Bencito

This is my first album of my Nov/ Dec trip to South Africa in 2005.

http://travel.webshots.com/album/559757434yLKdVK

Highlights are as follows:

1. Johannesburg and surrounding area – Johannesburg was my first stop and I decided to spend two days in this big city. There are quite a few interesting things to do around Jo’burg.
· Soweto – a very interesting journey in this famous township. What is surprising is the beautiful millionaire houses close to shantytowns and good museums.
· Johannesburg City Tour – downtown Jo’burg can be a sobering experience, but it is interesting and provides a sharp contrast to the beautiful, affluent suburbs. The Museum Africa and the Carlton Centre are interesting stops in this tour. I went to the ritzy Sandton City by myself – another good place to spend some time in the city.
· Pretoria – pretty administrative capital of South Africa. I love the historic Church Square, Melrose House and the Union Buildings.
· Lesedi Cultural Village – I love this cultural village that shows model architecture from five tribes of South Africa. There was an impressive dance show as well. This really enhances my appreciation of the South African culture.
2. first day of my tour taking us through beautiful scenery and interesting places like Pilgrims Rest, Blyde River Canyon.
3. Game Drives including the Kruger National Park.
4. Went through Swaziland to go to Zululand.
5. A game drive through the beautiful Hluhluwe Game Reserve and a lovely visit to a local Zulu village and school. Definitely a highlight of the trip!
6. Beautiful Dolphin Coast close to Durban. Had delicious curry in Durban.

The second half of the journey will be covered under another album.

I hope you enjoy the album!

Thanks

Ben

Jed

Posting all parts on one thread makes it easier for all to follow your report and photos.

Bencito

Hi Jed, thanks for the suggestion.

Here is my album for the second part of my trip to South Africa.

http://travel.webshots.com/album/560353815ogeVfa

This album covers the following places:

1. After the Dolphin coast, we went for a hike to the beautiful Drakensberg. The scenery is spectacular but mountain hiking was definitely not my cup of tea. I am glad that I have done this to know my limits though!
2. Passing through the Golden Gate National Park to arrive at the pretty little town of Clarens. Had lunch there before going to a nice farm stay close to Ladybrand.
3. The next destination was the unique Owl House in Nieu Bethesda. The Owl house is very interesting and certainly I had never seen anything like it! We also visited a local brewery.
4. We had a free day in the Karoo campsite with a walk to admire the beautiful scenery.
5. After the Karoo campsite, we visited the beautiful Graaff Reinet, one of the highlights of the trip. The city is very beautiful with well preserved Cape Dutch architecture. The white buildings contrasted nicely with the beautiful blue sky.
6. Onto Knysna, another pretty city on the Garden Route. Very nice town site and we had a free day to explore the city, the lagoon, and the waterfront.
7. The next day, we visited the stunning Tsitsikamma national park. What a nice national park! The coastlines are spectacular, especially when the waves hit the coast. On the same day, we went to the bridge where you could do the highest bungee jumping in the world. One of our tourmates did it!
8. We visited Hermanus, but I did not spot any whales. Then we drove all the way to Cape Town. The drive to Cape Town is definitely spectacular, and one of the most beautiful I have seen.
9. We had two nights in Cape Town. Cape Town is indeed a very beautiful city. We spent two very full days visiting sights in Cape Town as a group, including the Table Mountain, Hout Bay, Cape Point Table Mountain National Park, seeing cute Penguins at Simon’s Town, the colourful V and A waterfront, two spectacular wineries (Morgenhof and Spier) and the beautiful historic city of Stellenbosch. I particularly enjoy the beautiful Cape Dutch architecture nestled in pretty scenery at the wineries.
10. My last day in Cape Town was spent in the historic city centre. Two tourmates and I took a van type taxi to the city centre and visited the beautiful historic buildings in downtown Cape Town.

And that is the end of my journey in South Africa.

Overall, this trip is very different from other ones I have done, as this trip is very nature focused. Because of the locations of the lodges (very far in the nature areas), the travel arrangements were a bit different from what I originally expected from the tour (more free time in remote areas than what I expected from reading the itinerary).

I still prefer trips that focus on history and city life rather than nature. However, I am glad to have experienced this wonderful country, as South Africa’s cultures are colourful and diverse, the country is a true blend of old and new, and the scenery and the animals are unforgettable. What I got the most out of this trip is the appreciation of indigenous cultures around the world.

Thanks!

Ben

Carrabella

Good photos, Bencito. Thanks for sharing.

What on earth was your yellow "last meal" - looked like it was served on an upside down plate!

Bencito

Hi Carrabella,

the yellow dish was Duck with Orange sauce - really good! I had this at a French restaurant at V and A waterfront.

I have updated the note of the photo.

Thanks for the comment!