SOUTH AFRICA 2018 SAFARI & SCENIC ROUTE

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DAY 2

We woke up around 5 am, and after a quick hot tea and crackers, ran to the jeeps in order to be first at the opening of the gates... There was not a second to waste! And so, accompanied by a majestic sunrise, our vehicle entered the park.

I do believe the very first animals I saw were Impalas, just off the road in the dry bushes, already grazing while keeping an eye on us. And as we trained our lenses for a few shots, the cracking of vegetation in front of us alerted us to our first African elephants! Being a first newcomer, or a seasoned safari goer, I doubt one can really get bored or such sights. As for me, it was all out excitement!

The jeep continued its slow progress as the sun and temperature rose, and soon it was all out there, surrounding us: wildebeests, hippopotamus, giraffes, zebras, Southern white rhinoceros, and one of my favourite new animals, the Greater Kudu. A majestic, proud-looking type of antelope, with beautiful, long, twisting horns. Needless to say, it was hard to stop taking pictures.

As we continued our slow drive, we came across a lone hyena crossing our path and causing us to pause, followed by some Helmeted guinea fowl. We were approaching our first stop, which also served as a watering hole for the large number of wildebeest, and countless little birds, like the very red and very bright Crimson-breasted shrike, and also the Southern-masked weaver bird.

After this short pause, on we went, driving deeper into the park and encountering more of the same. No lion or other big animals on that morning, unfortunately. And with that approaching noon, it was time to go back to the lodge for a big breakfast and a quick check out. 

Then it was time for our drive back to Johannesburg, enjoying some beautiful weather and light to admire the great Jacaranda trees bordering the road. We had an afternoon to kill and went to town for some much-needed street photography, documenting interesting architecture and mural art painting, before going to our city hotel for a delicious lunch and rest, before going out again shooting along streets and parks.

It was finally time to go back to the hotel for, of course, another delicious meal and a good night's rest: tomorrow would be a very long and very busy day indeed!

DAY 3

We were up 6 am, had a big breakfast, and in no time were on our way to the domestic airport for a short flight which would take us from Johannesburg to the town of George, and on our way to explore the magnificent sights and sounds of Plettenberg Bay.

It was a short, less than two-hour flight to George, and right after landing, Julian introduced us to our local guide, who would accompany us, and shared all of his local knowledge and stories, for the rest of the trip all the way to Cape Town!

And so hop into the car again, and driving along the coast, partly shrouded by mist, on we went to some dramatic landscape photography. The coastline was dramatic, and I had never experienced one like that. The expense in front of me was virtually infinite. I was filling up my lungs with fresh and salted air as the wind buffeted against my body, standing almost at the edge of the tall cliffs, admiring some of the residents perched incredibly so close to the precipice: what a sight!
 

As the afternoon grew late, it was time again to drive, and it took us less than an hour to reach our lodge and eat: on the menu, fresh seafood and vegetables accompanied by a nice cool local white wine "The Old Man's Bland", a light Sauvignon Blanc, 2017, by Peter & Nicholas Pentz (Proprietors).

DAY 4

My records show we woke up around 5 am, or possible slightly early, because I have a time stamp on me being ready to get in the car by  5.30 am... and as there barely was a hint of light in the East, we drove to the coast, to a place called Nature's Valley, where a lake/estuary was bordering the sea, and a perfect place to observe the sunrise on the beach. Beats waking up early and driving to the office anyway!

We set up our cameras on tripods to capture some of the sunrise and sea/waves nature shots, but almost immediately our attention was drawn by the magnificent Egyptian goose flying in and landing quite close to us. We would encounter them quite a few times at different locations during our drive south to Cape Town, so plenty of opportunities still to capture some good shots, we were told.

As the sun started to rise, we had a few opportunities to get some landscape clicks, keeping an eye on the geese and also seagulls now coming to comb the sand and feed around the beach. In the distance, on a dead tree half standing above the lake's waters, a Pied kingfisher landed, surveying the surroundings and then deciding to move on as quickly as it appeared! 

