Bridezilla's Trip Report- Vic Falls, SA, Mauritius
 

HONEYMOON ITINERARY:
Milan-Dubai-Johannesburg-Livingstone
Livingstone for 3 days (The Royal Livingstone Hotel)
Livingstone-Johannesburg-Cape Town
Cape Town for 4 days (The Table Bay Hotel)
Cape Town-Johannesburg-Hoedspruit (Timbavati Reserve)
Timbavati Reserve for 4 days (King's Camp)
Hoedspruit-Johannesburg
Johannesburg for 1 day (Garden Court – Sandton)
Johannesburg-Mauritius
Mauritius for 4 days (Beau Rivage – Belle Mare)
Mauritius-Dubai-Milan

I am an American-raised, half-Italian, half-Cuban newly wed wife living in Italy with her Italian newly wed husband chronicling her recent honeymoon in Africa. Have I lost you yet?

This is my account of the best trip of my life.

As with any new experience, we went in not knowing quite what to expect. And so, we did our homework diligently so that we could make informed decisions. But how much planning and googling and researching can prepare you for the spectacle of your first African sunset? Your first encounter with a wild animal? This trip will be one that we will never forget and that gave us much more than we could have ever hoped for.

We arrived in Livingstone, Zambia after a very, very long succession of flights from Milan, Italy. We were beat. Dead tired. But when we overheard the nightmarishly long transfers of some of our American fellow passengers, twice our age nonetheless, we couldn't complain! And plus, we had arrived! We were rearing to go!

Having completed all the formalities at the airport, we met our bus driver for our ride to the Royal Livingstone Hotel. Outside of the airport, oddly, the first thing that struck me was the colorful rose garden in front of the airport parking lot, a stark contrast to the evident dryness of the area. We loaded onto the bus and were on our way to the hotel. Driving through the town of Livingstone, the driver explained that it was the only African city to have kept its colonial name after liberation and that it thrived on the tourism from the Victoria Falls. As we were driving through, he pointed out the banks, the textile factory, the one-month-old strip mall, the fact that there are no traffic lights (“Here, we use our brain!”, he said), but one thing I couldn't help but notice were all of the people walking in the streets. Some aimlessly and others, carrying what seemed like very heavy loads, clearly with a mission. The red dirt roads were filled with people coming and going, some idling, some working behind makeshift fruit stands, groups of youngsters, women alone, you name it. Along the side streets of the main road you could make out people walking in the distance going to or coming from somewhere only their feet would take them. We reached the entrance of the Royal Livingstone and with the manicured lawns ahead, the gates closed off behind us the rest.

The grounds were impressive. Only a few seconds past the gates and already we encountered a giraffe and some impala. This was going to be good. We reached the entrance to the hotel and the view through the lobby, past the lawn and the pool was simply amazing. We were greeted warmly by Lydia and given a cool hand towel, iced tea and a quick rundown of how things worked. No time to waste, though, our sundowner cruise along the Zambezi River, the fourth largest in Africa (another tidbit we learned on our bus ride over), would be leaving in an hour. We were golf-carted to our room and there we met our butler, Sharon. She welcomed us and showed us our room. The room was beautifully decorated and nicely mirrored the style of the reception area. We received an added welcome from a small, inquisitive vervet monkey perched on our balcony. Apparently, the monkeys are a common sight. They are very fond of sweets and get their little hands on them whenever they can sneak a chance. Any dishes you would hear clanging on the floor was always an indication that a monkey had snatched something sweet away from somebody. We were warned that if we didn't lock the door to our room, they would get in.

Quickly, we made our way to the bus that took us to the African Queen sundowner cruise. Upon our arrival we were greeted with music and a beautiful copper sun reflecting off the water. We were amazed at how clean the greenish blue river water was. Comfortable in our wicker chairs at our table on the deck, we glided along the Zambezi as we drank refreshments and nibbled on finger food. We caught glimpses of hippos in the water and elephants through the trees. The eles were fairly far off, but we did manage to see a male elephant try to have his way with an uncooperative female. He tried, but she was not having it. She must have had a headache.

