Africa

16D15N South Africa Itinerary: The Garden Route (Part V)

Published on June 30, 2016May 15, 2020 by MamaKENGLeave a comment

Day 13
We had breakfast at the Clover Cafe in Global Village which served really good breakfast, especially their omelette. Next to the Cover Cafe, there is a souvenir shop which sells many interesting local products. We bought quite a few souvenirs!

Nice weather for outdoor dining.

One of the many things I like from the shop. But I do not have my own house to hang 😦

Clover Cafe
Address: Plettenberg Bay, 6600, South AfricaPhone: +27 44 533 6172

After breakfast, we headed to Tenikwa Wildlife Awareness Centre because we need to see leopardy before leaving Africa!

Sleepy leopard, we will come back for you again 🙂

Serval, which has like a domestic cat face on a leopard body.

We walked next to the cheetahs as the guide says these cheetahs grew up in the sanctuary since young. So it was “safe”. As extra safety precaution, another guide walked behind us to protect our back.
These cheetahs are so beautiful with their tears that reflect sunlight when they are chasing their preys. This is to help them to see better.

A rare white lion!

White lion with female lion. According to the guide, lions are territorial animals. And if we were to encounter lions in the wild, we should not squat but roar loud and stand tall. Squatting makes us look small and weak in which the animals will definitely attack.

Mercat. Always standing up tall to look far for preys and predators.

Finally, leopard!

Our guide says that one has higher chance of survival when meeting a cheetah than leopard as leopard shows no mercy by biting its prey at its neck!

Tenikwa Wildlife Awareness Centre

Address: Forest Hall Road, The Crags, Plettenberg Bay, 6602, South Africa Hours: 9am–4:30pm Phone: +27 44 534 8170 Website: http://tenikwa.com/

These sanctuaries rescue injured animals and provide them with medication until they are ready to be released back to the wild.
And off to the second last stop of our trip, Tsitsikamma 😦

We stayed in this family lodge in the Tsitsikamma town called At the Woods Guest House Storms River Tsitsikamma. This town is even smaller than Oudtshoorn!

Our room was very big and just like the name suggests, the furniture is very woody!
We were very hungry and the town closes early so we just hopped over to the eatery next to the lodge to have a pizza.

At the Woods Guest House Storms River Tsitsikamma
Address: 43 Formosa St, Stormsrivier, 6308, South Africa Phone: +27 42 281 1446

Day 14
We don’t know why but all the breakfast provided by the guest houses were splendid! South Africans have a thing for breakfast!

After breakfast, we went to the Tsitsikamma canopy tour as I wanted to try ziplining!

The initial fear was quickly overcome as it wasn’t that fast since you can control your own speed.

It can get quite warm in the forest and the wait was long. We had to wait patiently for each other to be secured and zipline. There can only be one person at a time so the wait can be pretty long. Thankfully the family we went with was very friendly and we had a good chat.

After the tour, we were provided with a simple lunch.

So creative!

The friendly South African family 🙂

Tsitsikamma Canopy Tours

Address: 101 Darnell St, Storms River, 6308, South Africa Hours: 8am–5pm Phone: +27 42 281 1836

Before we move on, we decided we have some time for the Tsitsikamma National Park. We walked to the river mouth where there is this scenic suspension bridge.

On the way to our final stop (Port E.), we stopped by the Brooklyn Bridge to see bungee jumping! As much as I am tempted to try, I know I can never do this with my weak heart.

And then we drove all the way to Port Elizabeth, where we reached pretty late.

Our lodge, Sir Roys at the Sea was fabulous. I love how the lodges in South Africa have so much walking space and most of bath tubs!

So relaxing in the bath tub.

Sir Roys at the Sea

Address: 13 Newcon St, Port Elizabeth, 6001, South Africa Phone: +27 41 582 2377 Website: www.sirroys.co.za

We had dinner at this place, Port Captains House which has horrendous service. The food took so long to come (close to an hour) and the pasta sauce was basically just ketchup sauce. The bill took close to half an hour to arrive and we were so fed up we did not leave any tips for the first time.
Since its service and food were terrible, I shall not leave their information here.

Day 15

Just driving around Port E as I couldn’t bear to say goodbye.

Having some elections soon.

Flying back to Johannesburg.

