South Africa 2017 - Final Thoughts

Cousin Orville--
I'm cautious with trip reports as I know each ABD can be different but I throw caution to the wind to read your reports!
We're doing ABD South Africa next summer and you've already provided so much information and help!
Thank you for posting--

Can't wait to read more. I'm checking the boards excessively!
 
Getting ahead of your story--

I've been reading about a fire in Knysna in June that killed several and displaced 1000s. How is the town doing?

Did it affect ABD plans in that area?
 
Cousin Orville--
I'm cautious with trip reports as I know each ABD can be different but I throw caution to the wind to read your reports!
We're doing ABD South Africa next summer and you've already provided so much information and help!
Thank you for posting--

Can't wait to read more. I'm checking the boards excessively!

Thanks! More to come!

Getting ahead of your story--

I've been reading about a fire in Knysna in June that killed several and displaced 1000s. How is the town doing?

Did it affect ABD plans in that area?

The nature reserve walk on the itinerary is cancelled and probably will be for a couple of years. We took a cruise around the lagoon and the guides pointed out where it used to be. It's pretty badly damaged. You can clearly see the forest devastation from the fire. The town itself seemed to be operating normally. We went to a shopping area that was in full swing. Our hotel was unaffected. None of the other activities were affected.

but is Cape Town safe? oyo?

Like many big international cities, yes, with caveats. The Waterfront area where the hotel is located was safe. We went out to eat downtown which is about 10min away by Uber from the Waterfront. We ate early but finished in the evening after it was dark. I felt safe in that area, but we caught Ubers home. I probably wouldn't walk it. You could see police officers scattered about the main tourist areas.

On the other hand, I was more concerned by Johannesburg from what I read. It probably would have been fine as well in the tourist areas, but we decided to stay at the hotel for a variety of reasons including safety. This was after the ABD on our way to Zimbabwe.

(On a personal note - When I've very recently walked around London, Paris, and Munich, I've felt safe but the idea of terrorism still creeps up in the back of my mind from time to time. I suppose I was a bit more relaxed in Africa. I'm not paranoid in major European cities, but it's hard not to occasionally think of terror in cities like London and Paris right now. I've had 2 trips to London and one to Paris rather recently and had an amazing time, but it crosses your mind occasionally... It's only human.)
 
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Thanks! More to come!

(On a personal note - When I've very recently walked around London, Paris, and Munich, I've felt safe but the idea of terrorism still creeps up in the back of my mind from time to time. I suppose I was a bit more relaxed in Africa. I'm not paranoid in major European cities, but it's hard not to occasionally think of terror in cities like London and Paris right now. I've had 2 trips to London and one to Paris rather recently and had an amazing time, but it crosses your mind occasionally... It's only human.)

I totally agree with you. I am going to London next June for 4 nights and the thought of terrorism weighs on my mind. My daughter's friend wants to come with us (her mom doesn't like to travel), but I told her that I would not feel comfortable taking her to London at this time. If something happened to her I would feel responsible. Five years ago I would've brought one of her friends without giving it much thought. It's such a shame. And taking the tube, yeah, I will be thankful to be getting off the train and out of the station.

I'm looking forward to reading the rest of your report! It looks like an amazing trip.
 
Day 2 Cape Town



After breakfast we met up with our new ABD family, had our introductions and the guides discussed the outline of the trip. It was one of the fastest introductions as there wasn’t a meal attached to it, and we had to get on our way to be one of the first groups to Table Mountain.



It was a beautiful, clear day to go to Table Mountain. We really were quite lucky as the last two days were overcast and very cloudy. Also, today was the last operational day of Table Mt before they closed for a few weeks. Table Mountain is what it sounds like, a flat mountain which overlooks Cape Town and the ocean. It’s one of the major reasons Cape Town exists at all as it was such a distinguishing landmark for sailors sailing around the Cape of Good Hope. We drove up to the base of the mountain and “fastpassed” by most of the line for the gondola to take us up to the top. The view at the top was remarkable, but I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves.



Here’s the line we got to skip… always a nice treat.



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One of the residents of Table Mountain - the Dassie. What’s the closest living relative you ask? The elephant. I kid you not.



