Due to racial conflicts that have been going on in South Africa for decades, this country is considered unsafe for travelers, but there are always brave souls who are ready to try their fate. Considering that South Africa is a completely different continent, it is better not to engage in amateur activities and buy a package tour in which you will be guaranteed almost complete safety. Your arguments that such tours cost enormous amounts of money are not entirely true. Yes, the pleasure is expensive, but not as much as you say in your question. No, if you stay in the most luxurious hotels, buy individual tours on safaris and other excursions, then even more may come.

The algorithm for traveling on your own is extremely simple: look for great deals from airlines (tourists often get to South Africa via Frankfurt), choose and book accommodation, fill out documents, draw up a travel itinerary and off you go.

Since black people seized power in the country, the situation has changed dramatically and a white person may experience certain inconveniences, and sometimes may even find himself in a situation that will threaten his life and health. Many tourists visit Cape Town, which has a beautiful botanical garden, embankment and other tourist attractions, but it is better to avoid the residential areas of this city.

The city of Johannesburg is considered the most dangerous for white travelers. In this city, a white tourist can become a victim of robbers or other criminals at any time, not just in the evening or at night (even traveling by car is not a guarantee of safety). Sometimes tourists are kidnapped for ransom.

Be prepared for the fact that not only robberies, assaults and other crimes against persons can await you in South Africa. Every year more and more crimes related to credit cards. You can encounter attempts to write off more money from a card than is allotted everywhere, from small shops to hotels and restaurants. If you decide to take cards with you, then before your trip it would be a good idea to visit your bank to consult on security issues. Sometimes tourists take not one, but several cards and split the entire amount according to the cards.

You should not store valuables in hotels, as thefts are very common there, and this applies to hotels of all categories, not just the cheapest ones. If you lose something from your room, you can’t hope that hotel staff or the police will make efforts to find the loss and those responsible for the theft. It is advisable to carry money and a mobile phone with you under your clothes. If the room has a safe, then pay attention to how well it is secured.

Often tourists are deceived by taxi drivers who artificially inflate prices in the hope that the tourist will not bargain and agree to go for the initially announced price.

On the streets of South African cities, you can often find drug dealers who feel like fish in water and offer their “product” to almost all passers-by, including tourists. It is not worth entering into any discussions with them, much less buying anything from them, as this can turn into a big problem (such people almost always have weapons with them). Sometimes such individuals cooperate with the police and do everything possible to ensure that tourists fall for their bait.

There are other types of crimes in South Africa, and when going to this country, you must understand that no one will welcome you there with open arms, but on the contrary, they will perceive you as a money bag and a potential victim. In this regard, I advise you to look for suitable package tours, and not organize such a trip yourself.

South Africa, a vacation in which leaves no one indifferent, is one of the most expensive tourist destinations. However, tourists do not regret the money spent, since this country is capable of giving more than you actually expect. A holiday here in 2019 will not only be interesting and varied, but will give you the most vivid memories for a lifetime.

Here you can relax on magnificent beaches surrounded by coral reefs and mountain ranges. Not far from the luxury hotel, elephants, lions, rhinoceroses, giraffes and other wild animals live in their natural environment, seeing which in such conditions is a real happiness for all romantics and lovers of life.

The highlight of a holiday in South Africa are excursions to nature reserves and national parks. In addition to exciting mini-tours and safaris, tourists are offered:

  • boat trips,
  • wonderful fishing,
  • kitchen with unique food,
  • excursions to local cellars with wine tasting,
  • superb surfing and much more.

South Africa excursion

The territory of the country is divided into several provinces, which differ from each other not only in size, but also in appearance, climate, history, and ethnic composition.

Very attractive in quality excursion route the capital of the republic is Pretoria (Tshwane), where the largest diamond in the world was once found. In September, jacaranda trees bloom here and decorate the city. The most significant landmark of the capital is the Union Building architectural complex, which symbolizes the awakening of national feelings after the Boer War. The residence of the President of South Africa, the State Theater Complex, and the Tshwane Forts are also noteworthy.