Day 16
We took an uber from the airport to our hotel Holiday Inn Express Sandton- Woodmead which is in an industrial area with security guards. We also saw double metal fence around the hotel so we felt safe staying there.
We did not flag taxi at the airport as I read many reviews and concluded that uber is the safest mode of transportation in Johannesburg. This is also confirmed by the hotel staff, that one should not walk, flag a cab nor take public transport in Johannesburg. Even she as a local drives. Her eyes almost popped out when I asked if I could walk out to eat.
We booked a private car provided by the taxi to a nearby mall, Mall of Africa for dinner. The moment we alighted from the Mercedes, all eyes were on us and we hurried into the mall for safety.
We had no intention to shop at the mall as we told our driver to meet us 1.5 hour later at the same place where we dropped off.
The mall was very huge, and has many international brands. We even found our Charles & Keith! There were not a lot of restaurants though, and we settled for Casa Bella. I had some spring chicken which was much better than yesterday’s pasta but the portion was too huge for me to finish.
The next morning after breakfast, we booked an uber to the airport for our flight back to Singapore. We decided to use uber as it is cheaper than the hotel’s private car.

And so we concluded 16 days of South Africa trip with so much sweet memories to keep. Thank you W for all the hard work in planning and driving! This South Africa trip was definitely one of the best trips ever!~

16D15N South Africa Itinerary: The Garden Route (Part IV)

Published on June 29, 2016May 15, 2020 by MamaKENGLeave a comment

Day 10
We stopped by Mossel Bay longer than planned because we heard from the Hermanus backpackers staff that there is shark cage diving here as well.
So we are planning to try out luck here!
Fortunately, we found this shark cage diving company that operates today! At R1550 per pax, we were provided with a simple breakfast which we did not eat as we had ours at the hotel.

Out on the boat. Hope to see some sharkies!

The guide feeding the seagull with his ice cream. haha.

We stopped by this place with a lot of seals. Seals are the primary food for sharks so we hope to find some sharkies here by luring them with some tuna oil.

Pouring the tuna oil.

After some wait we spotted a baby shark! And the first batch of tourists (maximum 6) went into the cage.

It was really hard to capture a good photo of the shark.

The upper deck has some pretty good views of the sharks.
When it was our turn to enter the cage, we could only catch a few glimpse of the shark as the shark did not swim too close to us, and I am very bad in water. I had to constantly come up to catch my breath while trying very hard to battle with the cold water. I felt that it was better to view the shark on the boat.
This shark cage diving educated me so much about sharks. Sharks do not eat humans as they eat sea animals that are high in fats such as seals. They attack humans as they might be curious about the object. Unlike humans, we have hands to feel and touch but these sharks could only use their jaws to touch. Unfortunately, a small bite causes catastrophic results. According to our guide, if a shark has intention to attack human, the human would not just lose a limb but would have the body torn apart because their jaws are that powerful.
I used to be a big fan of shark’s fin soup but after seeing how gentle these creatures are, I made a little promise to myself not to consume the shark’s fin soup again.
After about 3 hours on the boat, we head back for a light lunch and after which we bid farewell to Mossel Bay. W said we will drop by Mossel Bay again which I had zero clue about the itinerary. Thank you W for planning this whole trip 🙂

White Shark AfricaAddress: 7 Church St, Mossel Bay, 6500, South AfricaPhone: +27 44 691 3796Hours: Open today · 8am–5pmWebsite: http://www.whitesharkafrica.com/

As the lunch provided wasn’t fantastic, W wanted to try Kingfisher Restaurant recommended by the lady in our lodge. We ordered the classic catch of the day while I ordered a kids meal as I was still quite full from the lunch. The view of the sea was amazing, and we managed to see dolphins! However, I feel that the food could be better (or maybe I was too full).

Kingfisher Restaurant Address: 1, Marsh Building, Point Rd, Mossel Bay, 6500, South AfricaPhone: +27 44 690 6390Hours: 11am–11pm

Next, we drove to Oudtshoorn as W said there are lots of ostriches in this area. I did not know what to expect but I was enjoying every bit of the road trip 🙂
It was almost nightfall when we reached Oudtshoorn and we stayed at this quaint little family lodge called Die Fonteine.
This is one of the best family lodges 🙂

Entrance to Die Fonteine.

