South Africa - 2009 - Report and pictures
We are used to cycle around the world, but what's so fun about it? It is very special to travel in a foreign country,
meet people, go to the local market, enjoy the landscape. Well our family believes so too. But you also have to stay in an aircraft, go by customs,
will encounter people who you can not understand and you're somewhere where wild beasts roam, that they might sound less attractive.
Nevertheless, there are 5 companions ready to on September 12 to leave with us for South Africa.
We can all still not exactly form an idea of what is to come, we hope for a beautiful country, many wild
animals and no trouble (the amount of warnings for this country is enormous).
We make a pretty traditional round from Johannesburg (we soon learn that it is Jo'burg). The first stop is in Tzaneen, the "misty mountains" where the tea plantations ensure a beautiful green landscape. The houses at Magoebaskloof Ruskamp are fine bungalows in the traditional form of Rondavels. Jeroen, Eliana, Mark and Mandy make a canopy tour through the gorge and zoom over waterfalls and yawning depths. Very cool! In order to get going we all have a nice lunch on the terrace of the old tea plantation in ?. Tzaneen itself is not much fun, a few shops and a supermarket, enough to ensure that we can enjoy an evening braai. We feel great in this country, the weather is nice and the surroundings beautiful.
Wild animals are the main goal of this trip, but what we can expect is still not clear to everyone. The first monkey in the wild is converted into a photo shoot subject, this might be the last we get to see (of course not, but we still do not know). The next three days we'll stay in a real lodge, the lodge in the Gomo Gomo Klaserie / Timbavati park. This park is connected to Kruger, but is a private park. The lodge is super luxury, we have two bungalows, each with two bedrooms. Everything looks new, it is the first year that the lodge is at this location. Upon arrival, the drinking pool area is filled with elephants, wow! We immediately drop the suitcases and shoot many beautiful pictures. Relax says the ranger, they come here every day. Yes yes, it will be. This afternoon the outset our first safari, in the full sun in an open vehicle. We pack our stuff, sunburn and cap, camera and water. All at once we see many animals, of course impalas but soon three solitary buffaloes (from a large herd passing through here days ago), elephants and giraffes. Everyone enjoys. We drive into the dark, which is spectacular, but no special nocturnal animals for us today, while yesterday others have seen a leopard and rhinoceros, which we of course want as well. After dinner quickly to bed, tomorrow we will have to get up at 5 in the morning, would that really be worth it during our holiday?
Coffee, tea and cookies help us wake up in the early morning. It's still pretty cold and a thick sweater is necessary. But it is already light and it looks so beautiful. Three days of safari, in the morning, after breakfast with our ranger on foot to find tracks. In the afternoon / evening a drive in the dark. Jean de ranger tells us about everything, we learn to look beyond the big five and enjoy everything around us. Fortunately, we also see the big animals, the rhinos are found by the spotter and the buffalo herd we see in the last morning drive as well. To have 300 animals in front of you is pretty scary. The most spectacular is our search for the leopard, we first find the prey she has caught in the night and then the female with young. The next morning she is still there and we can make pictures. What a beautiful animal! But the birds, owls, vultures, zazous (the Lion King) and small five are great as well. The elephants are indeed every day at the pool to drink, play and wash. The baboons are cautious and the other animals watch out as well. During our safaris on foot we learn to recognize tracks and droppings, and we even have a spitting contest, guess who wins, Jeroen of course! Only the lions are not found. We know where they are, but it is outside our area ....
After three days we drive of out of the park again, after first chasing aweay a few elephants, we no longer look suprised they are here! The panoramaroute is worth its name, the gorge is deep and we can come close up to the edge. Near God's Window, it is very foggy, so the curtains of the window remain shut. Harry's pancakes are a little overrated in our opinion. The policeman who wants to fine Mark for ignoring a stop sign gets entangled in his own story and finally let us drive through without paying, strange folks here. The route runs all the way to Swaziland and We have a long way to go. It is getting dark and the weather gets worse. At the border post a beautiful stamp is promised to us but everything is very fast and reasonably efficient, but no stamp. The weather is now horrible as we drive to the resort in Hawane, Swaziland. There they are all worried, but we still get a nice hot meal in a restaurant. The park looks beautiful, we all have our own house in special style.
Swaziland is beautiful, greener than what we saw so far (not strange with these rains). We visit a souvenir market (not anyone to see). Els and Sandra find it appalling to bargain, so they do not participate. Jeroen and Eliana get it going and Ruud we have to save from buying an ugly shirt in African style. He would have worn it too. If we playing the tourist, we are doing it the right way, so we go and visit the Zulus. We attend a dance and singing show where to our surprise the whole theatre is full of local South Africans. Fortunately not only white tourists here.