One of the most colorful cities is Durban, where you can visit:

  • various museums,
  • Center for African Art,
  • Church of St. Paul.

Near the city is the Valley of a Thousand Hills, where you can meet the Zulu tribe, visit a crocodile farm and a snake reserve.

Another popular South African city is Port Elizabeth, located in the Eastern Cape state. Here it is worth visiting the Donkin Reserve Museum, which presents the life of the first British colonists, and city ​​hall, Fort Frederick. Of considerable interest are the Wezandla Gallery, which displays exhibits of African art, and the Air Force Museum, dedicated to South Africa.

National parks and safaris in South Africa

The hallmark of holidays in South Africa are its national parks, among which Kruger Park is worth highlighting. This breathtaking place is located in the provinces of Limpopo and Mpumalanga and covers almost 2 million hectares. Here tourists go on exciting safaris and walks in the middle of wildlife, and also try to see the “Big Five” at once. The reserve is divided into 14 ecological zones, each of which represents its own unique nature with various flora and fauna. In addition, the park has camps, lodges and picnic areas. There are restaurants, shops and tourism organizations, offering spectacular excursions.

Another reserve worth mentioning is the Cape Good Hope. He serves as the personification of the hope of the Portuguese, who were looking for India in the 15th century. Today this place attracts with its beautiful scenery. The uniqueness of the protected area lies in the fact that, in addition to other animals, penguins are found here. Surprisingly, they were once able to swim to the coast of Africa from Antarctica itself and then settled here forever.

Beach holidays in South Africa

South Africa also boasts its beaches. At the Cape of Good Hope there is a beautiful coastline allowing you to have a great rest. Blue Flag beaches are popular among travelers.

The banks of Clifton, Victoria, and Llandudno, which are reliably protected from the winds, have excellent reviews granite rocks and offer tourists a romantic atmosphere and entertainment such as surfing, diving, kiting, and yacht trips.

Resorts such as Cape Town and Durban deserve attention, which can be proud of their golden shores and rich infrastructure. Accommodation here varies: from very inexpensive hostels to luxury hotels.

The coast of the Indian Ocean gives the impression of coziness and comfort. The beaches here are great for families with children.

Holiday seasons in 2019

Holidays in South Africa are often associated with hot weather, but this is not the case. The climate in this part of Africa is mild and very pleasant, and throughout the year there is no sweltering heat, as in neighboring countries. The climate is more determined by the influence of the oceans.

High season

You can relax at the resorts all year round, but perhaps the most comfortable time to visit the country is from May to July. At this time, it is winter in South Africa: the air warms up to +23oC, and the grass is still low and animals can be seen more easily.

Low season

This is the time of summer (September-March). During these months, the mornings are sunny, and thunderstorms often occur in the afternoon, most of which are observed in the northern regions of the country. On average, the air temperature is recorded around +38°C. However, it is during the summer months that the cold waters of the Atlantic Ocean warm up well and become comfortable for swimming, so beach holiday It is best to do it between November and March. The peak prices for such holidays are observed in December.

The BBC and travel magazine Travel + Leisure believe that the south deserves fifth place in the list of most beautiful cities planet and a ranking of fifty places in the world that should be visited. In addition to the impressions of walking around beautiful city not far from the Cape of Good Hope, a trip to will give the tourist a lot of other amazing memories of the trip and hundreds of unique memorable photos for the family album.

Important points

  • A visa to South Africa for citizens is issued at the country's consulate. The requirements for applicants are quite strict, and the list of prerequisites for obtaining it includes the availability of round-trip air tickets. All documents submitted to the consulate must have a certified translation into English language.
  • South Africa supports the Tax Free system. To receive paid VAT upon departure from the country, it is enough to present checks in the amount of at least 250ZAR, which corresponds to approximately $20. The purchased product must be in undamaged packaging.
  • Driving in South Africa is on the left and when renting a car you should take into account local driving conditions.