The boat had two levels and was fairly big, with lots of tables, so it wasn't as intimate or romantic as one would hope, but it was a great chance to see the surroundings from the water. And it was only then, looking out onto the river, that we finally had time to stop and take it all in; it finally sunk in that we were in AFRICA. I was watching an amazing sunset with my newly wed husband on the mighty Zambezi River in Africa. Wow. We capped the evening off with a delicious, albeit slightly pretentious, dinner back at the hotel.

Congratulations on your wedding. Looking forward to reading more.

Welcome home from what I'm glad was your best trip. That's a good way to start of the marriage.

Great beginning! Congrats on your wedding. I look forward to hearing more about your trip.

Hello! Welcome home and glad you had a fantastic trip....fantastic first segment of the report. Thanks

Hari

Welcome home and congratulations on your wedding! Keep the report coming!

The following morning there was a walking tour of the Falls and a cross over to the Zimbabwe side planned for us. It was an easy hike and our guide was informative and friendly, telling us of the medicinal uses of some of the plants we encountered, among other things. It being the dry season, the rush of the waters was not as magnificent as in, say, March. The upside to this though was that this way we were able to see much of the rock formations, take pictures of the falls without getting totally drenched, and actually hear our guide's explainations. Needless to say, the Falls are spectacular. The power and force of the water is truly amazing. We found that it was worth the while going over to the Zimbabwe side as there was much more water there. With the help of an assistant of the Zambezi Sun (the hotel adjacent to the Royal Livingstone), we got through passport control, were issued visas, driven across the Victoria Falls bridge in a “No Man's Land” that links Zambia and Zimbabwe, and, without a glitch, handed over to our Zimbabwean guide.

We particularly enjoyed this part and our guide told us many interesting facts, like that the engineer who built the Victoria Falls bridge 100 years ago had poured his heart and soul into the project and was so devastated when upon completion it seemed that he had miscalculated and that the bridge was too short that he killed himself. He died days before knowing that once the bridge had settled, it all fit perfectly. Although Zimbabwean law requires all bridges more than 100 years old to be replaced, after an assessment, it was deemed that this bridge structure is still so solid that it is in no need of replacing.

The spray from the Falls formed rainbows in the sunlight and we caught a peek of a little bushbok curled up in the lush vegetation, making it all very enchanting, when suddenly a particularly startling sound reached our ears. Across the way, on the Zambian side, we could hear howls and yells. Human howls and yells. Of the stupid, thrill-seeking tourist kind. Through the mist, with our binoculars, we could see a group of men slipping and stumbling their way into the river current and plopping themselves into a pool formed in the river rock dangerously close to the edge of the cliff. You know where just before the whitewater sweeps away everything in its path with unthinkable force it plunges 100 meters? Yep, right there.

Back at the hotel, we spent the rest of the day lounging by the pool and enjoying the spectacular view. As newlyweds we were offered high tea at four and like any civilized, properly-mannered, high-tea-drinking couple, we scarffed down the cakes, crumpets and scones before the monkeys could get at them, our eyes darting right and left on the lookout for the wily suckers. The couple next to us was not so lucky.

Walking the hotel grounds at twilight we came across a group of grazing zebras. They seemed oblivious to us and chomped away as we watched them, enthralled. You could smell in the air what we thought was the smell of these wild animals. It was strong, yet familiar. It smelled like boiled potatoes. Almost rotten boiled potatoes. In different places we kept smelling it and later learned from our safari guide that that is the smell of the potato bush. So if you smell that smell, that's what it is.

For dinner we decided to shuttle over to the Zimbezi Sun Hotel and take our own plunge into their wonderful buffet. The food was great and the atmosphere was very lively and colorful. They had a live band playing just across from the pool and it was all very festive. My husband went to the buffet three times. Being Italian, he didn't recognize some of the food, but that was no deterrent. He piled onto his first plate all sorts of meats and curries and a spicy stirfry-something-or-other and a heaping spoonful of what he thought was potatoes and beef, but turned out to be sticky toffee pudding! He was more cautious his second trip 'round.