A Cape cormorant flew across the lake, its wings skimming the waters... At the far end of the Lake, I could see a bright green little Woodhouse, which, funny enough, made me think of a cabin on a Canadian lake I had once seen in a magazine!

It was barely 7 am when we were done at the beach. The light was already harsh, and the magic of the golden hour and early shots was quickly fading. We jumped back (ok, crawled back because we were tired and hungry), into our car and drive to a nearby, very special place for a big breakfast: a place where not only we could enjoy delicious coffee and all sorts of yummy treats, but also be surrounded by an amazing variety of chickens, roosters, rabbits, and even very friendly donkeys! Come for the coffee, stay for the wildlife, I wanted to tell the management of the Bread & Brew, to advertise, maybe! A very unique place indeed...

With our stomach now warm and full, we hit the road again, soon to arrive at the amazing Plettenberg Bay Birds and Monkeys Sanctuaries: if you are familiar with the new Bird Paradise in Singapore, you get the idea of the enormous aviary exhibits and the multitude of birds you can see, and this is where we started our visit.

It is difficult to give a complete list of all birds we encountered, but let’s say all sorts and variety of parrots, parakeets, pheasants, fowls, ducks, goose, weaver birds, Ibis etc... but for us the most interesting, and entertaining, was certainly a very notorious Peach-fronted Parakeet, known to hitch hike a ride on visitors head or shoulders. And your indeed for some reason, was chosen by this parakeet, it suddenly flew out of the trees and landed on my shoulder, immediately taking a great interest and delight in biting and poking at my camera shoulder trap! It was not just hitching a ride, actually.... it just stayed there for a whole two hours, even refusing to take off when I needed to go to the bathroom.

It finally let me go when we almost reached the end of our tour near the duck pond. Maybe it was out of his forested area and did not like it so much in the open, or maybe it was just tired of me. As we walked towards the gate and the adjacent Monkeyland, I turned around hoping to see it again, but it was unfortunately long gone: maybe looking for its next victim!

The monkey sanctuary was obviously quite different, but as fascinating, if not more, if you like monkeys and looking for species you would otherwise never find outside of a park. Maybe for me, due to their cute face and small size, the Capuchin monkey was a favourite, while some velvet monkeys did not shy away from opening their mouth and showing an impressive set of teeth I would not want pointed in my direction! The White-handed gibbon was also a very nice specimen, with its very long arms and agility swinging from branch to tree.

Howler monkey was also a nice spotting, along with lemurs, a few large turtles slowly ambling along the paths, and more of the same after a while until we neared the exit, where a feeding table on a pole attracted quite a large crowd of primates. And that’s when I think we took our last shots and decided enough primates for a morning. It was time to go!

We drove towards the coast and ended up, of all places, at an amazing little Italian restaurant 'Ristorante Enrico': and what better to enjoy a delicious plate of creamy pasta accompanied by a white wine, while looking at the waves slowly rolling onto the shore below us. It could be worse, like a day in the office ;-)

After our lunch, next on our itinerary was a visit to the township district, with a focus on one of the schools and its children. And I think it was very good to see some of the non-touristy aspects of South Africa. This was no slum by far (as one can see closer to home in some of Southeast Asia's capitals), but was visibly a poor area.
 

But the school visit was cheerful and educational, as it should be. We learned a bit about the different programs being taught, but also the life in the district, while at the same time being constantly asked many questions and requests to try our cameras by the children: very noisy, very happy, very smiling.

We walked around, learning a bit more still, and took stock of the reality of life for different classes of people.

Having spent some money on snacks and drinks at the exit, we embarked on the next leg of our journey, driving again along the magnificent coastline, and reached our lodge for the night in the Plettenberg hills. Dinner would be at a local seafood restaurant, The Lookout Deck, which served both seafood and juicy meat. Wine was again on the menu. It was pitch dark when we reached our rooms, and we just crashed into bed.

DAY 5

Being on holidays, especially on a safari or grand tour, is hard work, as we rose again early and departed our night stop to visit a Cheetah sanctuary and one of the famed Ostrich farms. I was very excited to meet the Cheetah.