Choosing wings

There are no direct flights from Russia to South Africa on the schedule of any airline, but with connections in or in the Middle East you can fly on planes of various carriers:

  • Moscow and Johannesburg are the cheapest connections Qatar Airways, Etihad Airways and KLM. The flight via, or will take from 17 hours, including transfers. Ticket prices start at $530.
  • Good prices for tickets to Cape Town and back are offered by the same Qataris, as well as Turkish and French airlines. For the cheapest flight with a connection in Abu Dhabi, Doha, you will have to pay from $640.

Regular direct flights from their own capitals to international airports South Africa is operated by many European air carriers. If you subscribe to their online newsletter and monitor Special offers, you can book your flight on very favorable terms.

Hotel or apartment

Hotels in South Africa strictly adhere to the system of international standards if they display at least some stars on the façade. A room in a standard three-room apartment in Cape Town will cost $40-$50 per night, and the price most often includes breakfast. For a bed in a shared hostel room you will have to pay from $19, and for the keys to a room in a 5* hotel – from $80.
Hotels in the reserves are lodges and chalets in ethnic style, which cannot be called cheap. For a bungalow in such a 4* hotel you will have to pay from $80 per night.
Renting apartments in South Africa is not very common, but if you do it through specialized, trusted sites, the risk can be avoided as much as possible. For a day in a separate one-bedroom apartment in the center of Cape Town, a tourist can be asked from $40 to $60. You can rent a room for $25-$30.

Transport details

The most convenient and safest way to travel between distant cities in South Africa is on domestic airlines. For example, a flight from Cape Town and back on the wings of the local company Safair will cost only $90 and will take just over two hours.
On the luxurious Rovos Rail train you can travel from South Africa to and. The train schedule has several routes, including to the waterfall. The cheapest tickets start at $1,100, but the Rovos Trail train is considered the most luxurious in the world.
In South African cities it is safe and convenient to use taxi services - prices are comparable to European ones. It is better not to catch a taxi on the street, and the easiest way to order one is to use the help of a hotel receptionist.
As sightseeing tour in Cape Town you can choose "red" and "blue" special routes tourist buses. They start from the city Aquarium and run near the most famous attractions. The “red” route has 18 stops within the city, and the “blue” route goes beyond the city limits and is suitable for those who prefer to admire the natural beauty of Table Mountain and Hout Bay. The price for a one-day ticket is approximately $12. For this money, a passenger can use buses on both routes without restrictions, get off at stops and board the next buses. The movement interval is about 20 minutes.

Nightingales are not fed fables

The cuisine of South Africa has collected many national traditions of various peoples - from the British to the Dutch. It is based on meat, vegetables, seafood in seaside towns and rice
Expensive restaurants scare away budget travelers with high prices, but you can eat on a budget while traveling in South Africa in the ubiquitous Indian, Chinese, Thai and Arab cafes and businesses like McDonald's. A sausage roll from a street vendor costs about $0.50, a liter of mineral water costs a dollar, and a bottle of excellent local brandy costs $3-$5.
For an English style breakfast in good hotel a guest will be asked from $4 to $6, and for a bag of dried buffalo or ostrich meat, which is convenient for quickly satisfying hunger, you will have to pay only $0.3.
Local exotic dishes in South African restaurants include dishes made from ostrich or crocodile meat, but the average bill for dinner for two in such an establishment can go beyond $50-$70.

Useful details

  • No vaccinations are required for travel in South Africa, but there is a risk of malaria in the north-east of the country. To avoid trouble, you should use mosquito repellents and wear appropriate clothing.
  • IN national parks and while on safari, it is important to choose clothes in neutral colors. It is prohibited to get out of cars or stand in them while watching animals.
  • It is customary to move around the streets of South African cities by taxi or rented car, except in special pedestrian zones.
  • The Western Cape is home to some of the best whale watching from shore. They swim up to her at a distance of only a few meters.
  • Most of the major roads in the country are toll roads. They are marked with an "N". The fare is approximately $5-$7.

