# South Africa 2017 - Final Thoughts



## Cousin Orville

Good morning from South Africa!  [cue the Circle of Life music].  Last we left off, we were getting back from the Northern Italy ABD.  This time, it's my oldest son Gavin and me heading off to South Africa.  Often on ABD's it's interesting to ask other guests who have done ABD's before what their favorite one was.  Typically if they've done South Africa, that get's mentioned as a favorite.  So, I've had my eye on it for a few years now.  Finally, here it is.



First, some logistics for any future travelers that may be traveling as a solo parent.  South Africa is absolutely serious about carrying the approved paperwork for traveling with a child without both parents.  I always travel with a notarized letter from my wife in case anyone asked any questions.  In all my traveling, I've never been asked for it.  For S. Africa, look up what the requirements are.  There's a letter on the S. Africa gov't website that must be filled out and notarized.  You also have to travel with an original full birth certificate and notarized copy of the other parent's passport.  They are not screwing around.  They will ask for this, both the airline and S. Africa passport control.  Huge thanks to @*WDW*Groupie* for helping me with this.  If there's anyway I can pay it forward for future travelers let me know.



Second, when choosing flights, United often flies to S. Africa through Brazil.  If flying through Brazil, consider getting a Yellow Fever vaccine.  S. Africa requires proof of this if traveling from certain countries.  Brazil seems to be the only one some people may fly through that requires this.  S. Africa doesn't specify if passengers in transit (just changing planes) need this, but from my research it's a possibility.  In light of this, I chose not to fly through Brazil.



That about covers the very important, but not well publicized info.  On with the show:





Houston to Cape Town



We flew United/South African Airways from Houston to London to Johannesburg to Cape Town.  Because of the evening flights to London and then to J'burg, it basically takes a day and a half to get there.  Thankfully we were able to get our tickets on points and move up to business class.





























Gavin as you can tell loved it.  It was very comfy.  Service was ok, nothing spectacular.  You can get a wine flight on United which was pretty cool.  But she delivered it while I was helping Gavin with something so I missed which wine was which.  Still cool.



We arrived in London in the morning and had a 9 hr layover.  We actually just got back from a cruise out of London/Dover a couple of weeks ago, so there wasn't anything particularly pressing we wanted to do in London.  However, a friend of mine mentioned how London had the largest Lego store in the world and was the only place where you could have a Lego portrait made.  So, that sounded quick and fun.  We headed off to Leicester Square on the Piccadilly Line.  It was a straight shot from Heathrow and took about 50 minutes.  We went to the lego store, then headed over to a Pub for lunch we've eaten at before and it was great.  Had the fish and chips.  It was huge - we could have shared it, but it was delicious.  We headed back early to the airport and lounged for a couple of hours before our Johannesburg flight.
















































The flight to Johannesburg was another 10 hours or so.  Business Class was nicer here than on United.  Better service and S. African wines...






















We changed in Johannesburg to get to Cape Town and arrived just after noon.  Overall it was a long never-ending day, but the business class, wine, and even the break in London helped.  Finally we arrived in Cape Town, but I'll save that for next day.


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## Jess_S

I'm so excited to read about your adventures.  Have a wonderful trip!  (And if you are taking requests, I'm especially interested to hear about the weather and if it affects your trip at all.  I know it's winter in Africa, but I have no idea what winter means in Africa).


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## *WDW*Groupie*

I'm so glad to hear that you got through the airline document check and passport control.  They will probably ask you for the docs again when you leave Cape Town (SAA check-in agent) and again when you leave JNB (passport control) as crazy as this sounds!

That Lego portrait is very cool!  

I can't wait to see some pics from S. Africa.  It is *such* a magical place.  I hope you had good weather in Cape Town (you must have left by now?).  Since you are in dry season for your safari I am sure you'll stay dry there!


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## tgeorge

The Lego photo is awesome! I have a nephew who would love that. Can't wait to travel along with you on this journey.


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## Chirple

I can't wait to read the rest of this trip report.  I have been wanting to go to South Africa for many years.  My cousin's wife is from there and just returned from visiting family.  I loved looking at her photos on FB.


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## AquamarineSteph

Looking forward to the rest of this travel report!


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## CaliKris

So excited to read your trip report!  We have been eyeing the S. Africa ABD for quite some time and I am interested to read your take on it (including Victoria Falls).  

Your recommendations are always spot on.  We loved M on the Bund in Shanghai and Miki Tours of Tongli Water Town was fabulous!


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## christannj

Now we're talking...I've been waiting for my cousin Orville fix.... Thought that I would get it last month with your cruise....but Nooooo,had to wait till South Africa.  Oh well, I will be reading along....another business class with your son....you will never be able to go back to steerage

Chris


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## Calfan

Super excited to follow along on your South Africa trip report. A return to Africa is on my near-term travel list.  Planning on Tanzania, but South Africa is on my must do list as well.


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## Cousin Orville

Jess_S said:


> I'm so excited to read about your adventures.  Have a wonderful trip!  (And if you are taking requests, I'm especially interested to hear about the weather and if it affects your trip at all.  I know it's winter in Africa, but I have no idea what winter means in Africa).



Winter is chilly here in South Africa.  It's mostly in the 50's and 60's.  I've been wearing a light sweater most days and occasionally a jacket at night.  But it's been very welcome from a hot Texas summer.  One nice thing is because the days are a little shorter in the winter, game drives start later.  We haven't made it up there yet, but I hear they start around 7am.  Not sure how early game drives start in the summer.




*WDW*Groupie* said:


> I'm so glad to hear that you got through the airline document check and passport control.  They will probably ask you for the docs again when you leave Cape Town (SAA check-in agent) and again when you leave JNB (passport control) as crazy as this sounds!
> 
> That Lego portrait is very cool!
> 
> I can't wait to see some pics from S. Africa.  It is *such* a magical place.  I hope you had good weather in Cape Town (you must have left by now?).  Since you are in dry season for your safari I am sure you'll stay dry there!




Thanks again for the advice with the paperwork.  It was a little stressful getting everything in order as the instructions can be a bit ambiguous.

Weather has been great.  It rained a little for one day, but otherwise the days have been gorgeous.  And as many have mentioned to me, this is an ideal time of year to see the animals due to the end of the wet season.



tgeorge said:


> The Lego photo is awesome! I have a nephew who would love that. Can't wait to travel along with you on this journey.



Yeah the Lego portrait is super cool.  There's a machine like a photo booth that analylizes your face and creates a black and white and grey Lego 48x48 map.  You get all the pieces and the instructions printed out.  Haven't done it yet... haven't had time.  But it looks super cool.  If you ever do it you have to sign up for an appointment.  It was a lot of fun!


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## hilarys

So glad to follow along.  Is Jennae guiding your departure?  She has been posting some amazing animal pictures this summer - makes me very intrigued for this adventure.


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## MakiraMarlena

I'm on this trip October 7 (adults only). flying through London, not Brazil. In coach! No points for business class.

We have a 9 hour layover in London too and my friend has never been to London. We can see some of the tourist stuff and have a pub lunch. How much time should we give to get back to Heathrow on the tube do you think?


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## acndis

Yay!  It would not be summer without a Cousin O trip report.  This one is still high on our list but we have had to postpone it a bit (we have Australia coming up and then most likely China) but I can't wait to follow along!


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## sayhello

Finally had a chance to catch up with this report!  Looking forward to more!  I've been watching Jennae's posts all summer, and it's just been spectacular, so I can hardly wait for yours!

Sayhello


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## calypso726

Yay!!! So glad to see you are on your South Africa trip and happy to be following along on your trip report. I am torn between South Africa with Victoria Falls for 2019 and Antarctica. I've heard great feedback from people who have done the South Africa trip so I am really looking forward to yours as well since you are a frequent ABD traveler. Thanks for the advice about the Brazil connection. I will focus on connnecting in London if we wind up doing this ABD in 2019. Have fun and look forward to reading more!


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## pinksand

Looking forward to this trip report! We booked the S. Africa ABD for next year, and we are so excited and eager to hear your tips and follow your adventures!


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## CaliforniaGirl09

Yay!! A cousin Orville report! I'm so glad you are doing this. South Africa was not on my list at all until a fellow ABDer got me interested. It's still probably a little way down the list for me (I want to do Vietnam/Laos/Cambodia and then hopefully Japan), but maybe this report will move it up a little


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## Cousin Orville

Chirple said:


> I can't wait to read the rest of this trip report.  I have been wanting to go to South Africa for many years.  My cousin's wife is from there and just returned from visiting family.  I loved looking at her photos on FB.



South Africa has been wonderful. It will be no surprise very early on that I'm a big fan!



AquamarineSteph said:


> Looking forward to the rest of this travel report!



Thanks!



CaliKris said:


> So excited to read your trip report!  We have been eyeing the S. Africa ABD for quite some time and I am interested to read your take on it (including Victoria Falls).
> 
> Your recommendations are always spot on.  We loved M on the Bund in Shanghai and Miki Tours of Tongli Water Town was fabulous!



Glad to hear the Tongli Water Town was fabulous.  I'm looking forward to it!



christannj said:


> Now we're talking...I've been waiting for my cousin Orville fix.... Thought that I would get it last month with your cruise....but Nooooo,had to wait till South Africa.  Oh well, I will be reading along....another business class with your son....you will never be able to go back to steerage
> 
> Chris



There are so many DCL trip reports...  I have to put my attention towards ABD.  Hopefully it will be worth it.



Calfan said:


> Super excited to follow along on your South Africa trip report. A return to Africa is on my near-term travel list.  Planning on Tanzania, but South Africa is on my must do list as well.



I'm not sure when we'll get to return to Africa, but I'm sure we will.  Tanzania would be awesome I'm sure.  The South African ABDs appear to be getting more popular.  They are increasing the number of trips next year.  Maybe with the increased popularity of Africa, ABD may consider adding Tanzania as well or I've hear Namibia is also amazing.  So many options out there.  I've looked at the A&K Tanzania family trip.


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## Cousin Orville

hilarys said:


> So glad to follow along.  Is Jennae guiding your departure?  She has been posting some amazing animal pictures this summer - makes me very intrigued for this adventure.



Yes, she and Craig were our guys.  And she does have some great photos on her FB page.



MakiraMarlena said:


> I'm on this trip October 7 (adults only). flying through London, not Brazil. In coach! No points for business class.
> 
> We have a 9 hour layover in London too and my friend has never been to London. We can see some of the tourist stuff and have a pub lunch. How much time should we give to get back to Heathrow on the tube do you think?



Getting from Heathrow to Piccadilly Circus or the next stop Leicester Square takes about 50min.  We left London after a late lunch around 3:45p and got back around 4:45p.  So we still had 4 hrs before our 9pm flight.  We could have left another hour later, but Gavin was getting nervous and we did everything we wanted to do in London.  Also, keep in mind it can take a while to get through Heathrow passport control.



acndis said:


> Yay!  It would not be summer without a Cousin O trip report.  This one is still high on our list but we have had to postpone it a bit (we have Australia coming up and then most likely China) but I can't wait to follow along!



All great trips.  I think you'll add South Africa after I finish with this trip report. 



sayhello said:


> Finally had a chance to catch up with this report!  Looking forward to more!  I've been watching Jennae's posts all summer, and it's just been spectacular, so I can hardly wait for yours!
> 
> Sayhello



Yeah, it's fun to follow along with Jennae.  It was great.  I'm looking forward to writing this report, but I'm also looking forward to catching up with your China report!


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## Cousin Orville

calypso726 said:


> Yay!!! So glad to see you are on your South Africa trip and happy to be following along on your trip report. I am torn between South Africa with Victoria Falls for 2019 and Antarctica. I've heard great feedback from people who have done the South Africa trip so I am really looking forward to yours as well since you are a frequent ABD traveler. Thanks for the advice about the Brazil connection. I will focus on connnecting in London if we wind up doing this ABD in 2019. Have fun and look forward to reading more!



Yeah the optimal flights would be NY to Johannesburg, ATL to Johannesburg or Emirates IMO.  But United from Houston typically goes through Brazil.  I was lucky to find the one London flight amongst many Brazil options.  When I fly back, I fly through Brazil. 



pinksand said:


> Looking forward to this trip report! We booked the S. Africa ABD for next year, and we are so excited and eager to hear your tips and follow your adventures!



It's awesome.  Just wait...



CaliforniaGirl09 said:


> Yay!! A cousin Orville report! I'm so glad you are doing this. South Africa was not on my list at all until a fellow ABDer got me interested. It's still probably a little way down the list for me (I want to do Vietnam/Laos/Cambodia and then hopefully Japan), but maybe this report will move it up a little



Japan is high on my list.  I'm not sure whether to do it on our own or wait for ABD with the rumors.  I suspect we'll do it on our own.  SE Asia was amazing as well.  All great options.


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## Cousin Orville

Pre-day 1 Cape Town



We were picked up at the airport by our ABD representative and driven to the Table Bay Hotel.  Cape Town is a very pretty city similar in many regards to other coastal cities like San Diego or Sydney.  But right outside the airport we passed some of the townships where the poorest live in shacks they’ve mostly built themselves.  This is definitely not something I’ve personally seen much of.  I suppose you see these makeshift towns in many places, but these were very large communities.   Much more about that tomorrow.



The Table Bay Hotel is a beautiful hotel right on the harbor.  When we arrived they were serving tea in the lounge with a pianist there.  It was lovely and I enjoyed spending a couple of evenings hanging out in the lounge for tea or later wine and just reading.  Check in was painless and they offered refreshments.  It was nice to finally arrive and relax.  We checked out the room which was nice and walked along the waterfront behind the hotel.  By this time it was around 4:30pm  I knew we would want to eat early and get to bed early so I found an awesome restaurant - Chef’s Warehouse. They don’t take reservations, and it was recommended as one of the best restaurants in Cape Town.  You have to get there early or the lines can be an hour or more.  We Uber’d over which was cheap.  I think it was a couple of dollars (in SA Rand of course).



Chef’s Warehouse was a small restaurant which has lots of food and spices and cooking items displayed.  I guess they were for sell…  It’s a chef’s warehouse after all, but the atmosphere was pretty cool and very casual.  We were the first there for dinner (it did get crowded later) and they sat us by the window which was cool.  The food is pre-fixe and is amazing.  They bring out the food in groups.  First was Kingklip sashimi, tuna, and fried calamari.  All of which was outstanding.  2nd was gnocchi and risotto.  To Gavin’s memory it was the first time he’s had either.  He ate both, but really liked the risotto.  They were both amazing.  Last was pork croquettes, silverfish, and lamb.  The waiter recommended  a glass of Sauvignon Blanc and later a Shiraz.  Both awesome.  In fact I don’t think I’ve had a bad wine on this trip.  South African wine is inexpensive and amazing.  I’m certainly no expert, but it reminds me a lot of Australian wines.  Here’s some pics.  As you see, sometimes I started eating the dish before taking the photo.  Gavin helped me remember.




































Calamari, tuna, and a kingklip sashimi (or crudo is probably a better description)








The calamari was fresh and nice and light.








Gnocchi half eaten [hangs head in shame] 






















the silverfish (probably my least favorite of all the dishes)








the lamb hiding under there








and pork croquette



I’d strongly recommend this place.  They were not screwing around with their food.  Afterwards we grabbed an uber back.  We walked around the Victoria and Alfred (not Albert) waterfront for a few minutes.  There were street musicians playing African music which was cool.  We stopped in a couple of shops and then headed back to the hotel. 








the seal behind our hotel that I guess was the icon for the Table Bay Hotel??  We saw it a few different places around the hotel.








and majestic Table Mountain








overall a very nice hotel for ABD. 








We hung out in the lounge for just a bit.  Gavin got a Shirley Temple and I got a glass of red wine.  I think it was a Pinotage.  Pinotage is a grape created as a hybrid of Pinot Noir and Hermitage.  It’s unique to South Africa and illegal to take the grapes or stems out of South Africa.  Of course no problem with taking wine out.  SA is just protecting its unique grape.



So, after getting off the plane it was pretty much a relaxed day.  Tomorrow would be the official start of the ABD.  Nothing is scheduled for the day per se.  Many guests arrived on this day.  I’d recommend arriving a bit earlier if you can to help with the jet lag or any travel delays.  Our plan tomorrow was to go to the Old Biscuit Mill market and take a tour of the townships.  More on that later…


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## *WDW*Groupie*

Cousin Orville said:


> But right outside the airport we passed some of the townships where the poorest live in the shacks they’ve mostly built themselves. This is definitely not something I’ve personally seen much of. I suppose you see these makeshift towns in many places, but these were very large communities. Much more about that tomorrow.



Those are quite shocking, aren't they?  What surprised me was that every time you get on the highway, you pass the settlements, one after the other.  Our private guide told us they all have a television.  They also hijack hydro lines.  But none have indoor plumbing.  Very, very sad.  I have never seen anything like it.

Your food pics look amazing!  If you have a chance try some Chuckles from Woolworth's.  They are quite yummy.  

How many are in your tour group?


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## met19

After seeing your FB posts, I am eagerly awaiting the Simba and Nala photos.  That restaurant sounds like serious foodie heaven.  This trip might make my list.  Question does it occur prior to London,  Vietnam, Winter in Wyoming, or a Alaska DCL.....Decisions decisions.   2019 decisions as my 2018 trips are booked 

Glad your having a good time.


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## carpenta

Thanks for your report. Love to follow along. Cheers.


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## Cousin Orville

*WDW*Groupie* said:


> Those are quite shocking, aren't they?  What surprised me was that every time you get on the highway, you pass the settlements, one after the other.  Our private guide told us they all have a television.  They also hijack hydro lines.  But none have indoor plumbing.  Very, very sad.  I have never seen anything like it.
> 
> Your food pics look amazing!  If you have a chance try some Chuckles from Woolworth's.  They are quite yummy.
> 
> How many are in your tour group?



I was surprised to see many do have satellite dishes, but they are very sad to see.  More on that later.



met19 said:


> After seeing your FB posts, I am eagerly awaiting the Simba and Nala photos.  That restaurant sounds like serious foodie heaven.  This trip might make my list.  Question does it occur prior to London,  Vietnam, Winter in Wyoming, or a Alaska DCL.....Decisions decisions.   2019 decisions as my 2018 trips are booked
> 
> Glad your having a good time.



There's definitely some good food here both on and off the ABD.  Not to a Northern Italy/Swiss level but very good.  As you've probably seen on my FB page, this is a photographer's dream.  I think if I were to return, I'd bring an even better lens and maybe upgrade the camera body as well.  I'm shooting with a Nikon D7100 and I just brought a Nikon 18-200mm lens.



carpenta said:


> Thanks for your report. Love to follow along. Cheers.



Thanks!


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## Cousin Orville

Day 1 Cape Town



This is the first full official day of the ABD, but other than meeting the guides there’s no scheduled activities.  Several guests arrived this morning.  The breakfast is very good with an array of standard breakfast items you’d find in any international hotel.  They have a room dedicated to fruit juices which were quite good and a waffle/crepe bar where they make them to order.  There was a pianist playing in the dining room with windows that looked out to the harbor and across to Table Mountain.



After breakfast we took an Uber to the Old Biscuit Mill about 15min away.  It was Sat morning which is their busiest morning and when they have a lot more food and craft stalls set up.  It was great.  We probably should have had a very light breakfast and eaten an early lunch here.  There were so many stalls set up with all sorts of food from homemade ice cream, honey, fruit slushy’s, pizzas, paella, on and on.  There was an area for craft sellers offering all sorts of South African knick knacks.  A lot was pretty common stuff you’ll see on the  V&A Waterfront and many other places.  I found a jeweler who had her own shop in Cape Town but brings some of her offerings here on the weekend and bought 2 handmade necklaces.  We walked around a bit more and I tried some more Pinotage at a wine shop.  Good stuff.





























































BTW,  there is a restaurant here called Test Kitchen which is on the Top 50 restaurants of the world list.  I tried to get reservations, but they were booked up.



We headed back to the hotel around noon as we had an afternoon tour of a Township to meet up with at 2pm.  We basically skipped lunch as we still weren’t very hungry from breakfast.  I’ll save the township tour for the next post as I think it deserves it.  And as I type this we’re about to board our flight to Victoria Falls.



Cheers!


(Tip of the day - In SA airports, porters will approach you wanting to help with your bags.  We’ve mainly seen this in Johannesburg transferring from international to domestic terminals.  They’re friendly, but will want to help you for a tip.  You can just tell them no thanks.  Not a big deal, but since I’ve never seen that before, I’m guessing it might come as a surprise for others too.)