Of all the big cats, this is the most cat-like, with the distinctive ability to really purr, not roar. Of course, its speed and agility are legendary, but generally speaking, this is the big cat I, for some deep, mysterious reason, can relate to the most. And so when we arrived and walked to the enclosure (those are Cheetah found injured or sick in the wild and maybe having a chance of being let back out: for some, this would become their forever home, unfortunately) where one of the adults was lying down, purring, and enjoying the sun.

Quick safety brief (e.g., do not be loud, sudden, or do anything stupid), and it was my turn. I kneeled on its side and started gently stroking its head and body. It was incredibly soft, but warm too. And that purring was so captivating... 

It was a mesmerising experience. And after we had all had our turn, we toured the rest of the facility, where lions, other Cheetahs, Bat-eared foxes (very cute), and Meerkats could also be found, and came across a smaller enclosure where a baby Cheetah was sitting close to the fence. Needless to say, the urge to grab it and bring it back home was strong (joking, but still...).

Alas, it was time again to move, and leave the Cheetah behind (with a heart), and head to the Ostrich farm: I was looking forward to that too, as those are really peculiar big birds... 

The tour started at the Ostrich feather offices, where we were educated on the work behind collecting and working the famed feathers, finding their ways into different industries all over the world, as well as the notoriously large eggs! 

All that said and done, we moved to the back of the farm where the beasts were kept, and went through another show where one could ride one (not race) for some photo opportunities: I must admit to being a bit tensed, fearing it would just take off! But the farm’s staff did race them: looked very unstable but managed to complete the circuit somehow. Hats off!

Although we were given big buckets of corns and placed alongside the fence, those big birds came in fast and hungry and plunged their long neck into the buckets. You really had to hold that bucket firmly because they were digging in with force and resolution to the last grain! We also had the opportunity to visit the baby Ostrich, the result of their breeding program at the farm, and that more or less concluded our visit here: until we went to the restaurant.

On the menu: Ostrich steak.

After our delicious lunch... we moved to the nearby Cango wildlife ranch, where we caught up with a few birds of prey, like the famous and endangered Cape Griffon vulture, some very funny and cheeky Pigmy hippopotamus, and a few reptiles. I was actually looking forward to diving in the cage, but apparently the water was so cold, they (crocodiles) were not in the mood, and the exhibit was closed. Pity...

Finally, the end of the day came, as we drove to our resting place for the night: a very nice ranch/cottage sitting on top of a small hill overlooking a vast expanse of valleys. But most importantly, with an unprecedented, unobstructed night sky panorama, which was where we would practice our astrophotography. I had a big room for myself in a villa on the side, and I think my next neighbour was two villas away: so much space...

After all the unpacking was done, and a few minutes spent refreshing myself, I headed back to the main foyer for an evening drink, especially enjoying myself with a few cool Amarula Cream. Dinner was served, the ambiance was great, but it seems we were all also eager to go back to our villas and prepare our gear.

Needless to say, the sky was cloudless, clear, and almost limitless. I quickly set up my camera, wide-angle lens, and tripod a few meters outside the villa, and started taking a few shots. Then I switched to making shots with me in the frame, moving a torchlight, and making some rays of light shoot in the dark skies. But after a while, as the night was getting late and very dark, I suddenly realized I was alone out there. 

If anything came and snatched me, wild beast or ET, nobody would know! I kind of chuckled. But a few minutes later, I decided to pack, shower, and get a few hours’ sleep before yet another early morning rise and drive to our next destination, closer and closer to the Cape!

DAY 6

We woke up around 5 am, again, and were on the road, reaching the Meerkat areas just before the sun rose, in a place not far from Oudtshoorn. It was therefore still a bit dark, cold, and we went for a short hike across the plane to 'Meerkat Castle', and sat on designated chairs, waiting for the little animals to wake up, show up, and hopefully show off!

It was a bit fresh, in the open plain, sitting and waiting, and not until the sun started warming up the air, and the first Meerkats showed up, did we forget all about the early morning rise and cold in our bones (at least for me!)