Very clean, spacious and beautiful room. Our room also has this old school bathtub which I really love!

We had our dinner at this place, De Oude Meul Restaurant which sells ostrich meat. As we were quite full, W and I shared the ostrich meat. I was glad I shared as I didn’t like the taste of ostrich. It kind of tasted like beef which I have stopped eating for some years.
Don’t get me wrong, the food was good, but I am not a red meat kind of person. The place was beautifully decorated with animals prints and some old mill, and we had the best and friendliest waiter (his name is Proud) ever! They also offer accommodation which I believe is just as good as Die Fonteine.

De Oude Meul RestaurantAddress: Oudtshoorn, R328, 14km from Oudtshoorn en-route the Cango Caves, Schoemanshoek, Oudtshoorn, Oudtshoorn, 6620, South AfricaPhone:+27 44 272 7308Hours: 11am–10pmWebsite: http://www.deoudemeulrestaurant.co.za/

Day 11

In the morning, we had breakfast prepared by the lady boss which was delicious! There were so many choices but I could not eat too much 😦

We walked around the lodge and found some sheeps and family dog 🙂

The owner told us that this is a sheep dog.

They will also shave and sell the wool. This type of simple lifestyle seems impossible in Singapore.
Oh before we check out, we took a slice of the carrot cake which the lady boss made herself. It was really yummy! Really hope to stay one more night in this beautiful quaint town. Unfortunately we have too many places to visit on our itinerary. After all, it wasn’t easy to come to Africa!

Die Fonteine Guest HouseAddress: Die Fonteine, Schoemanshoek, Oudtshoorn, 6620, South AfricaPhone: +27 82 255 5346Website: http://www.diefonteine.co.za/

After breakfast, we drove out for the Cango Ostrich Farm which is just opposite our guest house. We got tricked by some websites and maps and we wasted some time driving to the Oudtshoorn town!

We had really humourous guide.

These ostriches look so fierce! Our guide says never to run in front of the ostrich as their kick can pierce through one’s heart.

We get to ride on the ostrich which they accelerated really fast! I accidentally pulled one of its feathers off as I was struggling to stay balance. Not to worry though as the staff are really well-trained.

Having some free neck massage. Haha!
We also get to stand on the ostrich egg which is really huge. If I remember correctly, an ostrich egg is equivalent to 24 chicken eggs. Imagine the cholesterol!

Cango Ostrich FarmAddress: 1954 R328 1954 R328, South AfricaHours: 8am–5pmPhone: +27 44 272 4623Website: http://www.cangoostrich.co.za/Ticket price: R90 (adult), R55 (child)

Last stop at Cango was the Cango Cave.

It was not as slippery as the cave in Ipoh as most of this are rather dormant. We took the 1 hour heritage tour instead of the 1.5 hour adventure tour as W did not want to crawl.

The guide Jason was so informative but I could not remember much as this African trip was information overload for my peanut brain 😦 Still enjoyed the tour though.

Cango CavesAddress: R328 North, Oudtshoorn, 6625, South AfricaPhone: +27 44 272 7410Website: http://www.cango-caves.co.za/Ticket price: R100 (adult), R60 (child) for Heritage Tour

After Oudtshorrn, we drove down back to Mossel Bay as W wanted to complete the whole Garden Route instead of cutting through to George.

We dined at this place (unfortunately we forgot the name) which served very good seafood and paella. The seafood was very fresh and this paella beats the ones we had in Spain! The portion is good for two but because the food was so fantastic, we ordered more side dishes.

Unfortunately, we did not enjoy after the paella as we witnessed a lady patron falling down and hit her head real hard. She was semi-conscious and looked really bad. The ambulance came quickly and she was taken away. I felt bad for her and her family and my appetite was affected as all I was thinking of is for her speedy recovery.

We then head over to Nothando Backpackers Lodge at Plettenberg Bay.Our room has really cool toilet hidden in the wardrobe, and I kept mispronouncing Nothando as Nitendo.

Nothando Backpackers LodgeAddress: 5 Wilder St, Plettenberg Bay, 6600, South AfricaPhone: +27 44 533 0220Website: http://www.nothando.co.za/

Day 12
Today we head to Birds of Eden and Monkeyland.

I thought we will only see normal birds but the birds here are of many different varieties!
Monkeyland is just nearby. Monkeyland is a personalised tour and we had a guide to ourselves. Probably because there were not many patrons at this hour.