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## sayhello

So who took that last photo of you?  Is Gavin becoming a photographer, too?  

Sayhello


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## Jess_S

Your photos are already making me wish this trip was in our budget for 2019 -- and we haven't even gotten to the ABD portion.  

What exactly is silverfish?  I only know one meaning for that word and it refers to a nasty little pest that prefers the dark and damp.  (I tried google and got a bunch of yucky, creepy, crawly photos). 

Safe travels to Victoria Falls.


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## Calfan

Cousin Orville said:


> I think if I were to return, I'd bring an even better lens and maybe upgrade the camera body as well.  I'm shooting with a Nikon D7100 and I just brought a Nikon 18-200mm lens.



Well, I've been dying over your FB pics, so that lens (and the photographer behind it) are doing a great job.


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## Cousin Orville

sayhello said:


> So who took that last photo of you?  Is Gavin becoming a photographer, too?
> 
> Sayhello



Gavin...  iPhone portrait mode works well.



Jess_S said:


> Your photos are already making me wish this trip was in our budget for 2019 -- and we haven't even gotten to the ABD portion.
> 
> What exactly is silverfish?  I only know one meaning for that word and it refers to a nasty little pest that prefers the dark and damp.  (I tried google and got a bunch of yucky, creepy, crawly photos).
> 
> Safe travels to Victoria Falls.



Gross.. glad I didn't think of that type of silverfish at dinner.  It was a white light fish I think.  It was pan fried, so it was a little hard to discern the true texture of the fish. I never encountered the fish again on the trip.  Kingklip I saw several times.



Calfan said:


> Well, I've been dying over your FB pics, so that lens (and the photographer behind it) are doing a great job.



Thanks!  You definitely have a sneak preview with FB of what's coming up.  Finished a great day at Vic Falls today.  Heading to Botswana for the day tomorrow.


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## tgeorge

Can't wait to see more of these awesome pics you guys are talking about! I bet there is some amazing shots to be captured. My husband just bought some new lenses and a full body camera and justified it with our upcoming Sea Dream Yacht cruise in February. I laughed and told him I expect some pretty awesome pictures from it. So glad to hear that you've found this to be an amazing trip.


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## Cousin Orville

Day 1 Cape Town (continued)



At 2:00pm we were picked up at the hotel by Chippa to take us on a tour of the Langa Township.  I went with Siviwe Tours as it is tour company based out of the Township and all the money goes back to the township.  It also had excellent reviews on tripadvisor.  The 2+ hour tour was 1000 Rand (~$75) for both of us including transfers from the hotel.  He was a terrific guide who discussed recent South African history, the creation of the townships, Apartheid, and changes beginning with Nelson Mandela being released from prison and eventually becoming president.  He also talked about the current state of politics in South Africa and it’s recent challenges.  Much of this was on the way over to the township ~15-20 minutes.










Townships were originally created to move the men from surrounding villages into the city to work.  It was men only and they would get a week or two around Christmas to go home to their families.  Later with Apartheid, thousands of non white people were forcibly removed from their homes including District 6 and were relocated to these townships.  The townships were segregated.  So you had blacks in one township, and mixed races (Malay, Indian, etc) in a different townships.  The were restricted with how much they could travel in and out of their townships and even between different townships.










Today many men, women and children live there.  Most of their homes are homemade with metal and wood - essentially shacks.  No running water.  Many were hooked up to electricity in a dangerous looking haphazard way.  Fires are common.  Some had very basic tv’s hooked to satellites.  There was a range of economic situations - all very poor.  Some shacks housed a dozen or more people.  Some just 4 or 5.  My guide grew up in the township and said when he became a young adult he built his own place for privacy.  He said he was one of the more fortunate people having a job and now lives in the “Beverly Hills of Langa”.  The government is slowly building Mandela homes which are comparatively nice concrete permanent homes, but it’s not without it’s complexities.  Some residents who are awarded a home, try to sell or at least rent out the home for income and stay in the township.  Certainly unemployment is very high here.  You must speak English to get a job and many don’t speak English.  At this point English is now being taught in the schools, so hopefully employment will improve for this next generation.































We walked around Langa for about 2 hours visiting different homes and families.  We saw many women entrepreneurs selling calf heads and other foods to eat.  Our guide said Fathers do not commonly stay with the families, so most families are a single mother, her children and her mom doing what they can to survive.  We never felt in danger.  He did say visiting during the day is no problem, but we wouldn’t be as safe at night.  There is a major drug problem especially with men - mostly Meth. 



Basically we would visit a home, discuss living conditions, politics, hopes and dreams.  We would then leave and thank the homeowner and he would discretely pay them some money.



Here they’re fermenting homemade beer… and the 2nd picture is “beer alley”

















We had a wonderful long conversation with one older gentleman who grew up during Apartheid.  He worked as a police officer for the township.  He shared his very powerful experiences.  He was always positive and optimistic in the conversation which was quite moving to me personally.  He was very proud of his home which was impressive by Langa standards with it’s light, kitchen and a couple of rooms with a built in fan for cooling and retractible sunroof (for lack of a better descriptor), but nevertheless it was a shack by our standards.
























Gavin and I were very moved by the experience.  Keep in mind that many of the hospitality staff you encounter live in the townships and commute in.  I felt it was something we needed to see.  It was very well worth it, and I would strongly recommend it.































Afterwards we were driven back to the hotel.  Of course it was a stark contrast arriving back into the hotel.  It certainly gave me a new appreciation for what we have.










We arrived in time for tea, and that seems to be a big thing at the Table Bay.  We both had tea and cake.  Gavin wasn’t into the tea so I had a sampling of two - One African and I think it was a Ceylon tea.  It was nice.

















During tea Gavin got up to look around for the guides a few times and finally found them on the 2nd floor above the lobby.  He was extremely excited, so we went over to say hello.  We had Craig and Jennae.  Craig is from Cape Town and Jennae we have had before in Southeast Asia.  We were so excited to be traveling with her again.



That night we ate at Fork.  Trendy with extremely good food.  It was a little different from last night as it’s more tapas style.  We ordered Moroccan meatballs, seared ostrich (which was a tender red meat - very good), seared tuna, a kingklip sashimi special and churros.  It was delicious.  I’d recommend this restaurant.  Of the two, I’d have to give it to Chef’s Warehouse, but they were both excellent and worth a visit.

















We caught an Uber back and relaxed at the hotel a bit.  Overall a great day, but we were excited about tomorrow with the start of the ABD activities.


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## tink1970

Thanks for the update- the tour of Langa Township sounds very interesting and thought provoking. We were with Jennae over Christmas during the Rhine Tour so I can understand your excitement at seeing her again. SE Asia, South Africa, Europe-she really is a Renaissance ABD guide!


----------



## amberwc

Just curious, how old is your son?  And would you recommend that tour for younger?  How did he handle it?


----------



## Cousin Orville

tink1970 said:


> Thanks for the update- the tour of Langa Township sounds very interesting and thought provoking. We were with Jennae over Christmas during the Rhine Tour so I can understand your excitement at seeing her again. SE Asia, South Africa, Europe-she really is a Renaissance ABD guide!



I agree!  She's awesome!  Hope to travel with her again some day.



amberwc said:


> Just curious, how old is your son?  And would you recommend that tour for younger?  How did he handle it?



He's 12.  I was surprised with how many children aged 9-13 we had.  It seemed like more than usual compared to the other ABDs I've done.  The children all had a fantastic time.  The perfect age probably starts to peak around 10, but 8 and possibly a bit younger (if well traveled) would be fine.  Honestly I've been thinking about that too, because I have a 4yo at home and I'd love to do this ABD again with her as well... maybe in 4+ yrs...


----------



## LuckyBelle1

We took the same tour with our 3 kids before our December 2015 ABD.   It was an incredible experience and my kids learned so much and really took it in stride - even the calf heads (they were 9,9 and 11 at the time and I had some concerns but I was really proud of how they handled it).   One of the highlights for me for the whole trip, including the ABD portion, was my sons joining in a pick up soccer game in the streets of Langa with the local boys.  The boys spoke some English, but talking wasn't really necessary, kids are just kids everywhere you go.   Also, if you are looking for a good way to introduce concepts of apartheid and the importance of Mandela, we thought the movie Invictus was terrific and by using sports really kept our kids interest.   The book it is based on is also terrific and provides a great glimpse into the political history of Mandela's rise.   I will stop myself now, didn't mean to hijack this thread, but seeing these pictures bring back so many wonderful memories of the trip -- thanks for sharing your journey.


----------



## Cousin Orville

LuckyBelle1 said:


> We took the same tour with our 3 kids before our December 2015 ABD.   It was an incredible experience and my kids learned so much and really took it in stride - even the calf heads (they were 9,9 and 11 at the time and I had some concerns but I was really proud of how they handled it).   One of the highlights for me for the whole trip, including the ABD portion, was my sons joining in a pick up soccer game in the streets of Langa with the local boys.  The boys spoke some English, but talking wasn't really necessary, kids are just kids everywhere you go.   Also, if you are looking for a good way to introduce concepts of apartheid and the importance of Mandela, we thought the movie Invictus was terrific and by using sports really kept our kids interest.   The book it is based on is also terrific and provides a great glimpse into the political history of Mandela's rise.   I will stop myself now, didn't mean to hijack this thread, but seeing these pictures bring back so many wonderful memories of the trip -- thanks for sharing your journey.



I had just watched Invictus on the plane ride over... actually at my son's recommendation.  His humanities teacher recommended it to him.  Incredible movie.  So, when Craig our guide discussed very honestly and openly his own emotional transition, he said if he had to pick one point in time that changed his thinking it was that World Cup game when Mandela came out wearing the Springboks colors and giving his speech.  It was amazing hearing the story of that movie come to life with our guide, Craig.


----------



## sayhello

Wow!  That township tour sounds really intense!  But I can see how it's very necessary to see this side of things to really understand South Africa & it's history and just it's culture in general.  I'm glad Gavin was OK with it.  I'm sure both of you learned a ton from it!

Sayhello


----------



## Cousin Orville

sayhello said:


> Wow!  That township tour sounds really intense!  But I can see how it's very necessary to see this side of things to really understand South Africa & it's history and just it's culture in general.  I'm glad Gavin was OK with it.  I'm sure both of you learned a ton from it!
> 
> Sayhello



I was indecisive about whether to do it, but the numerous strong reviews on tripadvisor solidified it for me.  Our guide Chippa ("not expensive" as he says) couldn't have made the experience more comfortable and relaxed.  My main concern was we would be seen as intruders just coming to stare, but I don't think that was the case.  I think the people of Langa feel neglected and overlooked by the gov't and they want to increase awareness.  I bumped into a young woman (not from Langa) who was working with Langa to improve their presence on social media and try to promote tours such as this to help get the word out that they exist and presumably help out their local economy a bit with tourism.  Overall, it was a great experience.


----------



## sayhello

Cousin Orville said:


> I was indecisive about whether to do it, but the numerous strong reviews on tripadvisor solidified it for me.  Our guide Chippa ("not expensive" as he says) couldn't have made the experience more comfortable and relaxed.  My main concern was we would be seen as intruders just coming to stare, but I don't think that was the case.  I think the people of Langa feel neglected and overlooked by the gov't and they want to increase awareness.  I bumped into a young woman (not from Langa) who was working with Langa to improve their presence on social media and try to promote tours such as this to help get the word out that they exist and presumably help out their local economy a bit with tourism.  Overall, it was a great experience.


Well, they're succeeding.  I had no idea about this!  I'd heard of townships, but your post was very eye opening.  They should put your post on their social media.

Sayhello


----------



## heart

Cousin Orville--
I'm cautious with trip reports as I know each ABD can be different but I throw caution to the wind to read your reports!
We're doing ABD South Africa next summer and you've already provided so much information and help!
Thank you for posting--

Can't wait to read more.  I'm checking the boards excessively!


----------



## heart

Getting ahead of your story--

I've been reading about a fire in Knysna in June that killed several and displaced 1000s.  How is the town doing?  

Did it affect ABD plans in that area?


----------



## AdamEfimoff

but is Cape Town safe? oyo?


----------



## Cousin Orville

heart said:


> Cousin Orville--
> I'm cautious with trip reports as I know each ABD can be different but I throw caution to the wind to read your reports!
> We're doing ABD South Africa next summer and you've already provided so much information and help!
> Thank you for posting--
> 
> Can't wait to read more.  I'm checking the boards excessively!



Thanks!  More to come!



heart said:


> Getting ahead of your story--
> 
> I've been reading about a fire in Knysna in June that killed several and displaced 1000s.  How is the town doing?
> 
> Did it affect ABD plans in that area?



The nature reserve walk on the itinerary is cancelled and probably will be for a couple of years.  We took a cruise around the lagoon and the guides pointed out where it used to be.  It's pretty badly damaged.  You can clearly see the forest devastation from the fire.  The town itself seemed to be operating normally.  We went to a shopping area that was in full swing.  Our hotel was unaffected.  None of the other activities were affected.



AdamEfimoff said:


> but is Cape Town safe? oyo?



Like many big international cities, yes, with caveats.  The Waterfront area where the hotel is located was safe. We went out to eat downtown which is about 10min away by Uber from the Waterfront.  We ate early but finished in the evening after it was dark.  I felt safe in that area, but we caught Ubers home.  I probably wouldn't walk it.  You could see police officers scattered about the main tourist areas.

On the other hand, I was more concerned by Johannesburg from what I read.  It probably would have been fine as well in the tourist areas, but we decided to stay at the hotel for a variety of reasons including safety.  This was after the ABD on our way to Zimbabwe.

(On a personal note - When I've very recently walked around London, Paris, and Munich, I've felt safe but the idea of terrorism still creeps up in the back of my mind from time to time.  I suppose I was a bit more relaxed in Africa.  I'm not paranoid in major European cities, but it's hard not to occasionally think of terror in cities like London and Paris right now.  I've had 2 trips to London and one to Paris rather recently and had an amazing time, but it crosses your mind occasionally...  It's only human.)


----------



## *WDW*Groupie*

Cousin Orville said:


> Thanks!  More to come!
> 
> (On a personal note - When I've very recently walked around London, Paris, and Munich, I've felt safe but the idea of terrorism still creeps up in the back of my mind from time to time.  I suppose I was a bit more relaxed in Africa.  I'm not paranoid in major European cities, but it's hard not to occasionally think of terror in cities like London and Paris right now.  I've had 2 trips to London and one to Paris rather recently and had an amazing time, but it crosses your mind occasionally...  It's only human.)



I totally agree with you.  I am going to London next June for 4 nights and the thought of terrorism weighs on my mind.  My daughter's friend wants to come with us (her mom doesn't like to travel), but I told her that I would not feel comfortable taking her to London at this time.  If something happened to her I would feel responsible.  Five years ago I would've brought one of her friends without giving it much thought.  It's such a shame.  And taking the tube, yeah, I will be thankful to be getting off the train and out of the station.

I'm looking forward to reading the rest of your report!  It looks like an amazing trip.


----------



## Cousin Orville

Day 2 Cape Town



After breakfast we met up with our new ABD family, had our introductions and the guides discussed the outline of the trip.  It was one of the fastest introductions as there wasn’t a meal attached to it, and we had to get on our way to be one of the first groups to Table Mountain.



It was a beautiful, clear day to go to Table Mountain.  We really were quite lucky as the last two days were overcast and very cloudy.  Also, today was the last operational day of Table Mt before they closed for a few weeks.  Table Mountain is what it sounds like, a flat mountain which overlooks Cape Town and the ocean.  It’s one of the major reasons Cape Town exists at all as it was such a distinguishing landmark for sailors sailing around the Cape of Good Hope.  We drove up to the base of the mountain and “fastpassed” by most of the line for the gondola to take us up to the top.  The view at the top was remarkable, but I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves.



Here’s the line we got to skip… always a nice treat.






































One of the residents of Table Mountain - the Dassie.  What’s the closest living relative you ask?  The elephant.  I kid you not.










From Table Mountain we went to the District Six Museum.  District Six was an area in downtown Cape Town that after WWII was very cosmopolitan and multiracial.  The South African Gov’t forcibly removed about 1900 families from their homes and sent them to different Townships depending on their race.  They sent many Black families to Langa where we visited yesterday.  If the families were multiracial, they were split up.

















The museum was set up in the mid 90’s to document what happened.  On the floor of the museum is a giant map of District Six where former residents have hand written notes next to their former addresses.  It was very moving.  The gentleman who runs the museum spoke to our group about his experience in the community, being kicked out, and now his mission to set up this museum (with very little to no help from the government) and tell the story of what happened.  The museum was closed to the public today, but open for ABD.  This was the highlight of the day IMO.




























After District Six, we went for lunch in Bo-Kaap with a large Cape Malay culture.  It’s also known for its brightly colored buildings.  We had a great lunch with mostly Cape Malay food - kind of an African-Malaysian fusion.  They had this Malaysian Roti, a bread similar to naan, but a bit thinner.  They had Malaysian dishes, african dishes and some more familiar dishes.  It was awesome.  This started a trend of rather good restaurant choices.  I’ve been fairly vocal about mediocre food on ABDs in the past.  The meals on this ABD as a whole were very good.  I still have to give it to N Italy/Switzerland as the best ABD for meals, but the food on this trip was impressive.

















And a view of Table Mountain from the restaurant…










After lunch we drove back downtown to take a brief walking tour.  We walked through a lovely park and over to a street market.  It was about a block away from the restaurants Gavin and I ate at the previous two nights.  The street market was fun.  We shopped around for about an hour and stimulated the South African economy.  We bought several inexpensive items and presents for home.



















We had a little break before dinner.  Dinner was at Gold - an African musical show.  We started with a little pre-dinner entertainment.  Everyone was given sparkling wine/grape juice and an African drum.  The wine was I’m sure critical for getting the best performance possible from us.  I’m not always into “forced activity fun” but it was cool.  Dinner was huge and never-ending succession of African dishes.  Nothing too exotic or out there.  Dinner was tasty, and the wine was very good.


----------



## sayhello

Wow!  What a gorgeous area!  And that District Six museum sounds fascinating.  I love that ABD arranged for a private visit there.

Sayhello


----------



## CaliKris

I would book South Africa 2019 right now if I could.  Your photos of Table Mountain have sold me already!  

Good to hear you enjoyed the food.  I can't do spicy.  Was the food spicy in South Africa?


----------



## Nhebron

Following along!   Spent a month in South Africa during college and this is bringing back memories and ,asking me think about taking my son on an ABD tour.


----------



## Jess_S

After the hyrax photo, I'm even more sold on this trip.  My son and I became fascinated by them after seeing the tree of life exhibit at our local natural history museum that shows the relation between hyrax and elephants.  And I love that you seem to be getting the opportunity to talk to locals and hear their perspective on recent history.  I'm tempted to buy a lotto ticket since we can't afford to go until 2020.

My son wants to know if you guys have seen any baboons (in the wild.  He feels that Monkeyland does not count).


----------



## Cousin Orville

sayhello said:


> Wow!  What a gorgeous area!  And that District Six museum sounds fascinating.  I love that ABD arranged for a private visit there.
> 
> Sayhello



I was not expecting it to be a private visit.  They were normally closed the day we went, but he opened for us.  The gentleman said he loved Americans because American companies have been some of the few financial supporters of the museum (not just Disney).  He said he wouldn't open it up for just any group. 



CaliKris said:


> I would book South Africa 2019 right now if I could.  Your photos of Table Mountain have sold me already!
> 
> Good to hear you enjoyed the food.  I can't do spicy.  Was the food spicy in South Africa?



Not spicy hot.  But there are some unique flavors in many of the dishes.  I loved it, but I'm probably a bit more adventurous.  I think they had a pretty good mix of uniquely African dishes with different flavors and spices and more approachable dishes.  Everyone I'm aware of enjoyed the food.



Nhebron said:


> Following along!   Spent a month in South Africa during college and this is bringing back memories and ,asking me think about taking my son on an ABD tour.



Oh, I'd love to spend a month...  It all flies by so fast.  Would love to go back!



Jess_S said:


> After the hyrax photo, I'm even more sold on this trip.  My son and I became fascinated by them after seeing the tree of life exhibit at our local natural history museum that shows the relation between hyrax and elephants.  And I love that you seem to be getting the opportunity to talk to locals and hear their perspective on recent history.  I'm tempted to buy a lotto ticket since we can't afford to go until 2020.
> 
> My son wants to know if you guys have seen any baboons (in the wild.  He feels that Monkeyland does not count).