The Meerkats were everything you could have hoped for. Adorable, for sure. A bit sleepy first, as they emerged from their burrows, one at a time, standing up on their hind legs and using the tail for steady balance, surveying the surroundings and above sky for any sign of danger: I was smiling, as a 'National Geographic' or 'David Attenborough' voice in my head was trying to narrate the moment... And as the air was warming up, some more the activity ramped up even more, and they dared to venture a bit further from their hole in the ground, coming even a bit closer to us.

No surprise, the little ones were of course, a riot, being a bit more active and curious about everything around them, and at times required the parents to step in and prevent them from going out too far. And I guess it was around that time, about an hour before the first Meerkat poked its head out of the ground, that they decided to leave their home and go forage and hunt (I assume), and were soon all out of reach. 

That was our cue, and we did the same, walking back the long way to the lodge, packing, and driving to our very much anticipated next stop: elephants' close encounter!

We drove back south towards the sea, but the route soon took us back uphill into a small mountain range, where the Indalu ranch. We wasted no time, prepared our gear, and hopped in a large jeep with some other guests.

Up and down hilly slopes, we came across some distant rhinoceroses, impalas, and even a few majestic elands. But as we descended once more into a depression leading to a valley, we caught sight of our first elephants. As scheduled, we disembarked, and after a short security briefing on how to behave close to those gentle giants, we were allowed to walk right next to them to their waterhole, and when I say right next to them, I mean, like holding hands and trunk together. Truly magical…

We were making our way with two of the smallest ones, but could see some much bigger ones further down the valley, along some Greater Kudus. And soon we arrived at the stop, meeting and greeting with one of the older, bigger bulls. They were extremely gentle, letting us come intimately close, touching their trunk, tusks, feeling the incredibly rough and wrinkled texture of their skin, and of course, giving them treats. 

We unfortunately had to leave the elephants and drive back to the lodge, and our way down South towards Hermanus. And as we drove closer to the sea, we could see a change of climate and landscape. No more mountains for now, just rolling hills mostly covered in mist, and I could almost taste the salt in the cooler air, too! 

Driving around the small, narrow streets, we finally arrived at our lodge and quickly unpacked and freshened up before hitting the road again to go for a yummy seafood dinner at the aptly named Burgundy Restaurant. Tomorrow was going to be a very busy day!

DAY 7

Another great anticipated encounter of our trip was the African small penguins, and we would see a lot from here to Cape Town! As we were informed by our local tour guide, the African penguin is a critically endangered species, with a severe risk of extinction: total population collapse is close to 95%. Of the many factors cited, sadly, one of them was overfishing, and specifically a few fish species critical to their survival, but used primarily for pet and cat food. 

Also mentioned were, of course, climate change and sea surface temperature, redistributing their prey, and human activity along the coast. As a consequence, this area we were going to visit was very strictly guarded and restricted, with pathways to follow and close interaction prohibited.

We barely made it to the car park when a small group of the said African penguins appeared out of the bush and greeted us: maybe a bit anxious and surprised to see us so close. But after keeping quiet and taking a few clicks at them, smiling ear to ear, they probably knew we had no harmful intent and passed by us, into the other side of the car park and down the beach: this was going to be fun!

The wind picked up almost immediately as we made our way down. It was rocky at times, slippery even, and we had to walk carefully and secure our hats. Along the rocky path, families of very cute, adorable Rock dassies: poking their heads out of their burrows, all huddled together at times on the stony walls bordering our path.  

We soon were surrounded by multitudes of birds, having reached the rocky shoreline, walking slowly, battling the furious winds, and being careful not to spill our tour guide's hot coffee he had just given us. Egyptian goose, Cape Cormorant, sea gulls, of course, and a few other species were all around, and it was hard to keep focus on which one to click! We could clearly see the Cape cormorants being very busy bringing back twigs and other material for their nest, as the season demanded.

We walked further south and West, encountering more penguins on the sandy beaches, and loving every minute of their swimming in the waves: surfing, yes, rolling, tumbling too! Meanwhile, finally off the shore and I'm sure not too bothered by the white-capped churning waves, our first Southern Right Whales are transiting to those waters to breed and calve in the quieter waters of the Walker Bay. 