Now I know what is the difference between monkey and ape! Monkeys have tails but apes don’t. These monkeys and apes are so agile and fast, it was difficult to get a good picture of them.

Birds of EdenAddress: PO. Box 1190, The crags, Plettenberg Bay, 6600, South AfricaArea: 2 haHours: 8am–5pmPhone: +27 44 534 8906Website: http://birdsofeden.co.za/

Monkeyland
Address: Garden Route, South Africa, South AfricaArea: 2 haHours: 8am–5pmPhone: +27 44 534 8906Website: http://www.monkeyland.co.za/

We got a combo ticket (both sanctuaries) at about R320 per adult.

16D15N South Africa Itinerary: The Garden Route (Part III)

Published on June 28, 2016May 15, 2020 by MamaKENGLeave a comment

Day 7
We always like free walking tours when we travel to learn a little more about the country’s history and culture. For Cape Town, we joined this free walking tour on the apartheid history. The starting point is the green market square and we took the 11am Historic City Tour.

You need to bargain if you want to buy something from this market.

The high court where the apartheid started. According to our guide, one of the rules to determine if one is white or non-white, is to put a pencil in between the hair. If the pencil falls, the person is deemed to be white.

During the apartheid period, benches, staircases, districts were all classified.

Slave lodge where they packed thousands of slaves in a confined space.

The City Hall where Nelson Mandela gave his freedom speech.

Cape Town Free Walking Tours
Address: Green Market Square, Shortmarket St & Burg St, Cape Town City Centre, Cape Town, 8000, South AfricaPhone: +27 76 636 9007Hours: Check the website for tour timingWebsite: http://www.nielsentours.co.za/

After the walking tour in the morning, we went to the Table Mountain in the afternoon as the weather looks pretty good now. No more rain after I bought the coat.
There were plenty of car park attendants wearing yellow vests which I believe are not official attendants. But we still gave 5 to 20 Rand to each attendant because we hope that they will help to look after our car, and we hope that having a little income will deter them from committing crimes.
This car park attendant at the Table Mountain was kind to inform me to bring my jacket up as it will be cold at the peak. So thankful for his suggestion as it was indeed very chilly!

At the peak. We took the cablecar up instead of climbing because we did not have luxury of time. Besides we read that there could be muggers 😦

Breath-taking view from the top. We spent some time walking around the table top, until loads of tourists come up. Despite the crowd, Table Mountain is still a must visit because it is one of the most beautiful peaks we’ve been to. Table Mountain is now one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature.

On our last night in Cape Town, we decided to go back to V&A waterfront as I really love the shopping and to stroll along the waterfront. So romantic 🙂

We had a pasta dinner which wasn’t fantastic but was very cheap as they were having some 1 for 1 promotion.

Day 8
On the last day in Cape Town, we decided to go up the Signal Hill since we are living in Signal Hill Lodge haha.

View from Signal Hill was amazing! We get to see the Table Mountain! Just yesterday we were up there! We also saw many tourists doing paraglidingin Signal Hill. I was so tempted to try but it wasn’t cheap.

The hotel staff told us that there is cannon firing at 12 noon everyday which is why we saw the Signal Hill Noon Gun signboard near our lodge. Since it was already 1140am after watching people paraglide, we decided to pop by before leaving Cape Town.

What a sight! It was my first time being so near to the cannon and it was so loud! The friendly uncle also explained the history of the noon gun and how it works very well.

Time to head to Betty’s Bay where W promised me with penguins 🙂

We stopped by at The Whaling Station Greek Mediterranean for a late lunch and we were the only patrons there.
I really love my prawns and fries! The prawns were fresh and succulent, the sauce was a little spicy but I like its savory taste, and the fries has rich potato taste in it. The salad has very refreshing mix of different vegetables and this is definitely one of the best meals so far!
W ordered the catch of the day which was equally amazing. The owner was also super friendly, telling us about his Singaporean friend and how his son studied Chinese in China. The owners are from Greece.

The Whaling Station Greek Mediterranean

Address: 2662 Clarence Dr, Betty’s Bay, 7141, South Africa Phone: +27 28 272 9238 Hours: 8am–9:30pm

The restaurant owner told us we had to hurry to see the penguins! What a pleasant surprise to find that the penguins at Betty’s Bay are so many more than in Boulders Beach. In addition, the entrance fee (R20 for adult) at Betty’s was much cheaper.