A hyrax is a Dassie?  I didn't know it had another proper name.  Cool.   Yes, we saw countless baboons at the Cape, in Knysna, and at Kapama Lodge.  They're everywhere.  You have to be sure to close your porch doors when not in the room because they'll sneak in your room.  Very cute, but apparently they're professional thieves.


----------



## Jess_S

Cousin Orville said:


> A hyrax is a Dassie?  I didn't know it had another proper name.  Cool.   Yes, we saw countless baboons at the Cape, in Knysna, and at Kapama Lodge.  They're everywhere.  You have to be sure to close your porch doors when not in the room because they'll sneak in your room.  Very cute, but apparently they're professional thieves.



Yup.  I recognized the little guy from the natural history museum (although the one in your photo is much cuter than the taxidermy one I saw).   The internet tells me that only the rock hyrax is called a dassie. I'm glad to hear that baboons are so easy to see.  My son tends to fixate on wanting to see a very specific thing each trip that I have no way of guaranteeing, and he announced today that he won't go to Africa unless he can see baboons there.  Looking forward to reading more about your trip.


----------



## Cousin Orville

Jess_S said:


> Yup.  I recognized the little guy from the natural history museum (although the one in your photo is much cuter than the taxidermy one I saw).   The internet tells me that only the rock hyrax is called a dassie. I'm glad to hear that baboons are so easy to see.  My son tends to fixate on wanting to see a very specific thing each trip that I have no way of guaranteeing, and he announced today that he won't go to Africa unless he can see baboons there.  Looking forward to reading more about your trip.



They were so common (like impalas) I kind of took them for granted.  I'm sure I have photos of them on some day.  I'll be sure to post a picture when I find one.


----------



## sayhello

Cousin Orville said:


> I was not expecting it to be a private visit.  They were normally closed the day we went, but he opened for us.  The gentleman said he loved Americans because American companies have been some of the few financial supporters of the museum (not just Disney).  He said he wouldn't open it up for just any group.




Sayhello


----------



## ABDGurl

Cousin Orville said:


> They were so common (like impalas) I kind of took them for granted.  I'm sure I have photos of them on some day.  I'll be sure to post a picture when I find one.


Hi Cousin Orville...we begin our South Africa ABD next week and was wondering how you liked the elephant sanctuary and hand feeding the elephants in Knysna?


----------



## Cousin Orville

ABDGurl said:


> Hi Cousin Orville...we begin our South Africa ABD next week and was wondering how you liked the elephant sanctuary and hand feeding the elephants in Knysna?



Exciting!  You will have an amazing time.  Jennae and Craig will be your guides unless anything has changed.  We loved the elephant sanctuary and did get to hand feed the elephants.  I've got some great photos.  I'll try to update my TR soon.  Let me know if you have any questions.


----------



## ABDGurl

Cousin Orville said:


> Exciting!  You will have an amazing time.  Jennae and Craig will be your guides unless anything has changed.  We loved the elephant sanctuary and did get to hand feed the elephants.  I've got some great photos.  I'll try to update my TR soon.  Let me know if you have any questions.


Thanks, Cousin Orville...wasn't sure if the fire in Knysna had changed anything with the Elephant Sanctuary visit.  I read that the gondola on Table Mountain is closed through this Sunday, so really hoping it will actually be up and running by the end of next week.  Cheers!


----------



## DCPhotoGal

ABDGurl said:


> Thanks, Cousin Orville...wasn't sure if the fire in Knysna had changed anything with the Elephant Sanctuary visit.  I read that the gondola on Table Mountain is closed through this Sunday, so really hoping it will actually be up and running by the end of next week.  Cheers!



Table Mountain actually closes quite frequently due to various weather conditions.  I was following their Facebook page since we went there 5 years ago and they update their operational status frequently: https://www.facebook.com/TableMountainCa/


----------



## DCPhotoGal

Kevin, I enjoyed reading through your report.  We did a similar trip (non-Disney) and it popped up today on my Facebook that I was in Capetown 5 years ago today.  My daughter still looks for kudu on the menu whenever we find African restaurants.


----------



## disneyphx

This is bringing back great memories of our South Africa ABD! We did the Langa tour too - with Chippa! - and I am so glad we did it to see a different, but real, side of the country. I can't believe it was 6 years ago - from the day we left we have been talking about when and how we can return to Africa.


----------



## Calfan

disneyphx said:


> I can't believe it was 6 years ago - from the day we left we have been talking about when and how we can return to Africa.



I've been doing that since 2001, lol.  2019 will be the year....


----------



## Cousin Orville

Day 3 Cape of Good Hope



Today, after breakfast, we met up with the team and drove down towards the Cape of Good Hope.  It was a lovely drive down the coast.  It looks quite a bit like the Pacific coast of California (with ostriches).










Let’s all transport back to our middle school geography days.  So, the Cape of Good Hope is not quite the most southern tip of Africa.  That’s actually a few hours east of Cape Town.   But it is the most South Western point of Africa, fwiw.  It’s basically famous as the point at which the first voyagers found their way around the south of Africa.  Despite rough seas, they named it the Cape of Good Hope because it gave them hope that they could now travel around Africa.



So, we made it to the geographic marker.  Kind of cool.  It’s felt like a nice little achievement.  Certainly not life changing.  Earlier this summer I bought a 66 degrees North shirt in Iceland, kind of a North Face equivalent for Iceland.  So, that’s what I’m sporting here in the picture.



















After the Cape of Good Hope we drove just a little further to Cape Point.   My understanding is the Cape of Good Hope is the larger geographic land mass that we were driving down, whereas Cape Point literally is the most South Western point - the southern tip of the Cape of Good Hope.  Regardless it was pretty.

















Afterwards, we had a nice lunch overlooking the ocean near Boulders Beach.  After lunch we walked down to the beach to see the penguins.  And they certainly were cute! That was probably the highlight of the day.  It was really cool seeing them swim and waddle around.































We had a bit of a break when we got back the resort.  Maybe a couple of hours.   Dinner tonight was absolutely delicious.  We drove out to Societi Bistro - Kind of a French African fusion.  Food was very approachable.  Very tasty.  Wine was great and free flowing.  The setting is almost like a refurbished or repurposed large home.  It was very comfortable and one of my favorite meals of the trip.



It was a fairly simple day driving back and forth to the Cape.  It was nice to start seeing some African wildlife.  Ostriches, Baboons, Penguins…  This ABD is cruising right along nicely.  Everyone has been having a good time.  What none of us on the trip realize yet is this ABD is about to take off in an incredible way.



ABD’s often get better and more impressive as the days go on.  For South Africa, it’s about to get exponentially more impressive and go from a good trip, to an amazing trip, to a life changing trip.  As I move into the next few days of the ABD, I think it’s worth it to spell out my feelings on the trip as a whole ahead of time.  By the end of the SA ABD, I felt that this was THE best trip ABD has to offer.  Furthermore, I frankly think it’s the best trip or experience Disney as a whole offers - including DCL, Aulani, and the Parks & Resorts around the world.  I truly think this is Disney at it’s finest.  And I’ll see what I can do over the next few entries to explain why I feel this way.


----------



## EllinK

Wow! Can't wait to hear more...


----------



## AquamarineSteph

Penguins!!!!  I love the penguins!   Did you have any other interaction with them other than watching from a distance?   I know that's the proper way to observe wild animals, but they ARE penguins...so cute!  ;-)


----------



## Jess_S

Thanks for the baboon picture!  My son will be delighted. Your trip report has included so many amazing things so far.  I'm very interested to hear how it went from amazing to life changing.


----------



## christannj

My daughter, Amy, would probably want to do this trip just for the penguin experience.

Chris


----------



## Cousin Orville

DCPhotoGal said:


> Kevin, I enjoyed reading through your report.  We did a similar trip (non-Disney) and it popped up today on my Facebook that I was in Capetown 5 years ago today.  My daughter still looks for kudu on the menu whenever we find African restaurants.



That makes me wonder whether our S. African restaurant has unusual game.  My biggest surprise was eating ostrich.  I did not expect red meat.  I definitely miss the SA wine the most.



disneyphx said:


> This is bringing back great memories of our South Africa ABD! We did the Langa tour too - with Chippa! - and I am so glad we did it to see a different, but real, side of the country. I can't believe it was 6 years ago - from the day we left we have been talking about when and how we can return to Africa.



Wow!  That's amazing you Chippa 6 yrs ago.  He's been doing this longer than I thought.  I guess I was assuming it was only in the past couple of years they started the tours.  That was really cool.  I'm very glad we did it.



Calfan said:


> I've been doing that since 2001, lol.  2019 will be the year....



I'm not evaluating my younger children and trying to figure out when we can all go back.  I'm guessing in the next 5 yrs.  Honestly if it weren't for the distance and money, I'd go back yearly.



AquamarineSteph said:


> Penguins!!!!  I love the penguins!   Did you have any other interaction with them other than watching from a distance?   I know that's the proper way to observe wild animals, but they ARE penguins...so cute!  ;-)



There is a raised wooden walkway that you view the penguins from.  Some of the penguins are right there within arms length.  We have so many silly videos just following them around.



Jess_S said:


> Thanks for the baboon picture!  My son will be delighted. Your trip report has included so many amazing things so far.  I'm very interested to hear how it went from amazing to life changing.



I was sure to include that one.  I might not have too many pictures once we left Cape Town as they're so commonplace.



christannj said:


> My daughter, Amy, would probably want to do this trip just for the penguin experience.
> 
> Chris



They were so cool.  So, cute.  I loved watching them swim in the ocean and come back onto the beach.  I could have watched that all day.


----------



## bamagoofy

South Afriacian wine is one of the reasons I love the restaurants at animal kingdom lodge and kidani. South Africa is on my list but I also want to be able to spend time in the wine areas.


----------



## Cousin Orville

bamagoofy said:


> South Afriacian wine is one of the reasons I love the restaurants at animal kingdom lodge and kidani. South Africa is on my list but I also want to be able to spend time in the wine areas.



I agree!  If I was on an adults only trip, I'd probably spend all day out in Stellenbosch at 2 or 3 wineries.  Maybe a couple of days.  It's so beautiful.  Great wine.  Cool people.   More on that in Day 4.


----------



## CaliforniaGirl09

Wow that's a huge statement! Can't wait to read more.


----------



## Calfan

Cousin Orville said:


> ABD’s often get better and more impressive as the days go on.  For South Africa, it’s about to get exponentially more impressive and go from a good trip, to an amazing trip, to a life changing trip.  As I move into the next few days of the ABD, I think it’s worth it to spell out my feelings on the trip as a whole ahead of time.  By the end of the SA ABD, I felt that this was THE best trip ABD has to offer.  Furthermore, I frankly think it’s the best trip or experience Disney as a whole offers - including DCL, Aulani, and the Parks & Resorts around the world.  I truly think this is Disney at it’s finest.  And I’ll see what I can do over the next few entries to explain why I feel this way.



So excited to get a new installment of the trip report!  And your overall assessment of how this trip ranks among ABDs and Disney trips in general has definitely given me food for thought in deciding between Tanzania and South Africa for 2019. Can't wait to read more!


----------



## sayhello

CaliforniaGirl09 said:


> Wow that's a huge statement! Can't wait to read more.


I agree with this.  I'm really looking forward to hearing why @Cousin Orville feels that way!!

Sayhello


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## CaliKris

Years ago, I went to a talk by Pauline Frommer (from the famous Frommer travel guides).  She said the one trip everyone should have on their bucket list is Africa because it will be life changing.  Well, you just confirmed it!  I can't wait to read the rest of your trip report.  2019 can't come fast enough!


----------



## acndis

Cousin Orville said:


> ABD’s often get better and more impressive as the days go on. For South Africa, it’s about to get exponentially more impressive and go from a good trip, to an amazing trip, to a life changing trip. As I move into the next few days of the ABD, I think it’s worth it to spell out my feelings on the trip as a whole ahead of time. By the end of the SA ABD, I felt that this was THE best trip ABD has to offer. Furthermore, I frankly think it’s the best trip or experience Disney as a whole offers - including DCL, Aulani, and the Parks & Resorts around the world. I truly think this is Disney at it’s finest. And I’ll see what I can do over the next few entries to explain why I feel this way.



OMG!  This is going to make 2019 a much harder choice.  Especially after the scary stories of crowds and heat in China, I may end up putting this one back on top!  (BTW, these hard choices are a good thing to have!).  We saw Adventure Guide Landon in Peru and he had just come off the trip and said it was amazing.  Can't wait to read more.


----------



## met19

Cousin Orville said:


> Today, after breakfast, we met up with the team and drove down towards the Cape of Good Hope.  It was a lovely drive down the coast.  It looks quite a bit like the Pacific coast of California (with ostriches).
> 
> Let’s all transport back to our middle school geography days.  So, the Cape of Good Hope is not quite the most southern tip of Africa.  That’s actually a few hours east of Cape Town.   But it is the most South Western point of Africa, fwiw.  It’s basically famous as the point at which the first voyagers found their way around the south of Africa.  Despite rough seas, they named it the Cape of Good Hope because it gave them hope that they could now travel around Africa.
> 
> So, we made it to the geographic marker.  Kind of cool.  It’s felt like a nice little achievement.  Certainly not life changing.  Earlier this summer I bought a 66 degrees North shirt in Iceland, kind of a North Face equivalent for Iceland.  So, that’s what I’m sporting here in the picture.
> 
> After the Cape of Good Hope we drove just a little further to Cape Point.   My understanding is the Cape of Good Hope is the larger geographic land mass that we were driving down, whereas Cape Point literally is the most South Western point - the southern tip of the Cape of Good Hope.  Regardless it was pretty.
> 
> Afterwards, we had a nice lunch overlooking the ocean near Boulders Beach.  After lunch we walked down to the beach to see the penguins.  And they certainly were cute! That was probably the highlight of the day.  It was really cool seeing them swim and waddle around.
> 
> We had a bit of a break when we got back the resort.  Maybe a couple of hours.   Dinner tonight was absolutely delicious.  We drove out to Societi Bistro - Kind of a French African fusion.  Food was very approachable.  Very tasty.  Wine was great and free flowing.  The setting is almost like a refurbished or repurposed large home.  It was very comfortable and one of my favorite meals of the trip.
> 
> It was a fairly simple day driving back and forth to the Cape.  It was nice to start seeing some African wildlife.  Ostriches, Baboons, Penguins…  This ABD is cruising right along nicely.  Everyone has been having a good time.  What none of us on the trip realize yet is this ABD is about to take off in an incredible way.
> 
> ABD’s often get better and more impressive as the days go on.  For South Africa, it’s about to get exponentially more impressive and go from a good trip, to an amazing trip, to a life changing trip.  As I move into the next few days of the ABD, I think it’s worth it to spell out my feelings on the trip as a whole ahead of time.  By the end of the SA ABD, I felt that this was THE best trip ABD has to offer.  Furthermore, I frankly think it’s the best trip or experience Disney as a whole offers - including DCL, Aulani, and the Parks & Resorts around the world.  I truly think this is Disney at it’s finest.  And I’ll see what I can do over the next few entries to explain why I feel this way.



Your photo's are amazing.  Cape of Good Hope reminds me of Cape Tribulation in Australia- not the northern most point (thats Cape York) but a famous Cape too - it was the area where Capt Cook (yes of Polynesian quick serve fame) had his ship grounded.  Those African penguins look similar to the ones near Melbourne.  Wonder if Southern Ocean penguins are related.  



bamagoofy said:


> South Afriacian wine is one of the reasons I love the restaurants at animal kingdom lodge and kidani. South Africa is on my list but I also want to be able to spend time in the wine areas.



I love the AKL and their  views,restaurants and wine.  I stayed there for the first time in March and loved it.  But recently stayed @ Beach Club and enjoyed that too for how close they are to Epcot and the Boardwalk's restaurants.


----------



## Cousin Orville

Calfan said:


> So excited to get a new installment of the trip report!  And your overall assessment of how this trip ranks among ABDs and Disney trips in general has definitely given me food for thought in deciding between Tanzania and South Africa for 2019. Can't wait to read more!



Tanzania would be awesome.  It's on my wish list now.  Another advantage of SA (which will take me a while to get to) is it's proximity to Zimbabwe and Botswana.  While not apart of the ABD, I'm really glad I had a chance to visit.



CaliKris said:


> Years ago, I went to a talk by Pauline Frommer (from the famous Frommer travel guides).  She said the one trip everyone should have on their bucket list is Africa because it will be life changing.  Well, you just confirmed it!  I can't wait to read the rest of your trip report.  2019 can't come fast enough!



Agreed.  Africa should be at the top of everyone's bucket list.  That can't be overstated.



acndis said:


> OMG!  This is going to make 2019 a much harder choice.  Especially after the scary stories of crowds and heat in China, I may end up putting this one back on top!  (BTW, these hard choices are a good thing to have!).  We saw Adventure Guide Landon in Peru and he had just come off the trip and said it was amazing.  Can't wait to read more.



I am so excited about being able to go back to China in less than 2 months.  Super excited, especially getting back to Hong Kong (this time in the cooler Fall) and Shanghai.  I really love those cities.  HK with it's harbor and the neon at night.  It's just beautiful.  And I love, love the promenade in Shanghai overlooking Pudong across the river.   They are both excellent trips.  China was fascinating for both good and bad reasons.  Really a perfect trip for an ABD especially considering the language barrier.  SA was very special; it's changed how I view the world in several ways.  Africa should be at the top of the bucket list.




met19 said:


> Your photo's are amazing.  Cape of Good Hope reminds me of Cape Tribulation in Australia- not the northern most point (thats Cape York) but a famous Cape too - it was the area where Capt Cook (yes of Polynesian quick serve fame) had his ship grounded.  Those African penguins look similar to the ones near Melbourne.  Wonder if Southern Ocean penguins are related.
> 
> 
> 
> I love the AKL and their  views,restaurants and wine.  I stayed there for the first time in March and loved it.  But recently stayed @ Beach Club and enjoyed that too for how close they are to Epcot and the Boardwalk's restaurants.



I wanted to see the Penguins in Australia but just couldn't make it happen.  It was cool to see these guys.  I love the AKL too.  I haven't stayed there in a few years, but I did go over there at the DIS 20th just to check it out before my ABD trip.  There's a lot of influence from the Victoria Falls region in the AKL.   Beach Club is one of my favorites though (along with the Poly).  I'll be there at the BC just for a couple of days at the end of Sept.


----------



## Calfan

Cousin Orville said:


> Tanzania would be awesome.  It's on my wish list now.  Another advantage of SA (which will take me a while to get to) is it's proximity to Zimbabwe and Botswana.  While not apart of the ABD, I'm really glad I had a chance to visit.



Yes, it's just a matter of time before I get to both.  My DH and I did Zambia and Zimbabwe in 2001.  The trip was actually spearheaded by my BIL's interest in seeing the total solar eclipse that year.  I agree that Africa was life-changing.  If/when we do South Africa, we are likely to go back to Victoria Falls since I'd like my kids to see have that experience.  And your social media posts of your Botswana pics caused me to add that to my list as another add-on for SA.  If we end up doing South Africa in 2019, I'll definitely be asking you for advice about Botswana....


----------



## Cousin Orville

Calfan said:


> Yes, it's just a matter of time before I get to both.  My DH and I did Zambia and Zimbabwe in 2001.  The trip was actually spearheaded by my BIL's interest in seeing the total solar eclipse that year.  I agree that Africa was life-changing.  If/when we do South Africa, we are likely to go back to Victoria Falls since I'd like my kids to see have that experience.  And your social media posts of your Botswana pics caused me to add that to my list as another add-on for SA.  If we end up doing South Africa in 2019, I'll definitely be asking you for advice about Botswana....



Just be sure to stay at the Victoria Falls Hotel.. and they book up early.  I think I got the last room.  I forget if I posted FB pics on that...  Such as great hotel.  More on that later.


----------



## Cousin Orville

Day 4 Stellenbosch



Stellenbosch was the top of my to do list for Cape Town.  It’s the epicenter for winemaking in South Africa, and, like most wine regions of the world, it is beautiful.










