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South Africa
  • Emil Lourens
  • Nicola Magin

South Africa

Off to show Nicola my home country Read more
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  • Trip start
    March 25, 2023
  • South Africa

    Kruger National Park

    March 27, 2023 in South Africa ⋅ 🌬 25 °C

    There is no better way to start a South Africa trip than with a Kruger safari! Although there was very little sleep and a whole lot of time in the car, we managed to see The Big 5 twice over and had some once in a lifetime sightings and encounters.

    My parents who have been coming here their entire lives haven’t experienced any of these events and having them all in one trip makes it even more special.

    Here are the highlights (because there is just to much to share)
    1. Lions feeding on a zebra (and then seeing them leave and the hyenas swoop in for the carcass)
    2. A leopard crossing right in front of us not once but twice
    4. Seeing a cheetah in the wild
    5. A rhino with a baby
    6. A very intimidating male lion walking down the road
    7. Stunning views of the Olifants river at sunrise and sunset

    And to cap it all off we had some great food and family time.    Read more

  • South Africa

    Lowveld

    March 29, 2023 in South Africa ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    After an amazing few days in the Kruger we made a stop or 2 on the way back.

    First up was Blyde river canyon and the magnificent views. It’s the 3rd biggest canyon in the world and many of the rocks are covered in lichen which makes them all different shades of green.

    The next viewpoint was Gods Window, where on a clear day you can see the ocean in Mozambique 200km away. There was a bushfire burning nearby and the smoke made it difficult to see too far, but the view was still stunning.

    Last stop was Sabie where we stayed the night in a great house that was decked out with an outdoor kitchen and braai. Emil made the most of his braai time watching the sun go down over the hills with a beer in hand.    Read more

  • South Africa

    Franschhoek

    April 2, 2023 in South Africa ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    You could spend months in the western cape and you wouldn’t run out of things to do.

    Unfortunately we just had a week and we had to fit as much as possible in.

    It was a week of unforgettable sunrises and sunsets, wine and food.

    We started the week off with a red eye flight and headed straight to wine country. Our destination was Franschhoek, where we met my cousin and boarded the wine tram (and bus and tractor) for a day of wine tasting and farm hopping. Amazing wine, amazing views and lots of laughs!    Read more

  • South Africa

    Cape Town

    April 6, 2023 in South Africa ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    After our 24hours whirl wind tour of the wine lands, we set off with heavy heads to explore the surroundings of Cape Town.

    We headed along the False Bay coast and followed the smell of seaweed to Muizenberg, where we finally got a chance to wiggle our toes in the sand and freeze our feet in the Atlantic. We continued towards Cape Town along Chapman’s peak drive (arguably one of the most scenic drives in the world).

    We had been recommended to do a sunset sail trip from Cape Town and while we weren’t totally sold in the idea, decided to give it a go. It turned out to be an amazing idea and we spent the evening sailing around the bay on a catamaran watching the sun set over table mountain and the city.

    Tuesday was a big day! We hiked to the cable car at the top of Table Mountain from Kirstenbosch via Skeleton George. Not an easy walk, especially seeing as Nicola had twisted her ankle and was hopping along in a brace. The views were amazing and absolutely worth the sweat and sunburn. Nicola would like to make a special mention to the abundance of cool rocks and native flowers, especially the giant protea.

    On Wednesday we traded our hiking boots for fins and spent the morning snorkelling with a colony of cape fur seals in Houtbay. They are such funny and inquisitive creatures, definitely the dogs of the ocean (strong Labrador pup vibes). We finished the day with a beer paddle and fish and chips by the sea plus a quick stop in colourful Bo-Kaap.

    Thursday was our last morning in Cape Town and we started the day by racing the sun to the top of Lions Head. We had the light of the full moon to guide the way and made it to the top via chains and ladders just in time to see the sun rise. The sun, the moon, the clouds and the mountains… I’m still not sure it was real.    Read more

  • South Africa

    West Coast

    April 8, 2023 in South Africa ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    For what was sadly the last leg of our amazing trip to my home country, Nicola and I headed further up the West Coast.

    On Thursday we did a mini road trip through to the little dusty town of Darling, where we met my Dad and Stepmom for a quick beer tasting. Nicola and I then drove to the west coast National park where we checked into a houseboat for the evening. The weather unfortunately turned a bit cold at this point, but we still had an amazing evening braaiing and just enjoying the stillness of langebaan lagoon and the park. In the morning we took a kayak for a paddle around the lagoon and explored some of the beaches . We braved the cold water and dived off the boat for a swim before breakfast. Not long after our swim a seal came to say hello and spent a few minutes swimming around the boat.

    After checkout we made the drive to the sleepy seaside village of paternoster.
    We met my parents in the town right next to it called tietiesbaai (boobies bay😂) for an afternoon of good food and sea views.
    Our bnb was literally on the beach and from our room we could see and hear the waves break on the beach. We had a delicious seafood dinner at a beautiful little restaurant which was located right on the beach. Reservations were granted by the very friendly beach border collie.

    An amazing last few days to end off a fantastic trip    Read more

    Trip end
    April 8, 2023
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