic farm restaurant, an eagle preserve, and the coolest shopping we saw. We loved petting the owls at Eagle Encounters. We drove to the city center and walked around the historic district and ate Belgian waffles at a little waffle shop — Lauren’s request since it was her birthday. We attempted to go to the Toy and Miniatures Museum, but it closed at 2:00 pm.
We drove back to Cape Town and continued the Birthday festivities with dinner at Marcos African Place. The restaurant serves typical African dishes. The food is ok, not amazing, but they have fun exotic items on the menu. We ordered a sampler with kudu, ostrich, and springbok. The lively band and drummers were supposed to start at 7:30, but didn’t get going until closer to 8:30. Lauren was very excited when they brought her down to sing happy birthday to her. We had originally tried to get into Gold Restaurant, which is highly recommended, but they were fully booked.
Day 5 — Table Mountain or Bust. In Our Case, Bust!
We tried unsuccessfully earlier in the week to take the cable car to the top of Table Mountain, but couldn’t because of crowds. We tried again, and got there early. The line was still 2+ hours in the blazing son, so we skipped it, opting to visit the District Six Museum (skip it!), a fun bakery called Charly’s, and another visit to the waterfront where Carter and Ryan went to the Rugby museum and shop.
We flew to Johannesburg on short evening flight.
Johannesburg/ Pretoria
Day 6 — New Year’s Eve Tour of Pretoria
Connecting with our friends the Hales was a highlight of our trip. On our first full day in Pretoria, Jason and Erin gave us a quick driving tour of a park near their house with zebras and antelopes and great view of the city. We visited the Union building (the seat of SA’s government) and the giant statue of Nelson Mandela.
In the afternoon, we visited the Lion and Safari Park where we saw loads of exotic animals and had the once in a lifetime opportunity to play with baby lions, and pet an adult cheetah. Finished the year off with a New Year’s Eve party at the home of mutual friends — the Bennetts.
Day 7 — Day of Rest
Took it easy on the first day of the New Year. Went to Church with the Hale family (the kids were thrilled to go to church in English), took a nap, and ate some fantastic burgers.
Day 8 — Joburg Friends
Went into Joburg to meet some old friends from Latvia for a barbecue and visit to an indoor trampoline park. We enjoyed freshly grilled ostrich steaks. We also stopped by the Montecasino — a giant vegas-style casino with shows, restaurants, and bird park (and gambling). The bird park was, sadly, closed after 5:00 pm.
Day 9 — Johannesburg by Bus
Went to Joburg and did the double-decker bus tour (red and green routes). It was a great way to see the entire city and get a sense of the history and culture of the city. We stopped at the apartheid museum, which was great for the adults, but not super kid-friendly. You can also sign up for a more private tour of Soweto — Joburg’s sprawling, black, township suburb. We did not have the time to do that, but wish we had. In the evening we had amazing Indian food at Geet in Pretoria.
More swimming in the Hale’s pool.
Kruger Park
Day 10 — The Drive to Kruger
Made the 4.5 hour drive from from Pretoria to Hazyview and checked in to the fabulous Kruger Park Lodge. We stopped for lunch on the way at the Alzu rest stop — recommended by Jason. This stop has bathrooms, restaurants, a service station, and wild animals in the back. Look out over ostriches and zebras while you eat! The stop is roughly half way between Pretoria and Hazyview.
Day 11 — Big Five Before 9 AM
We woke up bright and early, and were picked up at 5:00 am for our amazing game drive in Kruger Park. Our safari experience lasted until 3:00, and we saw more than 30 different species of animals and birds. Our guide Elvis was very proactive in using his friends and his radio to find where the best animals were. He gave detailed explanations of the park, animals, and anything else we asked. Most impressive, however, was his eagle eye. he could spot animals from very, very far away. Highlights included seeing a lion and four lionesses walking down the road, an amazing leopard, and impala, wildebeests, and zebra hanging out together.
When we returned to the lodge, we swam and Carter and Matina played 6 holes of golf (not enough time for nine) before catching dinner in Hazyview.
Day 12 — Journey to the Bush
Left the Kruger Park Lodge after a quick swim and round of miniature golf. We drove a few miles to the luxurious and quiet Summerfields Rose Retreat & Spa where we ate at the amazing River Cafe. The serene outdoor dining area overlooks the river, and the food was amazing. Children are not welcome in some areas of the resort, so we had to be on our good behavior. After lunch, Matina stayed for a massage at the spa while the kids went to a ropes course nearby. The spa treatments are performed in individual huts along the bank of the river.
