I started by spending a few days in Kruger National Park, which is one of the most well known safari destinations in Africa. It was an unforgettable experience, with real life sightings of the "Big 5" in their natural habitat. We spotted multiple elephants, rhinoceros, and buffalo at the beginning but the lions and leopards remained elusive. We also saw giraffes, baboons, zebras, warthogs, impalas, ostriches, eagles, and hippos along the way - all of which were a nice treat.
My favorite part of the experience was a sunset game drive where I felt like we were actually on one of those National Geographic like expeditions (or at least what I imagine it would be like). Not only did we see a beautiful sunset, but the sun disappeared, we were in complete and total darkness. I have never seen so many stars shining in the sky, nor felt such stillness in the outdoors, but in Kruger, since you couldn't use your vision, you had to tune in to your sense of smell and hearing to detect animals. Sure, we had our big torches (flashlights) which we used when we suspected there was an animal nearby - and we did get to see many of the nocturnal mammals come out. Unfortunately, we didn't witness any hunts but the excitement of the possibility was good enough.
Then on our last day, we saw a line of cars parked by the side of the road. When we pulled up, we saw that there were 2 huge male lions just sitting a few feet from the road. A few moments later, each of them got up and walked in front of our car to cross to the other side of the road, so close that if I had reached out my hand, I could have actually touched their mane. Apparently seeing two mature male lions together is a very rare event, as these animals are very territorial. We didn't see the leopards after all, but we left feeling very satisfied after our experience.
On our way back to Johannesburg, we stopped at Blyde Canyon, which is the 3rd largest canyon in the whole world, and saw the spectacular sights. We also stopped at a restaurant in a nearby town where I had some delicious peri-peri chicken livers and eggs for brunch. Yum!
Now I am in Cape Town, near the very southernmost tip of the African continent. Unfortunately, although the weather was perfect for the safari, it seems that my days in Cape Town will be overcast and rainy until I depart. That being said, I did not let raindrops stand in my way of exploring this lovely city and with my umbrella in hand, I walked from my lodge (it's the cutest, most comfortable bed and breakfasts I have ever stayed in) to the city center, which was only about 20 minutes away. I hopped on the double decker open top tour bus and sat back and snapped pictures as I listened to very interesting bits of history about the Cape. One of the main attractions, Table Mountain, was closed due to the rain and dense fog, but when the clouds moved out of the way, I was still able to appreciate the magnificent views of the rock formation itself, as well as the city beneath it.
The best views, however, I have to say are from the drive along the Atlantic seaboard, overlooking the multiple beaches that line the coast of the Cape Peninsula. I know I keep saying this throughout my stay in Africa, but I really feel like I have never seen anything so stunning. Of course, the water is probably freezing and there's no sun for enjoying the sand right now, but these beaches (and the impressive beach front properties that line them) must be among the most beautiful in the world! And I thought Key West was nice - I now have a new number one destination in mind for my future vacations :)
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