The perfect trip to South Africa

The state is located in the Southern Hemisphere, and throughout the country it changes from north to south and from west to east. climatic zones. Along the coast of the Indian Ocean there is a subtropical belt, while in national parks in the savannah zone precipitation falls much less frequently, and the air temperature rises higher at all times of the year.
The ideal period for a safari is the end of autumn and the first half of winter. Then it is especially comfortable to see the sights in the cities of South Africa. During the day in June-August in Cape Town and Johannesburg, the average temperature is +22°C, and at night the thermometer drops to +10°C and below.
The ocean water temperature in the Cape Town area is always quite uncomfortable for swimming and does not exceed +18°C in summer and +15°C in winter.

South Africa has never interested me as a travel destination. Well, Australia, well, the land of the Incas in America, well, Kenya. And South Africa...? As a child, I liked the book “Captain Rip-Off” about the Boer War. Well, another line stuck in my head: “Oh Transvaal, my country, you are all on fire.” But I had no intention of going there. And the sacramental phrase “Children should not go for a walk in Africa...” is familiar to everyone from childhood.

However, man proposes, but God disposes. The daughter married a Boer, or Afrikaner, living in Cape Town, and had to go to the very south of South Africa for the wedding. Visas were issued through a travel agency specializing in South Africa. This means the Russians are going there. Done tourist visa, and did not go by invitation, because the South African government is afraid that the Russians might come to them in large numbers. Nothing, the visa was given without any problems.

There are several ways to fly to Cape Town from Moscow, for example, through London, which is faster but much more expensive, or through the Emirates. Chose the most cheap option: Emirati

state-owned airline Etihat, via Abu Dhabi. It’s a long time, 20 hours there, 26 hours back, but only 30 thousand rubles round trip. And here we are (me, my ex-wife and Sasha, the son of my old friend, respectively the father, mother and childhood friend of the bride) on the plane. Excellent service, feeding every 2 hours, in front of each passenger there is a monitor on which you can watch the flight path, watch movies, play toys. Before the Emirates, there were a lot of Russians in the cabin. 2 hours at the airport, transfer, and we’re the only ones flying to Cape Town from Russia. This flight was long. Moreover, there is a stopover for 1.5 hours in Johannesburg.

But everything comes to an end, and finally we are at Cape Town airport. On passport control I was somewhat confused at the words of the black customs officer “How are you?” replied "I'm from Russia." But, nevertheless, he was allowed into South Africa, “the country behind barbed wire,” as it was called in the Soviet press during my childhood.

Preface to the description of our route, I will note that my African brother-in-law compiled and organized it, and therefore I played a passive role and did not remember many places by name. But the most pleasant impressions remained. So…

Cape Town, first impressions

On the first day upon arrival we were taken to the ocean. Despite the sunny weather, it was quite cold, for a piercing south wind was blowing. That is, the southern one blows directly from Antarctica. In South Africa, much is the opposite, because it is the southern hemisphere. We were there at the end of September, beginning of October, which is early spring for them. The sun there rises on the right, sets on the left, and shines from the north. And the north there is hot, and the south is cold. Almost the entire time we were in Africa it was cold - that's Africa for you. This feeling may also be due to the fact that white people (and we, of course) dress very casually there, usually in T-shirts and shorts or jeans. But blacks like to dress warmly: jackets, trousers and knitted hats.

It was cold on the ocean and we didn’t swim. And the local kids did it with pleasure. Outwardly, the place where we were brought to get acquainted with the ocean resembles the average Mediterranean-Black Sea region - palm trees and coniferous trees, a blue sea (in this case the ocean), along the shore there is iron and highway, then several rows of houses, and then high mountains rise. This is probably how Zurbagan by Alexander Greene should have looked.

Cape of Good Hope and Cape Point

After that, we went to one of the cult places here - the Cape of Good Hope. There is an excellent road leading there, laid among the “bush”, thickets of various deciduous and coniferous shrubs. On the occasion of spring, everything was blooming, especially beautifully - protea or, in local terms, prithia. Along the way, we saw a troop of wild baboon monkeys, “baboon” in Afrikaans, by the road. They go out onto the highway in the hope of profiting from something passing by. But it is not recommended to open windows and doors in cars - the creatures are very aggressive.