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From Table Mountain we went to the District Six Museum. District Six was an area in downtown Cape Town that after WWII was very cosmopolitan and multiracial. The South African Gov’t forcibly removed about 1900 families from their homes and sent them to different Townships depending on their race. They sent many Black families to Langa where we visited yesterday. If the families were multiracial, they were split up.



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The museum was set up in the mid 90’s to document what happened. On the floor of the museum is a giant map of District Six where former residents have hand written notes next to their former addresses. It was very moving. The gentleman who runs the museum spoke to our group about his experience in the community, being kicked out, and now his mission to set up this museum (with very little to no help from the government) and tell the story of what happened. The museum was closed to the public today, but open for ABD. This was the highlight of the day IMO.



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After District Six, we went for lunch in Bo-Kaap with a large Cape Malay culture. It’s also known for its brightly colored buildings. We had a great lunch with mostly Cape Malay food - kind of an African-Malaysian fusion. They had this Malaysian Roti, a bread similar to naan, but a bit thinner. They had Malaysian dishes, african dishes and some more familiar dishes. It was awesome. This started a trend of rather good restaurant choices. I’ve been fairly vocal about mediocre food on ABDs in the past. The meals on this ABD as a whole were very good. I still have to give it to N Italy/Switzerland as the best ABD for meals, but the food on this trip was impressive.



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And a view of Table Mountain from the restaurant…



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After lunch we drove back downtown to take a brief walking tour. We walked through a lovely park and over to a street market. It was about a block away from the restaurants Gavin and I ate at the previous two nights. The street market was fun. We shopped around for about an hour and stimulated the South African economy. We bought several inexpensive items and presents for home.



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We had a little break before dinner. Dinner was at Gold - an African musical show. We started with a little pre-dinner entertainment. Everyone was given sparkling wine/grape juice and an African drum. The wine was I’m sure critical for getting the best performance possible from us. I’m not always into “forced activity fun” but it was cool. Dinner was huge and never-ending succession of African dishes. Nothing too exotic or out there. Dinner was tasty, and the wine was very good.



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Wow! What a gorgeous area! And that District Six museum sounds fascinating. I love that ABD arranged for a private visit there.

Sayhello
 


I would book South Africa 2019 right now if I could. Your photos of Table Mountain have sold me already!

Good to hear you enjoyed the food. I can't do spicy. Was the food spicy in South Africa?
 
Following along! Spent a month in South Africa during college and this is bringing back memories and ,asking me think about taking my son on an ABD tour.
 
After the hyrax photo, I'm even more sold on this trip. My son and I became fascinated by them after seeing the tree of life exhibit at our local natural history museum that shows the relation between hyrax and elephants. And I love that you seem to be getting the opportunity to talk to locals and hear their perspective on recent history. I'm tempted to buy a lotto ticket since we can't afford to go until 2020.

My son wants to know if you guys have seen any baboons (in the wild. He feels that Monkeyland does not count).
 
Wow! What a gorgeous area! And that District Six museum sounds fascinating. I love that ABD arranged for a private visit there.

Sayhello

I was not expecting it to be a private visit. They were normally closed the day we went, but he opened for us. The gentleman said he loved Americans because American companies have been some of the few financial supporters of the museum (not just Disney). He said he wouldn't open it up for just any group. :)

I would book South Africa 2019 right now if I could. Your photos of Table Mountain have sold me already!

Good to hear you enjoyed the food. I can't do spicy. Was the food spicy in South Africa?

Not spicy hot. But there are some unique flavors in many of the dishes. I loved it, but I'm probably a bit more adventurous. I think they had a pretty good mix of uniquely African dishes with different flavors and spices and more approachable dishes. Everyone I'm aware of enjoyed the food.

Following along! Spent a month in South Africa during college and this is bringing back memories and ,asking me think about taking my son on an ABD tour.

Oh, I'd love to spend a month... It all flies by so fast. Would love to go back!

After the hyrax photo, I'm even more sold on this trip. My son and I became fascinated by them after seeing the tree of life exhibit at our local natural history museum that shows the relation between hyrax and elephants. And I love that you seem to be getting the opportunity to talk to locals and hear their perspective on recent history. I'm tempted to buy a lotto ticket since we can't afford to go until 2020.