We could have easily stayed a few more days in Hazyview. If we had, we might have explored the Elephant Sanctuary, taken a helicopter flight, or visited the reptile park. The Hales have amazing video of a giant swing. Is it this one, Jason?
We departed Hazyview, driving 2.5 hours to the bush, and stayed at the Lion Tree Bush Lodge — a very rugged house built on stilts near a lion park. We could have driven through the park for another wild animal adventure, but we chose the faster route around the park. The house was really cool, and even had an outdoor bedroom overlooking a nearby game preserve. It was much more remote than we expected and had no AC or wifi. There was nothing open nearby for dinner, so we ate everything we had packed in our cooler.
Day 13 — Hot Night, Wet Safari
After a very hot and rough night’s sleep, we did another game drive, entering Kruger park from Crocodile Bridge. It started pouring rain at 3:00 am, and for most of the safari it was raining. Our guide, Willem (who was horrible, by the way), said it was the worst flooding he had seen in 10 years. It rained for several hours, but we still managed to see some cool sights — storks, turtles, and a hyena’s den. The day was saved because we were joined on our trip by an awesome Australian family, who were a lot of fun.
We went back to our lodge at noon. Rather than stay another night at the Lion Tree Bush Lodge, we started back Pretoria, stopping half way to stay overnight at Marriott (Protea) hotel.
Extra Time
Day 14 — Our last Day
After breakfast at the hotel we hit the road. We made a quick stop at the Elands River falls. This beautiful waterfall is only a 200 meter walk (through a tunnel) from a parking lot on the side of the freeway. It’s a quick and beautiful stop on the way back to Pretoria.
Made it back to the Hale’s house by 2:15 — just in time for some lunch and to share our safari stories.
With all of our rand spent and all of our clothes dirty, we made it to the airport for our departing flight, which was… CANCELED due to snow in Istanbul.
Days 15–18 — Extra Time
It took lots of time and effort to get our flights finally sorted out, arrange for a new rental car, and wash our clothes. Instead of departing on Sunday, we did not leave until Thursday! The extra time allowed us to explore a couple of sites we would not have otherwise seen. here are some of the highlights:
- For Andrew’s birthday we went to the Gold Reef City theme park. This was a lot of fun, very inexpensive, and we basically had the place to ourselves. Decent roller coasters, fun kid rides, and a nice petting zoo. It is located adjacent to the Apartheid Museum.
- The Voortrekker monument commemorates South Africa’s pioneer Afrikaner history. An ok stop, if you are in the neighborhood. We stopped for a second helping of Indian food at Geet.
- The kids loved watching a performance of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat the the Montecasino.
- A private tour of the Soccer City stadium (FNB Stadium). This stadium was host to the 2010 World Cup and Nelson Mandela’s memorial serivce. The kids enjoyed seeing and sitting in the chair that President Obama sat in for Mandela’s memorial service.
- A drive through Soweto, and visit to Mandela’s home. Soweto has a reputation for being dangerous, but we found it to be very colorful. If I had it to do over again, I would have done a proper tour of Soweto Friends strongly recommended the four hour Soweto bike tour!
Some Additional Tips
- Disney’s luxury tour service, Adventures By Disney offers a 10-day South Africa tour for $9000 per person. We researched their itinerary, and did many of the activities they do with their guests.
- If renting a car, make sure you specify automatic transmission (if you want that). In some cases, the rental car company did not have the car we ordered and we were upgraded to the next automatic they had. For most of our trip, we had a very comfortable Infinity. We had good luck with Thrifty car rental.
- We rented a car in Cape Town, but only really used it for airport transfers and to drive to Stellenbosch. Consider whether tours, walking, airport transfers, and ubers, consider would be more convenient and cheaper alternative.
- If possible, book tickets to Robben Island and Table Mountain in advance to ensure you get a ticket.
- It is customary to tip people at service stations, parking lots, hotels, and in bathrooms. Make sure to keep some change with you. We had a few awkward moments when we didn’t have anything to give people who had helped us.
- Bring extra suitcases for souvenirs you might want to bring back.
- A good guide makes all of the difference on tours. We had two that were fantastic. Michael in Cape Town (michaeldinile@gmail.com), and Elvis from African Safari Adventures in Kruger (contact them and request Elvis).
- South Africa has very different power outlets, and we always had trouble finding ways to charge our devices. The adaptors are sold at the airport, and I would recommend getting one or two when you first arrive.