The Cape of Good Hope is the most famous southern point of Africa. But the cape itself is inexpressive, almost invisible.

Incomparably more impressive is the nearby rocky Cape Point, “Cape of the Meeting” in Russian, where the Atlantic and Indian oceans meet. This is where the Cape of Good Hope lighthouse stands; a picturesque walking trail leads there along the edge of the cliff. And the lazy ones can go there on the red bus. Near the lighthouse there is a sign that says how many kilometers to which city (Moscow is missing). Although the boundary of the oceans is a human invention, here it has a concrete expression, there are warm waters of the Indian and cold - Atlantic Oceans. There is fog over the Atlantic. Ahead is only a vast ocean, and behind it is Antarctica, from where a serious cold wind blows. The air is clean and crystal, the space is immense, you are on the edge of the earth.

Cape Point

Having descended from Cape Point, we went to the Cape of Good Hope itself. Along the way we saw wild ostriches and 3 equally wild antelopes, which, due to their color and myopia, I initially mistook for lions. On the cape there is a sign “Cape of Good Hope”, around which at that moment a large number of the ubiquitous Chinese tourists gathered.

In the evening we went to dinner at a restaurant on the shore of a cozy bay, fenced off from the ocean by 2 high mountains. Between the restaurant and the bay there was a wide beach of white sand, along which people were leisurely strolling in the pre-sunset hour. Nobody swam - it was early spring. We sat indoors and ate delicious and very cheap local food. A dinner of the freshest sea, or more precisely, ocean products, with wine costs about 300 rubles in our money. And when the sunset painted the mountains with its last rays, I couldn’t stand it and ran to take pictures. Many others did the same. Already in the dark we returned to Cape Town, admired it from above and looked at the stars. I never saw the Southern Cross.

Penguins

The next day in the morning we went to see the penguins. Penguins live there in a protected area, along which there are paths made of boards raised above the ground. South African penguins are small and black and white. They form very faithful pairs and, if one of the pair dies, the remaining one remains alone. They feed the chicks until they are 3 years old and, until they learn to swim well, they do not let them go far into the sea, since there are many sharks there. Mostly penguins sit in pairs, raising their wings to warm themselves. Penguins communicate loudly with each other and sometimes fight. Among the penguins you can sometimes spot funny Dassi animals, similar to marmots, but relatives of elephants, who, they say, are not averse to feasting on penguin eggs.

dassie or hyrax

Botanical Garden

Then we went to the botanical garden. Botanical Garden broken up near the ocean on the banks of a small river with leaves dark brown from rotting, but clear water, like in our swamps. A feature of the local flora is the predominance of shrubs and the almost complete absence of large trees. The trees in this part of South Africa are either European or American pines or Australian eucalyptus. Here, along the banks of the river, there is enough water all year round, and local trees reach considerable heights. It seemed that we were in the movie “Avatar”, everything around looked so unearthly and beautiful. Climbing up the river, walking either on a wooden floor or barefoot on a mowed lawn, we reached the end of the path, which abutted a small waterfall. Here, under the shadow of an overhanging rock, we had a snack, washed down with a wonderfully tasty South African juice from a 5-liter bottle, and headed back. Here and there, visitors sat or played ball on the lawns. Not a single caretaker or worker. But everywhere is clean and everything is well maintained. This combination of well-groomed and pristine is amazing. The botanical garden gives a vivid picture of the local vegetation, which, according to Wikipedia, is the most diverse on the whole Earth. This is the kingdom of daisies (daisies are blue, yellow, red, ordinary, but growing on trees, etc.), aloe and similar plants and proteas. Flowers are also presented separately, in the room in front of the entrance to the botanical garden.