After another great breakfast at the Table Bay, we headed east to Stellenbosch.  Our first stop happened to be a winery, but we weren’t there to try wine.  On the property of the winery was a bird rescue and rehabilitation center.  I’m not a huge fan of birds.  I don’t go out of my way at Animal Kingdom to check out Flights of Wonder.  But it was enjoyable.  Some of it reminded me of seeing the owls and falcons in Ireland at Dromoland Castle.  Having said that, falconry at Dromolond was much cooler.  Nevertheless seeing the birds up close and the demonstrations with several of the falcons and vultures was cool.




















































Afterwards we headed to the Boschendal winery.  There we were served lunch in the main building which was built in 1795.  The exterior of the building had a beautiful thatched roof and the interior had wood floors and a wood beamed ceiling.  The lunch was classic farm-to-table.  Some of my favorites were the potato & leak soup, beet salad, bobotie (a SA specialty of lightly spiced beef with an egg and milk based topping), and their fresh bread.  There were really endless options.  It was so much food - one of the top 2 or 3 meals of the trip.  And of course lunch was served with their wine - a sauvignon blanc and pinotage.  You couldn’t go wrong.  BTW, Pinotage is specific to S. Africa.  Can’t get it anywhere else in the world. It’s actually illegal to export the vines.  It’s a blend or clone of Pinot Noir and Hermitage.  It’s red, jammy and delicious!
























It was a beautiful setting out at the winery.  However, it was a little odd that there wasn’t any more focus on the wine itself.  There was no tour of the winery or discussion with the wine maker.  There was no set wine tasting per se, but wine was available for lunch and you could try both if you wanted.  We actually go to another winery tomorrow where we do dive a bit deeper into the wine making and tasting.  However, I would have preferred to do some of that in Stellenbosch - it’s such a famous wine making region.  One of the great things about this trip is that there’s a lot of great wine to be had.  Even when we were having dinner on our own, the wine prices and options were amazing.



After lunch, we headed to the actual town of Stellenbosch.  It’s a cozy small town.  They gave us some time to walk around and shop - maybe 30-45 min?  However long it was, everyone that I spoke with agreed we would have preferred more time.  Although my wallet preferred less time.  There were 2 stores Jennae and Craig recommended.  Sadly can’t remember the name to either.  One was a jewelry store and the other sold clothing items and accessories made from exotic skins.  It was like Supermarket Sweep.  I’ll take one of those and one of those…  The jewelry is very unique.  One thing that is particularly popular are bracelets made from elephant hair.  The hair falls out naturally so no one is harmed obtaining it.  You’d probably never guess it was elephant hair…  It’s black and thick…  I’ll try to remember to take a pic of one I bought for Kate to give you an idea.  But they were very popular.  Most women on our trip bought a bracelet.  They can be very casual and minimal with a couple of silver crimps that secure the hair into a bracelet.  And they can be quite nice where it’s a silver bracelet or open bangle and the hair is decorated or woven into it.  Very unique.








The exotic skin place is very cool too.  I’m sure I would have spent more with more time.  I bought a caramel colored croc belt.  Quality is identical with some name brand croc belts I’ve bought in the past and much less expensive.  Gavin spotted and really wanted an eyeglass case in ostrich skin… It’s pretty fancy!  I also got Kate a taupe mohair shawl adorned with taupe dyed ostrich feathers.  The color is conservative, but the ostrich feathers (like tassels at the end of the shawl) made it look very African chic.  It was a little out there, but I figure if the feathers were a bit over the top, she can get rid of the feathers and still have a good shawl…  (A glimpse into the mind of the husband searching for a unique gift).



We headed back to Cape Town and the rest the evening was on our own.  There really was no rush, I do wish they would have either allotted more time to the wine and vineyards or more time in the shops… or BOTH!



Dinner was on our own, and we didn’t have reservations tonight.  The guides recommended Baia - a seafood restaurant.  It was adjacent to the hotel in the shopping center.  The guides felt it was the best seafood restaurant in Cape Town, and it was very good.  If you’re looking at restaurants on your own, the restaurants I chose - Fork and Chef’s Warehouse were better and had a much more interesting atmosphere, but were an Uber away.  Baia’s atmosphere was rather boring.  It looked like an upscale restaurant in a mall; which is exactly what it is.  The food was top notch though.  We had mussels for an appetizer which surprisingly Gavin likes a lot.  And then Gavin had langoustines soaked in butter and garlic - how can you go wrong?  I had kingklip, a local fish.













































After dinner, it was packing time for tomorrow we leave for Knysna.


----------



## LuckyBelle1

Another great report!   It looks like this day has changed a bit since we took the trip in December 2015.    We had time at the first place to do a wine tasting on our own after the birds, and then after lunch instead of shopping in town (which sounds great), we did a cooking activity making the national pastry of South Africa.   It required that we switch from the bus to two separate vans to get to the cooking school which was up a rather steep and badly paved road, so that may be why they dropped it.


----------



## Calfan

Cousin Orville said:


> Just be sure to stay at the Victoria Falls Hotel.. and they book up early.  I think I got the last room.  I forget if I posted FB pics on that...  Such as great hotel.  More on that later.



We actually stayed at the Victoria Falls Hotel when we were there in 2001, and we loved it, so definitely where I want to stay if we go back!


----------



## Cousin Orville

LuckyBelle1 said:


> Another great report!   It looks like this day has changed a bit since we took the trip in December 2015.    We had time at the first place to do a wine tasting on our own after the birds, and then after lunch instead of shopping in town (which sounds great), we did a cooking activity making the national pastry of South Africa.   It required that we switch from the bus to two separate vans to get to the cooking school which was up a rather steep and badly paved road, so that may be why they dropped it.




I thought that was ironic the bird were there at the winery and we walked right by the winery, but didn't go in.  Who knows?  Maybe it wasn't open.  

The pastry cooking was still listed on the official itinerary, but I'm glad we shopped instead.


----------



## Cousin Orville

Calfan said:


> We actually stayed at the Victoria Falls Hotel when we were there in 2001, and we loved it, so definitely where I want to stay if we go back!



Oh that's right.  You mentioned that on FB.  Such a cool place.  I actually bought a book on the history of the VF Hotel at the gift shop.  Very cool to see early photos and photos of people lounging around in the 60's.


----------



## sayhello

Gavin's cosmopolitan attitude is so cool!  As is his adventurous palate!  

I'm really not trying to be the spelling nazi here, but do you mean you bought Kate a taupe shawl?  I'm trying to imagine what else a tope shaw would be...  

Those elephant hair bracelets sound very interesting...

Sayhello.


----------



## Cousin Orville

sayhello said:


> Gavin's cosmopolitan attitude is so cool!  As is his adventurous palate!
> 
> I'm really not trying to be the spelling nazi here, but do you mean you bought Kate a taupe shawl?  I'm trying to imagine what else a tope shaw would be...
> 
> Those elephant hair bracelets sound very interesting...
> 
> Sayhello.



Thanks you!  I need all the help I can get.   Yes, taupe.  Kate will get a nice giggle when she gets a chance to read this tonight.

Gavin's palate is most definitely hit or miss.  One day he'll eat a bowl of mussels.  The next day he won't touch his chicken fingers.


----------



## CaliKris

That is a shame to go to a winery and not have a proper wine tasting or tour.  It looks like the itinerary has changed to include more OYO time in Stellenbosch including dinner, so that would allow for more exploring.  Gavin really seems to be an amazing travel companion even since he was little.


----------



## calypso726

Cousin Orville said:


> Everyone has been having a good time.  What none of us on the trip realize yet is this ABD is about to take off in an incredible way.
> 
> 
> 
> ABD’s often get better and more impressive as the days go on.  For South Africa, it’s about to get exponentially more impressive and go from a good trip, to an amazing trip, to a life changing trip.  As I move into the next few days of the ABD, I think it’s worth it to spell out my feelings on the trip as a whole ahead of time.  By the end of the SA ABD, I felt that this was THE best trip ABD has to offer.  Furthermore, I frankly think it’s the best trip or experience Disney as a whole offers - including DCL, Aulani, and the Parks & Resorts around the world.  I truly think this is Disney at it’s finest.  And I’ll see what I can do over the next few entries to explain why I feel this way.



Just catching up now that I'm back, but this gives me pause. I'm super curious to read your thoughts. The trip looks wonderful so far, pictures are awesome, plus i just love penguins and owls! Looking forward to the next installments. Thanks for sharing.


----------



## CaliforniaGirl09

I hope they add a wine tasting to the tour at some point. And too funny--I'm not a bird fan either although I don't mind watching falcon shows. 

I was reading this trip report when sitting next to my mother who happened to look over at the pictures of the winery and said "I've stayed there!" Apparently when she did her tour with Vantage a couple years ago, they stayed at the winery for a few days. Really enjoying the trip report and can't wait to hear your thoughts about what has set this tour so far above in your mind. [My mom really enjoyed her trip that went to pretty much all the same places ABD did and more--I think hers was almost twice as long--but it was marred when she was robbed after an evening performance in one of the big cities. I can't remember which.]


----------



## sayhello

CaliforniaGirl09 said:


> I hope they add a wine tasting to the tour at some point. And too funny--I'm not a bird fan either although I don't mind watching falcon shows.
> 
> I was reading this trip report when sitting next to my mother who happened to look over at the pictures of the winery and said "I've stayed there!" Apparently when she did her tour with Vantage a couple years ago, they stayed at the winery for a few days. Really enjoying the trip report and can't wait to hear your thoughts about what has set this tour so far above in your mind. [My mom really enjoyed her trip that went to pretty much all the same places ABD did and more--I think hers was almost twice as long--but it was marred when she was robbed after an evening performance in one of the big cities. I can't remember which.]


   Oh, no!!  Your poor mom!!!  That must have been awful!

Sayhello


----------



## CaliforniaGirl09

sayhello said:


> Oh, no!!  Your poor mom!!!  That must have been awful!
> 
> Sayhello


Yes, very. They came up to her in middle of day in Cape Town (I just asked her) right by one of the nicest hotel during some kind of jazz festival and ripped her necklace off her neck. Tore her shirt and scratched her neck  She (stupidly) ran after them! The police gave her a bad time for that. She learned that she had the fight (not flight) instinct, LOL.


----------



## Cousin Orville

CaliKris said:


> That is a shame to go to a winery and not have a proper wine tasting or tour.  It looks like the itinerary has changed to include more OYO time in Stellenbosch including dinner, so that would allow for more exploring.  Gavin really seems to be an amazing travel companion even since he was little.



Thanks.  Gavin's always been a fun travel buddy.  I do wish they would have had a proper wine tasting.  They had a tasting in Tasmania on our Australia ABD and it seemed very well received by all the guests.  It was still a beautiful day and a magnificent lunch.  We certainly were able to try their two main wines during the lunch, but it would have been cool to hear the winemakers thoughts on wine.



calypso726 said:


> Just catching up now that I'm back, but this gives me pause. I'm super curious to read your thoughts. The trip looks wonderful so far, pictures are awesome, plus i just love penguins and owls! Looking forward to the next installments. Thanks for sharing.



Thanks! 



CaliforniaGirl09 said:


> I hope they add a wine tasting to the tour at some point. And too funny--I'm not a bird fan either although I don't mind watching falcon shows.
> 
> I was reading this trip report when sitting next to my mother who happened to look over at the pictures of the winery and said "I've stayed there!" Apparently when she did her tour with Vantage a couple years ago, they stayed at the winery for a few days. Really enjoying the trip report and can't wait to hear your thoughts about what has set this tour so far above in your mind. [My mom really enjoyed her trip that went to pretty much all the same places ABD did and more--I think hers was almost twice as long--but it was marred when she was robbed after an evening performance in one of the big cities. I can't remember which.]




That must have been lovely to stay at the winery.  I think if I were to have added 2 more nights in Cape Town, that time would be ideally spent in Stellenbosch.  That's awful to hear about her being robbed.  I was on the fence of whether to go out into Johannesburg during one of our nights, but ultimately decided against it partly due to not feeling 100% safe in that city.  I didn't have that feeling anywhere else, but I did in Jo'burg.

And here's a pic of that elephant hair bracelet:


----------



## sayhello

CaliforniaGirl09 said:


> Yes, very. They came up to her in middle of day in Cape Town (I just asked her) right by one of the nicest hotel during some kind of jazz festival and ripped her necklace off her neck. Tore her shirt and scratched her neck  She (stupidly) ran after them! The police gave her a bad time for that. She learned that she had the fight (not flight) instinct, LOL.


Yikes!!  How frightening!!  I hope it hasn't affected her love of travel!  

I had my purse snatched once (*not* while traveling - it was a couple of blocks from my home) and I ran after the guy yelling "Stop! Stop!"  So I understand where the instinct comes from...

Sayhello


----------



## Cousin Orville

Day 5 Knysna



Today we head to Knysna.  It’s in the Garden District of S. Africa and is famous for lush landscape.  The sad news is they recently suffered a devastating fire.  Most of the itinerary in Knysna remained unchanged for the first day.  We did see some changes the next day.



















We woke up early (earlier than breakfast is served) but they provided a boxed breakfast, along with coffee and pastries.  We boarded the coach to head to the airport.  Apparently you used to take a very long bus ride to Knysna… maybe 5+ hrs?  But now it’s less than an hour flight.  Our bags were actually sent ahead via bus.  The airport and flight to George was pretty easy.  From the City of George it was still a drive to Knysna.  Along the way, we saw the beautiful coastline of the Indian Ocean.










From the airport we drove straight to Birds of Eden.  This is a very large bird sanctuary.  It was completely different from the bird rehab center of yesterday.  Not to take anything away from yesterday's experience, but this blew it away.  It’s a massive multi-level enclosure with walkways to explore and tropical, colorful birds everywhere.






































After Eden, we headed over to a winery for lunch.  Along the way, we found a Congress of Baboons.































The winery was awesome.  We had a lovely lunch on their back porch overlooking the vineyards.  They seem to specialize in sparkling wines.  They have a Blanc de blanc (all Chardonnay) and a sparkling Sauvingon Blanc which is rarely used in sparkling wines.  They were both pretty good.  They had some other wines as well.  A few guests and I asked one of the winemakers if we could have an impromptu wine tasting.  So, while it wasn’t organized by ABD, we did ask the winery and they were happy to oblige.  We also purchased several bottles to bring home.

















After lunch the winemaker took us on a tour of the winery and showed us where they press the grapes and the fermentation area.  It was really cool.  I would have liked to do this and had a tasting in Stellenbosch, but at least we got to do it here.

















After lunch, we headed over to Monkeyland!  It’s an extremely expansive sanctuary for monkeys.  They were beautiful and would walk, climb, jump, and swing right around you.  It was very cool.  The monkeys were spectacular and there were so many of them.













































From there we went to the Conrad Hotel. Amazing hotel overlooking the Indian Ocean.  The rooms are in bungalows scattered about the property.  And the rooms were huge.  You could request at the front desk for a fire to be started for you in the fireplace; which we did one night.



























Dinner was on our own, but most of us ate at the hotel restaurant which was very good.  I had a lamb burger, and we all sat around and split a few bottles of wine.  The Jr adventurers headed to one of the rooms to watch The Force Awakens.  Lovely finish to a great day.


----------



## CaliforniaGirl09

Cousin Orville said:


> That must have been lovely to stay at the winery.  I think if I were to have added 2 more nights in Cape Town, that time would be ideally spent in Stellenbosch.  That's awful to hear about her being robbed.  I was on the fence of whether to go out into Johannesburg during one of our nights, but ultimately decided against it partly due to not feeling 100% safe in that city.  I didn't have that feeling anywhere else, but I did in Jo'burg.
> 
> And here's a pic of that elephant hair bracelet:




Love the bracelet!!! 

Funny you mention J'burg. When I was asking her about the trip, she said that was the one city they were told NOT to go out in alone at all. She's a world traveler--literally been all over--and that's the only time she's been told that. 



sayhello said:


> Yikes!!  How frightening!!  I hope it hasn't affected her love of travel!
> 
> I had my purse snatched once (*not* while traveling - it was a couple of blocks from my home) and I ran after the guy yelling "Stop! Stop!"  So I understand where the instinct comes from...
> 
> Sayhello



I did the same thing after a fender-bender hit and run--I chased after in my car. The things you find out about yourself! Sorry to hear about your purse snatch. I'm sure that was very scary after when it hits you, too. 

I think it make her more cautious, and she was very upset after it happened and the "fight" instinct cooled. But it hasn't slowed her travel down any. I guess I know where I get it 

Loving the report and all the pictures, CO! But I'm not sure about all those birds


----------



## acndis

Amazing pics!  Loving this trip.

Cousin O, I hope you and your family are doing okay in Houston (I am pretty sure that's your homebase).  I have been thinking about you!


----------



## Cousin Orville

@acndis   Thanks!  We're doing well.  We were very fortunate not to have any flooding.


----------



## Jess_S

Very happy to hear that you and your family were spared from the hurricane's flooding.

From your pictures, Monkeyland looks like so much fun.  Were you very close to the monkeys (and lemurs and apes)?  Or do you just have a really good camera.

My son was happy to see more baboon photos.  (He was very flattered when I told him that you posted them just for him.  Then he demanded more because he is 4 and his view that he is the center of the universe was reinforced).


----------



## DCPhotoGal

Cousin Orville said:


> It was a beautiful setting out at the winery. However, it was a little odd that there wasn’t any more focus on the wine itself. There was no tour of the winery or discussion with the wine maker. There was no set wine tasting per se, but wine was available for lunch and you could try both if you wanted. We actually go to another winery tomorrow where we do dive a bit deeper into the wine making and tasting. However, I would have preferred to do some of that in Stellenbosch - it’s such a famous wine making region. One of the great things about this trip is that there’s a lot of great wine to be had. Even when we were having dinner on our own, the wine prices and options were amazing.



If it makes you feel any better, I will say that when we were in SA we did a day in Stellenbosch as well.  Since we were traveling with my in-laws the wine tasting was high on their list.  At the time my kids were 7 and 8.  The meal at the winery was really good, but the kids found the wine tasting part really (really) boring and complained.  I remember buying them some gummi bears from the gift shop to give them something to do while we were tasting.  The town was so pretty, but the kids also didn't really seem to appreciate looking around (in a country with penguins, sea lions, and all kinds of safari animals I think their expectations of the trip were pretty high  )  We balanced out the day with a stop at the Cape Town Osterich Farm and the kids had much more fun there.


----------



## Cousin Orville

Jess_S said:


> Very happy to hear that you and your family were spared from the hurricane's flooding.
> 
> From your pictures, Monkeyland looks like so much fun.  Were you very close to the monkeys (and lemurs and apes)?  Or do you just have a really good camera.
> 
> My son was happy to see more baboon photos.  (He was very flattered when I told him that you posted them just for him.  Then he demanded more because he is 4 and his view that he is the center of the universe was reinforced).



We were extremely close to the monkeys.  There was a moment were several dozen little bitty monkeys were swinging all around us heading all in one direction to their lunch.  It was very cool.  I'm glad he enjoyed the baboon photos!  There will be lots more photos of lots of animals ahead.



DCPhotoGal said:


> If it makes you feel any better, I will say that when we were in SA we did a day in Stellenbosch as well.  Since we were traveling with my in-laws the wine tasting was high on their list.  At the time my kids were 7 and 8.  The meal at the winery was really good, but the kids found the wine tasting part really (really) boring and complained.  I remember buying them some gummi bears from the gift shop to give them something to do while we were tasting.  The town was so pretty, but the kids also didn't really seem to appreciate looking around (in a country with penguins, sea lions, and all kinds of safari animals I think their expectations of the trip were pretty high  )  We balanced out the day with a stop at the Cape Town Osterich Farm and the kids had much more fun there.



Yeah, I'm sure Stellenbosch could get pretty dry, pretty quick for kids.  The guides did a great job keeping everyone engaged.  I'm so glad ABD decides to spend some time in Stellenbosch and Knysna.  They're just gorgeous places that really add another dimension to South Africa.  So glad we saw it!


----------



## sayhello

Wow!  The Conrad hotel looks gorgeous!  And monkeyland looks so fun!  I love the monkey using the rope bridge!  

Looking forward to more report!

Sayhello


----------



## Cousin Orville

Day 6 Knysna



We woke up to a beautiful day at the Conrad.  I woke up early, and walked the grounds.  That’s the Indian Ocean in the distance.































This morning we headed out on a cruise around the lagoon.  Sadly, earlier this summer Kynsna was devastated by a fire.  The area is known as the Garden Route of South Africa, and on prior ABD’s the morning activity included a hike on one of the hills.  The area where the hike took place was completely burned.  To replace that we took a cruise around the lagoon.  We also had a good amount of time to shop in the area where we boarded the cruise.










This is the area where we were supposed to hike.










And you can see where the fire stopped here.

















This is the end of the lagoon where it meets the Indian Ocean.  No boats are allowed to travel between the lagoon and the ocean due to the dangerous waves.










After the cruise we headed back briefly to the hotel.  Incidentally, the Conrad has a nice shop where I picked up a few cool gifts.  That’s where I found the bracelet pictured earlier.  We met back after an hour or two to head to the Knysna Elephant Park.  The area around Knysna used to have many elephants.  Now most (or all) of them are within the Park.










