• Age: 35
• Year: 2024
• Time of year: May
• Length of trip: 17 days
• Travel style: adventure, safari

The recap:
Snuck up on 3 lions 
Kayaked with 1 whale
Lived the hakuna matata life 

Day 1

The safari adventure begins with my friend Elyse, one of my best friends from college. Flew from Vancouver > Seattle > Amsterdam > Johannesburg. Very long travel day of 27+ hours, but worth it!

Day 2 

Arrived in Johannesburg, spent the night at the Southern Sun airport hotel. 

Day 3

Picked up at our hotel by Viva Safaris in the morning, drove 5 hours plus stops to Kruger National Park. Checked into Tremisana Lodge, then went for our first sunset safari drive with Nadine in Balule Game Reserve. Stopped for a BBQ dinner under the stars, which attracted a couple of hyenas. Encountered a teenage elephant acting out in the middle of the road on our drive back to the lodge. 

Day 4

Sunrise bush walk in Balule Game Reserve. Encountered hippos, giraffes, and elephants. Back to Tremisana Lodge with time for a dip in the pool, then back out for an afternoon safari drive before relocating to Marc’s Treehouse Camp.

Day 5 

The day of lions & more animals than we could count! Full safari drive day at Kruger National Park with guide Victor, born & raised in the area. Shout-out to our new American friends on the tour with us. Then back to Marc’s Treehouse Camp for the night. 

Spotted: Lions, cheetah, elephants, impalas, kudus, zebras, wildebeests, buffalos, vultures, warthogs, crocodile, hippos, baboons, hyenas, jackal, and so many birds 

Day 6

Short bush walk on Marc’s Treehouse property before the drive back to Johannesburg airport. Stopped at the gorgeous Blyde River Canyon on the way. Flew to Cape Town, picked up rental car from Hertz, checked into Airbnb in Green Point district.

Day 7 

Walked to the waterfront to explore Cape Town, then back to the Airbnb for sunset. Went for dinner at Marco’s African Place with live music plus grilled ostrich, springbok, and kudu. Then drinks and more live music at The Athletic Club & Social.

Day 8

Drove to the Bay Harbour market, which had great local food & artisans. Continued the drive to Chapman’s Peak (not the worth the toll honestly). Stopped at Hout Bay Beach then the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens with beautiful views of the city and mountains. Then dinner at Awara Indian Restaurant. 

Day 9

Walked to the Oranjezicht Weekend Market at the waterfront — delicious street food plus local farmers & artisans. Then off to see the penguins at Boulder’s Beach (quite busy & expensive vs. Betty’s Bay noted on Day 14 below). Then continued the drive all the way to the southernmost point of Africa — the Cape of Good Hope. Spotted ostriches on the beach and took the funicular up to Cape Point just before closing at sunset (another view point of the cape).

Day 10

Time for a hike! 4 ladders included to get to the top of Signal Hill on the Lion’s Head trail. Beautiful views of Table Mountain and the city at the top. Then back to the Airbnb for a cold plunge in the pool (definitely not warm in the winter season). Walked downtown to the Castle of Good Hope (careful walking in this area). Wrapped up with dinner at Gold Restaurant with a 13-course tasting menu and live interactive entertainment. 

Day 11

Morning of kayaking with whales & dolphins via Atlantic Outlook!

Then off to the wineries in the Constantia region. Started at Beau Constantia and ended with a tasting and epic dinner at Buitenverwachting. 

Day 12

My friend Elyse went diving for the day with Into the Blue Scuba. I attempted to go paragliding but it was too windy, so went for a wine tour at Groot Constantia. As the oldest winery in the region established in 1685, it still makes a dessert wine called Grand Constance that was enjoyed by Napoleon Bonaparte back in the day. 

Day 13

Rainy day calls for shopping and a visit to the art museum. Went to the Watershed & TimeOut markets at the waterfront. Then toured the Zeitz Contemporary Art Museum housed in a beautiful old grain building. The weather cleared up so we went for drinks at the Grand Africa Cafe & Beach. Then picked up tacos from El Burro on the way back to our Airbnb. 

Day 14

Started the day with coffee at Truth Coffee Roasters based in Cape Town. Then off on a 1.5 hour drive to Betty’s Bay. Watch out for baboons on the road. Saw lots more penguins at the Stony Point Colony (and much cheaper and less busy than Boulder’s Beach). Then drove to the Stellenbosch wine region and had lunch with a wine tasting at Spier Wine Farm, our favourite wines of the trip. 

Day 15

Finally low enough winds for paragliding on our last day! Paraglided off Signal Hill with instructor Sebastian from Signal Hill Paragliding. Then time for our last & most grueling hike up Table Mountain via the Platteklip Gorge trail, 2100 metres straight up. Views and Aperol spritz on top well worth it to experience one of the new 7 Wonders of Nature. Took the cable car down and went for a final dinner at Honey & Dora reflecting on our favourite moments of the safari adventure.

Day 16

Checked out of the Airbnb and drove the rental car back to the Cape Town airport. Flew from Cape Town > Johannesburg > Paris > Seattle > Vancouver. 

Day 17

Back home to Vancouver after 30+ hours of travel time. Long journey, but worth all the memories with my safari buddy and lifelong friend.

Wanderlog itinerary here for reference.