Reset search
AfricaAfrica
SatelliteEdit route

Africa

April - July 2023
A 96-day adventure by Elaine Read more
+6
  • 48footprints
  • 14countries
  • 96days
  • 339photos
  • 10videos
  • 29.6kkilometers
  • 18.2kkilometers
Follow Calendar Share Bucket list
Date ascending
  • TravelerAfrica
    Day 1

    Dublin

    April 14, 2023 in Ireland ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    Today is the day it all start! The trip of a lifetime that I have planned and dreamed about for years. I had a lovely send off in work and with my housemates as everyone wished me the best for my adventures ahead. I feel a variety of different emotions. I am excited to see what adventures I will experience but I also feel a little bit nervous at the same time. I look forward to meeting the local people and fellow travelers. I will have a lot of stories to tell when I am home.

    Today was also a very special day as I meet Éabha for the first time. She is one week old and we went for her first walk outside. It was very special to spend a little bit of time with her before going away. Éabha gave me a lovely gift with a note telling me to enjoy my adventures and to come back to tell her all about it. I can't wait to see how much she has grown when I return.    Read more

  • TravelerAfrica
    Day 2

    Johannesburg

    April 15, 2023 in South Africa ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    I landed in Johannesburg airport and stayed the night in Garden Court Airport hotel. This hotel was where the start of the tour is due to begin tomorrow. There was a free shuttle bus from the airport to the hotel. The funny thing about the hotel was at the entrance there was a sign for Dublin because there was an Irish bar inside. What a coincidence, we can't go far without feeling at home.

    I was very tired after my long flight from Dublin so I decided to spend the day at the hotel. I sat beside the pool for a while however I only dipped my feet into the water as the water was very cold. I relaxed in my room and watched Leinster and Munster both playing in South Africa in the URC competition. It was an early night to catch up on sleep before starting the tour tomorrow. I am very excited to see what is ahead.    Read more

  • TravelerAfrica
    Day 4

    Kruger National Park

    April 17, 2023 in South Africa ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    At 7 am after breakfast I met my Nomad tour group. Cardi is our tour guide, Asi is our training guide and cook and Shorty is our driver. There are 10 girls on the trip from Germany, England, Switzerland and Denmark. We have a truck with twelve seats that all recline and can twist towards the window which is going to be very handy for animal spotting. We arrived at Kruger National Park around 3pm after stopping off at a few stops on our way. Nkambeni camp is going to be our home for the next three nights. The camp is at the edge of Kruger National Park but it is surrounded by a wire fence so the animals can roam around the park normally without coming into our camp. I am sleeping in my own lodge for this leg of the trip. After getting set up in our cabins I went outside my cabin door to see an elephant walk along the fence perimeter. It was wonderful to see the elephant calmly going about it's business.

    That evening we went on a sunset game drive which just means a sunset safari. Unfortunately the clouds hid the sunset however we came across monkeys heading to their sleeping spot, zebra, snakes and more elephants. It certainly gave me a satisfying sneak peak of safari life.

    Next morning we were up at 5am to depart in a 4x4 on our safari drive. Jason our tour guide was excellent and explained how the camp allow nature to work as naturally as possible. They do not track animals unless the vets are monitoring the animals for data purposes. The vets do not intervene if they see an injured animals unless the animal was injured as a result of human involvement. Sometimes the park organise controlled fires in order to allow tall grasses to die and smaller grasses to grow. This means that grazing animals such as elephants, zebra and giraffe keep moving around the park instead of eating in one area and destroying crops.

    We learned that the white rhino's population is in decline due to poaching. Poachers kill rhinos to take their horn which is then used in Chinese medicine. There was a very large decline in rhinos over the last ten years so the government decided to dehorn the rhinos in Kruger Park to try and stop poaching in the park.

    There was one special moment where we spotted a male elephant in the road in front of us. The elephant proceeded towards us before stopping right beside our 4x4. No one said a word and our hearts stopped while we waited to see what the elephant would do. He looked into our 4x4 for a minute before walking on. The next minute we saw two smaller male elephants following him down the road however they passed slightly further away from the truck. This was a breathtaking moment that I will never forget.

    Throughout the day we saw a wide variety of animals in the distance such as lions, ostriches, wild dogs, waterbuck antelopes, rhinos lying in mud bath, giraffe and zebra. It was a very special day and one I will not forget easily.    Read more

  • TravelerAfrica
    Day 5

    Blyde Rive Canyon

    April 18, 2023 in South Africa ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    Today we drove to Blyde River Canyon which is the third biggest canyon after the Grand Canyon and Fish River Canyon in Namibia. This canyon has a beautiful river running through it with a lot of trees growing in the canyon due to the climate. It was very impressive and we got some beautiful photos.