We took jeeps out into the park where we passed zebras and elephants and came to an area where we could feed the elephants.  We were up on a raised platform for safety, but it was cool because we were eye to eye with the elephants.  Our guide at the park gave us an overview and went over how to feed them.  It was a wonderful experience.  Really a highlight of the trip.




















































We were all given lots of fruit to feed them and opportunities to take pictures.  Gorgeous animals.  A bit slimy and snotty, but it was a fun experience.  No worries, lots of soap, water, and hand sanitizers to get cleaned up with after.






































On the way back to the main building we passed a family of zebras.  You can tell by Mama’s belly that she’s pregnant again.










We had dinner at the Elephant Park.  It was good.  Nothing too exciting, but there was a good variety of food.  Here’s one of the local beers they offered.










And home sweet home we went.  Despite not being able to hike due to the fires, it was still a great day.  And the Elephant park was absolutely amazing.  Tomorrow we head up north to the game reserves.


----------



## calypso726

Oh my! The views and the pics are welcome wonderful! Thank you for sharing! Loving your TR!!!


----------



## CaliKris

Beautiful photos of the Indian Ocean!  And you got to feed the elephants?  Way cool!  I am fascinated by those gentle giants!


----------



## sayhello

Feeding the elephants looks *so* cool!  So sad about the fire.    But glad you got an alternative activity.

Sayhello


----------



## met19

amazing photos as usual


----------



## Cousin Orville

calypso726 said:


> Oh my! The views and the pics are welcome wonderful! Thank you for sharing! Loving your TR!!!



Thank you!  Just doing my best to talk you into SA! 



CaliKris said:


> Beautiful photos of the Indian Ocean!  And you got to feed the elephants?  Way cool!  I am fascinated by those gentle giants!



They are amazing, and this was a very safe way to be right up close with them.  The caretakers were also so informative about the elephants.



sayhello said:


> Feeding the elephants looks *so* cool!  So sad about the fire.    But glad you got an alternative activity.
> 
> Sayhello



Yes, quite sad.  Hopefully one day they'll be able to hike the area again.



met19 said:


> amazing photos as usual



Thanks!


----------



## Cousin Orville

Day 7 Kapama



Today was the big day we flew up to Kapama game reserve! There’s no denying this is what draws everyone to Africa, and we were all very eagerly anticipating it.  However, I can’t stress enough how important I think it is to see Cape Town, Stellenbosch, and Knysna.  They are an important part of gaining a full experience of what South Africa is.  The people, their history, and the geography have to be seen and experienced to be appreciated.  Otherwise, Africa becomes a somewhat one dimensional country if all one sees are the Big 5 on game drives.  Nevertheless, after spending 6+ days around the Cape Town and Knysna area, this ABD is about to build to a crescendo.



Despite how excited we all were to go to Kapama, I don’t think anyone was fully prepared for what they were about to see - what they were about to experience.  I would imagine anyone who has gone to Africa can testify that it is magical.  It is a transformative experience to see these African creatures in their natural habitats interacting with one another and with their environment. You get an amazing appreciation of the biodiversity of the region and the incredible wonder of the smallest to the largest creatures on this great planet earth. Talk about stretching way beyond my comfort zone - simply incredible.



We flew from George to Hoedspruit (pronounced “hoot-spray”) via Johannesburg.  It was uneventful.  There’s only 2 flights to Hoedspruit and we’re on the 2nd flight… and there’s tight connections.  So, while I have no doubt it is nerve-racking for the guides, they never showed it, and for us it was stress-free.  This is one of the pleasures of traveling and flying with ABD.  As we flew into Hoedspruit, the landscape suddenly looked very “African” - what you have in your mind of an endless savannah.  As we landed down the runway, Jennae shouted out “Warthogs on the left!”  The airport is incredibly small.  Basically a small building that has some bathrooms and a few seats.  Once through the airport we immediately board the jeeps.  It was about 6 people per jeep plus the ranger who drove the jeep and later the tracker who sits up front and does his magic.

















We drove out of the airport, crossed a road and went directly into Kapama.  The reserve is immense.  After driving a mile or so we came to a fork in the road and the Ranger teased the kids saying he wasn’t sure how to get to the lodge.  Which way should they go - left, right or straight?  We chose to the right and away we went!  From there we drove by red-billed hornbills (Zazu), tons of antelope, kudu, and even happened upon some giraffes.  Keep your eyes peeled - on the way down the road one of our fellow guests called out a rhino and we immediately stopped and backed up.  Sure enough, beyond the trees we saw Mama and Baby.  They came out and walked right around us.  By that time another jeep came over to see as well.  Gorgeous creatures.  Enough talk.  Time for pictures.


































































Our Ranger sharing his knowledge of antelope dung…










and rhino dung…










It actually was fascinating how they could tell the different animal dung apart and even ID’ing it as male vs female.  For example, male rhinos will kick their back feet up into in to spread it around as a territorial message to other rhinos.  Females don’t.



The lodge itself is beautiful.  We headed straight to the dining hall for lunch.  It’s where many of the meals were served.  The food was quite good.  Not life changing, but there was always a great variety.  It always changed.  And, there was always wine that servers where happy to bring around.  I enjoyed it.  Forgive me, I’m sometimes not great at food pics, but just to give some basic idea of the set up:

















After fully checking into our rooms, and resting for a bit, we gathered back in one of the lounges for our evening drive.  The evening drive gave a whole other dimension to the savannah.  The sun was getting close to setting gently for the day as we drove off.



We saw a few cool animals as we drove around for maybe 45 minutes and then all 4 jeeps met together for a “sun downer”.  Basically, wine out in the Savannah while watching the sun set.  There’s really no words that can express the emotion of it all.  Simply powerful.  When we were in Switzerland and saw the Matterhorn standing out against an adjacent mountain, it was the same feeling of nature at it’s finest and most powerful.  It’s almost unbelievable that you’re there experiencing it all.  Honestly even without the animals, the natural landscape and the setting of the sun, makes it worth the trip alone.  It is magnificent.  And the wine didn't hurt.
























Once night fell, we continued on our drive this time with the tracker shining a spotlight around rapidly looking for the reflection of eyes in the distance.  It almost seems like an impossible task, but he found something.  When you go on these game drives, everyone knows about the “Big 5”: Rhinos, Elephants, Lions, Cape Buffalo, and the Leopard.  It is very rare to see all 5.  In fact, it’s pretty much a given that you won’t see all 5.  And you won’t see a leopard - just to set realistic expectations.  Except we did.  Our tracker, Collen, found the leopard.  It was a big deal.  Huge. We were first on the scene, but when a leopard is spotted (hehe) the ranger calls out to all the other jeeps and soon enough the rest of our group came as well.  It was really an adrenaline rush to see it.  She sat there staring back at us.  After a few minutes, she got up and walked through the bush and disappeared.

















As we headed home excited, we happened upon 2 other rarities.  2 porcupines, apparently even a rarer find than a leopard, and a sleeping giraffe!  Giraffe only sleep for 15 min a day, so it too was quite a find.

















It was a magnificent day, and it was just the start.  When I sit here at home thinking back at past ABD memories there’s a few that if I could snap my fingers and transport immediately back to, I would.  Zermatt in Switzerland was one of those very special experiences.  Seeing the Hong Kong and Shanghai skylines lit up at night for me would be up there as well.  But an evening game drive in Kapama holds the top spot as one of the best ABD experiences ever.


----------



## figment52

*WOW!!!*


----------



## sayhello

Truly amazing!!  Such wonderful photos!

Sayhello


----------



## distravel

Wow! Impressive night photos. May need to add this trip to our ever growing list.


----------



## CaliKris

I've been told that going to Africa is a life changing experience.  I suppose you have to experience it yourself to truly understand, but your words give me some insight into the kind of powerful, moving place it is.  I can't wait to book this trip.  Your photos are amazing as always!

How cold was it during the early morning and night game drives?  Was the food always served buffet style at Kapama?


----------



## Nhebron

I am enjoying this trip report so much!


----------



## calypso726

Cousin Orville said:


> Thank you!  Just doing my best to talk you into SA!



Wow! Just, wow! The pictures are amazing and I so love how you are describing your experience. Spotting the leopard at night like that had to feel like ... gosh I have no words, but I get what you are trying to say. Those are the types of experiences that I love, moving and transformative. I was torn between ABD and perhaps another tour operator because I was mostly interested in the game drives and of course Victoria Falls. I am reallly glad that you explained not visiting Cape Town would make for an incomplete and one dimensional experience. You've convinced me to stick with ABD when we visit SA, which I'd lean towards anyhow but now I can stop second guessing myself. It will be for 2020 though since we did book Antarctica for my 50th. Awesome, awesome trip report!!!


----------



## CaliKris

calypso726 said:


> It will be for 2020 though since we did book Antarctica for my 50th. Awesome, awesome trip report!!!


@calypso726 going to Antartica will be an amazing experience, for sure!  I am curious, which company did you go with?


----------



## Cousin Orville

Thanks everyone!



CaliKris said:


> I've been told that going to Africa is a life changing experience.  I suppose you have to experience it yourself to truly understand, but your words give me some insight into the kind of powerful, moving place it is.  I can't wait to book this trip.  Your photos are amazing as always!
> 
> How cold was it during the early morning and night game drives?  Was the food always served buffet style at Kapama?



You definitely want to bring a jacket for the morning and evening.  It was cool enough, plus there was wind from riding in the jeep.  By the afternoon, all jackets were off.

The food was mostly buffet style.  I think there was one exception to this for the next night.  It was pretty good for a buffet.  You could also order most soft drinks and most common south african wines by the glass.



calypso726 said:


> Wow! Just, wow! The pictures are amazing and I so love how you are describing your experience. Spotting the leopard at night like that had to feel like ... gosh I have no words, but I get what you are trying to say. Those are the types of experiences that I love, moving and transformative. I was torn between ABD and perhaps another tour operator because I was mostly interested in the game drives and of course Victoria Falls. I am reallly glad that you explained not visiting Cape Town would make for an incomplete and one dimensional experience. You've convinced me to stick with ABD when we visit SA, which I'd lean towards anyhow but now I can stop second guessing myself. It will be for 2020 though since we did book Antarctica for my 50th. Awesome, awesome trip report!!!



Victoria Falls is pretty much a must do for me.  I think ABD should offer a post trip or extend their trip to include Vic Falls.  I'll be sure to post those days as well.

Excited about your trip to Antarctica!  I really want to do that too.  Probably in the next 5-10 yrs once all my kids are old enough.


----------



## calypso726

CaliKris said:


> @calypso726 going to Antartica will be an amazing experience, for sure!  I am curious, which company did you go with?





Cousin Orville said:


> Victoria Falls is pretty much a must do for me.  I think ABD should offer a post trip or extend their trip to include Vic Falls.  I'll be sure to post those days as well.
> 
> Excited about your trip to Antarctica!  I really want to do that too.  Probably in the next 5-10 yrs once all my kids are old enough.



After reading through Cruise Critic, TripAdvisor etc. I went with Lindblad/NatGeo and chose the sailing on the Orion. There were plenty of options in terms of operators and ships but I chose based on size and type of ship combined with the type of experience I wanted. 

I do hope ABD does offer that as a post trip down the line. I am looking forward to the rest of your TR and so glad you will be adding VF too!


----------



## CaliKris

Thanks, @calypso726!!  I have heard great things about Lindblad from others who have sailed with them to the Galapagos Islands.  We were thinking about them as well for Antarctica, but it probably won't be until 2020 or after.  Too many places to see, too little vacation time...sigh.


----------



## met19

OMG.   I need to go......oh well.  2019 or 20.....2018 trips already planned....


----------



## Chirple

This trip report served as a reminder for me to tell my husband that South Africa is a must for me.  What an incredible experience!


----------



## acndis

Amazing!  That leopard photo was unreal.  I have heard from so many that this is 'the trip.'  Can't wait to hear about Victoria Falls.


----------



## AdamEfimoff

want to try test kitchen in Cape Town!


----------



## *WDW*Groupie*

Cousin Orville, your photos are amazing.  Thank you for sharing your journey with us.  South Africa is magical and it is difficult for me to express my experience in words.

For those thinking about this trip and wanting to see leopards, consider heading to Sabi Sands after the ABD (but you can also easily plan a trip to S. Africa on your own -- it's easy to do) -- they are rich with leopards and sightings are plentiful and exciting (we saw them mating, with cubs {we even witnessed a cub climbing a tree to meet her mama to feast on an impala}, kill in a tree with circling hyenas, etc.).  It is a game-rich ecosystem (we didn't see any cheetahs here though).

Zambia and Zimbabwe are both easily accessible from Sabi Sands. 

Looking forward to the next installment.


----------



## Cousin Orville

*WDW*Groupie* said:


> Cousin Orville, your photos are amazing.  Thank you for sharing your journey with us.  South Africa is magical and it is difficult for me to express my experience in words.
> 
> For those thinking about this trip and wanting to see leopards, consider heading to Sabi Sands after the ABD (but you can also easily plan a trip to S. Africa on your own -- it's easy to do) -- they are rich with leopards and sightings are plentiful and exciting (we saw them mating, with cubs {we even witnessed a cub climbing a tree to meet her mama to feast on an impala}, kill in a tree with circling hyenas, etc.).  It is a game-rich ecosystem (we didn't see any cheetahs here though).
> 
> Zambia and Zimbabwe are both easily accessible from Sabi Sands.
> 
> Looking forward to the next installment.



Great advice, thanks!  I just assumed leopards were rare no matter where you go.  If I didn't mention it before, it's basically stressed that you won't see a leopard.  So we were quite fortunate.  I believe they said on Kapama there were ~5 leopards and ~50 lions.  I may have the numbers wrong, but there were far fewer leopards.  I'll make a note about Sabi Sands.  That does sound like a good idea to either do after the ABD or on a separate trip.


----------



## SirDuff

CaliforniaGirl09 said:


> Funny you mention J'burg. When I was asking her about the trip, she said that was the one city they were told NOT to go out in alone at all. She's a world traveler--literally been all over--and that's the only time she's been told that.



I travel a lot for work and generally in "developing countries" (actually low- and middle-income countries).  My colleagues know that I try to get in at least one run in the area when I go.  I've got an upcoming trip to J'burg and been told that I will NOT be doing so on that trip.  First time I've been so strongly warned against it (I was warned against it in Jakarta - but that was more about being run over (luckily the area we were in was actually not too bad by Jakarta standards)).


----------



## mindeola

I can feel your emotion for this trip in your posts. Thanks for sharing! My parents lived in Capetown for a year and had traveled to South Africa many times before they moved there. They speak the same way about it.

I think the elephant feeding looks amazing. The evening safari pictures are beautiful and it seems like all of the stars were aligned for you all.


----------



## Cousin Orville

Day 8 Kapama


This morning we received a friendly wake up call a little after 6:00am.  Tea and coffee was served just prior to our morning drive at 7.  One benefit of going during our summer (their winter) is the morning drives start later in the day.  That was a blessing for us, as we’re not exactly morning people.  The weather outside was chilly, but it felt good.


We quickly spotted our first animals of the day - the wildebeest (or “gnu”) and zebra.














We went off causally driving to see what we could find next when we suddenly took off.  Rassie must have heard something exciting in his radio.  After several left and right turns, we saw what he was excited about - a pride of lions.








There were so many of them.  And they were beautiful.
































Not too far away, while watching a family of monkeys, we were surprised by a giraffe coming out of the bush to cross the road.   Followed up by a zebra crossing. <insert animal crossing the road joke here>














Towards the end of the morning drive we drove up to a watering hole to find a herd of elephants.


























And more giraffes…




















When we returned from our drive, breakfast was served.  Midmorning we had archery.  The gentleman who taught us was super nice.  On the side, he carves knives to sell.  They were very popular.  I didn’t buy anything, but they were beautiful.  The handles and blade were hand made.  They were impressive.














After archery was lunch. You certainly won’t go hungry on this trip.  We had some down time after lunch and Gavin and I just chilled by the pool before the evening drive.




















Tonight dinner was actually served in the bush.  It was amazing.  They had an awesome fire going on.  Lots of delicious food and wine.  It was just cool to eat outside under the stars.








After dinner, we didn’t see many animals but it was a beautiful night and we went stargazing.  This is a picture taken by our ranger, Rassie.  Pretty cool.  The flashes of laser lights are pointing out the Southern Cross.  Such a beautiful night.


----------



## calypso726

WOW!!! Just. WOW!!!


----------



## CaliKris

Simply amazing!!


----------



## distravel

Wow! Those photos are incredible especially the photo that captures the star filled sky along with the jeep. Beautiful!


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## sayhello

Spectacular.  Simply spectacular.  I'd say that was a pretty successful drive!

I'll have to remember that about going during their winter.  You know I'm not a morning person, either, and the early mornings are one of my concerns about this trip.

Sayhello


----------



## Cousin Orville

sayhello said:


> Spectacular.  Simply spectacular.  I'd say that was a pretty successful drive!
> 
> I'll have to remember that about going during their winter.  You know I'm not a morning person, either, and the early mornings are one of my concerns about this trip.
> 
> Sayhello



Early mornings were the reason I waited until Gavin was a bit older.  I was pleasantly surprised the drives started at 7am.  Could have been much worse IMO.

Their winter is the best time to go not just for the drive times being more reasonable.  The foliage is not as lush so it's much easier to spot the animals.  I've heard their summer is not as good for spotting the animals, but is better for bird watching.  That was according to our ranger.


----------



## Calfan

Love love love your pictures, especially the baby lion and the elephant reflected in the pool of water.  What a bonanza of a game drive!!


----------



## BluesTraveler

Amazing.  Love it.


----------



## Pamlur

Yes, when my husband and I were there, they banged on our doors between 4:30 and 5:00 every morning.  We never missed a drive, but we groaned a lot.


----------



## *WDW*Groupie*

Your pictures are breathtaking.  Do you edit them?  If so, what program do you use?  

Also could you remind me what kind of camera you use?  I'm thinking about getting the Sony mirrorless Alpha A7 II for our next trip but am waiting for a really good sale.


----------



## Jess_S

Pamlur said:


> Yes, when my husband and I were there, they banged on our doors between 4:30 and 5:00 every morning.  We never missed a drive, but we groaned a lot.



You have just sold me on going in winter. I will never hear the end of it from my family if we get woken up at 4:30 on vacation.

The night sky photo is just amazing. (I say that about all the photos, but it's true).


----------



## Cousin Orville

*WDW*Groupie* said:


> Your pictures are breathtaking.  Do you edit them?  If so, what program do you use?
> 
> Also could you remind me what kind of camera you use?  I'm thinking about getting the Sony mirrorless Alpha A7 II for our next trip but am waiting for a really good sale.




Most were taken on a Nikon D7100.  I shoot in RAW, but honestly I rarely edit them.  Hard to find the time.  I think one of the leopard photos was brighted a bit.  The last of the elephant pictures was cropped down.  All the others are as unedited.  When I do edit, I like Lightroom.  The final photo was taken by our ranger, Rassie.  Believe it or not it too was unedited.  It was a multi second shot where he turned off and on his super powerful laser pointer to point out the stars.  He transferred the picture to my iPhone when we got back to the resort.


----------



## Cousin Orville

Jess_S said:


> You have just sold me on going in winter. I will never hear the end of it from my family if we get woken up at 4:30 on vacation.
> 
> The night sky photo is just amazing. (I say that about all the photos, but it's true).



Yes, Jun-Aug is definitely the time to go!  The weather was also very nice.  I've heard it can get crazy hot in the summer.  Rassie was talking about it getting well over a 100 F some days.


----------



## met19

Love the photos and stories


----------



## Cousin Orville

Day 9 Kapama



So the “Big 5” includes the Elephant, Leopard, Lion, Rhino, and Cape Buffalo.  We have seen them all except the Buffalo.  So, guess what we were searching to find this morning?



Morning started with the wake up call, followed by tea to gather everyone together.  The weather was crisp.  We geared up with jackets and cameras at the ready for our morning drive.



Here’s a couple of photos around the property.

















First up was our first sighting of hippos.  I have a particular fondness for hippos.  I think it derives from when I was growing up there was a National Geographic with a dramatic picture of a hippo and “Botswana” on the cover.  I thought that was so exotic at the time and it’s laid a foundation for wanting to go to Africa and see them for myself.

