The next day, our last in Zambia, we awoke to a beautifully sunny morning and after breakfast enjoyed some lounging. From the riverfront deck we caught our last glimpse of a group of hippos across the river lounging, quite like us, in the bright sun. The time had come to say our farewells, continue our journey, and catch a flight to Cape Town via Johannesburg.

We were reluctant to leave such a special place. In all instances we were impressed with the efficiency and professionalism of the people who helped to make our visit to Zambia so fantastic and were touched by their warmth and genuine friendliness. The uppity attitude and disorganization you can all too often come across in Milan had absolutely no place here.

It was dark by the time we got off the plane in Cape Town. Sure enough, our driver was there waiting to take us to the Table Bay Hotel to begin the second leg of our journey. It began in style as we boarded the brand new, all-leather interior Mercedes. Looking out at the city lights, I felt like I could have easily been in an American city. Except that we were driving on the wrong side of the road! Only in the light the next day did I begin to realize that this city was in fact different from any I had ever seen before.

Congratulations on your wedding!

I am anxious for your report to continue , as I will be staying at Kings Camp in December.

If you have any photos, I would love to see them

Congratulations on the wedding and welcome home! Great start to your report, I can't wait to read more!

Jenn

Congratulations on your wedding and you picked the perfect place for a honeymoon!

Rainbows in the falls and a bushbuck! What were those guys near the edge of the falls thinking? Glad the sights and hospitality got you off on a good start.

The Table Bay Hotel is elegant and massive. It's on the V & A Waterfront, which, according to the headlines of the hotel's complimentary daily newspaper, had just been bought up by a British company for 7 billion rand. Impressive. The area is one big, port-front shopping mall and is packed with various eateries of varying levels of casual. The spa-level floor connects the shopping mall to the hotel.

As a special honeymoon perk, our bed was meticulously decorated with colorful rose petals and awaiting us for our drinking pleasure was a bucket of chilled bubbly.

This I have to say: the hotel's breakfast buffet packs an impressive punch. Greeted with the ever-present glass of champagne (or sparkling wine as they're only allowed to call it) and a handful of strewn rose petals, breakfast was one lip-smacking, head-turning, finger-licking, eye-googling assortment of fresh fruit, cheeses, cereals, sushi, breads, Chinese soy noodles (oh so good at 8 in the morning!), juices, cold cuts, and more.

Our first day in Cape Town was spent on a half-day tour of the city that our tour operator, Kuoni, had planned for us. Managed by the Springbok Atlas tour company, the tour included a cable car ride up to Table Mountain, the Malay Quarter and its brightly colored houses, the downtown, Company's Gardens and the Castle of Good Hope. The tour then continued on to Milnerton beach and ended at the Diamond Works factory/shop. We had been warned at the hotel to resist any temptation to buy any of the featured diamonds and were surprised to find that instead their sales tactics seemed more focused on selling Tanzanite, a purplish-blue stone recently found in the mines of Tanzania at a fraction of the cost of a precious stone.

The morning visit to Table Mountain was definitely the highlight of the tour. As we piled into the cable car, it was pointed out that the floor would rotate so that everyone could enjoy 360 degree views. Indeed we did. At the top, despite the fiercly cold and strong winds, we managed to enjoy commanding views of the coastline, Lion's Head, Devil's Peak and the city below. Soon, however, with the wind blasting spirals of frigid air into our brain via our ear canals, it was only a few minutes before we were forced to seek refuge in the gift shop and cafe and head back down.

Although superficial, and with the stop at Diamond Works seeming a bit “forced”, overall, I would recommend the city tour in order to get an initial feel for the city. And since we were staying scarsely 4 days, it was fine for us.

For the following day the hotel was happy to book us a winetasting tour on the Cape Wine Route. It was the perfect opportunity to become acquainted with South African wines and enjoy the fantastic scenery. Neither disappointed.

