South Africa – 42 amazing travel highlights

You don’t have to be a recent college graduate to have the adventure of a life time.  I just got back from 2 weeks visiting South Africa.  After winning a safari at a fund raiser last summer, I began to plan our African adventure with 3 friends from my book club.  We mapped out a few days in Johannesburg and a few days in Capetown to book end the 6 day safari in Zululand.  The things we saw, the people we met and oh those animals will be with us forever.  Here are just a few highlights of what we saw and why you should go too!

1. Seeing the lion cubs nurse n play

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2. Feeding and touching the huge elephant’s tongue

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3. Giraffes walking next to us at sunrise

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4. Cheetah sitting in sun next to our truck

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5. Cheetah drinking water near mom and baby rhino

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6. Sunset view from Table Mountain, Capetown

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7. Wine tasting with spider webs

8. Being dropped off at intersection in Maboneng Precinct of Johannesburg

9. Buying giraffe souvenirs made from wire and fabric from street artist

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10. View from Cape Point lighthouse

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11. Watching elephants drink water from river

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12. Cable car ride to  the top of Table Mountain

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13. Hot air balloon ride at sunrise

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14. Babylonstoren farm

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15. Saying Cheers with friends.

16. Hiking in Serkfontein Caves by the Cradle of Humankind

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17. Drinking wine poolside at Winston Hotel

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18. School children visiting the Apartheid museum

19. Penguins walking on the beach

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20. Wild ostrich at cape hope.

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21. Warthog in the mud

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22. Harbor house lunch with seal Watching

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23. Baby elephants hiding in the trees

24. Hippos making noises “the sound of Africa”

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25. Wine tasting in Capetown

26. Putting toes in the Indian Ocean

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27. Putting whiskey on my porridge at Bill Harrops Hot Air Balloon experience

28. Drinking champagne after the hot air balloon landed safely

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29. Colorful houses in Bo Kaap

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30. View of Robbin Island where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 17 years

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31. Appreciating my life after seeing how thousands live without running water in the informal settlement outside Capetown

31. Sundowners – drinks at the end of the day on Safari

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32. Friendly greetings. Genuine “How are yous” from the South African people

33. Friendly and attentive service

34. Learning about different and unique plant and bird species

35. Goats and cows on the side of the highway in farmland

36. Fever trees that glow in the night

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37. Buffalo thorn to help bring spirit home

38.  Learning that some zebras have brown stripes too

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39.  The nightly sounds of Zulu musicians during dinner

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40. Ostrich Carpaccio – yes raw ostrich was very yummy

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41. Witnessing a lioness stalk and pounce after a warthog

42.  Hearing the warthog squeal as it got away.

south africa widow travel
south africa highlights travel

runawaywidow

At the age of 51 I unexpectedly became a widow. For the first 6 months after my husband died, I was in shock and numb. I journaled and with the help of friends, family and therapists was able to get back to living my old life, even if it is now very different. Before I was married, I had spent a semester in England and backpacked around Europe. My husband and I moved from New York to California for 8 years and started a family. Travelling took a back seat to raising a family and going to work everyday. Since the loss of my husband I have visited a lot of places with family and friends and took a solo trip to Thailand. I am enjoying sharing my stories and adventures as well as some of my insights to how I am traveling the path of being a widow. I hope to share my stories and adventures as well as some thoughts on being a middle aged widow. While I have some great experiences traveling to Thailand and cruising to Central America, some of my adventures involve a trip to see a Broadway show in nearby Manhattan and a shopping trip at Bed, Bath and Beyond. If I can inspire anyone to go out and continue to live a good life that would be my greatest accomplishment.

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3 Responses

  1. February 14, 2021

    […] South Africa – 42 highlights […]

  2. July 26, 2022

    […] Each day we had a morning and late afternoon safari drive. Our guide would communicate with the other trucks who were also in the reserve and bring us to the areas where animals had been sighted.  We saw giraffes walking beside our truck at sunrise, hippos swimming in a waterhole, a cheetah sunning herself on the road, elephants drinking from the river, cape buffalo and a variety of deer. South Africa – 42 amazing travel highlights […]

  3. July 26, 2022

    […] 42 Reasons to Visit South Africa – on Safari and More […]

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