There are still a few special animals on our safari wish list: crocodiles, hippos and whales. Therefore we have to go to the coast. St Lucia is a beautiful location in the wetland area next to the Indian Ocean. For whales, you have to rise early again, but we are now accustomed to that. With a small boat we go over the waves to the open sea. This is mega-spectacular. You must hold on tightly, otherwise you hit the boat and miraculously we're on the right side, because our fellow travelers on the other side of the boat are soaked. Then we float around waiting for the giant beasts and that "tail" to get on the photo. Despite travel pills Sandra feeds the fish and Mandy looks a bit pale. The whales are wonderful and very beautiful, so graceful. Photos are not as easy to take, if you think the tail is coming into view it disappears quickly again.
Back on land we see the animals of the Wetland Park on the way to the beach. We see rhinos, many antelope, one lonely hippo on land, crocodiles, birds and monkeys on the beach. The sea is wonderful, but for snorkeling we are late and the sea is too rough. St Lucia is a small tourist village with a relaxed atmosphere. We eat good food, chat to Ivan our host, but he never stops talking. One evening on the road from the bay suddenly a hippo sticks his head out of the bush as we drive. OHOW!
Without spotting some lions we can not leave this country, so towards the Drakensberg we go through the Hluhluwe National Park. Now we drive aroudn in our own the cars, which is also cool. And yes, we almost miss the lioness who is really just 2 meter beside the road in the bush, resting after a nice meal of buffalo that she has eaten. We shoot the SD cards full with oortraits, the window open but when she gets up quickly closing it again. Wow, what a grace, she is marked by time, but beautiful! If we also see a group of white rhino this trip is absolutely fabulous. Quickly now to the Drakensberg, we would not want to arrive in the dark again (at least not Mandy). This area is actually suitable for a holiday in itself, you can find beautiful walks and the view of the Amphitheater is stunningly beautiful. Nobody wants to come, but Mark and Mandy can not resist go out and spend a whole day walking in the gorge. Great to be so active again. To be hones, we have missed the bike a bit. This last night we enjoy a delicious braai and think about this wonderful journey. Everyone has enjoyed it, especially the wild animals were an experience for all. We can not drive around without looking what animals anymore and we are even real birdlovers occasionally. It was ok with the small insects, wasn't it Ruud? Sandra saw her beloved giraffes and Jeroen and Eli as newly married couple occurred regularly in the photo shoots. Sandra overcame her fear of heights at the potholes on a high bridge and Els her fear of planes, she even loved seeing London from the sky. And we, we enjoyed this trip with our family and make plans to travel again on our bike. But the family knows now what it is to be so far away in a strange country, which after a few days feels already familiar.
We make a pretty traditional round from Johannesburg (we soon learn that it is Jo'burg). The first stop is in Tzaneen, the "misty mountains" where the tea plantations ensure a beautiful green landscape. The houses at Magoebaskloof Ruskamp are fine bungalows in the traditional form of Rondavels. Jeroen, Eliana, Mark and Mandy make a canopy tour through the gorge and zoom over waterfalls and yawning depths. Very cool! In order to get going we all have a nice lunch on the terrace of the old tea plantation in ?. Tzaneen itself is not much fun, a few shops and a supermarket, enough to ensure that we can enjoy an evening braai. We feel great in this country, the weather is nice and the surroundings beautiful.
Wild animals are the main goal of this trip, but what we can expect is still not clear to everyone. The first monkey in the wild is converted into a photo shoot subject, this might be the last we get to see (of course not, but we still do not know). The next three days we'll stay in a real lodge, the lodge in the Gomo Gomo Klaserie / Timbavati park. This park is connected to Kruger, but is a private park. The lodge is super luxury, we have two bungalows, each with two bedrooms. Everything looks new, it is the first year that the lodge is at this location. Upon arrival, the drinking pool area is filled with elephants, wow! We immediately drop the suitcases and shoot many beautiful pictures. Relax says the ranger, they come here every day. Yes yes, it will be. This afternoon the outset our first safari, in the full sun in an open vehicle. We pack our stuff, sunburn and cap, camera and water. All at once we see many animals, of course impalas but soon three solitary buffaloes (from a large herd passing through here days ago), elephants and giraffes. Everyone enjoys. We drive into the dark, which is spectacular, but no special nocturnal animals for us today, while yesterday others have seen a leopard and rhinoceros, which we of course want as well. After dinner quickly to bed, tomorrow we will have to get up at 5 in the morning, would that really be worth it during our holiday?
