South Africa and Victoria Falls Dream Vacation

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I had the privilege to go on an adventure with my daughter and experience the beauty of South Africa and Botswana and the Falls.

We started our adventure in Cape Town.  We stayed at the Westin right near the waterfront. The Westin is a modern, clean and beautiful corporate hotel.   I highly recommend staying at least four nights in Cape Town as it has so much to offer.

We had a wonderful, full day coastal tour and were lucky with the mild and clear weather.  We saw penguins, baboons and ostriches.  We learned that they have spotters for the Great White sharks on the mountain top as well as for baboons, which are causing havoc along the coast, breaking into homes and cars.

From Cape Town, we flew to Hoedspruit which is the gateway to Kruger National Game Park. We stayed at the private gamer reserve, Shuduli.    We saw every animal there was to see, including the leopard, which is considered very elusive.  We were lucky enough to see it on every game run we took, both morning and night.  The lions and elephants were plentiful and just about every animal we could have wished for, we saw.  Our guide and tracker were amazing.  The highlights of that run include being surrounded by lions and having a very close encounter with a bull elephant.

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From there, we traveled to Johannesburg, the home of Nelson Mandela.  We stayed at a wonderful boutique hotel, Ten Bompas.  This is a great, welcoming oasis in the city.  I just loved this hotel and I highly recommend it to anyone who stays in Johannesburg.  During our short 2 night stay, we experienced beautiful grounds, attentive staff, and a very creative chef that uses ingredients from their very own organic garden.

On to Victoria Falls and the Victoria Falls Hotel.  This hotel boasts grand elegance, complete with an old fashioned doorman.  Upon entering the hotel, you are greeted with a breathtaking view through the gardens and on to the famous bridge over the river.

Room decor was dated but were a good size.  We were here for 3 nights and our days were jam packed. Zip lining and white water rafting were our highlights.  Paddling away from the hippos that did not like us in their river proved to be quite the memorable experience.  We then enjoyed a full day in Botswana and the Chobi River Safari.  This was a glorious way to end our trip.

The people of Africa are amazing.  They have persevered through major injustice and still thrive in soul, spirit and body.  We made some truly wonderful friends here and won’t soon forget our enriching and life-changing experience.

Contact me for more information on your South African experience!

Diana Shirey
Travel Consultant
Branch: Carmel Mountain
11885 Carmel Mt Rd Ste 906
San Diego, CA 92128 | Directions
Toll-Free: 800-795-0720
Direct Line: 858.592.7543

 

 

 

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