We twisted and winded our way through some of the most beautiful landscapes. Actually, I don't think we twisted and winded at all, that might have just been my perception from all the wine. We touched upon estates in Stellenbosch, Franschoek, and Paarl, the names of which I can't for the life of me remember. Suffice to say that as the tour progressed, the wine got better. Again, that just may be my altered perception, or, more likely, due to the fact that the tour guides must make one obligatory stop (the first estate, whose wine did not impress us) but can choose which estates to visti for the remaining stops. Our tour guide had very good taste and the last estate we visited near Paarl was fantastic. They had tables set up in the middle of a vast, emerald green lawn where we enjoyed sweeping views of the vineyards and the mountains in the background. So intent were we on tasting all of the 15 (yes, 15) bottles the sommelier had lined up for us, so mesmerized were we by the view and blurry from all the wine that we left without buying a single bottle. Now that I regret.

Between the first and second stop and just as the wine was beginning to alter my judgement and lower my inhibitions, we stopped at the Spier Cheetah Outreach Center, where I agreed to enter an enclosure and pet one of the cheetahs. And I'm so glad I did. It was an adult male and he was introduced to me as Joseph. He seemed fast asleep, but his ears were perked so that he remained always alert. It was an incredible experience to stroke his soft fur and feel the vibration of his purrs through his ribs.

The next day, we took advantage of the free rental car option offered to us as part of our package trip and headed down to Cape Point. Just the other day, as my husband and I were reminiscing about the trip, I asked him what day in particular he would most like to relive out of the entire trip. He told me this one.

To be continued, our self-drive to Cape Point...

I've been waiting, not very patiently I might add for your report to continue.

Your trip sounds wonderful.

You did alot of the same things I will be doing

After a 12 night cruise out of Mombasa, I will be in Capetown for 3 nights and Kings Camp for 2 nights.

I look forward to the rest of your report

Continental Girl-
Sorry for the delays!
I'll get the next sections written and pictures up within the next few days.
In the meantime, if you have any doubts about King's Camp, let me just tell you now to put them to rest. King's Camp is fabulous. I'm just sorry you'll only be staying there for two days.
Ciao for now
Bridezilla

Hi Bridezella
I am so excited about my trip!
I wanted to stay longer at Kings Camp, but I am going to be in Africa for 3 weeks(travel time included), and just could not take anymore time off work.

I definitly want to go to the Cheetah Outreach Center, and of course the rest of the winelands. Let the tastings begin!!

Help!
I've uploaded my photos onto Kodak Gallery, but can't figure out how to share them with the Fodor forum.
Any help is greatly appreciated since it took me FOREVER to upload.
Thanks!

Maybe this will work?!

Paste the link:

http://olympus.kodakgallery.com/MyGallery.jsp?&

URRGH!
Maybe this link will work:

http://olympus.kodakgallery.com/I.js...&y=-tndr9h

Thanks for sharing your pics....yes, the link worked.....

Looks like you had a fabulous trip, with some fantastic sightings....nice big pride of lions etc etc.,

Kings Camp looks lovely from your pictures....

Hari

bridezella,

Thanks for the great photos!!!
Looks like you had a wonderful time.

From seeing your photos I can tell I won't be disappointed with Kings Camp.

I hope I am as lucky as you as far as sightings.

Wonderful photos from what must have been a very romantic honeymoon ((a)) ((F))

I love the rhino & the leopard!

A brand new, flaming red Volkswagen City was our weapon of choice. Not that such a small car would do that much damage, but what with all the nervous left-lane driving, the blanking out at intersections as to what the hell direction to look in for oncoming traffic, and me trying to co-pilot my husband yet being unable to tear my eyes away from the spectacular scenery, we were an accident waiting to happen. More to come later on accidents and our vehicular adventures in Mauritius, where everytime he engaged the turn signal, the windshield wipers would come on full speed and where we got rear-ended.

Out of Cape Town, we took the M6 southbound past Camp's Bay, the Twelve Apostles, winded our way down to Hout Bay and Chapman's Peak (where a toll must be paid) and then over to the False Bay side of the peninsula to Fish Hoek, Simon's Town and Boulder's Beach.