Not particularly exciting just hanging around, but I wasn’t disappointed.  We watched them for a while.  Rassie even got out of the car and approached the lake which led the hippos to grunt and move about.  We continued on our way and discussed plant life, tracking and survival.  All very fascinating.  And then we came across a beautiful sleeping male lion.  He’s known as Scar for his distinctive scar across his right eye.  The story goes that 2 younger male lion brothers teamed up and attacked him one day.  He was amazing to watch, and we were remarkably close to him.

















So, our first male lion sighting… quite cool and very special.  Lionesses are far more common. We saw quite a bit that morning before heading back to Kapama, but unfortunately no Buffalo.

















And back to Kapama we went.

















This morning after breakfast we had a snake presentation.  It was really interesting.  The gentleman who gives the presentation was very upfront for those who were afraid of snakes.  No surprises, no pushing snakes in anyone’s face etc.  I think everyone was very comfortable with his demeanor and presentation.



Behold the most venomous snake in Africa… sadly I can’t remember its name (#WhereIsGavinWhenINeedHim).  But it’s not the most dangerous.  Basically he puts it on the ground and the snake refuses to move. He even provokes it and the snake refuses to bite.  You’d pretty much have to step on it for him to attack.

















Another more dramatic snake.  In fairness, the gentleman specifically asked if we could stress with these pictures really how non-dangerous these snakes are.  I forget all of what he said, but the highlight is if you see one of these out in the wild, don’t try to kill it.  That’s when snakes attack.  Ask for professional help.

















Relaxation time.  We hung out by the pool.  Gavin read and played on his iPhone.  I wrote an old school letter to mail back home.  We didn’t get in the pool as others said it was freezing cold.  But it was very relaxing just hanging out.
























A selfie with my serious chess face…










And we were off again for our last evening drive.  We spotted a lioness on the hunt for warthogs.  Never saw her attack, but it was interesting to watch her be sneaky.

















And here’s how close they can get to the jeeps…

















my favorite:










We never found a cape buffalo that evening, but it was amazing scenery.  It’s just great to be in Africa.

















We spotted a hyena!

















We headed back for our Farewell Dinner.  It was a wonderful night.  Distinctly African.  I won’t spoil too much, but we had a great night and here’s a final picture of our wonderful guides.










All is not over yet though.  We still have one more game drive in the morning.  TTFN


----------



## met19

i need to go on this trip. it looks amazing!


----------



## calypso726

I will definitely be taking this trip down the line and will also be going the same time of year. I am so glad you are doing this TR!


----------



## AdamEfimoff

Did you consider any other lodges?


----------



## Pamlur

Black Mamba.  Our tracker saw one but by the time we backed up, it was gone.


----------



## Cousin Orville

calypso726 said:


> I will definitely be taking this trip down the line and will also be going the same time of year. I am so glad you are doing this TR!




It was great running into you guys this weekend!  Kate and I were walking into the WDW Food & Wine festival center, and I was thinking, "I know them!"  I hope you had a wonderful Food & Wine trip!  Were you at Epcot for the 35th?


----------



## Cousin Orville

AdamEfimoff said:


> Did you consider any other lodges?



During the South Africa portion of my trip?  No.  I wanted to go with Adventures by Disney, and they use Kapama.  I was thrilled with it, but I'm sure there are many great ones in SA.


----------



## calypso726

Cousin Orville said:


> It was great running into you guys this weekend!  Kate and I were walking into the WDW Food & Wine festival center, and I was thinking, "I know them!"  I hope you had a wonderful Food & Wine trip!  Were you at Epcot for the 35th?



It was great running into you and Kate as well and getting to meet in real life! We had a wonderful time and yes we were there for the 35th. I do hope Wally and I wind up on the same adventure as you guys down the line.


----------



## Cousin Orville

Day 10 Kapama



Sadly today is our last day with our ABD family.  As there are only 2 flights a day in and out of the local airport, we had some time before our flight.  And....that means one last morning game drive.



It was another beautiful, cool day out.  We headed out with Rassie, Collen and our ABD guide Jennae once more.  The area is just so amazing, it’s hard to put it into words.  It really is magical driving out in the jeep not knowing what you may see.  We found a couple of giraffes hanging out, and after following them for a bit we found an amazing assortment of animals.  Giraffes, zebras, and impalas all around us.
























It was a very Circle of Life moment.  We continued on our way and drove for quite a long time.  Rassie would stop along the way to check out some birds or explain some of the vegetation but otherwise we kept driving until we found… buffalo.

















There were so many of them.  It was a very “ABD moment”.  Everything had been building up to that moment.  We saw 4/5 of the Big 5 and tried to find Buffalo the last few drives to no avail.  Yesterday, we stressed to Rassie and Collen that we were OK not finding buffalo.  We had so many amazing encounters.  So many rare ones.  So many beautiful sights.  We felt we had really accomplished a lot in Africa.  Nevertheless, they kept searching for buffalo.  So, we found them during the last morning drive before flying out.  It was a sight to see.



Rassie explained just how dangerous Buffalo are.  They’re like the mafia of African animals.  They will find you and they will kill you.  Rassie asked Collen if he came upon some elephants, would he run?  “No,” he shakes his head.  How about lions? “No.”  A leopard?  “No.”  Rhinos?  No.”  Cape Buffalo?  “Yes.”  The buffalo will absolutely attack you.  Even if they lose you, they’ll track you down and find you.  They’re the most dangerous animal in Africa.










We found some elephants hiding…










and some more giraffe…










and another lion hunting…










It was a great game drive and brought a terrific close to the ABD.



These guys were the best!










So, we grabbed breakfast, packed up and headed out with Rassie to the airport.  A few animals came out to wish us farewell.
























We boarded our little plane which was late picking us up, but I don’t think it affected anyone’s travel plans.



















This was a fabulous ABD.  I told Jennae and Craig that out of 9 now this was the best ABD I’ve done.  I came back from Africa changed.  Not just to have experienced something fundamentally different from my own culture.  Not just to have seen these beautiful creatures in their natural habitat.  It’s the people, the music, the landscape, the animals.  There’s a synergy that can’t be explained, but must be experienced.  It’s emotional.  It’s magical.  Over the last several years we’ve been fortunate to do a number of ABD’s, visit Aulani, do several European cruises with DCL, and of course the Parks.  They are all amazing.  However, I really feel this is the best experience, the best storytelling as ABD prefers to see it, that Disney offers.







Post ABD…



We said our goodbyes to our family.  Jennae and Craig were kind enough to walk us over to the Intercontinental Hotel.  We were heading up to Zimbabwe to Victoria Falls, but would have to wait until the morning to catch the next flight.  The Intercontinental was certainly nice, but being in any airport hotel between travels is like being in purgatory.  They did have a nice restaurant, Quills, though serving pretty good African food.  Cool masks on the wall and porcupine quills artistically hung above us.  Pretty cool.  But it was a means to an end.  Tomorrow… Zimbabwe.
































Also, we obviously chose to stay at the airport in Johannesburg.  That was a very conscious choice.  For one, there's not much in the city to do for a traveler with a few hours.  There is a public square with a giant statue of Mandela that is accessible by train from the airport, but other than the statue and a Hard Rock there's nothing there.  Plus the train service ends around 8pm, so I didn't want to be stressed in finishing dinner in time to catch the last train.  On top of that, the city doesn't have the reputation of being the safest in South Africa.  It could be totally fine, but it wasn't worth the trek away from the airport.  I think staying and eating at Quills was the smartest play for us.


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## sayhello

SO GLAD you saw Buffalo!  All 5!  Excellent!  Was everyone still there for the last drive, or had anyone left already?

I have to admit, this trip never held much interest for me, but I may have to re-evaluate that.

Sayhello


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## Cousin Orville

sayhello said:


> SO GLAD you saw Buffalo!  All 5!  Excellent!  Was everyone still there for the last drive, or had anyone left already?
> 
> I have to admit, this trip never held much interest for me, but I may have to re-evaluate that.
> 
> Sayhello



No one left early.  Most of the flights back to the US leave Johannesburg in the evening so it works out fine.  I think just about everyone had to wait around Johannesburg Airport for a few hours before their flight home.  It was just us that had to catch a morning flight to Victoria Falls.


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## Calfan

Kapama looks amazing, and I'm just drooling over your pictures!  And I completely agree with you about how life-changing Africa is.  I've been dreaming about going back since returning from Zambia and Zimbabwe in 2001.  On that trip, we saw tons of hippos (because we were mostly on the Zambezi River) and also lots of Cape Buffalo.  And we were told the same thing: that the Cape Buffalo are the most dangerous animal in Africa.  This trip is definitely high up on my list!  Looking forward to reading about your post days in Victoria Falls and Botswana.


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## CaliKris

Looks like you had an incredible last game drive.  And to finally see the buffalo must have been amazing!  Your favorite trip out of 9 ABD's?  That says a lot!

Are the only flights from JNB to Victoria Falls in the morning?  I am trying to figure out how many days off work I will need for this trip.  I am thinking I may go to Victoria Falls pre-ABD if that can help eliminate the extra night in Jo'berg.

I am excited to read about your adventures in Victoria Falls and Botswana!


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## carpenta

Thank you Cousin Orville for another GREAT REPORT. Love the pictures. I would think about traveling to South Africa but I would never survive the airline trip. Happy Travels.


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## Cousin Orville

Calfan said:


> Kapama looks amazing, and I'm just drooling over your pictures!  And I completely agree with you about how life-changing Africa is.  I've been dreaming about going back since returning from Zambia and Zimbabwe in 2001.  On that trip, we saw tons of hippos (because we were mostly on the Zambezi River) and also lots of Cape Buffalo.  And we were told the same thing: that the Cape Buffalo are the most dangerous animal in Africa.  This trip is definitely high up on my list!  Looking forward to reading about your post days in Victoria Falls and Botswana.



Thanks!  Yes, I'm trying to figure out when I can go back too.  Hopefully Vic Falls and Botswana will be up soon.  We're heading off to China in another week and I NEED to finish this trip report 



CaliKris said:


> Looks like you had an incredible last game drive.  And to finally see the buffalo must have been amazing!  Your favorite trip out of 9 ABD's?  That says a lot!
> 
> Are the only flights from JNB to Victoria Falls in the morning?  I am trying to figure out how many days off work I will need for this trip.  I am thinking I may go to Victoria Falls pre-ABD if that can help eliminate the extra night in Jo'berg.
> 
> I am excited to read about your adventures in Victoria Falls and Botswana!



Our flight to VFA was at 10:50am.  I want to say the 2nd flight was a couple of hours later.  The flight from Hoedspruit was at 12:00, so we probably got in and picked up our bags around 2:00, maybe later.  We wouldn't have been able to catch the latest VFA flight at the time.  It would have been nice to avoid staying overnight at Jo'burg, but I couldn't find a way with the current flight schedules.



carpenta said:


> Thank you Cousin Orville for another GREAT REPORT. Love the pictures. I would think about traveling to South Africa but I would never survive the airline trip. Happy Travels.



Thank you!  Yeah, I understand.  The flights are no joke.  Basically you're living in airports and on planes for the next 24 hrs+.  It is worth it in the end


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## Cousin Orville

Post Day 1 Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
Part 1



We woke up the next morning, and had breakfast at the Intercontinental.  It was convenient but not as good as most of the other breakfasts we’ve had on the trip.  The hotel is right across the street from the airport. We checked in early and went through passport control to the international departures.  Pretty easy.  Had plenty of time. Our flight to Victoria Falls was on British Airways and took about 1.5 hrs.  I arranged my trip through Rhino Africa.  They in turn booked almost everything except the hotel.  They tried, but couldn’t book the Victoria Falls Hotel.  I’m not sure why.  When I looked it up on Expedia, there was availability.  So, I booked the VFH separately.  Rhino Africa in turn arranges just about everything with a local Victoria Falls company, Wild Horizons.  Wild Horizons seems to be the major player in Vic Falls.  They have their own river cruises, their own cafe overlooking the falls, their own guides and trips/adventures etc.  Their name is everywhere.



Sitting next to our plane was a Brazilian plane with WDW painted on it!

















We arrived in the early afternoon into Zimbabwe.  As a part of Passport control you have to buy a Visa.  You buy it there at the airport with US Dollars.  Their currency hyperinflated and at the time I’m writing this, it isn’t being used anymore.  There’s a movement to try to reinstate it.  Everyone on the plane had to fill out the Visa application in the passport control area.  Then after identifying ourselves as Americans one of the officers directed me to a specific line.  It was confusing because the sign above the line suggested something different, but once we got up to the front, it worked out.  They checked all our info including my letters as a traveling solo parent.  They took our US cash and gave us a Visa stamp.  Immediately after passport control was baggage claim.  It took awhile but our bags made it out.  I have to admit I was pretty nervous during the entire process.  There wasn’t any real reason to be nervous.  It just felt very foreign.  So exotic.  Zimbabwe doesn’t have the best modern history and the same “president” that oversaw the bad times is still in power and his portrait is everywhere.  It felt a little intimidating.  In reality, it was actually a pretty smooth process all things considered.










After we got our bags and cleared customs, our driver was there waiting for us.  He was very polite and professional.  We boarded a large van just for us and headed into Vic Falls.  We arrived at the hotel and let me say…  The hotel was magnificent.  I would arrange my entire trip to be sure to stay at that hotel.  Very turn of the century African colonial.  Think the Adventurers Club, but in real life.  The service was very good.  We were checked in by the manager in the VIP area (although we had a normal room).  The room was gorgeous.  It was recently refurbished.  The bathroom had a clawfoot tub.  I didn’t use it but it looked cool.






































We went to the back porch to have lunch.  Gavin got a cheeseburger and I had pork belly.  It was tasty.  The porch looks out to the ravine in the distance.  You can see the “smoke” from Victoria Falls further out but not the Falls itself.  You can also see the bridge in the distance that connects Zimbabwe on the left and Zambia on the Right.  This hotel was originally built to accommodate the workers constructing the bridge at the turn of the century.  The bridge allowed the continuation of the rail line from Cape Town to Cairo - master planned by the Englishman, Rhodes.  When it was controlled by the UK, the country was known as Rhodesia and only recently gained independence. Same guy the Rhodes scholar is named after…


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## Cousin Orville

Post Day 1 Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
Part 2


After lunch we were picked up at the hotel to go to our sunset cruise.  I specially asked Rhino Africa to get us tickets on the Zambezi Explorer Sunset Cruise VIP deck (or whatever the top deck was called).  It was absolutely beautiful.  Here’s Gavin double fisting it…

















We made it up to the top deck.  They served drinks and appetizers as they cruised up and down the Zambezi.

















Me with a specialty G&T






































Some of the animals we saw along the cruise…













































And back to the hotel…










Everyone having their pre dinner drinks on the porch…










We ate at the the Stanley Room for dinner.  Service and food were amazing.  There was a pianist who just never stopped.  It was a great dinner.  We planned to eat there twice.  So, I ordered a bottle and they saved it for me a couple of nights later.  Amazing experience.


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## *WDW*Groupie*

What an amazing shot of the hippos going into the water!  It is very rare to see them on land.

We had a close encounter with a hippo just off our cabin deck (within 3-4 feet of me when I noticed it) in Zambia - it was very scary - so much so that I didn't even snap a picture, we just turned and ran back into our cabin and called the desk for an escort to breakfast!

I miss being in Africa.  It is an experience we will re-live (hopefully) every summer from now on.

Don't you love passport control there?  We had our visa "expedited" because I had US cash to pay the fee.  It took MUCH longer for those using a credit card.

I agree with you about the airport being a bit disconcerting at first.  It had a very different feel than both Johannesburg and Cape Town.


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## Calfan

Cousin Orville said:


> Post Day 1 Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
> Part 1
> 
> 
> 
> We woke up the next morning, and had breakfast at the Intercontinental.  It was convenient but not as good as most of the other breakfasts we’ve had on the trip.  The hotel is right across the street from the airport.   We checked in early and went through passport control to the international departures.  Pretty easy.  Had plenty of time.  Our flight to Victoria Falls was on British Airways and took about 1.5 hrs.  I arranged my trip through Rhino Africa.  They in turn booked almost everything except the hotel.  They tried but couldn’t book the Victoria Falls Hotel.  I’m not sure why.  When I looked it up on Expedia, it there was availability.  So, I booked the VFH separately.  Rhino Africa in turn arranges just about everything with a local Victoria Falls company, Wild Horizons.  Wild Horizons seems to be the major player in Vic Falls.  They have their own river cruises, their own cafe overlooking the falls, their own guides and trips/adventures etc.  Their name is everywhere.
> 
> 
> 
> Sitting next to our plane was a Brazilian plane with WDW painted on it!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
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> 
> We arrived in the early afternoon into Zimbabwe.  As a part of Passport control you have to buy a Visa.  You buy it there at the airport with US Dollars.  Their currency hyperinflated and at the time I’m writing this isn’t being used anymore.  There’s a movement to try to reinstate it.  Everyone on the plane had to fill out the Visa application in the passport control area.  Then after identifying ourselves as Americans one of the officers directed me to a specific line.  It was confusing because the sign above the line suggested something different, but once we got up to the front, it worked out.  They checked all our info including my letters as a solo parent.  They took our US cash and gave us a Visa stamp.  Immediately after passport control was baggage claim.  It took a while but our bags made it out.  I have to admit I was pretty nervous during the entire process.  There wasn’t any real reason to be nervous.  It just felt very foreign.  So exotic.  Zimbabwe doesn’t have the best modern history and the same “president” that oversaw the bad times is still in power and his portrait is everywhere.  It felt a little intimidating.  In reality, it was actually a pretty smooth process all things considered.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> After we got our bags and cleared customs, our driver was there waiting for us.  He was very polite and professional.  We boarded a large van just for us and headed into Vic Falls.  We arrived at the hotel and let me say…  The hotel was magnificent.  I would arrange my entire trip to be sure to stay at that hotel.  Very turn of the century African colonial.  Think the Adventurers Club, but in real life.  The service was very good.  We were checked in by the manager in the VIP area (although we had a normal room).  The room was gorgeous.  It was recently refurbished.  The bathroom had a clawfoot tub.  I didn’t use it but it looked cool.
> 
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> 
> We went to the back porch to have lunch.  Gavin got a cheeseburger and I had pork belly.  It was tasty.  The porch looks out to the ravine in the distance.  You can see the “smoke” from Victoria Falls further out but not the Falls itself.  You can also see the bridge in the distance that connects Zimbabwe on the left and Zambia on the Right.  This hotel was originally built to accommodate the workers constructing the bridge at the turn of the century.  The bridge allowed the continuation of the rail line from Cape Town to Cairo - master planned by the Englishman, Rhodes.  When it was controlled by the UK, the country was knows as Rhodesia and only recently gained independence. Same guy the Rhodes scholar is named after…



Seeing your pictures of the Victoria Falls Hotel brings back such great memories!!


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## calypso726

Oh I love the hotel decor. Adventurer's Club decor is right up my alley. I'm so glad you are posting about your post trip since it will likely be exactly what I wind up doing when we do visit VF after our South Africa ABD down the line. Awesome pictures as always!


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## carpenta

"Yet, there's more!" More wonderful pictures. Eagerly waiting for more. Thanks.


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## sayhello

Wow!  Wonderful.  That hotel looks like something out of a movie!  Very cool!  Looking forward to you actually seeing the Falls!  

Sayhello


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## EllinK

I"m so glad you're posting about the VF part of your trip too! Now I want to do ABD and VF...


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## Cousin Orville

*WDW*Groupie* said:


> What an amazing shot of the hippos going into the water!  It is very rare to see them on land.
> 
> We had a close encounter with a hippo just off our cabin deck (within 3-4 feet of me when I noticed it) in Zambia - it was very scary - so much so that I didn't even snap a picture, we just turned and ran back into our cabin and called the desk for an escort to breakfast!
> 
> I miss being in Africa.  It is an experience we will re-live (hopefully) every summer from now on.
> 
> Don't you love passport control there?  We had our visa "expedited" because I had US cash to pay the fee.  It took MUCH longer for those using a credit card.
> 
> I agree with you about the airport being a bit disconcerting at first.  It had a very different feel than both Johannesburg and Cape Town.




Zimbabwe passport control didn't even take credit cards.  It was a bit intimidating.  I probably felt the same way years ago when it was my first trip overseas to the UK.  Lots of questions circling about my head - did I fill out the Visa form right, am I in the right line, do I have the right solo parent paperwork, are my bags going to make it from notorious  Jo'burg, is there actually going to be a driver to meet us, what's Zimbabwe going to be like - a country of ~85% unemployment?  I think mostly it was coming off the comfortable feeling of the ABD safety net.  But it ended up being no big deal.  Just some brief anxiety. 




Calfan said:


> Seeing your pictures of the Victoria Falls Hotel brings back such great memories!!