Even before entering the Stony Point Nature Reserve, we were greeted by these penguins. So lovely!

Walking into the Nature Reserve, we saw even more penguins.

It was estimated to be over 2000 penguins according to the guide.

Look at all the black dots, they are penguins 🙂

Would really love to buy one of the houses here so that I can see the penguins everyday 🙂

Stony Point Nature ReserveAddress: 7141, 2411 Wallers Rd, Betty’s Bay, 7141, South AfricaHours: 8AM–4:30PMPhone: +27 28 272 9829Website: http://www.capenature.co.za/reserves/stony-point-nature-reserve/

We drove on to Hermanus where we stayed in this Hermanus Backpackers hostel just because they do a shark cage tour. Unfortunately when we arrived, we were told that due to adverse weather condition, they will not be doing any shark cage tour for the next few days.
What a disappointment as the shark cage tour is something W and I looked forward to!
To add to our disappointment, our room was in a poor condition. The curtain fell off and we constantly worry if people might look into our room. The bathroom door was faulty and cannot be closed properly. There wasn’t any air-conditioning, heater nor fan which means we have to open the window for ventilation despite the cold. We also have to risk people climbing in as the window was really low and we were on the first floor. The bathroom did not look clean and it was difficult to change my contact lens as there wasn’t any space to put my solution or lens case.
The whole room was just badly maintained! We couldn’t wait to check out the next day! :(Our consolation for this backpackers was that the staff were all friendly and nice.

Hermanus BackpackersAddress: 26 Flower St, Hermanus, 7200, South AfricaPhone: +27 28 312 4293

For dinner, we dine at Fabio’s Italian Restaurant which was pretty OK but not fantastic (hence we did not take any photo). Guess our appetite was affected by the shark cage disappointment.

Fabio’s RistoranteAddress: 60 St Peters Lane, Hermanus, 7200, South AfricaPhone: +27 28 313 0532Hours: 11am–10pmWebsite: www.fabios.co.za/

Day 9

Happy to leave the backpackers! And since there wasn’t any shark cage diving to do today, we decided to check out the local Hermanus Country Market since it happens to be a Saturday!
It seems to be a blessing in disguise because the country market turns out to be fabulous! We totally enjoyed chilling with our food and local music, watching the kids play at the sandy playground. We also supported the locals by purchasing some really pretty handicrafts (some birthday cards, fridge magnet, room spray, baby shoes).

Hermanus Country MarketAddress: Fairways Ave & Jose Burman Dr, Hermanus, 7200, South AfricaPhone: +27 72 883 3894Hours: Saturdays 9am to 1pmWebsite: http://hermanuscountrymarket.co.za/

After lunch at the country market, we drove a long distance from Hermanus to Mossel Bay.

Stopped by a vineyard and saw this wolf dog.

When we reached Mossel Bay it was night time.

Finally tried an authentic outdoor braai (African BBQ). However we still prefer our meals at Millers Thumb and The Whaling Station. The ambience was good for large groups.

Kaai 4 Braai RestaurantAddress: Quay 4, Mossel Bay Harbour, Mossel Bay, 6500, South AfricaPhone:+27 79 980 3981

Yeah to a decent lodge again!

Bar-t-nique

Address: 82 Rodger St, Mossel Bay, 6500, South Africa Phone: +27 44 690 4554 Website: www.bar-t-nique.co.za/

16D15N South Africa Itinerary: The Garden Route (Part II)

Published on June 27, 2016May 15, 2020 by MamaKENGLeave a comment

Day 4
We took a domestic flight to Cape Town where we rented a car from Avis for self-drive via the Garden Route to Port Elizabeth.
Woo hoo to the start of a road trip! When we reached Cape Town, it was turning dark and all we did was to look for our hotel at Signal Hill Lodge, which is pretty decent for the price we paid, just the the parking space was rather narrow.

Signal Hill Lodge
Address: 29 Military Rd, Schotsche Kloof, Cape Town, 8001, South AfricaPhone: +27 21 422 0769Website: http://www.signal-hill-lodge.co.za/

We then headed out for dinner at Codfather Seafood & Sushi after hearing the recommendation by the Chinese tourists we met in the Safari.

