Blogs from South Africa, Africa - page 6

Here we are, the famous moment of the year when a small spot not that far away from home become the dream of most sea lovers around the world. I name the Sardine Run. Each year, starting in April, millions of sardines migrate from the Cape to above Durban in transhumance long trip lasting few months. There are millions of sardines...and the predators are there too for the feast. So bryde whales, bronzewhalers sharks, commun dolphins and bottlenose dolphins...and birds, lot of birds will be encounter around the Indian Ocean Coast of South Africa. The big event is actually happening on the Transkai coast...running mainly from Coffee Bay all the way to Port St Johns from late June till mid July. At the same exact time, we have also the humpback whales migrating from Antarctica all ... read more

We were dreading the long and mostly boring drive to Johannesburg, specially since we were so sad to leave the marvels of Kruger National Park behind us. It didn't turn out as bad as anticipated thanks to the three stops that took up part of the morning. Along the way was Blyde River Canyon, and three outstanding lookouts: God's Window, Bourke's Luck Potholes, and the Three Rondavels. Each one of these lookouts involved a bit of a hike, on terrain that was at some times a bit precarious over uneven paths and rocks, but all were worth the effort. Situated in the northeast of Mpumalanga province, the Blyde River Canyon is thought to be the third-largest canyon in the world. Measuring 16 miles in length, it’s also the world’s largest green canyon. In 2005, provincial authorities ... read more

Before sunrise, we mounted the open vehicles that took us to nearby Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park for our first game drive of the trip. It was surprisingly cold, but that feeling of discomfort was overturned by the view of my first sunrise out in the bush in Africa. Spectacular! Also spectacular was the topography of the park, the trails surrounded by hills and deep valleys. The Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park, although small, is the oldest nature reserve in Africa. The park is the only state-run park in KwaZulu-Natal where each of the big five game animals can be found. The area was originally a royal hunting ground for the Zulu kingdom, but was established as a park in 1895. Here, as in other parks in South Africa, rhinoceros remain an endangered species because of poaching. The price of the horn ... read more

For our wine tasting experience, we headed towards the cape winelands via the N1 Highway, the first section of the famed Cape to Cairo Road. Our destination was the cities of Paarl, Franschhoek, and Stellenbosch, and selected vineyards in each of these locations. Paarl is the third oldest city of European settlement, and the largest town in the cape winelands. Paarl gained international attention when, on 11 February 1990, Nelson Mandela walked out of Victor Verster Correctional Centre in Paarl ending his 27 years of imprisonment. Today, a bronze statue of Mandela stands outside the prison. Franschhoek, which translates as “French Corner”, was established in the late 17th century as French Huguenot refugees settled in the area. They are credited with the development of the wine industry in South Africa, and producing wines that were sought ... read more

Isn't life gorgeous?? Hope you are hanging there in this world that may have just re-opened...but that is facing the worst disease us travelers are fighting, I call hyper-inflation! So let see if we can make 2022 even better than 2021....after all, we all survived a crazy world, so let's try to get the best of it! Inflation is at work here in South Africa too...but due to the lack of international travelers, if you are a good hunter, this place is actually better than anything you'll find in North America, Europe or currently the few places open in Asia. So be smart...and come down under...the Africa way! I'm finally getting myself up to date with blogging! Impressive isn't it...well....maybe our own schedule pushed me...we are back on a long flight this Friday...and it's only the ... read more