I'm curious what it was like when you went.  I'm sure it's significantly more touristy now which is not a bad thing yet.  They've created quite a hospitality industry with lots of hotels and restaurants.  It's still very 3rd world, but it has these pockets of a reasonably healthy tourist economy.  VF Hotel was full.  Bars and restaurants at the hotel were usually busy.  I got this awesome book on the history of the hotel.  I haven't made it to the end where they discuss the hotel after the year 2000, but I'm curious how everything was like when you went.



calypso726 said:


> Oh I love the hotel decor. Adventurer's Club decor is right up my alley. I'm so glad you are posting about your post trip since it will likely be exactly what I wind up doing when we do visit VF after our South Africa ABD down the line. Awesome pictures as always!



It's wishful thinking, but it would be cool if ABD would add Vic Falls as some optional add on or just extend the SA trip.  It really should be a must do.



carpenta said:


> "Yet, there's more!" More wonderful pictures. Eagerly waiting for more. Thanks.



More to come.. hopefully very soon! 



sayhello said:


> Wow!  Wonderful.  That hotel looks like something out of a movie!  Very cool!  Looking forward to you actually seeing the Falls!
> 
> Sayhello



The Falls were the next day so... I'm hoping to get those pictures up soon.



EllinK said:


> I"m so glad you're posting about the VF part of your trip too! Now I want to do ABD and VF...



Yeah, you have to.  It's so worth it!


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## Calfan

Cousin Orville said:


> I'm curious what it was like when you went.  I'm sure it's significantly more touristy now which is not a bad thing yet.  They've created quite a hospitality industry with lots of hotels and restaurants.  It's still very 3rd world, but it has these pockets of a reasonably healthy tourist economy.  VF Hotel was full.  Bars and restaurants at the hotel were usually busy.  I got this awesome book on the history of the hotel.  I haven't made it to the end where they discuss the hotel after the year 2000, but I'm curious how everything was like when you went.



Judging from your pictures, the hotel looks very similar now to the way it looked in 2001.  I can't really remember how crowded the hotel was, but my recollection is not all that crowded.  2001 was right around the time the farming disputes were becoming an issue, but we never felt unsafe.  I agree it was strange to see the portraits of Mugabe everywhere.


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## Cousin Orville

Calfan said:


> Judging from your pictures, the hotel looks very similar now to the way it looked in 2001.  I can't really remember how crowded the hotel was, but my recollection is not all that crowded.  2001 was right around the time the farming disputes were becoming an issue, but we never felt unsafe.  I agree it was strange to see the portraits of Mugabe everywhere.



I finally got to the Yrs 2002-2015 in my book on the history of the hotel.  Sounds like everything hit the fan in 2002 and declined until about 2008 because of what was going on in the country.  Things got so bad their fence was stollen for the metal, and they had a problem with large animals on the lawn which didn't help their declining guest attendance.  In 2008 inflation started getting so bad they had to change the prices on the menus hourly.  They staff's pay became worthless.  They didn't officially stop using the Zim $ until 2015 when $1 US = $35,000,000,000,000,000 Zim..  That's 35 quadrillion dollars.

Hopefully another TR update in the next day or so.


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## sayhello

Cousin Orville said:


> I finally got to the Yrs 2002-2015 in my book on the history of the hotel.  Sounds like everything hit the fan in 2002 and declined until about 2008 because of what was going on in the country.  Things got so bad their fence was stollen for the metal, and they had a problem with large animals on the lawn which didn't help their declining guest attendance.  In 2008 inflation started getting so bad they had to change the prices on the menus hourly.  They staff's pay became worthless.  *They didn't officially stop using the Zim $ until 2015 when $1 US = $35,000,000,000,000,000 Zim..  That's 35 quadrillion dollars.*




Sayhello


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## Cousin Orville

Post Day 2 Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe

Part 1



The next morning we walked down to the Jungle Junction for breakfast.  It was named after an airline mail service that started in London and made stops in Africa down to Cape Town.  Jungle Junction at the hotel is an open air restaurant that serves breakfast and offers a dinner show at night.  Breakfast was lovely and the view over the countryside was beautiful.  The plan was to walk down to the Falls this morning, have lunch at the Lookout Cafe, and take a helicopter flight.



























































VF Hotel has a walkway that connects the hotel to the Falls… sort of.  It’s not private so there are men that stand out there waiting to sell you whatever they can carry.   When we walked out the hotel gate onto the path there was actually a guard hired by the hotel that offered to walk us to the Falls.  He introduced himself and explained that he was hired by the hotel to accompany guests.  He was armed with a slingshot to ward off any unwelcome animals.  Thankfully we saw none other than the occasional warthog which is fine.  The men selling their goods were kind but persistent.  4 or 5 firm and polite no’s and they got the message.  You reach a road which you cross.  It happens to be the road that leads to the bridge to go to Zambia.  Across the street is the entrance to the falls.































Victoria Falls is now a National Park.  We purchased our entrance tickets.  They accept CC’s.  From there, there is a shop and some basic historical information.  We walked on a path for another 10 minutes or so and reached the Falls.  There are yellow rain coats for rent as seen in the picture below, but in August they weren’t necessary.
























It was absolutely amazing.  When we first saw it, I was honestly taken by surprise.  I did not expect it to be that remarkable, that powerful or beautiful.  It is absolutely worth the trip to Zimbabwe (or Zambia).  We spent about an hour walking along the paths and lookout stations.  I’ll let the photos speak for themselves.  But one thing that was concerning to me that I couldn’t find a lot of info on was the water levels of the Falls.  So, there’s Wet Season in the Spring and Dry Season in the Fall.  When we went in early August it felt perfect to us.  There were areas of the Falls you could not see because the water was so strong.  I imagine in the Spring it would be so incredibly strong you wouldn’t be able to see anything on the ground.  On the other hand, the locals call it “The Smoke that Thunders.”  Apparently as loud as it is now, it’s deafening in the Spring.  Not that I’ve seen it any other time of year, but I would say August was very good.













































After the Falls we went back to the hotel for a bit and explored the grounds.


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## Cousin Orville

Post Day 2 Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe

Part 2



Afterwards, we headed over to the Lookout Cafe for lunch.  It basically overlooks the gorge.  It was very good.  Highly recommend it.  I got some type of meat kebab.  I can’t remember exactly.  I enjoyed it though.  We were to wait at the restaurant for our pickup for the helicopter ride.  Gavin and I watched some older kids do the zip line and Gavin started to want to do it.  Signup was actually at the restaurant (both run by Wild Horizons).  I told him to go over and ask the cost and if they had availability before our pickup.  Sure enough they had an opening.  Now this is not your run of the mill zip line which we’ve done many times.  This is THE longest zip line in THE WORLD.  You basically go straight down into the gorge.  I was nervous to say the least.  In fact this is the first time where Gavin had to convince me to do something rather than the other way around.  But I did it.  Holy smokes it was FAST and CRAZY.  I loved it. I’d probably even do it again.  But it was easily the most thrilling activity I’ve ever signed up for.









































































After the Zip Line we headed off for the helicopter.  That was a lot of fun as well.  We did the extended flight that goes over the Falls and on through the gorge and over to see the wildlife.  I’d say it’s a must do.  It’s great to see the Zambezi River and Vic Falls from above.




















































That night we went to the Jungle Junction at the hotel for the dinner show.  I enjoyed it.  There’s actually another dinner show that’s worth looking into, Boma.  It’s at the lodge the Animal Kingdom Lodge is based on which would have been cool to see.  For any WDW fans, you can see the connection.  The dinner show is Boma (same as the WDW AKL restaurant).  AKL’s bar is called the Victoria Falls Lounge.  Cool stuff.   Back to Jungle Junction.  I enjoyed it. Not quite as commercial as Boma.  As with everything at this hotel, the service was remarkable.  Several of them knew my name and chatted for awhile.  I loved it.  Not as much as the Livingstone Room.  If you only ate at one place at the hotel, that should be it.  But it was very nice.






































Tomorrow, Botswana…


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## sayhello

WOW!! Your photos are just amazing!  What an incredible place!  Sounds like you did it right!  I still can't believe you did that Zip Line!  I'm not sure I'd've had the nerve!  

Sayhello


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## Chirple

@Cousin Orville, I said it before and will say it again, thanks for letting me live vicariously through your experiences.  Your pictures are fantastic!  The zip line looks awesome!


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## CaliforniaGirl09

I love this report! Thank you so much for doing it, and I'm already looking forward to your China trip report. If I ever do this trip, I will definitely be contacting you for your post trip information. I'd love to replicate!


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## CaliforniaGirl09

P.S. I looked back through the posts but I could have missed it ... how many adventurers were on your ABD?


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## Calfan

Once again, your pictures are bringing back great memories.  Totally agree that a helicopter ride over the Falls is a must.  I think it would be hard to get a true sense of the vast length/scale of the Falls without seeing them from above.  Can't wait to share this experience with my kids at some point.


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## *WDW*Groupie*

Dd REALLY REALLY wanted to do the zip line, but after hearing about the bungee cord snapping (on the bridge over the gorge) on the AU tourist a few years ago I decided there was no way I was going to do it.  Now if I hadn't heard about the broken cord (and watched the YouTube video) I probably would've gone for it!  Luckily the girl was a very strong swimmer and she was able to get out of the water (albeit a few miles down the river) to safety.  I am not sure how many people would've survived that.

Love your pictures!   Great TR.


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## met19

I often thought of Zambia would be safer and more stable but sounds like you felt ok in Zimbabwe and going thru their airport.


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## Cousin Orville

sayhello said:


> WOW!! Your photos are just amazing!  What an incredible place!  Sounds like you did it right!  I still can't believe you did that Zip Line!  I'm not sure I'd've had the nerve!
> 
> Sayhello



It was amazing, but I was very nervous!



Chirple said:


> @Cousin Orville, I said it before and will say it again, thanks for letting me live vicariously through your experiences.  Your pictures are fantastic!  The zip line looks awesome!



Thanks!  Glad you're enjoying it!



CaliforniaGirl09 said:


> I love this report! Thank you so much for doing it, and I'm already looking forward to your China trip report. If I ever do this trip, I will definitely be contacting you for your post trip information. I'd love to replicate!



I am on a mad dash to finish this TR.  I'm literally in the airport now waiting for our flight to Hong Kong!



CaliforniaGirl09 said:


> P.S. I looked back through the posts but I could have missed it ... how many adventurers were on your ABD?



I can't remember.  I think in the low 30s.



Calfan said:


> Once again, your pictures are bringing back great memories.  Totally agree that a helicopter ride over the Falls is a must.  I think it would be hard to get a true sense of the vast length/scale of the Falls without seeing them from above.  Can't wait to share this experience with my kids at some point.



We loved it.  It really does complete the experience of Victoria Falls.  It's so big along with the Zambezi.  You really have to see it from above.



*WDW*Groupie* said:


> Dd REALLY REALLY wanted to do the zip line, but after hearing about the bungee cord snapping (on the bridge over the gorge) on the AU tourist a few years ago I decided there was no way I was going to do it.  Now if I hadn't heard about the broken cord (and watched the YouTube video) I probably would've gone for it!  Luckily the girl was a very strong swimmer and she was able to get out of the water (albeit a few miles down the river) to safety.  I am not sure how many people would've survived that.
> 
> Love your pictures!   Great TR.



Uhhhhhhhh.  I am glad I did not know that ahead of time!  I'm glad I did the zip line.  But now that box is now checked...  I'll stick with more run of the mill zip lines.  There was no way I was going to do the bungee jump anyway.  The zip line was really pushing it for me.



met19 said:


> I often thought of Zambia would be safer and more stable but sounds like you felt ok in Zimbabwe and going thru their airport.



It's very touristy.  Famous last words, but I think it's safe at this point in Vic Falls for tourists.  The view seemed arguably better from the Zimbabwe side this time of year.  But the next time I go, I'll check out the Zambian side.  You can easily cross.  We just didn't have enough time.


----------



## Cousin Orville

A forewarning - lots of photos ahead.  It was just easier to include a bunch than try to edit down my favorites.  And without further ado:





Post Day 3 Botswana

Part 1/4



The morning was beautiful with the mist hovering over the Falls.  We had to wake up early for our big day today. 






































We booked a full day tour into Botswana to Chobe National Park.  It takes about a couple of hours to get there from Vic Falls.  You do cross a border so passports are a must.  Picture in your mind what passport control looks like on a remote African border.  A long, very slowly moving line.  Outside on a dirt path.






















[



Once we crossed the border we saw trucks stretching out for miles.  They were waiting to cross the Zambian border on ferry.  They can wait up to 2 weeks to cross.  Geographically it’s interesting as it’s the only place in the world where 4 countries come together at a point.  Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.  From the border it was another 20 min or so to the Chobe River Lodge where we would spend the morning on a safari boat.













































The boat ride was fascinating.  It was completely different from what we saw in South Africa.  Both were unique experiences and both were worth doing.  If you want to see elephants though, this is THE place to be.  It’s one of the highest concentrations of elephants on the planet.  It was amazing seeing all the hippos, elephants, crocs, birds etc all together in one ecosystem.  It was everything I was hoping Botswana would be. 



The first “new” animal we saw was a mongoose.  Back at Kapama we got a book with all the local animals and they were all given stars 1-5 depending how rare they were.  Gavin of course really wanted to find the 5 stars.  One of those was a mongoose, so he was very excited.

















There was such a variety on the river.  This guy looked just like a bald eagle, but I’m pretty sure it had a different name.










This next bird was called a snake bird because it looks like a snake when floating in the water.


----------



## Cousin Orville

Post Day 3 Botswana

Part 2/4





First time seeing crocs on the trip.

















Hippos!  I love my hippos…. and more cape buffalos.

















This bird is interesting.  It creates a dark dome over the ground which encourages fish to gather.  Instant meal.






































And the highlight of the river cruise - the elephants.









































































On the other side of the river is Namibia.  That’s a resort on the Namibian side.

















After the river cruise we had a buffet lunch. It was ok.


----------



## Cousin Orville

Post Day 3 Botswana

Part 3/4





After lunch we went on a land safari.  Unlike Kapama, the fact that the reserve is by the Chobe River attracts large amounts of animals all at once.  It’s pretty incredible.










There was a pair of lions who had their eyes on the warthogs.  One was an older more experienced lioness.  The other, a younger less experienced lion.  It was fascinating watching them hunt.










Here’s the female stalking the unsuspecting warthogs.  Warthogs are pretty dumb.  No clue how he couldn’t see the lioness.
























He finally spots the lioness and freezes…










The male lion behind the warthog started running too soon and scared off the warthog.  The lion looked disappointed.  The lioness looked bored.































After the drama of the lions played out, on the other side of the jeep a heard of elephants suddenly appears and heads to the river.













































And back on the other side of the jeep…


----------



## Cousin Orville

Post Day 3 Botswana

Part 4/4













































And that was it… Sorry for the crazy amount of pics.  Congrats to those who made it this far.  We headed back out of Botswana.  Along the way we saw some more elephants along the side the road and a cool Baobab Tree.































We made it back finally.  The last 30 minutes, the van suddenly sounded this continuous beep…  as if there was a problem with the engine or the van was out of gas.  Man.. did not want to break down on the side of the road.  Thankfully we made it back just fine.  It was a long day.  I earned a pre dinner cocktail - the Dr. Livingstone, I Presume.










A final dinner at the Livingstone Room.










Crepe Suzette for dessert.  It was very good.































TTFN


----------



## EllinK

What a trip! Thanks for all the amazing photos. Now, we all want to go on this adventure and will want the details for your post-days.
How long were you gone all together?


----------



## sayhello

Wow!!  That is really amazing!  All those animals, right there, all together in the same place.  Botswana looks fantastic!

You finished this report while *at* the airport??  *That's* devotion!  

Waiting for you China report....  

Sayhello


----------



## CaliKris

What amazing photos and a fabulous trip report!  We were thinking of skipping Botswana due to limited vacations days, but your photos have convinced me otherwise.  The delta just looks incredible.  Those elephants!  It is so different from Kapama.  

Thank you for taking the time to write this amazing trip report.  South Africa here we come (in 2019)!  Enjoy China!


----------



## acndis

Great report!  Have a wonderful time in China...


----------



## CaliforniaGirl09

Cousin Orville said:


> I am on a mad dash to finish this TR.  I'm literally in the airport now waiting for our flight to Hong Kong!



Yay, you did it! It's an awesome trip report. ABD should hire you  Have a great time on your China redux. Can't wait to hear about the comparison between your two trips.


----------



## Jess_S

Wow. Posting from the airport is really going above and beyond. I'm going to feel like a slug when it takes me 6 months to post my own trip report next summer.

I'm very jealous of the Botswana portion of your post-trip. I've wanted to go to Botswana since reading the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency books in college. Sadly, I don't think we'll have a big enough budget for a post-trip (unless my husband's novels get published, which I keep hoping for). I'm glad your son got to see a 5 star animal. It seems like you had cooperative wildlife throughout the trip. 

I'm curious about Kapama.  Some of the reviews I've read were critical of the fact that it is not connected to Kruger. But I've read elsewhere that the fences between the reserve and the park were coming down to create a contiguous open area for animals. Did you see fences at all? Did you feel like you were missing out on anything by being at a private reserve vs. Kruger? 

Thank you again for doing such an amazing detailed review.


----------



## tink1970

Cousin Orville said:


> The first “new” animal we saw was a mongoose.





Cousin Orville said:


> One of those was a mongoose, so he was very excited.



I'm with Gavin, would have been thrilled to see Rikki Tikki Tavi!



Cousin Orville said:


> the Dr. Livingstone, I Presume.



One of my intern classmates was Dr Livingston and she heard this quote Every Single Day. No surprise that she changed her name (unlike most of us) when she married


----------



## Cousin Orville

EllinK said:


> What a trip! Thanks for all the amazing photos. Now, we all want to go on this adventure and will want the details for your post-days.
> How long were you gone all together?



Thanks!  We were gone 18 days including flights.  The Victoria Falls and Botswana amounted to 5 post days in total if you include the 2 days spent at Johannesburg airport.



sayhello said:


> Wow!!  That is really amazing!  All those animals, right there, all together in the same place.  Botswana looks fantastic!
> 
> You finished this report while *at* the airport??  *That's* devotion!
> 
> Waiting for you China report....
> 
> Sayhello



I'm not sure how I'll do China.  I'd like to report back, but I doubt I'll do it while on the trip.  It may be something I do more as a summary or comparison on the regular China ABD.  Sitting in Taipei waiting for my short hop to HK.  Stay tuned to FB!



CaliKris said:


> What amazing photos and a fabulous trip report!  We were thinking of skipping Botswana due to limited vacations days, but your photos have convinced me otherwise.  The delta just looks incredible.  Those elephants!  It is so different from Kapama.
> 
> Thank you for taking the time to write this amazing trip report.  South Africa here we come (in 2019)!  Enjoy China!



If you're going to Vic Falls, I'd strongly recommend a day trip to Botswana.  It probably deserves more, but you have to draw the line somewhere.  3 nights in Vic Falls worked out well.  I could have used another day in fact.



acndis said:


> Great report!  Have a wonderful time in China...



Thank you!!



CaliforniaGirl09 said:


> Yay, you did it! It's an awesome trip report. ABD should hire you  Have a great time on your China redux. Can't wait to hear about the comparison between your two trips.



Thanks.  Super excited to be going back to China.  I'm sure I'll get some type of comparison up.



Jess_S said:


> Wow. Posting from the airport is really going above and beyond. I'm going to feel like a slug when it takes me 6 months to post my own trip report next summer.
> 
> I'm very jealous of the Botswana portion of your post-trip. I've wanted to go to Botswana since reading the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency books in college. Sadly, I don't think we'll have a big enough budget for a post-trip (unless my husband's novels get published, which I keep hoping for). I'm glad your son got to see a 5 star animal. It seems like you had cooperative wildlife throughout the trip.
> 
> I'm curious about Kapama.  Some of the reviews I've read were critical of the fact that it is not connected to Kruger. But I've read elsewhere that the fences between the reserve and the park were coming down to create a contiguous open area for animals. Did you see fences at all? Did you feel like you were missing out on anything by being at a private reserve vs. Kruger?
> 
> Thank you again for doing such an amazing detailed review.