It was at Boulder's Beach that we made a stop to see the penguins. With their wide-legged walk they look like slouchy old men in tuxedos. You pay a nominal fee to get in and can access the beach via an elevated, wooden walkway. The penguins are all around and despite their goofiness, they are very photogenic. The beach is gorgeous and looks like what I imagine a beach in the Seychelles to look like with big, massive rocks and turquoise water. In the distance, we were fortunate to see slivers of a whale's back as it made its way across the horizon.

Describing the scenery along the peninsula can't be done in words, and even the pictures don't render the sheer vastness of the ocean, the power of its waves, the drama of the cliffs or the intensity of the colors. It is absolutely breath-taking.

As we neared Cape Point and entered the park, our drive was made even more exciting (and tricky!) by baboons and ostriches crossing our path and blocking traffic. The baboons got so bad at one point that a ranger had to fire his slingshot at them to get them off the road.

We reached Cape Point and took the cable car up to the lighthouse and lookout point. The slogan “where two oceans meet” is misleading here, as this is not actually the meeting point of the Indian and Atlantic oceans. This happens further east towards Cape Agulhas. However, it is the site of numerous shipwrecks over the centuries due to the strong winds and unpredictable currents.

We made our way back down by cable car and proceeded on to Cape of Good Hope, the most southwesterly point of the African continent. The crashing waves and ocean spray hanging in the air made for a very dramatic backdrop to our pictures.

Our drive back up the peninsula took in the towns of Scarborough and Kommetjie on the Atlantic side, which offered absolutely stunning views. Here again we encountered a large group of baboons along the road and in among the houses. Unafraid of cars, some were lazily grooming themselves while others just sat there watching the world go by; one had even fallen asleep with his body laying on the shoulder of the road and his head resting directly on the road.

We barely made it back to Avis minutes before closing time (6pm) and were offered a ride back to the hotel.

Safari-bound, the next day started with an early wake-up call for our flight to Johannesburg and then on to Hoedspruit to the Timbavati Reserve. Today would be our first day on safari.

To be continued, King's Camp...

You have some beautiful water and sunset shots. The ostriches along the coast are great. What a sight!

Some nice game viewing in Timbavati. Good rhino shots.

Did you visit any cheetahs at Spier's? I saw a couple of Spier's pictures. What did you do there?

There has been somebody posting questions about King's Camp. You would make a good source on it with 4 days there.

You look just like I had pictured you!

Atravelynn:

If you look real real close, tilt your head and squint your eyes you can see in the photo that that's me petting the cheetah at Spier's.

I have better footage on video!

It was amazing! I didn't want to leave. He was so soft, but the girl assured me that that was because of all the pampering and special treatment the cheetahs receive at the center.

His name was Joseph and he was BIG, but purring just like a kitty.

Wonderful report and photos. I loved the shots of Capetown and the ostriches at Cape Point.

And Congratulations on your wedding!:-)

Thanks for sharing your very informative report and excellent photos!

Michael

Thanks for the answers Bridezilla.

The Italians call it “mal d'Africa”. In the sense of “mal d'amore” or “love sickness”. It is the sickness lovers of Africa are typically left with after their first trip. A bittersweet feeling that is at once fulfilling, heartbreaking, exhilarating, frustrating and mysterious. Like love. And just like love, it has you coming back for more. Yet returning to Africa, they say, only leaves the afflicted with an even greater longing and, alas, even sicker than before. There is no cure for mal d'Africa and it is a condition that never leaves you.

I caught the bug during our stay at King's Camp.

It wouldn't be enough to tell you all about the fantastic food we ate, the thoughtful service we received, or the beautiful surroundings we enjoyed. Nor would it do justice to share our experience as a chronicle of the species seen or not seen (I'm not that knowledgeable) or of the pictures taken or missed (I'm not that methodical). What I can say is that a safari is a special experience, at least it was for me. What other activity is so all-absorbing and thrilling? Ok, except maybe bargain shopping.