From our location, they were pretty far out and a bit out of reach of our short lenses, but we could still see their tails when diving, sending a big spray of water in the air. We were cold and we were starving. Thankfully, we were scheduled to go have a scrumptious seafood lunch (local fish and chips for me!) at the famous Bientang's Cave Restaurant & wine bar. And let me tell you, enjoying a dipping hot lunch with a glass of chilled white wine, sitting outside a natural cave overlooking the sea, was as close to winning the lottery for us!

Bone-chilled and tired after a long morning excursion, we headed back to the hotel to rest a while before going out again, strolling along the coast, and whale watching. The weather was stormy, and whales were far away at sea, but breaching waters, coming up and diving, non-stop. At least we could see barnacles on their skin! And we walked up and down the shoreline path, watching the abundant wildlife around us, until it was time to go back to admire the sunset, then head back to the hotel, and go out again for a well-deserved nearby dinner!

DAY 8

We woke up not too early for a change, at 6 am, and took our time to have a solid breakfast before hitting the road. This morning would be a long drive south towards Cape Town. And our first stop would be the famed white sanded beach of Muizenberd, with its iconic multicoloured beach huts!

I could barely sit tight in the car as we drove, already wondering how I would take photos on the beach, which angles, how wide, and would it be too obstructive to the beach goers, or would nobody care? Maybe I should have brought a beach shorts and a towel to try out the waters, I suddenly thought... and so many other thoughts went through my head, which made time pass quickly. And so we finally arrived.

The vast, and I mean virtually from horizon to horizon, expanse of beach front and ocean was as breathtaking as one could imagine or see from documentaries and holiday photos. We were greeted by a cloudless, deep blue sky, and while hot, the sun was gentle enough not to burn us as we took our first steps onto the soft white sand.

We would spend almost two hours walking up and down the fabulous beach, taking multitudes of portrait, action, and landscape shots. Surfers, beach combers, children playing in the waves, dogs running in the surf, young and old couples holding hands, seagulls shouting for nothing above our heads, it was a non-stop va-et-vient of life on the beach saturating our senses. And the air... that sea salt taste you can just feel on your tongue and skin with a hint of sulphur (naturally produced by a mix of organic compounds going through their life cycle, such as, mostly, seaweeds). A feast for the eyes and nose.

There was an option to do a Great White shark cage dive, and I had opted in, of course. Unfortunately, the sea was quite agitated and the charter had been cancelled for safety reasons. Sigh... I had missed the giant crocodile cage swimming, and now this. It was getting more and more difficult those days to live dangerously!

And speaking of sense, our stomach soon indicated lunch time was overdue, so we headed to Simon's town for some local, good old-fashioned fish and chips at the 'Salty Sea Dog'. A hint of white vinegar on those chips reminded me of a similar taste, back a lifetime ago in Dublin, somehow...

We still had a bit of time before our long drive to Cape Town, and decided to spend a bit more time along the coast, and came across a small colony of African penguins, further down the beach where rocks protruded, taking over space from the sand. They were everywhere! Very busy going here and there, nesting, catching fish, surfing maybe for fun, it seemed, and otherwise doing very penguin-ish things. It was difficult at times to know where and what to shoot, and the trick was really to select a subject doing something specific: then you could take a good click.

Alas, the time had come, and we had to leave behind this amazing place! I could not help thinking what it could, or would, be like living nearby, having such an unreal vista to soak your soul into day and out, sunny or stormy, the endless walks, joyful aimless wandering...

I was woken up from my daydreaming when we reached the park entrance to the legendary Cape of Good Hope! It was a short drive up a plain, giving way to hills, and very quickly to giant rocks and the peak where we took a short ride in a cable car (nicknamed Flying Dutchman), up to the observatory top. On each side, sheer, broken stony cliffs were almost covered by Cape cormorant nesting: streams of white guano testified to their presence, too. And a noisy lot they were too...

