Two weeks in South Africa
What a whirlwind of a month! My mom and aunt returned to Burundi with me after the Orlando conference and we spent a few weeks here before heading down to South Africa for our first R&R.
Being in Burundi which is a 35% hardship post we are allocated 3 R&R’s during our 2 year tour here- this is essentially a government funded plane ticket for the entire family (at least everyone that is on my orders- so me, V and Chotu). I still have to use my regular vacation time and it only covers the plane ticket, but flights in Africa and out of Bujumbura can be pricey so it’s a nice perk to have!
This was our second time in South Africa. V and I were there nearly 7 years ago for our honeymoon and as you can imagine this time around was a bit of a different experience. With a toddler, a grandma, an auntie, and nearly 12 pieces of luggage in tow we braved the journey. There were a few disasters along the way- my aunt had gastroenteritis 3 times, nobody brought phone charges or adaptors and bags were lost- although we ultimately reunited with said bags. Probably the biggest near miss disaster- my auntie forgot (or was it stolen from her bag? This was a hot and divisive topic) her favorite hair mousse!! Yes you heard me right, mousse. We persevered through the hair and charging crises like champs and ended up having an absolutely fabulous time.
South Africa is an interesting place because once you get out of the main cities and drive around the countryside, you can really see the wealth inequity in the townships- and it is pretty jarring. Before my first visit here, back in 2016, I read Nelson Mandela’s book: Long walk to Freedom (highly recommend). There are a lot of books written about apartheid, but this one in particular gives a lot of history (from THE source) into what actually went down here- in the very recent past. This time around we were able to visit Robben island- where Mandela spent 18 of his 27 years in prison.
We started in Cape Town- which if you have never been go ahead and add it to your must see list because it a stunning place to visit with so much to do.
Here is how we spent 2 weeks in South Africa…
Day 1-6- Flew to Capetown and spent nearly one week at an Airbnb in the adorably scenic Gardens neighborhood (if you know SF- think nob hill neighborhood as a reference). It was walkable to the trendy Kloof street and about a 7 minute Uber to the V&A wharf and downtown.
Views of Table Mountain from our local park in Gardens neighborhood
Views from the top of Table mountain! You can take a cable car up the mountain and even hike/walk along the mountain.
Capetown- where the waters of the Atlantic and Indian oceans collide
Day 7-9: Rented a car and drove to wine country- Stellenbosch. Only a 45 minute drive. Driving in Cape Town is fairly easy once you get used to driving on the left hand side.
Day 9-12: Headed to the False Bay coast. The coastline is absolutely stunning. We stayed in Kalk bay, but Simons town is equally as nice. We definitely plan to return to this area and stay for longer.
The most South-Western point of the African continent.
Day 12-14: Kruger National Park for a Safari.
This was undoubtedly the highlight for everyone. From Cape Town you can catch a 2.5 hour flight to the northern part of the country.
We flew into Skukuza, a small airport located in the national park. For the safari, we spent the day in a jeep with a game drive guide and saw so many animals. For our crew, one full day was enough. we spent the rest of the time relaxing, eating, getting massages and hanging out at the “Look out” lounge.
I spy…..
The “Look out” lounge faces the game reserve and you can see animals roaming freely as you sap on your beverage of choice.
A few more safari pics below. More updates coming soon as there are lots of exciting things happening on our end!