We arrived at King's Camp around lunchtime and just in time for our late afternoon drive. Daily drives are at 5:30 am and 3:30 pm. It was our first outing and the very first animals we came across was a large herd of buffalo. Following the tracker's indications, our driver made his way toward them, ruthlessly crushing and snapping bushes and branches in his path. We slowly inched closer and closer to the buffalo until we were virtually in the middle of the herd. Some stood still staring at us while others quickly propped themselves up ready to flee if necessary. They were acutely aware of our presence. Our driver turned off the engine and I was afraid to breathe. Ok, I thought, so this is the part when one buffalo gets spooked and the rest go charging after him, trampling us and reducing our jeep to a tangle of metal, dust, horns and human limbs. Great. Needless to say, the buffalo did no such thing (after all I am here writing about this) and as soon as they had concluded that we were of little threat to them, they nonchalantly resumed their chewing and lounging. And I resumed my breathing. I even mustered up the courage to raise my camera and take a picture. Rest assured, during our subsequent wildlife encounters, I was considerably more relaxed. In fact, in no time at all I started to feel excitement and anticipation for the next encounter. Never have I gotten up at 5 in the morning with such brio!

During our twice daily drives we saw zebra, wildebeest, warthogs, impala, giraffe, springboks, lions, leopards, elephants, baboons, hyaena and countless birds of all sizes and colors.

Our encounter with the hyaena occured on one night drive. And it was amazing. Night had fallen suddenly over an orange and violet sunset and a female hyaena was laying in the bushes nursing her pup. How our tracker and driver found her remains a mystery to me; apparently they saw the reflection of her eyes against the track light. The scene was so endearing and lovable for an animal with, frankly, such a bad rap, that we just sat there captivated. The mother simply laid there while the puppy couldn't decide whether to latch on or run and hide, uncertain what to make of our presence. Every time the puppy pulled away to hide in the nearby hole, the mother would raise her head and look up quizically, but when the hungry puppy would emerge from the rut and bury its head in her belly she would lifelessly plop her head back down on the ground.

We witnessed more mother/child interaction with a pride of lions. This was on the second morning. We were following a single file of lions (grandmother, aunt, mother and two young males) that was headed somewhere very intently. The two young males however had other priorities. They were busy playing and consequently sorely lagged behind the group. When the mother realized the long absence of the two little lions, she suddenly stopped, turned around facing us, looked at us, then looked beyond us, and called out to them, the tip of her tail straight and parallel to the ground. I was literally terrified. She was so close. She called out again and nothing. Her repeated calls only caught the attention of the aunt, who joined her in the calling. Surely enough, after what seemed an eternity, the little ones came hopping merrily along, their games interrupted, and joined the rest of the pride. With the young ones in tow, the females turned back around and resumed their walk.

One option guests are given after the morning drive is a bush walk back to the camp. The trek is usually about 45 minutes long and gives you a chance to see some of the details of the surroundings. On foot, we were instructed to follow our guide in a single file. We inspected the different tracks, the animals' feces and the flora. We did not encounter any animals on our walks except for a group of warthogs in the distance. One thing that especially amazed me were the huge termite mounds. The inner workings of the termite community are fascinating and we were told that although huge, the mountain you see on the surface is only about 1/3 of the achievement, the remaining 2/3 is all below ground. On the walk, we also had a chance to see up close the havoc elephants are wreaking on the area's trees. Everywhere there were uprooted trees, slabs of bark peeled off, limbs and trunks snapped in half. It is amazing to see the power of an elephant's trunk and jaws reduce to mere shreds thick, and apparently juicy, logs.

King's Camp itself is terrific. We stayed in room 10, the last in a series of bungalows facing the open bush. Only a few rows of electric wires separate you from the wildlife. If you see the various photos hanging in the library (and posted on their website) of a leopard casually roaming the camp grounds, you'll realize I use the term “separate” very loosely. This factor in no small part contributed to my apprehension when we were pleasantly informed that as a special treat for the newlyweds, we would be served a private dinner for two outdoors on the patio. The patio that faces the open bush. The open bush that contains potentially ferocious wildlife. Ah, very romantic. I'm ashamed to say that I ate the fantastic four-course dinner at lightening speed.

