After spending two days in Durban we rented a car and started on our way to Johannesburg, stopping for a three day safari along the way. This was the portion of the trip I was most excited for (hey, it’s me – John), and I think Scott and our friend Joe were pretty excited as well. The possibility of seeing lions, tigers, and bears – oh my! – really got our hearts racing. FYI: I quickly learned – and I’m passing this important information on to you – that there are no tigers or bears in South Africa.
Choosing where to do our safari was tough, and I debated a lot about whether we should go to Kruger National Park, South Africa’s largest national park, or to a private game reserve. I spoke to a South African friend (thanks Alma!) and she suggested a game reserve would be the best experience and allow us to see all of the big 5; this recommendation was later confirmed by a number of other South Africans. With that in mind, I searched for reserves between Durban and Johannesburg, and happened upon Nambiti Hills, which is equidistant from both cities.
Choosing A Safari
I learned a few things about booking a safari, which might be helpful if you’re looking to do the same:
- Most of the safaris in South Africa are on private game reserves and as mentioned above many people prefer this experience.
- The reserves control animal populations (add new cheetahs, take out too many zebras), but most everything else is left to nature – they don’t feed the animals, breed them, or help in the birthing process.
- The bigger the game reserve, generally the better: more animals, more room to roam, etc. The reserve we chose was on 22,000 acres, which felt like a good size. On our last day we were still seeing parts of the park we hadn’t seen the other two days.
- If you want to see the Big 5 (lions, rhinos, water buffalo, leopards, elephants), make sure you’re going to a game reserve that has all of those animals, as not all do.
- The reserves often have multiple resorts operating on them. So, if you find a reserve location you like, check to see what resorts operate on it.
- If you’re booking a five star experience, it will include all of the food you need, and then some.
- If you’re looking for a cheaper option, there are resorts that provide rooms with kitchens so you can cook your own meals. Just be sure to plan meals carefully, as there are no stores nearby.
- Your safari guide will become your best friend on this trip – read reviews to make sure the guides at the resort you’re choosing treat both people and animals with respect (ours was fantastic).
Our Safari Experience
All I can say is WOW. Safari lived up to my expectations, and I had HIGH expectations. It’s among the best things I’ve ever done and I can’t wait to do it again! Getting up close with these wild animals is nothing short of breathtaking – it made me feel small in the best possible way.
We had six, 3-4 hour game drives – one every morning at dawn and another one before dusk – and we saw elephants marching, lions hunting, cheetahs playing, rhinos running, zebras grazing, hippos soaking, and – my favorite – giraffes meandering (Scott: My favorite were the lions!). We also saw all kinds of antelope, warthogs, and a bunch of other animals I won’t bore you with but were fantastic to see in the moment.
The whole experience was magical. In addition to the game drives, we were fed really well – three meals per day, plus snacks – and we stayed in rooms that were among the nicest we’ve ever stayed in, with beautiful views of the surrounding “bush”. We also enjoyed spending time in the lodge, where they had fires going (it was a little chilly), and of course a bar.
The safari wasn’t cheap – in fact, it’s the most expensive thing (per day) that we’ve done on this trip – but it was well worth it. As one friend told us, “Safari is not the place to skimp – how often are you going to do this?”. We were fortunate to go during the beginning of off-season when the rates are a bit lower and there are fewer tourists. This worked out well for our pocketbook as well as for our game drives – we had two drives that were completely private. And when you think about the lodging, the food, and the chance to see these animals, the cost really isn’t too bad.
So, if you ever have the chance to do a safari – DO IT! It’s kinda the best.
Johannesburg
After [reluctantly] leaving safari, we headed north to Johannesburg, where we spent two nights. People seem to love to hate on Johannesburg, and while it isn’t as naturally beautiful as Cape Town, we thought it was a great city and worthy of at least a couple days’ time.
Staying in Melville
Melville is one of Joburg’s hippest neighborhoods, and where we chose to stay during our time in the city. It has a great and inventive food scene, fantastic cocktails, and even a local gay bar. We felt very safe walking around here at night and highly recommend this neighborhood if you’re looking for a spot to stay.
The Apartheid Museum
If there’s one thing to do in Johannesburg, the Apartheid Museum is it. We were all extremely moved by what we saw here. It was heartbreaking to see just how far the South African government went in its efforts to segregate society, and shocking to think this was happening in our lifetimes. That said, the museum left us feeling hopeful – South Africa went from apartheid to the most inclusive constitution in the world, and while there’s lots of work still left to be done, hopefully the country is now on the right track.
The museum also made me think a lot about racism in the USA, and how easy it is to think that because the laws were changed back in 1964 that our work is done. If there’s anything I learned from our South African experience, it’s that racial inequality can’t be wiped out by simply changing the law. That’s an important start, but it took a long time to create these unequal systems and it will take a long time to fix them – and we all need to do our part.
Cradle of Humankind
If you like science, you’ll love the Cradle of Humankind, located about 90 kilometers from Johannesburg. This UNESCO World Heritage site includes a visitor center / museum in Maropeng and accompanying archeological dig site a few kilometers away at the Sterkfontein Caves. These sites offer an in-depth look at how humans evolved, including a rich fossil history that has been gathered from this area. We all found the museum – and the archeological site – fascinating, and we highly recommend spending an afternoon here. (Scott: and you get to go down into a cave!)
Neighborgoods Market
If you happen to be in Johannesburg on a Saturday morning, head to the city center’s Neighborgoods Market which takes place in an above ground parking garage. The market has all kinds of great food, beers, and handcrafted wares for sale. It reminded us a lot of one of the many Brooklyn markets – very hipster, lots of fun!
All right, South Africa is done (so sad!), but big adventures await in Madagascar. Stay tuned!