    Next stop was Bourke's Luck Potholes which is named after a man who thought there was gold in the holes on the river bed but unfortunately he was wrong and the gold was further up the river. This location had some beautiful formed rock formations in the rock. We were able to sit and relax with our feet in the water watching the world go by which was very peaceful. We ate our picnic at this stop before heading to God's window which is a viewpoint over the canyon below. We drove back to our accommodation for our last night in Kruger National Park.    Read more

  • TravelerAfrica
    Day 6

    Eswatini

    April 19, 2023 in Swaziland ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    We left our campsite in Kruger National Park and headed towards Eswatini. When leaving the park we saw elephants, lions and rhinos all near the roadside. It was as if they all appeared to say goodbye to us.
    It was a long drive to Eswatini and we crossed over the border before heading to the Mbabane market. We walked around the market and saw the weaving market and herbal market. The people were very friendly and laughed with us. We learned that Eswatini is the last "Absolute Kingdom" which means the king makes the decisions. The king also has 16 wives and he chooses a new wife every year or two from neighboring states or communities. Eswatini changed its name back from Swaziland to it's native name in 2018.

    It was just before sunset before we arrived to our camp. We are staying in cute little huts in Mlilwane National Park. The roof is weaved by reed and are similar to native housing. The huts are located in a round circle of twelve. There are animals that roam around between the houses such as warthog, zebra and impala.

    The following morning we had a lie in until 7:30. After breakfast we went on a nature walk on the hippo trial. There used to be hippos in this park however they were moved to a different park as they were dangerous to humans. It was a lovely easy walk through the woodlands and river bed. We saw variety of plants and birds and finally returned to find zebra in our camp. It was nice to be out exercising in nature after the last few days of driving.

    In the afternoon we rested by the pool before the local people treated us to a dance and music show. It was interesting to see how their attire demonstrated their marriage status. The men had a very funny dance move where they kicked their leg as high as possible really quickly to the beat of the music. We had an opportunity to get up and dance with them however there was no way I was trying the kick as I think I would have pulled my hamstring. I definitely enjoyed being in Eswatini as the people were very friendly. Tomorrow we head back over the border to South Africa.    Read more

  • TravelerAfrica
    Day 9

    Saint Lucia

    April 22, 2023 in South Africa ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

    We had another long drive across the South African border to Saint Lucia. Saint Lucia is a coastal holiday town popular with South Africans all year round. We woke early the next morning for a safari in Hluhluwe iMfolozi National Park. Our driver Sam picked us up at 5am and he was a little bit of a crazy driver. The park was an hour away from our accommodation and Sam sped down the road as quickly as possible overtaking any vehicle in his way. After ten minutes Sam turned around and returned back to our accommodation as he forgot his park entry pass. This made Sam drive even faster to try and catch up the time he had lost.

    Finally we arrived at the park and went looking for some animals. Luckily very quickly we found buffalo and rhinos close to the road. It was special to see the rhino had his horn attached in comparison to the rhino's in Kruger National Park. Later in the morning we saw a family of wild dogs and elephants. Within the park there was a large quantity of warthogs and zebra so after seeing a few we got fed up seeing them so frequently. On return to our hotel Sam drove like mad man again but thankfully we all arrived safely.

    In the afternoon we did a hippo boat cruise in Saint Lucia. I wasn't expecting to enjoy this cruise but I learned a lot about hippos. I learned that hippos can not swim or float instead they stand in shallow water and dunk down into the water in order to keep their skin temperature regulated. We saw multiple groups of hippos including a cute baby hippo. The hippos leave the river and walk to the town at night to sleep so the captain of the boat advised us to look out for hippos if we walk down the street during dusk.    Read more

  • TravelerAfrica
    Day 10

    Howick, Durban

    April 23, 2023 in South Africa ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    This morning we drove 2 hours to Durban to drop off the two Danish girls and collected another lady, Liz. Durban looked like a nice beach city and it may have been nice to explore it for longer. We then visited Howick Falls before going to Mandela's capture site. This memorial explained Nelson Mandela's fight for freedom against the apartheid system. I knew who Nelson Mandela was but I know his story. This memorial thought me a lot about the lives of people here in Southern Africa under the apartheid system. It was a well explained museum and I felt it demonstrated a powerful message about the history of South Africa and Nelson Mandela. There was also a statue made from cooper with and illustration of Nelson Mandela's face which was stunning.Read more

  • TravelerAfrica
    Day 11

    Drakensberg Mountain Range

    April 24, 2023 in South Africa ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    The Drakensberg mountain range extends 1000km through the center of South Africa splitting the country in half. It is often used by hikers to train for Kilimanjaro due to the elevation of the mountain range. This morning we went for a hike in Champagne Valley. Cardi, our tour guide, discussed the hike with us the night and explained that it was an easy walk to visit a waterfall however when we got there we took a different turn onto the challenging route. Two of the girls from our group had to turn back after 40 minutes due to the steepness of the trial.