Our camp was also given a special suprise one night with a bush dinner set up around a huge bonfire, complete with drum playing and an open grill.

The rooms are decorated with exquisite taste and no detail is overlooked. We were pampered and taken care of to no end. Rose-petaled evening baths, champagne and sherry, welcome notes and heated beds: the stuff, indeed, of kings. One especially great touch is the outdoor shower, which I used at night under a thick, bright blanket of stars.

It was truly a memorable experience.

Next up, Mauritius...

Your account of King's Camp is a wonderful description, especially the mother and young interactions.

Now I know what I caught over in Africa; it's Mal d'Africa. Thank you Dr. Bridezilla for diagnosing and describing it just perfectly!

I asked about the bushes we often drove over in pursuit of an animal. I was told that as long as the vehicle does not stop and back up over the bushes again, that they shoot right up without damage. I even got several demos of the brush coming back to life which made me feel better.

Excellent report!

Very eloquent! Am really enjoying your report.

"The Italians call it “mal d'Africa”. In the sense of “mal d'amore” or “love sickness”. It is the sickness lovers of Africa are typically left with after their first trip. A bittersweet feeling that is at once fulfilling, heartbreaking, exhilarating, frustrating and mysterious. Like love. And just like love, it has you coming back for more. Yet returning to Africa, they say, only leaves the afflicted with an even greater longing and, alas, even sicker than before. There is no cure for mal d'Africa and it is a condition that never leaves you."

Beautifully put.

Here's how my companion, Ruth, responded to my email yesterday when I expressed "wanting" to go back to Africa, and soon (to Zambia--Lower Zambezi and South Luangwa--where we became afflicted with our mal d'Africa, and so many other places yet to be discovered).


"It's more need then want. To go back. There were all these chasms that were unopened; actually unknown, in myself. They not only were opened, flooded, and new ones opened to hold the reserve---but there remains still a place in me, begging for more."

Jim

Bridezilla, So glad you've continued! I so enjoy your reports, more than many of the guidebooks purchased as we plan our first visit to Africa! Based on your initial postings, we are now hoping to add a visit to Zambia (Livingstone) to our itinerary. Can't wait for your next post to see if there are additional tips to improve our trip!
Ellie

After four days on safari, we reluctantly headed off to Hoedspruit to catch our afternoon flight to Johannesburg, from where the next day we would fly to Mauritius.

Our tour operator booked a room for us at the Garden Court Hotel in Sandton, a shopping and business-oriented area of Johannesburg.

The hotel in itself was average, but the service was downright awful. We immediately got the feeling that the people at the reception had no idea what they were doing; they seemed to be busy bustling about, but accomplishing, in fact, very little. This feeling was further confirmed the next day as we waited and waited to check out and even more so when we were told that the breakfast boxes we had ordered the evening before were not ready. We later opened the boxes to find that they had thrown in whatever happened to be within reach, apparently hardboiled eggs and Coke, among other things.

The Sandton area has a vast selection of shopping malls and restaurants. Before leaving King's Camp, the kind manager at King's Camp had asked us where we were headed and upon telling him Sandton he quickly recommended the Vilamoura restaurant. However, by the time we found it and realized how posh it was and that we'd have to go back to the hotel to change into something decent, we passed. After wandering around a bit, we finally decided on a seafood restaurant in the Nelson Mandela Square that was very good.

The next morning we were ready to surrender ourselves to the tropical, beach portion of our honeymoon. Honestly, we needed the rest; hopping on and off of planes was taking its toll.

A 6-hour flight and voilà we were in Mauritius.

From the plane the lush green mountains below resembled very little the dry woodland of Limpopo. Directly below you could see field after field of sugar cane and in the distance calm ocean waters in a tie-dye of blues and greens.

We were shuttled to the town of Belle Mare, where we stayed at the Beau Rivage. The ride gave us a glimpse of the villages and the locals, largely of Indian descent, and not Creole as we had imagined.