Sorry that my Samsung S5 camera is really bad under low light condition. But this was how it looks, kind of like Fish & Co. You can choose between fries or rice.

The food was fantastic (though not as heavenly as what the Chinese tourists described as), especially the butterfish which melts in the mouth. But the prices can be high, depending on the type of seafood you choose as they go by the weight. So it is best to ask the prices before the chef cooks.

Codfather Seafood & Sushi
Address: 37 The Dr, Camps Bay, Cape Town, 8040, South AfricaPhone: +27 21 438 0782Hours: 12am –11pmWebsite: http://www.codfather.co.za/

Day 5

Woke up feeling blessed. Took a photo at our balcony as on the night of proposal it was too dark to take decent photos. Have to show off my red roses before they wilt!

We spent the day exploring Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela spent 18 of his 27 prison years. The tour is about 4 hours long, inclusive of 30 min boat ride each way. The ticket price is inclusive of the boat ride and the guided tour. We purchased the 1pm ticket on the spot.
It is best to visit Robben Island first as the boats might not operate during bad weather. After alighting from the boat, we walked a little to catch the buses where the tour guide on each bus will guide you around the island. It is best not to visit the souvenir shops as you will have plenty of time to do so later, otherwise you might end up with a not so good seat, or get separated from your partner.
We were lucky to be seated near the guide so we could hear clearly throughout 🙂

There will be a break where you can go to the washroom or look at the penguins (if any).
The second part of the tour will be by foot, where we followed another guide who used to be an ex prisoner in Robben Island.

The cell of Nelson Mandela.

The backyard of the cell.

Our guide explaining the ID that the prisoners have to carry.

The prisoners were given ration according to their races 😦
It started to rain quite heavily after our tour ended and we had to dashed back to the boat so we did not explore the island much.
Nevertheless, we have so much respect for these people who fought for their freedom.

Robben Island Tour

Timing: 9am, 1pm and 3pmTicket price: R320 Rand (adult) and R180 (child) Website: http://www.robben-island.org.za/

Back at the V&A waterfront, I decided to buy a coat from H&M since it was on sale and the weather was turning cold. It was less than SGD30 for a decent coat 🙂
We had dinner at the Willoughby & Co as I read a lot of positive reviews on it and I was craving for some Asian food already!

The sashimis were of thick generous serving and the price was pretty decent as well. Always love Japanese food! A good alternative to all the Western food we have been eating!

Willoughby & Co

Address: 6130 & 6132, Victoria Wharf Centre, Victoria Wharf Shopping Centre, Breakwater Blvd, V & A Waterfront, Cape Town, 8001, South Africa Phone:+27 21 418 6115 Hours: 12–10:30pm

Day 6
Day 6 was a road trip out to find penguins at the Boulders Beach and to the Cape of Good Hope.
As it was still raining in the morning, we decided to head to The Old Biscuit Mill for breakfast in case the penguins are hiding from the rain.
We had a pleasant time exploring this amazing place full of local crafts. This is a good place for those interested in supporting local handicrafts/ designs.
Had a delicious breakfast at Saucisse Boutique Deli. The owner was very friendly too.

Saucisse Boutique Deli

Address: Unit A 112, Old Biscuit Mill, 375/373 Albert Rd, Woodstock, Cape Town, 7925, South Africa Phone:+27 21 447 7177 Hours: 8am–4:30pm

We climbed up The Old Biscuit Mill and we were not very sure if this is Signal Hill but nonetheless was a beautiful sight.

The rain stopped and we proceeded to the Boulders Beach.

Stopped along the way as some places were too beautiful to miss. The wind was very strong!

Colourful houses at St James. Reminds me of Perth.

3 cute dogs.

Boulders Beach. Where are the penguins?

So many! Sun tanning?

So cute. They can be anywhere around you 🙂

Boulders Beach

Address: 1 Kleintuin Rd, Simons Town, 7995, South Africa Phone: +27 21 786 2329

Next stop, we gotta hurry to the Cape of Good Hope before it closes!
There was an entrance fee to the Cape Point Nature Reserve, where the Cape of Good Hope is located. We were lucky to enter before 3pm as they do not allow cars to enter after 3pm for winter. At the entrance, we still had to drive quite a far bit to the Cape Point and then to the Cape of Good Hope.
Due to the lack of time (as we need to leave the Nature Reserve before 5pm), we could only visit 2 places.
We drove to the Cape Point first, and decided not to take the Flying Dutchman Funicular up. I really like to explore places by foot 🙂

Cape Point lighthouse.

