There are few phrases as limiting as “once in a lifetime”. The term is overused, very few things happen just once in a lifetime. They could, and should, happen more often. That was our feeling after just 48 hours in South Africa.
Never has a destination surprised and delighted us as such as this complex, beautiful and diverse land at the base of Africa. A trip to this country might often be described as once in a lifetime but there is absolutely no need for it to be so.
For tourists, opportunities abound—particularly so as part of an organised tour, as we were with Inspiring Vacations as part of the annual Mega Lekker famil put on by Tourism South Africa. In fact, there are few tour operators better equipped to offer a life-changing South Africa trip than Inspiring Vacations with its deep, expert knowledge of the country.
One can make whatever they want of South Africa but, sadly, misunderstandings of the country may hold them back from visiting at all. To be clear, most of your suspicions about South Africa are true. The poverty, in places, is crushing. In places, it is unsafe. The effects of Apartheid have not been resolved. It is noticeably cheaper than Australia.
But at the same time, South Africa is nowhere near as dangerous as you might have been led to believe. In many places, communities are actively taking steps to reduce crime and boost employment, whether through tourism or other means.
The landscapes are, frankly, astounding. We visited in mid-February at the tail end of summer. The land was a verdant green and the views, with dramatic elevation changes and, at times, remarkable juxtapositions between urban and wild, have to be seen to be believed. The fauna, particularly in the national parks, as one might expect, is the stuff of dreams.
Johannesburg
Our trip began with an overnight flight to Johannesburg from Sydney via Perth. It’s roughly 16 hours all up, plus however long your stop over might be. After landing, we met our guide, Ryan, whose joy and enthusiasm for the country would prove infectious, and we headed to our first stay, the Southern Sun in Johannesburg’s Sandton district.
No trip to Sandton is complete without heading into Nelson Mandela Square, which features a large, free-standing statue of the great man. Following this, we headed to the vibrant, artsy Maboneng district for a walking tour. Our guide, Mulalo, was an encyclopaedia of the area and talked us through its rise, decline and rebirth as a cultural hub replete with spectacular street art, trendy bars and artist collectives.
For dinner, it was back to Nelson Mandela Square for what would prove to be the first in a succession of very delicious local wines and steaks.
Hazyview
The next morning, we were off to Hazyview, a town about 340km east of Johannesburg—a short up-and-down flight from the capital. Despite being strangers little more than 30 hours ago, our group were quickly becoming friends. In many ways, it’s a direct mirror of Inspiring Vacations’ Individual tours, the pace was brisk but we had much to fit in.
Arriving in Hazyview, we headed to White River Gin & Co., a local artisanal distiller for a tasting of its native botanical-infused gins. Following that, we stopped at a local pub for lunch and enjoyed a bunny chow, the delicious hodgepodge dish of lamb or chicken curry served inside a crusty bread roll.
Then, we arrived at Hippo Hollow, a beautiful boutique hotel where we would stay. Hippo Hollow backs onto the Sabie River and, at dinner, the hotel would live up to its name as a hippo emerged from the river to graze on the banks, before joining two of its mates to frolic in the river.
The next morning, less than 100 metres from the hippo sighting, was a small family of elephants. It was the stuff of dreams. But there were more natural wonders in store that day, as we joined the Panorama Route to Blyde River Canyon, stopping off at the nearly as stunning and brilliantly named God’s Window and Bourke’s Luck Potholes. Blyde River Canyon, the largest green canyon in the world, needs to be seen to be believed.
Value for money
It’s here that Inspiring Vacations’ value-focused approach to pricing starts to pay dividends.
Travellers are able to see all of their destinations’ most spectacular sights despite paying significantly less than they would with rival tour operators. It compromises nothing in terms of experience, choosing to save in non-essential areas. After all, it’s the landscapes and the spectacular animals that you remember most. Inspiring Vacations also offers better commission for agents.
Inspiring Vacations’ packages are expertly designed and available off-the-shelf, saving customers money and travel agent’s time. Inspiring Vacations is so confident in its packages due to its deep knowledge of South Africa, the business offers 19 separate tours that stop in South Africa, with varying lengths of trip and stay in each location. It also offers South Africa-only tours, though most include a visit to Victoria Falls on the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe. Taken together, it’s a compelling proposition for agents and customers alike.
Kruger National Park
After we managed to collect ourselves following the stunning vistas of Blyde River Canyon, it was off to the Nkambeni Safari Camp at the edge of Kruger National Park. After dinner in its stunning restaurant and pool, it was an early start for our first safari drive of the trip, despite having two of the big five already checked off.
Our expert guide, Israel, knew every nook and cranny of the park and was an endless font of animal knowledge. We couldn’t have wished for a better tour. One note, though, if you or your travellers are determined to see as many animals as possible, head to South Africa in winter – the long grass following the rainy season can make lions, leopards and other animals simply vanish. That said, the elephants, giraffes, buffalo, crocodiles and hippos (among countless others) we saw find it somewhat harder to camouflage themselves.
For lunch, we stopped at Skukuza camp in the centre of the park for a delicious and scenic braai. After more safari, it was back to Nkambeni for dinner.
Cape Town
The next day, we flew to Cape Town but headed north to the small but impressive winery town of Franschhoek. The creation of French Huguenot refugees (the town’s name is literally ‘French corner’ in Afrikaans) in the late 17th century, it is one of the oldest towns in the country and easily among its most beautiful.
That evening, we enjoyed dinner and wine tasting at MIKO in Mount Rochelle, owned by Richard Branson. A stay overnight in the luxuriously appointed Le Franschhoek Hotel and Spa before a morning walking tour of the town’s quaint shops and market proved quite the contrast from Kruger.
That afternoon, we went back to Cape Town for a walking tour of the colourful and creative Bo-Kaap district before a delicious home cooked Cape-Malay lunch of chicken curry, samosas and more.
Camps Bay beach then beckoned for some, complete with a dipped toe in the chilly Atlantic. Others, meanwhile, opted for a more civilised trip to Cape Town’s waterfront district. Dinner was at Gold Restaurant, including a smorgasbord of African dishes and traditional music and dancing.
The next day, we ascended Table Mountain, soaking in the glorious views of the natural wonder of the world. Words would never do it justice but the vista is both unforgettable and unrivalled. The blue seas into the white beach and bustling city is paradise manifest. The imposing mountains that surround it all—not least the Lions Head mountain next to Table Mountain—are breathtaking.
Then it was off to Somerset West. We enjoyed a beautiful lunch at the Erin Vale Estate before a game tour on the Vergelgen Estate winery’s sprawling nature reserve, of which just 5 per cent is reserved for viticulture with the rest for animal conservation. Our guide Cristo was on-hand to point out ostrich, bontebok, springbok and the unusual, zebra-like eland. A true polymath, Cristo then took us through a full wine tasting of the vineyards choicest vintages.
Organising such a varied itinerary is only possible thanks to Inspiring Vacations’ expertly designed tours. And, given its focus on value for money, South Africa becomes a noticeably cheaper trip with Inspiring than it would be otherwise.
As such, South Africa becomes no longer a destination to visit once in a lifetime. It could be you and your clients’ reality far, far sooner.
It is not perfect. But if South Africa does prove to be once in a lifetime for us, we certainly hope we manage to get a second innings.
