We slept another peaceful night in the beautiful wild. Morning came early again so that we could join a game drive on the reserve we were staying at. Our Kruger National Park tour was awesome, but the game drive gave us a more intimate look into animal life. Because we were on a drive within... Continue Reading →
Voyage South Africa–Kruger National Park
Cape Town and the Kruger National Park area might as well have been on different planets. We hopped a short flight to Hoedspruit, a rural town adjacent to the park that sits in a “malaria zone” (I recommend getting anti-malaria pills from your doc before you come). The size of the arrival airport is jarring... Continue Reading →
Voyage South Africa–Stellenbosch Wine Tour
One of the main events of our Cape Town trip was visiting the wine region. A major catalyst towards our decision to visit the country at all was our local South African wine bar back home. We were itching to see the rolling hills and fields of grapes that bring about our favorite bottles of... Continue Reading →
Voyage South Africa—Toasty Gardens & Table Mountain
I thought that spending 6 days in one place would feel like a slow crawl. We are so used to moving around night after night when we travel. Cape Town is one of those places that deserves a deeper dive and more comprehensive stay. The city is layered with restaurants, beautiful outdoor space, waterfront walks,... Continue Reading →
Voyage South Africa—Robben Island, Peninsula & Boulder’s Beach
I woke up to muffled sounds of construction that welcomed me back to city-sleeping. Our room at Oxford House felt like a little apartment. It was nice to sleep in for the first time in days, and my New York brain was barely roused by the urban sounds outside. The only “plan” for today was... Continue Reading →
Voyage South Africa—Hermanus to Cape Town
We woke up buried under a thick blanket on a chilly morning. South Africa’s days are piping hot, but its nights are soft and pleasant. After an overly-generous breakfast from our B&B host (is 4 eggs really necessary?) we bid goodbye to Swellendam with reticence. There was just one more day “on the road” before... Continue Reading →
Voyage South Africa—Plettenberg Bay to Swellendam
We woke up to the sound of the ocean. It was so refreshing and perfect. The B&B was quiet except for the occasional clanking of dishes from the kitchen down the hall. We ate through a huge, delicious breakfast from our host that included a mountain of fresh fruit. She recommended a short hike that... Continue Reading →
Voyage South Africa—Port Elizabeth to Plettenberg Bay
We were already getting on another airplane after just two days in Jo’Burg. The next few days would be spent driving the Garden Route along South Africa’s southern coast. This part of the trip was added late in the game after I unearthed a mountain of information about the beautiful the coastline along the route.... Continue Reading →
Voyage South Africa—Apartheid Museum and Johannesburg History
Woke up in our 2-bedroom hotel “apartment” that cost the equivalent of $75 a night. The conversion rate in SA was still blowing my mind. Breakfast by the mall set us back a mere few dollars, with the bonus of mocking “touristy” tourists outside our window as they awaited the arrival of the Big Red... Continue Reading →
Exploring South Africa—15 Hours to Johannesburg
South Africa has been on my mind for months. We have this local wine bar in Yorkville called Kaia that is South African-owned, and we’ve never once had a plate of food or glass of wine that wasn’t perfect (try the baked lemons). The best part about it is sitting at the bar, shamelessly exploiting... Continue Reading →