My Favorites from our 1st Month in South Africa

One month down, and one to go in South Africa. This month has been a great opportunity to really explore and take things slowly. Maybe a little too slowly at times for the kids, but it’s all been a balancing act to ensure that we don’t burn out over the next year.  Here are some of my favorite things so far:

1. Cape Town: Cape Town was a great introduction to South Africa. The city was vibrant and had a great mix of natural wonders (Table Mountain, Cape Point Reserve, African penguins) and city life. We were disappointed to miss out on Robben Island, but unfortunately, Mother Nature had other plans!

2. Franschhoek/Wine Lands: The food, wine, and experience were on par with what we have previously enjoyed in Napa/Sonoma but without the hefty price tag. Experiencing this region during the low season/winter has been a treat, as we often had the tasting rooms and restaurants all to ourselves. The serene vineyards and gourmet cuisine have been highlights.

3. The ease of travel throughout this part of the country: The national highways are well maintained (at least in this section of the country) and easy to navigate. Driving through picturesque landscapes has made our road trips enjoyable and stress-free. I am hoping this continues when we drive from Durban to Johannesburg in a month.

4. The Wild Card: We purchased the International Family Wild Card with All Parks access. This card gives the buyer unlimited access to all national parks for an entire year. We made up the cost in just one month of travel, so from now on, we are just saving money. It’s great to be able to pop into a park without spending nearly $80 USD each visit. The card has opened up so many opportunities for spontaneous adventures.

5. Addo Elephant National Park:  We decided to forgo the expensive guided safari tour on this first leg since we are staying at a lodge (in a week and a half) that includes 2 daily guided safari drives.  We used our Wild Card so this was a great value.  A safari for only the price of gas, great! We saw a huge variety of animals and it was pretty exciting to feel as if any moment you would run across something new and amazing. We were lucky enough to see herds of Elephants (including babies!), zebra, warthogs, black-backed jackals, Cape Buffalo, ostriches (one was with its clutch of eggs), kudu, mongooses, and various birds.  2 of the big 5, check! We self-drove on 2 separate days and hiked (a different part of the park so we didn’t have to worry about elephants or lions) the day in between. Definitely my favorite nature activity so far.

As we enter our second month in South Africa, we’re excited to see what new experiences await us. The kids are looking forward to our upcoming safari lodge stay on a private reserve, and we hope it will be an unforgettable adventure for them. This journey has already brought us closer as a family while we navigate being together 24/7, and we can't wait to see what the next month holds.

See below for some of my favorite pictures from the past month!