Being an animal lover, a safari had always been my number one bucket list goal, but I knew to do it the way I wanted to–the way I had seen my parents do it two decades before–that it would cost a lot more than we could probably afford. Finally I summoned up my courage and told my husband that this was my dream, and I didn’t want to wait until we retired to make it happen. He asked how much it would cost. Um $20,000? Maybe more? After a few hard swallows, he said, “All right, let’s start saving.”
That was honestly the beginning of, well, everything–how I thought about money, how I thought about travel, how I envisioned the rest of my life. I had this tangible dream, and I was determined to make it happen. For five years we squirreled money away (more on that in another post) and then in 2018 we finally made the trip a reality.
And it was everything.
I was alive every second of every day on that trip, and I have been forever changed as a result.
I can only hope that if a safari has been on your list that this will be your call to action. You will never regret going to South Africa. I would love to help you get there.
Here are a few specific details about our vacation in case you need more inspiration. First, we had the opportunity to go on safaris in two different areas: Phinda Private Game Reserve and Sabi Sands. In Phinda we saw lions, cheetahs, elephants, buffalo, rhinos, hippos, giraffes, and birds. From the ubiquitous (and adorable) warthog to the maligned hyena, Phinda provided a wealth of wildlife. I was on the edge of my seat during every game drive.
We especially loved following a pair of male lions out hunting during one of our evening game drives. Once the sun went down, it was impossible to see anything except the innumerable stars overhead. It was only when the infrared light was turned on that we realized there were a pair of hungry lions less than five feet from our vehicle. (In South Africa there are trackers who ride on the front of the vehicle. Look how close he was to the lions!)
Indeed every game drive was an adventure, but the absolute best was being (mock) charged by an adolescent bull elephant. Our extremely capable guide was able to reverse quickly enough to keep us from harm, but we learned firsthand that elephants are no joke! People have since asked me what I was thinking while this was happening, and the truth is I was thinking, “Well, at least I made it to Africa before the end.” Meanwhile my husband John, whom you will hear giggling in the video was watching this whole scene play out through the camera lens; I’m not sure it was quite as terrifying for him.
&Beyond Phinda Forest Lodge was the most incredible first safari destination. And amazingly enough, my parents showed me that was indeed where they had stayed when they went to South Africa all those years before.
The only thing missing from Phinda was leopards. Or rather, they were there, but we didn’t see them. Fortunately, our incomparable travel advisor, Jamie Thom of Conservation Safari Company, knew how elusive they could be at Phinda, so he included a second safari stay in our itinerary: Savanna Lodge in Sabi Sands, an area known for its leopard sightings. In addition to leopards–and lions, elephants, hippos, and rhinos–we were fortunate enough to see a pack of wild dogs hunting the day we arrived and two leopard cubs the very last morning before we left. 😍 I took a hundred pictures of them! Savanna Lodge was special for a number of other reasons, not the least of which were their memorable dinner experiences, but I won’t spoil the surprise for you by describing them here. Go discover them for yourself!
For my water loving husband, it was an added bonus that he was able to go scuba diving at Sodwana Bay while at Phinda, all arranged by &Beyond. In fact, Sodwana Bay is located on the East coast of South Africa and is considered to be one of the best diving locations in the world.
Note: for the most committed divers, there is also the sardine run, an annual migration phenomenon that occurs between the months of May and July, but you have to be in the area for a few weeks in hopes of timing it correctly. Dolphins round up millions of sardines into bait balls so big they can be seen from space! Then sharks, whales, fur seals, and birds join in the feast. (Needless to say, this is still on John’s bucket list, and I am not at all upset if that means we’ll be returning to South Africa one day.)
I’ll admit I was sad when the safari portion of our trip was over, but spending a week in Cape Town afterwards was hardly a let-down. During the first few days we learned about the turbulent history and rich culture of this iconic city, and at night we had some incredible meals at restaurants such as Hussar Grill Camps Bay. Our friend Kristin, who is gifted at making friends wherever she goes, immediately connected with the general manager, and he treated us to a drink and laughs at the end of our meal.
A late night of eating and drinking made our dawn hike at Lion’s Head feel like somewhat less of a good idea, but it was stunning and stimulating nonetheless. Craving even more adventure, the next day we submerged ourselves in frigid waters on a great white shark cage dive then drove down to the southernmost tip of Africa. Along the way we stopped to see the penguin colony at Boulders Beach. They were adorable, of course. We wrapped up our time in Cape Town with a wine-tasting tour in Stellenbosch and Franschhoek, and the chocolate wine pairing at Waterford Estate was a (bitter)sweet ending.
I tend to think people toss around the phrase “The trip of a lifetime” a little carelessly. But these are the only words that fully convey what South Africa meant to me.
Email me at erica@wildlifeandwateradventures.com to learn how I can help you plan your own trip to South Africa.
(All photos on page by John Keckley unless otherwise noted.)
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