My son wants to know if you guys have seen any baboons (in the wild. He feels that Monkeyland does not count).

A hyrax is a Dassie? I didn't know it had another proper name. Cool. Yes, we saw countless baboons at the Cape, in Knysna, and at Kapama Lodge. They're everywhere. You have to be sure to close your porch doors when not in the room because they'll sneak in your room. Very cute, but apparently they're professional thieves.
 
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A hyrax is a Dassie? I didn't know it had another proper name. Cool. Yes, we saw countless baboons at the Cape, in Knysna, and at Kapama Lodge. They're everywhere. You have to be sure to close your porch doors when not in the room because they'll sneak in your room. Very cute, but apparently they're professional thieves.

Yup. I recognized the little guy from the natural history museum (although the one in your photo is much cuter than the taxidermy one I saw). The internet tells me that only the rock hyrax is called a dassie. I'm glad to hear that baboons are so easy to see. My son tends to fixate on wanting to see a very specific thing each trip that I have no way of guaranteeing, and he announced today that he won't go to Africa unless he can see baboons there. Looking forward to reading more about your trip.
 
Yup. I recognized the little guy from the natural history museum (although the one in your photo is much cuter than the taxidermy one I saw). The internet tells me that only the rock hyrax is called a dassie. I'm glad to hear that baboons are so easy to see. My son tends to fixate on wanting to see a very specific thing each trip that I have no way of guaranteeing, and he announced today that he won't go to Africa unless he can see baboons there. Looking forward to reading more about your trip.

They were so common (like impalas) I kind of took them for granted. I'm sure I have photos of them on some day. I'll be sure to post a picture when I find one.
 
I was not expecting it to be a private visit. They were normally closed the day we went, but he opened for us. The gentleman said he loved Americans because American companies have been some of the few financial supporters of the museum (not just Disney). He said he wouldn't open it up for just any group. :)
:thumbsup2

Sayhello
 
They were so common (like impalas) I kind of took them for granted. I'm sure I have photos of them on some day. I'll be sure to post a picture when I find one.
Hi Cousin Orville...we begin our South Africa ABD next week and was wondering how you liked the elephant sanctuary and hand feeding the elephants in Knysna?
 
Hi Cousin Orville...we begin our South Africa ABD next week and was wondering how you liked the elephant sanctuary and hand feeding the elephants in Knysna?

Exciting! You will have an amazing time. Jennae and Craig will be your guides unless anything has changed. We loved the elephant sanctuary and did get to hand feed the elephants. I've got some great photos. I'll try to update my TR soon. Let me know if you have any questions.
 
Exciting! You will have an amazing time. Jennae and Craig will be your guides unless anything has changed. We loved the elephant sanctuary and did get to hand feed the elephants. I've got some great photos. I'll try to update my TR soon. Let me know if you have any questions.
Thanks, Cousin Orville...wasn't sure if the fire in Knysna had changed anything with the Elephant Sanctuary visit. I read that the gondola on Table Mountain is closed through this Sunday, so really hoping it will actually be up and running by the end of next week. Cheers!
 
Thanks, Cousin Orville...wasn't sure if the fire in Knysna had changed anything with the Elephant Sanctuary visit. I read that the gondola on Table Mountain is closed through this Sunday, so really hoping it will actually be up and running by the end of next week. Cheers!

Table Mountain actually closes quite frequently due to various weather conditions. I was following their Facebook page since we went there 5 years ago and they update their operational status frequently: https://www.facebook.com/TableMountainCa/
 
Kevin, I enjoyed reading through your report. We did a similar trip (non-Disney) and it popped up today on my Facebook that I was in Capetown 5 years ago today. My daughter still looks for kudu on the menu whenever we find African restaurants.
 
This is bringing back great memories of our South Africa ABD! We did the Langa tour too - with Chippa! - and I am so glad we did it to see a different, but real, side of the country. I can't believe it was 6 years ago - from the day we left we have been talking about when and how we can return to Africa.
 

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