To say it was windy was a mild statement. The fact that we could stay upright at a nearly 30-degree forward angle said a lot, as we almost all lost our hats before fastening them sharply. It was incredible to see the vastness of the cape beyond and realize this is where the Atlantic was meeting the Indian Ocean. However, technically speaking, this was not the southernmost point of South Africa; that distinction goes to Cape Agulhas, which is much less dramatic indeed as a flat, sandy, rocky patch of earth. Pity we did not have time to go there as well!

Back to Cape of Good Hope, after coming back down to the main shore, we spent some time photographing flocks of Cape Cormorant flying fast and low, skimming the top of white-capped waves. Although not matching the ferocious winds at the top, it was still quite windy at sea level, and we could feel the sea salt spray on our faces, which was always a delightful feeling. 

You almost did not want those sights and sounds to end, and again, I was daydreaming, thinking what a life close to such magnificent nature would be like...

But it was time to turn around for good this time, and the park offered us a bit more wildlife with some great Eland on the rocky slopes, and a few wild and free-roaming Ostrich, silhouetted against the fading sun as it started to drop in the West. And as the light diminished, we drove back to Cape Town, reaching the big city with just enough light to see Table Mountain and the first few stars. We were tired and longing for a nice diner near the harbour, back to civilisation, but still looking forward to some nature and wildlife experience on our last few days.

DAY 9

An ominous grey-ish sky greeted us after our breakfast, as we exited the hotel and climbed into our car. And on the horizon, we could see, or rather not see, the top of Table Mountain. We did not worry too much, since we were not going there this morning, and rather the opposite direction, back to the ocean, where a charter boat would be waiting for us to go at sea and bring us to Hout Bay, on a tour to observe large colonies of brown fur seals. A first for all of us.

We arrived at the harbour, as the wind had already picked up, and blanketed the azure, blue sea with white spray mist all over. We held our breath, hoping the ride would not be cancelled. And as other tourists gathered to board, and the gate was lowered, we let a sigh of relief and quickly positioned ourselves at the bow, wanting to get all the sights first.

The panorama in front of us was majestic, grandiose. Hout Bay was bordered by tall mountains on both sides, and somehow protected from the worst a bad weather front, I'm sure, would unleash at times. On our not-so-small boat, we could already feel the waves pounding on the hull, while going up and down, slightly rolling at times, too. It was fun, while a bit challenging for photography... and once we had almost cleared the relative safety of the Bay, the sea became even more agitated, even spending little water sprouts and mini tornadoes of white sprays not so far from us. And on our side, a few giant rocks, literally covered by very noisy and rowdy Brown fur seals. 

And I mean, you could barely see the rock at all, it was just a giant, floating mass of blubbery folding and wet fur, soaking up the sun. There were a few fights here and there, between individuals already having a spot, and those coming out of the sea and trying to find one to dry and warm up. It was rowdy.

While all this was happening, we were being sprayed by water spray more and more, and the boat was now rocking a little bit left and right. More passengers had taken refuge inside the cabin, while we, of course, were clinging to the rails outside, trying to get more shots. But ultimately, the captain announced the sea was getting a bit dangerous, and we were heading back to port. This was a bit disappointing for us as we had hoped to continue the tour and see more of the seals, but the captain's decision was final.

After docking, we quickly disembarked, feeling a bit land sick for a few minutes after the boat's rocky motion, and got in our car for another drive. This was the part of our journey where we would have a good chance to see plenty of whales, hopefully with calves, and vast white sand beaches stretching for miles at a time.

And we were not to be disappointed.

The first half of the drive was going up, following a small mountainous road, twisting and turning, hugging steep cliffs and rough terrain. Below and as far as the eye could see, blue sea and sky, with a few patches of white and grey clouds, which we suspected would not do well if we were to go to Table Mountain.