Our little bus rocked in the wake of huge trucks charging past us bursting full with sugar cane and barely grazed past women walking along the narrow road wearing saris of all colors of the rainbow.

Arriving at the hotel we were enveloped in tropical lushness and vanilla-scented air. It was another world.

The hotel is a large complex of thatched-roof buildings with beach-front balconies that wrap around the pool area and the beach forms two half-moons of powdery white sand just beyond the pool.

Beau Rivage offers various activities free of charge such as snorkling and glass-bottom boat excursions, water skiing, paddle boating and kayaking. We passed on the water skiing. However, we really enjoyed snorkling in the coral reef; it was literally like swimming in an aquarium. In the spot where we swam the reef was intact, but further upshore the ocean floor was a cemetary of broken coral. A real shame.

Not ones to overdo it on the beach activities, our main activity was relaxing on the beach and soaking in the sun. The hotel employs roughly 450 staff members, so there was always someone on hand to straighten your beach towel, offer you juicy pineapple (yum), a glass of vanilla water (refreshing) or a face misting of Evian water (heaven).

The service is 5-star all around and the hotel gives complimentary t-shirts and sarongs in the hotel's signature saffron yellow.

As in Cape Town, here too we were given a free rental car for a day. The island is fairly large and can't be traveled in just one day, so we had to decide whether to head north, where the island's tourism is most concentrated, and go to the capital Port Louis or do the more virgin, unspoilt south. We chose the south.

On the way, we visited the Eureka colonial home and its beautiful falls and gardens, Chamarel with its land of seven colors and waterfalls, a massive, lake-side Hindu temple and zig-zagged through green mountains and lots of sugar cane, sugar cane and more sugar cane.

Originally, sugar cane, along with vanilla, were the main exports of the island and the reason for the massive importation of indentured servants from India. Sugar cane in particular was the industry that brought in the most wealth, but with the rise of beet sugar, the industry and the island as a consequence fell on hard times. The vanilla industry suffered a similar fate thanks to the widespread of artificial vanilla extract. Now, tourism and textile are the prominent industries.

It was on our way back in the late afternoon, through rush-hour traffic, that we were rear-ended. Nothing major, but a nuissance nonetheless. We were stopped at a stop sign and a 4x4, fooled by our false start, rammed right into us. By pure coincidence, as we were getting out of the car to assess the damage, the general manager of the Avis office in Port Louis happened to be driving by, recognized the car, and immediately called a representative to help us back at the police station with all the formalities. Great service.

Once everything was smoothed out and once they'd had a good chuckle at the fact that a lawyer had gotten rear-ended (hubby didn't see the humor), they handed us over a new car and we headed back to the hotel.

This incident seemed to have been the only glitch in a picture-perfect trip. But, unfortunately, it wasn't.

Just a few days ago, we got a call from the credit card company saying that our credit card had been cloned and that several transactions (totalling 3,000+ euros) had been made at various points in South Africa. Luckily, today we found out that only one (for 1,000 euros) successfully went through, so the damage has been limited.

But I don't want to end my report on a bad note, this could have happened anywhere.

So let's focus on the positive and give credit where credit is due. To this end, I've compiled a short list.

For the best organizational skills and a level of punctuality high enough to put the Swiss to shame: the Zambians
For the most understated royal treatment: King's Camp
For the most over-the-top breakfast buffet: Table Bay Hotel
For the most gentle demeanor: the Zambians
For the best overall food: Himler, the flamboyantly gay and super-talented chef at King's Camp
For the most newlyweds per square meter: Beau Rivage
For the sweetest laugh: the waiter Derrick at King's Camp
For the most diversity: the Capetownians
And the first, blue-ribbon prize for best travel companion goes to: my hubby! ;)

Thanks Fodorites for taking the time to read my report and thanks again for all your help, suggestions and encouragement with planning this trip to Africa, one of hopefully many more to come!

Mauryn

mauryn:
I enjoyed your report--very nice finish.