Good luck with your husband's novels!  Not having been to Kruger, it's impossible for me to compare them.  In my mind I would think they're quite similar, but who knows?  At Kapama, you don't see any fences or gates except when you first enter.  The land is massive.  We drove for hours and to my knowledge never went to the same place twice.  Even the landscape changed pretty dramatically as you driver further and further out.  That's something that probably isn't conveyed well in my photos.  One thing I'm sure of now having been to Africa, is the experiences that one can have is almost infinite.  The differences between the south coast of SA and the area around Kruger and Zimbabwe and Botswana.  They're all very different.  I'd love to go back and visit more places.  I've seen friends experiences at other reserves which more leopards and the occasional cheetah which would be cool to see.  But as a whole, the ABD with it's time in Cape Town and the Garden Route and Kapama.. it was remarkable. 



tink1970 said:


> I'm with Gavin, would have been thrilled to see Rikki Tikki Tavi!
> 
> 
> 
> One of my intern classmates was Dr Livingston and she heard this quote Every Single Day. No surprise that she changed her name (unlike most of us) when she married



LOL.  Too funny.  She didn't marry a Stanley did she?


----------



## tink1970

Cousin Orville said:


> LOL. Too funny. She didn't marry a Stanley did she



Sadly, no. 

Enjoy your trip!


----------



## *WDW*Groupie*

LOVE your Botswana pics.  I can't believe you saw lions so close to the warthogs.  That's crazy.  I loved watching warthogs run with their tails up in the air - our guide said they were always in a hurry to go nowhere!

I am very excited for our trip to S. Africa and Botswana next year.  The ecosystems look so different.  I am not terribly excited about the night at the Inter Continental, but it is the only way to get to Botswana from S. Africa.  Your experience there made me feel a bit better about it.

Have a great time in China!


----------



## distravel

Thanks for sharing another wonderful trip report! Your post trip to Victoria Falls and Botswana looked even more exciting than the ABD trip. Great planning. Enjoy China.


----------



## acndis

Cousin Orville said:


> I'm not sure how I'll do China. I'd like to report back, but I doubt I'll do it while on the trip. It may be something I do more as a summary or comparison on the regular China ABD. Sitting in Taipei waiting for my short hop to HK. Stay tuned to FB!



I hope you won't mind writing a summary of extras in China (pre, post, and OYO) as well as tips for the Parks.  That with SayHello's awesome report and (I hope) Calypso's will help me get ready for 2019!


----------



## hilarys

Thank you for the great report.  Have a wonderful time on your China trip.


----------



## figment52

*WOW!!!!!!*


----------



## kid-at-heart

WOW, the Botswana land safari (and boat safari), what an awesome experience.  Wonderful, wonderful photos.  Thank you.

Kate


----------



## calypso726

Fantastic trip report and phenomenal pictures! Thank you for sharing. Looking forward to your feedback on China since we are doing that one next year! Have fun!!!


----------



## Calfan

Blown away by the Botswana pics.  That is absolutely going on the "list."  Have a fantastic time in China.


----------



## Cousin Orville

Final Thoughts

I feel this report ended a bit abruptly with the rush to get on my China ABD.  Anyway, some final thoughts...

The next morning we went back out to the Falls briefly before grabbing an early lunch and our transfer back to the airport.  We had to fly back to Johannesburg and spend the night before flying home.  Again, that was a pain to be in hotel purgatory.  But overall the trip to Zimbabwe and Botswana were very much worth it.

Africa is now my favorite ABD.  I truly think it is the best trip Disney as a company offers right now.  It is definitely more exotic than the European ABD's.  It also requires a lot of time.  So, it's not for everyone.  But if you ultimately want to see something completely different, something enchanting, then South Africa is for you.  I would love to do this ABD again someday.  Although, I'd love it even more if ABD would change the itinerary to include Vic Falls.  Other groups do it, so I'm sure it's possible.  If it wasn't for the flight, I probably go back to Africa yearly.

As for the future, we had originally booked Iceland, but I recently changed this to Spain for 2018, which I've been wanting to do for a couple of years now.  Our next trip in a couple of months is to Portugal, but that will be on our own and not through ABD.  I'm hoping like many here that Japan will be offered by ABD.  While I'd love to go, I don't know if I have the energy to shuffle our kids and luggage around on our own there.

Until next time.  Thanks for following along!


----------



## RSM

Cousin Orville said:


> I'm hoping like many here that Japan will be offered by ABD. While I'd love to go, I don't know if I have the energy to shuffle our kids and luggage around on our own there.



We are doing Japan with Thomson Family Adventures in June.  Looks like a pretty good itinerary, although light on Tokyo so we will go early to do some stuff on our own in Tokyo.  Plus we plan on spending a couple of days in the Fujikawara area to climb Mt. Fuji and see the sunrise.  I'll post about the Thomson offering when we get back.


----------



## Calfan

RSM said:


> We are doing Japan with Thomson Family Adventures in June.  Looks like a pretty good itinerary, although light on Tokyo so we will go early to do some stuff on our own in Tokyo.  Plus we plan on spending a couple of days in the Fujikawara area to climb Mt. Fuji and see the sunrise.  I'll post about the Thomson offering when we get back.



Please do!  We are booked with Thomson Family Adventures for Japan in 2020.  Would love your feedback on the TFA portion of the trip but also the days you are adding for Tokyo and Mt. Fuji, because we are likely to do both as well.


----------



## MakiraMarlena

I just did the South Africa ABD a month ago. If I had the cash, and the time, I'd do it again, right now.


----------



## LuvEeyore

Just read this report all  in one sitting and it was wonderful.  Loved all the pictures.  Maybe this will end up on my bucket list of ABD trips.  Need to complete the first one Dec 2018


----------



## Cousin Orville

As some of you have seen on the news, the President of Zimbabwe was overthrown by the military this week.  So, probably not the best time to plan a trip there until things settle down.  There's a long dark history with the (former?) President, but I think it's safe to assume he did not want to give up power even while Zimbabwe's people have been struggling.  Hopefully it will be for the best as I can attest the people were lovely and country was well worth visiting.  It's a little surreal though having seen it 3 months before a military coup.

In other political news, our Interior Department has started issuing permits for elephant trophy hunting in Zimbabwe and Zambia.... no words.  It was told to us by 2030 there may be no elephants left in the wild.  Awful.



LuvEeyore said:


> Just read this report all  in one sitting and it was wonderful.  Loved all the pictures.  Maybe this will end up on my bucket list of ABD trips.  Need to complete the first one Dec 2018



Thanks you! Glad you enjoyed it!


----------



## MakiraMarlena

regarding the South African wine, I picked up some from Total Wine, including a Spier pinotage - we didn't get to taste any wine at Spier either. Also, the restaurants at Animal Kingdom Lodge, and Tiffins at AK have an extensive selection of South African wine.

we had a day free before the tour so we hired a guide and did a private tour of 5 wineries in Paarl and Stellenbosch, we did get plenty of wine (and cheese). There wasn't a lot of talk about wine on the ABD tour itself, but lots of it seemed to magically appear at dinner. Some of my favorites I can't get here, but I don't think there is any bad wine in South Africa.


----------



## Jess_S

Cousin Orville said:


> As some of you have seen on the news, the President of Zimbabwe was overthrown by the military this week.  So, probably not the best time to plan a trip there until things settle down.  There's a long dark history with the (former?) President, but I think it's safe to assume he did not want to give up power even while Zimbabwe's people have been struggling.  Hopefully it will be for the best as I can attest the people were lovely and country was well worth visiting.  It's a little surreal though having seen it 3 months before a military coup.
> 
> In other political news, our Interior Department has started issuing permits for elephant trophy hunting in Zimbabwe and Zambia.... no words.  It was told to us by 2030 there may be no elephants left in the wild.  Awful.
> 
> Thanks you! Glad you enjoyed it!



I saw the news about the Interior Department and I was heartbroken. I had the opportunity to speak to the head of the national parks in Kenya many years ago while interning at a nature documentary company. To this day, I remember his stories about his rangers basically having to go to war to protect the animals. Sadly, I think the US has just made the jobs of those who protect African wildlife more dangerous. (There is a connection between legal hunting and poaching because legal ivory and elephant trophies make it easier to hide illegal ones). 

I'm glad that you and your son were able to safely travel to and from Zimbabwe. It's amazing in hindsight to realize how close in time you were to the coup.


----------



## AquaDame

Cousin Orville said:


> As some of you have seen on the news, the President of Zimbabwe was overthrown by the military this week.  So, probably not the best time to plan a trip there until things settle down.  There's a long dark history with the (former?) President, but I think it's safe to assume he did not want to give up power even while Zimbabwe's people have been struggling.  Hopefully it will be for the best as I can attest the people were lovely and country was well worth visiting.  It's a little surreal though having seen it 3 months before a military coup.



Yeah, I've been watching it along with my coworker who is from there. FWIW, he doesn't feel particularly worried about his family there - he thinks it won't affect citizens much, or at least much more than has been the case for awhile now. The people were very hopeful that the vice president (that he fired) would take over from him in the next election but he moved to get rid of the threat and - they presume - help his wife step into power after he "won" it by messing with the polls. From what I gather this may actually be the will of the people... or at least as close as they can hope for right now.


----------



## heart

Thank you so much for a wonderful trip report!


----------



## Disney_fans

Thank you for taking the time to write such a great trip report.  My family (2 adults, DD 18, DS 16) are booked on this ABD for June/July 2018 (only 6 months to go), so we will definitely be using your tips.

For your post-trip to Victoria Falls, why did you choose the Zimbabwe side over Zambia?  I’m still making arrangements for that portion of our trip.  I had read that a lot of people fly into Livingstone, Zambia to see the falls and then do the Botswana excursion, but your trip via Victoria Falls Airport, Zimbabwe looks great, too.


----------



## Cousin Orville

Disney_fans said:


> Thank you for taking the time to write such a great trip report.  My family (2 adults, DD 18, DS 16) are booked on this ABD for June/July 2018 (only 6 months to go), so we will definitely be using your tips.
> 
> For your post-trip to Victoria Falls, why did you choose the Zimbabwe side over Zambia?  I’m still making arrangements for that portion of our trip.  I had read that a lot of people fly into Livingstone, Zambia to see the falls and then do the Botswana excursion, but your trip via Victoria Falls Airport, Zimbabwe looks great, too.



I chose the Zimbabwe side for a couple of reasons. I wanted to stay specifically at the Victoria Falls Hotel.  And from what I read, the best views from of the Falls were on the Zim side.  I can’t really compare as we didn’t have time to go to the Zambia side, but I can assure you we had a great experience.  I’m not sure if the current political issues would change any of this.  I would consider working with a local travel specialist to see what they recommend.  I used Rhino Africa, but there are many.


----------



## AdamEfimoff

Cousin Orville said:


> I chose the Zimbabwe side for a couple of reasons. I wanted to stay specifically at the Victoria Falls Hotel.  And from what I read, the best views from of the Falls were on the Zim side.  I can’t really compare as we didn’t have time to go to the Zambia side, but I can assure you we had a great experience.  I’m not sure if the current political issues would change any of this.  I would consider working with a local travel specialist to see what they recommend.  I used Rhino Africa, but there are many.


 Silly question for people that went oyo and with adventures by disney any safety hints or problems you faced.


----------



## Cousin Orville

AdamEfimoff said:


> Silly question for people that went oyo and with adventures by disney any safety hints or problems you faced.



I faced no issues in SA, Zim, Botswana.  I mentioned in my trip report I was concerned about venturing into Johannesburg, not that I had much interest to do so.


----------



## MakiraMarlena

at Cape Town we were asked not to wander outside of the waterfront area on foot after dark, to take cabs or uber if we wanted to go elsewhere in the city. no issues while on the tours.


----------



## *WDW*Groupie*

AdamEfimoff said:


> Silly question for people that went oyo and with adventures by disney any safety hints or problems you faced.



We left our hotel (the Cape Grace) on foot after dark to head to the V&A shopping arcade on the recommendation of the concierge at our hotel (side note -- the pedestrian bridge adjacent to the hotel is closed so we had to walk the long way around to the shopping arcade).  Getting there wasn't an issue.  However coming back the area was completely deserted and we (my teenage daughter and I) had a pack of teenagers follow us most of the way up a dark passage between a vacant parking lot and the water.  I have never, on all my travels, felt so vulnerable.  Now I am an avid athlete and my daughter is also a competitive athlete as well, so when I realized we were being followed (or they just happened to be going the same way as us), I quickened our pace to an almost jog.  When we got back to the hotel I realized how shaken I was as those kids didn't look like they belonged in the area.  So, to answer your question, I would not recommend being in the waterfront area of Cape Town alone on foot after dark.  Use hotel cars or cabs (like we did for the remainder of our stay).  I will also add that I was very upset that the Cape Grace would give such poor advice to their guests and let them know.

All other areas of South Africa and Zambia we visited were perfectly safe (another side note -- we were never alone in Zambia -- we only left the lodge with a guide as were in a rather remote area).

We were not on the ABD South Africa tour - we did the tour on our own and it was AMAZING.  Such a beautiful country.


----------



## AdamEfimoff

I would send a letter to Cape Grace that is not good enough


*WDW*Groupie* said:


> We left our hotel (the Cape Grace) on foot after dark to head to the V&A shopping arcade on the recommendation of the concierge at our hotel (side note -- the pedestrian bridge adjacent to the hotel is closed so we had to walk the long way around to the shopping arcade).  Getting there wasn't an issue.  However coming back the area was completely deserted and we (my teenage daughter and I) had a pack of teenagers follow us most of the way up a dark passage between a vacant parking lot and the water.  I have never, on all my travels, felt so vulnerable.  Now I am an avid athlete and my daughter is also a competitive athlete as well, so when I realized we were being followed (or they just happened to be going the same way as us), I quickened our pace to an almost jog.  When we got back to the hotel I realized how shaken I was as those kids didn't look like they belonged in the area.  So, to answer your question, I would not recommend being in the waterfront area of Cape Town alone on foot after dark.  Use hotel cars or cabs (like we did for the remainder of our stay).  I will also add that I was very upset that the Cape Grace would give such poor advice to their guests and let them know.
> 
> All other areas of South Africa and Zambia we visited were perfectly safe (another side note -- we were never alone in Zambia -- we only left the lodge with a guide as were in a rather remote area).
> 
> We were not on the ABD South Africa tour - we did the tour on our own and it was AMAZING.  Such a beautiful country.


----------



## MakiraMarlena

I walked over to the Cape Grace to visit the bar (during the day) and I wouldn't have gone that far over there at night anyway (the bridge was still partially open then too). Hanging around the area where the mall and the stores are was fine though. just keep an eye out.

All that happened in the waterfront area is a guy came up and said something in English and then he asked me for money - in Spanish. no idea why he thought he should ask in Spanish.


----------



## *WDW*Groupie*

AdamEfimoff said:


> I would send a letter to Cape Grace that is not good enough



The Cape Grace was pre-booked and pre-paid by our S. African travel agent.  I wanted to switch hotels (this happened on our first of four nights), however the Cape Grace would not allow it since the TA had pre-paid (meaning they wouldn't refund the amount I had already paid).  I tried to work with the TA but she said the best she could do was transfer us to the One and Only (my first choice that she talked me out of) for an additional cost of $3,000.00 (with no refund from  the Cape Grace).  In summary, I wasn't impressed with the Cape Grace at all.  Add to that the tired and out-dated rooms with fixtures 18" off the ground (I *may* be exaggerating, but I am tall and it seemed that the fixtures were quite low to the ground) and I would never, not ever, recommend the Cape Grace to anyone.

I want to be mindful to point out that this has *nothing* to do with ABD as I booked through Singita Travel, a S. African travel agent.  I can say that our stay at the Cape Grace was not at all enjoyable.  I continue to fail to understand how it ranks so high on Trip Advisor.  I would rank it as a 3* hotel unless it undergoes a major refurbishment.  The staff did try to make amends (they offered to upgrade us to a larger suite, which I declined as it was just as tired as our room and was on a lower floor, therefore the view of Table Mountain wasn't as good) for their extremely poor advice (that put the safety of myself and my daughter in jeopardy -- and as a parent traveling solo I take our safety very seriously) but I just wanted to leave and I felt like they held me hostage by not refunding my money.  My advice to anyone planning on traveling to Cape Town is to avoid the Cape Grace.


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## Jasrhon

I first started reading your trip reports because we are booked on the China ABD ne t month and between your 2 reports and the ones from Say Hello and Calyso I feel that I am very well prepared and excited.  I enjoyed your 2 China reports so much I have been making my way through the rest of yours.  I heard a lot about your trip first hand since Jennae flew right from SA to join us for our Prague extension after our Danube ABD last summer.  She told us that SA was her top recommended ABD of all time and I can see why.  Your photos were absolutely breathtaking and I have loved following along with you.


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## Cousin Orville

Jasrhon said:


> I first started reading your trip reports because we are booked on the China ABD ne t month and between your 2 reports and the ones from Say Hello and Calyso I feel that I am very well prepared and excited.  I enjoyed your 2 China reports so much I have been making my way through the rest of yours.  I heard a lot about your trip first hand since Jennae flew right from SA to join us for our Prague extension after our Danube ABD last summer.  She told us that SA was her top recommended ABD of all time and I can see why.  Your photos were absolutely breathtaking and I have loved following along with you.



Thanks!  That’s very nice of you to say that.  We’re in Spain right now finishing up that ABD.  I’ve really enjoyed my time in here as well.  Not sure if/when I’ll write up a Spain trip report, but you or anyone can check out pictures on my Instagram - cousin_orville


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## CaliKris

Enjoy the rest of your time in Spain!  When you get a chance, I would love to hear your thoughts on the Spain ABD.  Looking to book Spain ABD or Morocco Nation Geo. next year.  How museum heavy is Spain?  Is there a good mix of activity/adventure vs. whisperer time?


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## Cousin Orville

CaliKris said:


> Enjoy the rest of your time in Spain!  When you get a chance, I would love to hear your thoughts on the Spain ABD.  Looking to book Spain ABD or Morocco Nation Geo. next year.  How museum heavy is Spain?  Is there a good mix of activity/adventure vs. whisperer time?



I’ll try to put something together and post it.  Overall, I enjoyed Spain quite a bit.  It was a perfect balance for us.  It was lighter on Barcelona focusing more on Madrid and the south of Spain.  We’ve been to Barcelona a few times before. So, this was perfect for us.  There’s a lot of whisper time.  I’m not crazy about that either, but I’m not sure how it could be avoided unless you went private.  We went to the Picasso Museum and the Prado which I enjoyed and wanted to see both.  I went to see Picasso’s Guernica (at Madrid’s modern art museum) on our own.  Certainly there’s a lot of palaces and cathedrals worth seeing in the area.  But we also cooked paella, had a relaxing day by the pool/beach time, and had a lovely day in Sevilla.  Overall a solid ABD.  Weather was unusually cool and perfect for us.  I’d love to do morocco as well... probably in the winter or spring.  I’ll try to post some more to give you a better idea.


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## CaliKris

Good to know!  I think we would need to spend some pre-days in Barcelona as we have never been there.  My son is the one who gets tired of too many museums/cathedrals vs. activity.  He is 28 (not like he is a little kid), but I am trying to keep the whole family happy.  I told him he could always go on the scavenger hunt with the junior adventurers.  Ha, ha!  Any other thoughts you have would be appreciated.  Thank you!


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## Cousin Orville

CaliKris said:


> Good to know!  I think we would need to spend some pre-days in Barcelona as we have never been there.  My son is the one who gets tired of too many museums/cathedrals vs. activity.  He is 28 (not like he is a little kid), but I am trying to keep the whole family happy.  I told him he could always go on the scavenger hunt with the junior adventurers.  Ha, ha!  Any other thoughts you have would be appreciated.  Thank you!



The Prado Tour was about an hour.  It was fascinating.  The gentleman who was our step on guide was one of our best ever.  At the very end, it was like he was unraveling the da Vinci code.  Chills.


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## Mrs. Ciz

Thank you so much for posting such amazing pictures @Cousin Orville !  ABD is not in my family's budget, but I have been planning an OYO trip to the Greater Kruger area in South Africa for a couple of years now.  I'm working on saving up the money now, but it's been difficult with two kids in college.  I want to go in July 2019 right after my oldest graduates as he'll be starting his career and won't be able to join us after that.  My shoe string budget doesn't include Cape Town or Victoria Falls, but we'll get to spend 12 days in SA - 7 in a self catering chalet (timeshare) in Hazyview with game drives into the southern end of Kruger Park, 2 nights at a SANParks tent camp in middle Kruger and 2 nights at an all inclusive safari camp in Timbavti Reserve, plus a night or two before and after our flights in Johannesburg.

Your beautiful photos have motivated me to step up my savings, so I can make my trip happen!!!


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## buteraa

I just found your report and it was amazing.  I hope you post future reports.


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