protea or prithia

Whales

After the botanical garden we went to the town of Hermanus, to the bay where whales give birth to their calves at this time of year. On a small boat, we first sailed close to the shore, catching a glimpse of a whale emerging - the males gather here. But no one else showed up, and we swam to the other side of the bay, meeting several fur seals along the way. There, a few hundred meters from the shore, huge black and brown backs were constantly visible. These were females giving birth to baby whales. They either surfaced, then almost disappeared, then launched fountains, then raised huge fins, or beat their tails. The whales are truly huge and it was one of the biggest experiences of the entire trip.

harbor of Hermanus

We stayed here for quite a long time, and then swam back, and then the ship was surrounded and dolphins swam nearby for a long time. There were about 10 of them, they either jumped out of the water, then swam very close, it seemed that you could touch them, then they swam further away. Finally they fell behind and we swam to the pier. We were fed and watered along the way; this is included in the price of the excursion, about 3,000 rubles. This was the most expensive excursion of the entire trip. We were served by blacks and colored people. And in the end, the most important white man appeared from somewhere. This is typical: the most unskilled jobs are performed by blacks, not even South Africans, but immigrants from other African countries, local blacks are higher, and colored ones are even higher, and if problems arise, the white owner appears from behind the scenes and solves them. So on average, but we saw both a white homeless person and very well dressed black people buying goods in the most expensive stores. By the way, the word Negro in South Africa is not offensive, because there are countries Nigeria and Niger. But the word kefir cannot be said, we were warned, for the Kafr is a abusive word, such as “black -haired”.

This time we spent the night in a two-story guest house, owned by my son-in-law’s parents, a 5-minute walk from the ocean in the large village of Pringle Bay, like our country house. The parents themselves live in a one-story house in Cape Town. According to the Dutch tradition, Afrikaners consider it prestigious to live in a one-story house, since two-story houses are built by those who do not have money for a sufficient plot of land where they can build a large one-story house. After spending the night, we went to the local beach, wide, from whitest sand and strewn with wonderful shells. A kind dog followed us, really wanting to be played with. When we left, he disappeared as unnoticed as he had appeared.

Start of your trip to South Africa

And we drove along an excellent road along the coast of the Indian Ocean.

On the sides floated well-groomed fields with some kind of cereals, vineyards, cow, sheep and ostrich farms, man-made lakes, and in the distance ancient African mountains rose. An indescribable feeling. A combination of civilization, comfort, space and pristineness. On the way, we stopped at a store called a “gallery”, where an African pottery artist sells his works: plates, bowls, jugs, mugs... What was not sold or, perhaps, defective, was built into the paths and walls of the establishment. We liked it and bought various souvenirs.

After some time we arrived at the aloe factory. More precisely, we stopped at a store at this factory, where all kinds of creams, teas and other potions made from aloe are sold. Actually, aloe grows along the roads there, like our burdocks. But for this factory, aloe is grown on special plantations.

Safari Park

Next on our trip plan was a visit to the safari park. It was promised that while riding horses, we would see buffalos (buffalo, in local language), rhinoceroses and giraffes. Lions were also announced, but somehow in passing. So we put on our helmets, wrap our legs in special greaves and get on the horses. We are accompanied by a dark-skinned guide, also on horseback. Considering that my horse riding experience is limited to one ride in distant childhood, and the others in our company do not have much more, everything went well. The horses, however, obeyed not so much us as the guide. Along a gentle serpentine road, we climbed high into the mountains surrounding the impressive valley in which the safari park office building is located. We crossed the ridge and began to descend.

And then, about 400 meters away, we saw two rhinoceroses and several aristocratic giraffes. But my naughty horse named Mandan wanted to chew the grass, and he turned away. I was content with the view through his back. The way back was also interesting. We went down steeply, it was quite scary. The horses at times began to trot, sometimes they began to gallop (either of their own free will, or at the secret command of the guide). And they constantly wanted to go to the wrong place where we needed to go. The bay Zulu was especially obnoxious, trying to bite either other horses or us. Bay means red - oh, those red ones! Along the way we saw swamp antelope and a herd of black wildebeest, which were introduced to us as "buffalo". “Where are the lions?” I asked. “The lions are on the other side of the mountains,” was the answer. There are a lot of impressions and experiences: 2 hours on horseback in the African mountains is no joke.