    I don't think any of us were mentally prepared for the severity of the hike and we regretted not bringing more snacks. However I must say the hike offered some beautiful scenery of the mountain range. We crossed streams and had lunch beside the Crystal Falls before returning back to the starting point. In total we walked 12km with an elevation of 653 meters.

    When we returned to our accommodation half of the group went to the spa to get massages to recovery. I spent the afternoon swapping between the cold rock pool and warm jacuzzi which felt great for my leg muscles. The Drakensberg mountain range was very beautiful I only wish I had a few more days to do more hiking trails of a variety difficulty.    Read more

  • TravelerAfrica
    Day 13

    The Kingdom of Lestho

    April 26, 2023 in Lesotho ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    We crossed the border from South Africa into Lesotho. Lesotho is a landlocked country surrounded only by South Africa. It has a population of 2 million people and is located in the Drakensberg mountain range. The lowest altitude of the county is 1500 above sea level.

    While driving through Lesotho we noticed that there are good paved roads and bricked houses located very close to bumpy potholed roads and shack houses. Our guide Cardi explained that a lot of countries have donated money to Lesotho including through the missionaries. Lesotho is rich with mining however a lot of the mines are owned privately by Chinese or American companies. These companies have sponsored building roads in order for their trucks to reach the mines. Unfortunately the local people still have low salaries so most people are poor.

    We stayed in Semonkong Lodge which is a lovely lodge in a river valley and is surrounded by beautiful mountains. We had an option of activities to do in the locality such as hiking, horse riding or abseiling. Michaele and myself chose to do the abseiling. This abseil is in the Guinness world record book as the highest commerically operated single drop abseil. We got trained on a 25m cliff beside the lodge before heading to the Maletsunyane Falls for the 204m abseil. Once set up they a line set up for both of us to go down together. I was set up first and went of the edge of the cliff. The worse part of the abseil was hanging over the edge of the cliff for a minute or two waiting for Michaele to come over the edge. Once we were both ready we descended together. At the start it was hard to get the rhythm and there was some free falling places that we both rotated away from the cliff but this offered us the most amazing view of the canyon around us and the waterfall beside us. Lower down the cliff we got splashed by the cold water from the waterfall and the rocks started to get slippery but we managed to safely reach the bottom. Both of us were buzzing at the bottom as it was a surreal experience and the location was beautiful. After a rest we hiked out of the canyon but stopped regularly to turn and look at the waterfall we had just descended. We returned back to the lodge they gave us a certificate of our achievement.

    In the afternoon we went to a local house to meet a family who showed us the variety of blankets. The Lesotho people are named "blanket people" because they wear blankets to keep themselves warm. There is a different blanket made for people depending on their status and each blanket has a masculine and feminine side so a husband and wife can wear the same blanket. The designs if the blanket represent special cultural symbols.    Read more

  • TravelerAfrica
    Day 15

    Addo Elephant National Park

    April 28, 2023 in South Africa ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    Addo Elephant National Park is the only park in the world which is home to the Big 7. Southern Whale, Great White Shark are included in the big 7 along with the Rhino, Elephant, Lion, Buffalo and Leopard. When Addo Elephant National Park was established in 1931 and initially contained 11 elephants. This number was dwindling at the time due to poaching. Now as a result of ongoing conservation projects there are 600 elephants in park.

    We arrived in the park and straight away we saw over 200 elephants scattered on the horizon. It was unbelievable being able to see so many elephants all at once.. We travelled in our truck in search for more animals. Our guide Cardi and driver Shorty were extremely excited to see a black rhino because there are only 36 rhinos in the park so they are difficult to find. There was a few water holes where we spotted more elephants with zebra and warthogs.

    The following morning we drove to Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) and said goodbye to four girls from our group but also welcomed four more people to the group. We spent about an hour walking the beach in Gqeberha before returning to Addo Elephant National Park to explore it for a second day. We drove around the second half of the park and saw more elephants and buffalo.

    That evening I happened to be talking to Liz about my job working in eye surgery. Liz is originally South African but she emigrated to Australia over 30 years ago. She was home in South Africa for her mother's 92nd birthday and she decided to join the Nomad tour before the birthday celebrations. She asked me what clinic I work in and when I said the Wellington Eye Clinic she laughed. She went to school with Arthur Cummings and he was her head boy. She was still in contact with him on Facebook so we sent him a photo of us. It really is a small world.    Read more

  • 2024© FindPenguins
  • Home
  • About us
  • Blog
  • Group Tracking
  • Press
  • Terms
  • Privacy Policy & Cookies
  • Support
  • Legal notice
  • English