But for now, a few whales, mother and calves, could be seen in the waters below, hugging the coastline. A bit far to see great details, but close enough to take a few good shots still of them breaching the waterline. It was a mesmerizing spectacle. Thinking about it now, a long lens like my 600mm would have been good at the time (I only had a 70-400mm telephoto zoom). Further than the whales' migration path, a coastguard patrol boat came into view, and after a few minutes, we could see they were doing some search and rescue training. This was no easy task for the men in the water, and while the sea was a bit rough, this was still good weather. I could not imagine what it would be like in bad or stormy gale conditions!

Up, up we drove, taking in more amazing panoramas, until we finally reached the top, and started our journey down the Noordhoek valley. In front of us, an immense white sandy beach, stretching in an almost perfect crescent, several hundred meters of fine sand, bordering a blue azure sea, all the way to the horizon and tip of the land. We stopped to take in the view: for a few long minutes, as the single person riding a horse rode in the middle of the sandy beach towards the sea. 

A rustic long-roof house, on top of the cliff, with a tall chimney, caught our eyes.

Down we drove, our stomachs reminded us of the time of day, and we stopped by a small coffee shop, where we enjoyed a kind of brunch-ish meal. Like everything else since we had landed in Johannesburg more than a week ago, it was delicious. And our empty plates could attest to that.

We left and were on the road once again, this time driving to Cape Town's Bo-Kaap residential area: a historically small part of town built in the late 18th century, originally home to Muslim migrants and freed slaves. The area is very quaint looking with very iconic, small colourful houses and shopfronts painted in bright yellow, blue, purple, green, orange, and other bold and simple colours. A few local aromas soon drifted our way, and we knew there was some good food around, of course.

But this was not a stop for lunch as we were on a clock and had to check whether or not Table Mountain top would be accessible... unfortunately, heavy clouds had rolled in while in town, and soon covered the whole mountain: the cable cars would not be operating, or if able to bring us to the top, may not be able to bring us down forcing us to spend the night very far indeed from our hotel!

There was still plenty to see, so before the weather turned to rain, we rushed to another sightseeing place, Signal Hill. Good thing for us, this amazing place gave us an almost 360-degree view of Cape Town, with the famous DHL Stadium to the West, along with the sea covering our field of view from South to North on that side of the hill. To the East and South, the Table Mountain top was entirely covered, misty, and maybe a bit stormy looking. There was no way this was happening today, unfortunately. But the view in between, from the other iconic National Geographic Signage, almost made up for it.

Alas, the afternoon of our last day was coming to a close, and we had one more stop to go before the sun gave up on today's epic sightseeing. So we rushed down the hill and quickly reached Camps Bay, where we could still indulge in some landscape photography and (self) portrait.

And just like that, as night came after a quick change of clothes in our hotel, we went out for our last dinner at the famous Gold Restaurant. 

This is a very unique place where one can test delicacies from half a dozen African countries, with a sight and sound show, in which you must be a participant. Spoiler alert, my fingers did hurt after the drumming session!

Farewell (for this time)

And on day 10, we took the short ride to the international airport, on our six and a half hours afternoon flight back to Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) and then the final ten and a half hours flight to home, Singapore.

This had been my first real adventure in Africa, and had given me a good sampling of diverse landscapes of South Africa, mixing safari elements with lots of sightseeing and fantastic drives along the coastline. Many memories, many photographs, and also not to forget what we had seen and experienced. A really delightful experience all around, and a longing to come back to Africa and see more...

The End.

Reference Notes

As some of the original travel agencies no longer exist as they were, if you are interested in such a trip, please email me at contact@lanceflare.com, and I will help you with your inquiry.

If you are interested in some of the photographs presented in this document, or wish to see more snapshots related to a particular subject, just for viewing or for printing, email me at contact@lanceflare.com 

Equipment

SONY a7RIII

SONY a99V

70-400mm zoom lens

SONY 11-18mm wide-angle lens

GOPro camera

SD cards

USB backup drives

Light tripod (astrophotography and landscape)

iPhone 8Plus

Post Processing software: Capture One (updated from Phase One)

Special thanks

To Julian, our Singapore tour operator and friend, for his limitless passion and dedication in helping me realize this trip. And many more!

To our local South African guides, for their expert knowledge sharing and friendship during our stay.