South Africa
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Richard, Nicky, Cara and Gemma went on safari in the Kruger region of South Africa
Dear Michele and Bill, I just wanted to say how fantastically the whole trip went and thank you for your impeccable organisation and advice leading up to it. All the practical arrangements worked seamlessly. However the greatest praise goes to Nottens Bush Camp where we had the most amazing 4 nights, 8 game drives and 2 bush walks. Everything was perfect: the welcome; the accommodation – spacious, comfortable, clean and perfect for our family; the staff who were so friendly and helpful; the company of David Notten and his cousin Dale at the evening meals; the food (in particular the amazing cakes at high tea!); the roaring fires to keep as warm whilst socialising with other guests at night; the hot water bottles and blankets to keep us warm on the early game drives; the atmospheric oil lamps that lit the camp and our rooms at night; the superb driver and tracker who took us out for the 4 days (Teniko (spelling?) and Fox) and who gave us so much information about the game and the natural environment. Then of course there was the game viewing which was absolutely outstanding – we had seen the big 5 in the first 24 hours and went on to see so much more, often following the day to day lives of particular animals e.g. the hungry leopard that we saw one morning, we saw make a kill the next evening, we then saw her eating the next day and then finally the hyenas who had stolen the remains of the kill, fighting over the last mouthfuls…absolutely fascinating. We got so close to the animals that our breath was taken away on several occasions. Thank you for recommendation to go to Nottens – it really was a trip of a lifetime.
South Africa
Beach Extensions
Beach extensions to a South Africa holiday
South Africa has a huge coastline and is pounded by both Atlantic and Indian Ocean waters. The west coast of the country, from the border with Namibia down to the Cape Peninsula in the Western Cape, experiences the colder currents and less favourable ‘beach’ conditions of the Atlantic Ocean, whilst the majority of the south coast and the east coast benefit from the warmer waters of the Indian Ocean. Cape Town and Hermanus do offer some lovely beaches, but the best swimming conditions and greater number of ‘beach resorts’ are found further north-east, and in particular around Durban and the northern KwaZulu/Natal coast.
It is especially worth noting that South Africa does not offer palm-fringed, calm waters that are associated with tropical islands and are ideal for swimming. The sandy beaches are generally very large, and as about 95% of the South Africa coastline is not protected by an off shore reef, currents can be strong and waves significant. This does of course create good surfing conditions, beautiful coastal walks and stunning seascapes. In most major areas, beaches are patrolled by lifeguards and there are often markers earmarking the safer areas to swim. Shark nets may also be provided. However, you should take extreme care elsewhere.
The best scuba diving conditions are found on the northern KwaZulu/Natal coastline, which offers some magnificent, relatively unexplored, diving conditions.
We would recommend the South Africa coast for anyone seeking relaxation, wildlife viewing (whales, dolphins, sharks, turtles etc) and a general coastal experience to compliment the rest of their South Africa holiday, but if you’re looking for traditional ‘lie in the sun’ beach holiday you should probably be considering travelling on to Mozambique or the Indian Ocean Islands of Mauritius and The Seychelles. Please go to the individual country pages for more information.