Mossel Bay

We spent the night in the city of Mossel Bay, considered the capital of South African colored people. It's picturesque resort town on the shore of a vast bay. We checked into a hotel converted from passenger train. Each has a separate compartment and toilet, as in on a regular train, only connected to the sewer.

We had dinner at a restaurant on the shore. It looks like an ordinary canteen, but the food is very tasty and cheap. We are the only ones in the hall at a late hour (8 pm, off season). And only on the way out, looking at the photographs hanging on the walls, we learn that the restaurant in the same form existed already in 1895, and was there in 1927 and 1939.

In the morning we got up early and walked around the city. Unusual and beautiful. When leaving, my daughter and I, without saying a word, sang: “Good bye, good bye, may Mosselbay!” And I told my son-in-law: “This is the song we composed.” He replied that this song has been around for many years; it was sung back in the 30s of the 20th century. It turns out that people in the same circumstances have the same thoughts.

Then we drove along the coast, then moving away from it, then driving out onto the mountainous shore of the ocean. Runs along the coast Railway, along which, we were told, a real steam locomotive travels and carries old carriages with tourists.

Tree Frog Hotel

For the night we arrived at a wonderful place called “Tree Frog”. This hotel imitates a bungalow house in the jungle. We were promised that wild monkeys would be jumping around the bungalow, but either it was not the season, or they migrated somewhere, but we did not notice a single monkey. There is a two-story building on stilts in the middle of the forest and it seems that you are lost in the endless African forests, and a modern highway passes a few hundred meters away.

Hotel "Tree Frog"

The owner of this establishment, Albert, is a German from Bavaria. When asked why he lives here, he answered in German: “Warum nicht?” (“Why not?”). And the good German refused the offer to sit with us, drink wine, and chat, because: a) he has a family and b) he needs to play the ancient flute given by his grandfather, and he does this every evening.

We were not upset and went to the jacuzzi, which was also built on stilts in the forest about 50 meters from our house. A large bathtub with hot, bubbling water was waiting for us, and we happily immersed our bodies, once again frozen in Africa, into it. We spent 2 hours in the jacuzzi, first in daylight, and finally under the African stars. Returning to the bungalow, we lit the fireplace and dined on grilled meat with African fruits, washed down with excellent South African wine. The evening was a success.

Elephant Park

In the morning we went to a special elephant park. The elephants there are not Indian, which have long been tamed and trained in everything, but large-eared African ones, which have not been domesticated. Once upon a time, Hannibal marched on Rome, leading African war elephants with him, but that was a long time ago. And when Europeans colonized Africa, the elephants were completely wild. It was rumored that African elephants are aggressive and cannot be tamed. But in the 20th century, Europeans brought Indian mahouts to Africa and they tamed the local elephants.

When we arrived, it turned out that I was the only one of us who wanted to ride an elephant. The rest decided to limit themselves to communicating with the elephants and feeding them. It's a little cheaper, around R390, and lasts about 2 hours. And the ride costs R420 and lasts only 5-7 minutes. But I said that maybe I came to Africa only to ride an elephant, I’ve seen elephants in the zoo, so I agree to wait 2 hours.

But when everything was paid, the guide said that I could also join the main group, they say, I shouldn’t wait 2 hours. Besides us, there were about 10 other people. We were taken to a special area, fenced off from a large field by a low metal fence. Several elephants were grazing in the distance. There was practically nothing separating us from them, and we felt a little uneasy. The guide talked for a long time about elephants in English, but I understood almost nothing.

Then they brought three female elephants to us, and we fed them, stroked them and led them back and forth by their trunks. The elephants turned out to be very kind and obedient. The elephant carefully takes human hand, folding the tip of the trunk into something like 3 fingers. While you are leading her, she always holds your hand, breathing noisily and hotly. The only inconvenience is that mucus comes out of the trunk and stains your hand. Despite their size, elephants walk almost silently. Upon closer inspection, the elephants had huge eyelashes. The elephants obediently followed all commands, trying to please their drivers. At the end of the performance, those who wanted to ride, and there were three of them, climbed onto the elephants from a special platform and rode in a circle, holding tightly to the mahouts. There were no saddles on the African elephants, and it was uncomfortable to ride - we had to sit directly on the protruding ridge of the animal.