The waves are really very strong.

Pretty scary to look down.

And then we quickly moved on to the Cape of Good Hope! Which is a place I really wanted to visit after learning it from my Secondary school Geography book.

Here we are!

At the Southern tip of the Africa continent! So far away from home. I wonder how did the sailors in the past feel as well.

Saw a lonely ostrich in the reserve.

Cape Point Nature Reserve

Address: Cape Point Rd, Cape Town, 8001, South Africa Hours: 06:00 – 18:00 (October – March) 07:00 – 17:00 (April – September) Phone: +27 21 780 9526 Website: http://capepoint.co.za/

We wanted to get dinner at Simon’s Town but decided to drive back to Cape Town to dine at Millers Thumb and it was one of the best meals in Africa! Highly recommended! Just looking at the photos below made me salivate.

I think I had mine in Moroccan sauce.

Both our fishes were so gooooood. The fishes were really tender and juicy and their home made sauce brings out even more flavour! They have so many different types of fishes that we don’t have in Singapore so we were not very sure what to order but the waiters there were very patient and kind. I remember that the price was affordable, just like any restaurants in South Africa. Each meal cost less than SGD15, and you can get a big breakfast with drinks for SGD4 to 6. 🙂

Millers Thumb

Address: 10B Kloofnek Road, Tamboerskloof, Cape Town, 8001, South Africa Hours: 12:30–2pm, 6:30–10:30pm Phone: +27 21 424 3838 Website: http://www.millersthumb.co.za/

16D15N South Africa Itinerary: The Kruger Safari (Part I)

Published on June 26, 2016May 15, 2020 by MamaKENGLeave a comment

It has always been my dream to visit Africa, and South Africa is the easiest to start as it is more accessible and majority speak English.

After a long 11 hours flight from Singapore to Johannesburg, we waited a further 2 hours to take a 1 hours domestic flight to Nelspruit.

We have heard about some horror stories in Johannesburg but I still did not pay much attention to my belongings until we had some encounters in the Johannesburg international airport.

Incident 1: While eating our breakfast, an African guy approached us speaking in a language we could not understand. I was puzzled, still looking at him with my half awake and jet lag brain, and not being aware how dangerous the whole situation is. W is more alert. He quickly held tight to my bag which I conveniently leave it on the luggage trolley, thinking that it was safe since the trolley was just next to us. The African waiter was quick to notice that someone was troubling us and he spoke in an unknown language, and gesturing him to leave, while taking out his wallet to show that he has no money.
The waiter then told us that we have to be careful as it is very common for them to snatch bags away even in the airport. Thank god we met this kind-hearted waiter.

Incident 2: After breakfast, we proceeded to the departure gate as we thought that the airport seems unsafe and we just wanted to leave Johannesburg quickly. It definitely did not help being Asian as we are the only 2 Asians around and almost all the Africans are staring at us.
While waiting for the lift, an airport security guard approached us and asked where we were going. I thought that airport security guard should be safe but I was wrong! We told him we were going to Nelspruit for the Safari and he said it was costly to see the animals. He then spoke in some unknown language (which I assume he is saying that we must be rich to be able to go to the Safari), and gesture to give him some coffee money. We pretended not to understand and quickly walked away.

Incident 3: At the check in counter, we were patiently queuing for our turn and this friendly airline staff directed us to the next counter as he carried my luggage to the counter (without my permission. Neither did I request him to help as it was just a mere 1 m walk). When we were done, he asked us to give him 100 Rand which was insane. We decided to just give him a 10 Rand (approx SGD1) as we are too tired from the long flight. He wanted more than 10 Rand but I firmly said “No, if not I won’t even give you 10 Rand”.

These 3 incidents seem like a pretty bad start to our trip but I thought it was good as they taught us to be more alert to our surroundings and never trust anyone even if they are official staff.

Day 1

It is rare to walk down the stairs nowadays! Made us feel like we are some VIPs taking private jet 🙂 Cheap thrill!