Coffee, tea and cookies help us wake up in the early morning. It's still pretty cold and a thick sweater is necessary. But it is already light and it looks so beautiful. Three days of safari, in the morning, after breakfast with our ranger on foot to find tracks. In the afternoon / evening a drive in the dark. Jean de ranger tells us about everything, we learn to look beyond the big five and enjoy everything around us. Fortunately, we also see the big animals, the rhinos are found by the spotter and the buffalo herd we see in the last morning drive as well. To have 300 animals in front of you is pretty scary. The most spectacular is our search for the leopard, we first find the prey she has caught in the night and then the female with young. The next morning she is still there and we can make pictures. What a beautiful animal! But the birds, owls, vultures, zazous (the Lion King) and small five are great as well. The elephants are indeed every day at the pool to drink, play and wash. The baboons are cautious and the other animals watch out as well. During our safaris on foot we learn to recognize tracks and droppings, and we even have a spitting contest, guess who wins, Jeroen of course! Only the lions are not found. We know where they are, but it is outside our area ....
After three days we drive of out of the park again, after first chasing aweay a few elephants, we no longer look suprised they are here! The panoramaroute is worth its name, the gorge is deep and we can come close up to the edge. Near God's Window, it is very foggy, so the curtains of the window remain shut. Harry's pancakes are a little overrated in our opinion. The policeman who wants to fine Mark for ignoring a stop sign gets entangled in his own story and finally let us drive through without paying, strange folks here. The route runs all the way to Swaziland and We have a long way to go. It is getting dark and the weather gets worse. At the border post a beautiful stamp is promised to us but everything is very fast and reasonably efficient, but no stamp. The weather is now horrible as we drive to the resort in Hawane, Swaziland. There they are all worried, but we still get a nice hot meal in a restaurant. The park looks beautiful, we all have our own house in special style.
Swaziland is beautiful, greener than what we saw so far (not strange with these rains). We visit a souvenir market (not anyone to see). Els and Sandra find it appalling to bargain, so they do not participate. Jeroen and Eliana get it going and Ruud we have to save from buying an ugly shirt in African style. He would have worn it too. If we playing the tourist, we are doing it the right way, so we go and visit the Zulus. We attend a dance and singing show where to our surprise the whole theatre is full of local South Africans. Fortunately not only white tourists here.
There are still a few special animals on our safari wish list: crocodiles, hippos and whales. Therefore we have to go to the coast. St Lucia is a beautiful location in the wetland area next to the Indian Ocean. For whales, you have to rise early again, but we are now accustomed to that. With a small boat we go over the waves to the open sea. This is mega-spectacular. You must hold on tightly, otherwise you hit the boat and miraculously we're on the right side, because our fellow travelers on the other side of the boat are soaked. Then we float around waiting for the giant beasts and that "tail" to get on the photo. Despite travel pills Sandra feeds the fish and Mandy looks a bit pale. The whales are wonderful and very beautiful, so graceful. Photos are not as easy to take, if you think the tail is coming into view it disappears quickly again.
Back on land we see the animals of the Wetland Park on the way to the beach. We see rhinos, many antelope, one lonely hippo on land, crocodiles, birds and monkeys on the beach. The sea is wonderful, but for snorkeling we are late and the sea is too rough. St Lucia is a small tourist village with a relaxed atmosphere. We eat good food, chat to Ivan our host, but he never stops talking. One evening on the road from the bay suddenly a hippo sticks his head out of the bush as we drive. OHOW!
Without spotting some lions we can not leave this country, so towards the Drakensberg we go through the Hluhluwe National Park. Now we drive aroudn in our own the cars, which is also cool. And yes, we almost miss the lioness who is really just 2 meter beside the road in the bush, resting after a nice meal of buffalo that she has eaten. We shoot the SD cards full with oortraits, the window open but when she gets up quickly closing it again. Wow, what a grace, she is marked by time, but beautiful! If we also see a group of white rhino this trip is absolutely fabulous. Quickly now to the Drakensberg, we would not want to arrive in the dark again (at least not Mandy). This area is actually suitable for a holiday in itself, you can find beautiful walks and the view of the Amphitheater is stunningly beautiful. Nobody wants to come, but Mark and Mandy can not resist go out and spend a whole day walking in the gorge. Great to be so active again. To be hones, we have missed the bike a bit. This last night we enjoy a delicious braai and think about this wonderful journey. Everyone has enjoyed it, especially the wild animals were an experience for all. We can not drive around without looking what animals anymore and we are even real birdlovers occasionally. It was ok with the small insects, wasn't it Ruud? Sandra saw her beloved giraffes and Jeroen and Eli as newly married couple occurred regularly in the photo shoots. Sandra overcame her fear of heights at the potholes on a high bridge and Els her fear of planes, she even loved seeing London from the sky. And we, we enjoyed this trip with our family and make plans to travel again on our bike. But the family knows now what it is to be so far away in a strange country, which after a few days feels already familiar.
Pictures