Zoo in Outshorn

Then we continued to move along the coast. In the city of Plettenberg, before leaving the coast and turning inland, we decided to swim in the ocean. Almost no one swam besides us - the water was a little cold. And swimming in the ocean is not so pleasant. There is always a powerful tidal wave, and if you swim beyond it, there may be sharks there. They reassured us by saying that sharks do not like human flesh, that after biting a person, sharks usually spit him out, and that over the past 10 years only 10 people have died from sharks in South Africa. But for some reason I didn’t want to be eleventh. And yet, yes, in Indian Ocean I bathed.

After that we went deeper into the mainland. To do this, you need to cross the mountains that face the ocean like a wall. It's not difficult to do on a good road, but the mountains are impressive. We drove along the serpentine road, “and the mountains rose higher and higher, and the mountains rose ever steeper, and the mountains went under the very clouds,” exactly according to K. Chukovsky’s book about Aibolit. Only good doctor, as you know, overcame the African mountains, flying over them on eagles, and we were driving a prosaic Mercedes.

Having passed mountain range, a few hours later we reached a town with a difficult-to-remember Boer name like Outshorn. There we visited the local zoo open air. Before examining it, we went to a cafe, where those who wished tried ostrich and crocodile meat. I ordered shish kebab. According to local tradition, pieces of ostrich and crocodile meat were strung onto a wooden skewer, layered with sweet pepper. Ostrich meat resembles turkey, only tougher. But the crocodile is very unique, the meat is white, fatty and has a rubbery consistency. Did not like.

entrance to the zoo

pygmy hippopotamus

crocodile with an almost human palm

After such an exotic lunch, under the leadership of a pretty “colored” girl guide, we went to examine the animals. Well, a zoo is a zoo in Africa too. One local peculiarity, a “trick,” so to speak: for a fee, anyone can be put in an iron cage and lowered into a pool with crocodiles, where he can feed them. There were none among us.

feeding crocodiles

Farm in the Little Karoo

From the town we went to spend the night at a farm located in the Little Karoo valley (a semi-desert). In spring, everything blooms in this Karoo, and it doesn’t look like a desert at all. I didn’t notice the owners of the farm (and these were descendants of Scots who fled English oppression at one time). But we were greeted by good-natured dogs who were very happy with any sign of attention from us. They say these are snake-catching dogs, they are merciless towards snakes, and they love white people very much.

old farm

This wonderful farm, the landscape of which made me associate with Australia, was the only place in South Africa during our trip, where there were a lot of insects and it was hot. And we were also not recommended to leave the premises at night, since there were a lot of poisonous snakes there. But we didn’t have to go anywhere - all amenities, including a bath, are located indoors.

Wine farm

In the morning we departed for the last point of our journey, to a wine farm located on the banks of a dammed river. First, we had a small tasting, they gave us 6 varieties of wine, red and white, to try. My son-in-law, like a proper taster, spat the wine he was trying into a special basin, and I, of course, drank it all. After the tasting, we bought a bottle of the wine we liked, were given various sandwiches for a snack, and we went for a ride along the river on a small boat. We were alone on upper deck, yes a couple of people on the bottom. We spent a great 2 hours drinking delicious wine.

After this we returned to Cape Town, having traveled a total of about 1900 km.

Walking around Cape Town

We walked around Cape Town on our own a couple of times. In the area where my new relatives live, there are almost no sidewalks, but cars rarely pass by. Near the houses there are beautiful flower beds with obscure plants. Rare passers-by, regardless of whether they were white or black, smiled and said “Hello!” to us. The life and customs of this area resemble some kind of comfortable village.

And BikesBooking
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