We were going to the Kruger Safari! How exciting!!!!

We were exhausted after such long flights, and it was another 3 hours car ride to Naledi Game Lodge.

When we reached the lodge, the staff (so many of them but I could only remember Markus name so far) were standing outside to welcome us as if we were Presidents. We quickly gobbled down the lunch the lodge prepared for us as we wanted to catch the afternoon game! The staff were so nice, to save our lunch for us (we reached about 2 pm +) and still manged to slot us in for an afternoon game!

Five minutes to our first game, we were pretty lucky to see three lions with their prey!

Feeling excited!

We also saw a giraffe with a lion chasing after it!

According to our guide, this is the remains of a giraffe, which was eaten up by a pride of 11 lions.

It turned dark and my camera couldn’t capture these rhinoceres clearly.

After the evening game, we freshened up and went for dinner at 7pm with other tourists from China.

Our bathroom was really huge. Love double sinks!

Naledi Game Lodge

Phone: +27 (15) 001-7092 Website: http://www.naledigamelodge.com/

Day 2
Morning game!

Spotted many elephants!

Impala is very common in the Safari! They are one of my favourites but they are so shy and hard to capture. Impalas have a letter M on their butt.

We had a break in this hut and ate some really nice cookies and drank hot milo to keep warm :)For our 2nd game, we did not manage to see many animals, only elephants and many different kind of deers. But we did learn a lot from the guides as I didn’t know the existence of Impala. I just grouped them as deers! How ignorant!

After lunch, we opted for trekking with the guide as we get to know more about how they track animals based on the footprint, marks on branches etc.

Since we are going on foot without vehicle, it can be rather dangerous if we encounter lions or leopards. So our guide carries a rifle with him and we should not walk together as a group. Animals tend to attack solo traveller, just like humans.

Bone remains.

Spotted monkeys.

In the afternoon game (our 3rd game), we managed to see rhinoceros up close!

This huge fellow decided to walk across our vehicle. So cool!

More giraffes up close 🙂 Such elegance and beauty!

Forgot the name of these animals. I should have updated earlier!

Getting dark. Always a good idea to stay close to the vehicle.

Still hopeful to spot leopard but only manage to spot this owl which stood so still.
So far we have spotted 4 out of the big 5. Where are you leopardy?
After the night game, we were heading back to the lodge. Little did I know that the dinner was going to be a big surprise.

THE PROPOSAL

W asked me to shower and change into something nicer and I was like for what? The dinner was at 7 pm and it was already 6.30 pm. Furthermore, we were just going to dine with the usual tourists and there were only animals around, it was not like we are going to any fine dining restaurants. So I ignored his suggestion.
I started to sense something was not right when W changed into a nicer shirt, and how he pretended to lose his pouch when the door bell rang.
Why would the door bell ring? When I opened the main door, there wasn’t anyone. Shortly after, I head someone at the other door (that connects to another living room. Yes, our room was really huge. We even had a living room 1 and living room 2).
Markus was at living room 2 and right in front of me was very romantically decorated room. I knew it! Must be the proposal. I’ve been looking forward to it but yet I’m not prepared right now as there were other staff around and I was so shy.

I ran a few rounds in the room because I wasn’t sure if this was the right time to say yes. I was dying of embarrassment with the staff looking at me and all I wanted to do was run away. But I soon realised that I was in the middle of the Safari, where could I run to? And this was the man I would want to marry and live with.
So I said yes 🙂

W and the staff were all worried I would say no. Haha.

The food was really good but we were very full from the huge servings of lunch and tea break.

Markus and his staff really decorated the room really well and I must say their service was excellent! We even had the chef coming in personally to explain the food to us, and the waitress checking on us regularly to see if we needed help.
Because I couldn’t bring any of the decorations back, I can only keep them in my heart as memories and to take as many photos as possible 🙂
Thank you W and all the staff for the proposal 🙂 I am blessed.

Day 3

Last day in the Safari 😦

Spotted giraffe again 🙂

So lucky to see the lion with her fresh prey, Waterbuck early in the morning! According to the guide, the lion killed her the night before and now she is trying to hide the prey for her children to eat.

Trying to hide from the sneaky hyenas.

I like how the different lodges will cooperate and inform each other when they spot the animals!
And so we concluded our 3D2N stay in the Safari. I’m so missing this place!