March 2004
| March Global
Angela Dansby |
| South Africa: The Lion's Share of Paradise |
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For an unusual outdoor adventure, South Africa is the place to go if you don't mind traveling halfway across the world and have at least 10 days to travel. The wildlife is amazingly up close and personal, the culture is an interesting Anglo-Dutch-African-Indian mix and the wine country is spectacular with sprawling estates and grape vines set against a mountainous backdrop. While nature is the country's calling, there is no shortage of great restaurants, bars, and nightlife in major cities. But don't go to South Africa for its club scene. Here, scenery is the scene
Drinking South African Pinotage at sunset in Kruger National Park or a nearby private game reserve is an unforgettable experience. Your safari jeep pulls off a dirt road into the tall grass and your ranger and tracker set up a TV tray with biltong (dried, chewy bits of kudu meat) and red wine. Lions call to each other in the distance and a number of other sounds make you wonder what else surrounds and watches you as night falls. The buzz of nature in your ears and buzz of wine in your head catapults you as far away from city life as possible. Then the night game drive begins. You might see lions on a hunt, a leopard eating an impala or elephants tearing down trees. Then you come back to the bush camp for dinner around a boma (semi-enclosed fire pit). Local meats, such as springbok and ostrich, are served in gourmet fashion. You hear some rustling in the grass nearby. The ranger peers outside of the boma and shines a flashlight down the path where a Cape buffalo is caught like a deer in headlights. A typical safari involves two game drives a day, at sunrise and sunset as the heat of the day drives the animals away; they hunt at dawn and dusk. Waking up at 5 AM to the sound of beating drums is not bad on safari. Upscale bush camps offer coffee and rusks (hard scones) delivered to your tent as motivation to get you out of your warm, mosquito-net-covered bed. The first game drive of the day lasts until well after sunrise, followed by breakfast in the middle of the bush and a nature walk. A pistol-bearing ranger leads the charge, noting sights and sounds on the way back to the bush camp, such as a mamba snake hissing from a tree that can kill you within 30 minutes of a bite if not treated. Needless to say, don't beat around the bush without a guide or else the hyenas will have the last laugh. You chill out like the animals during the heat of the day, chasing vervet monkeys around the camp, sunbathing with mongooses or laughing at an elephant that thinks the swimming pool is a watering hole. Lunch is so good you think that Trotter's-to-Go has come a long way. Then you rest up to do the whole safari cycle all over again with the hope of seeing the Big Five a black rhino, Cape buffalo, elephant, leopard and lion. It's an adventurer's, nature lover's, and photographer's dream. Be forewarned, a South African safari is not for the faint-hearted, arachnophobic or five-star- hotel-seeking-yuppie. You will see animals of all kinds from the flying bush baby at night to three-ton hippos by day as well as huge spiders, reptiles, and sometimes blood and guts as it is survival of the fittest in the bush. Your jeep may be bluff-charged by an elephant, sandwiched between a herd of buffalo and hungry lions or pawed by adorable leopard cubs that will bite your hand off if you're dumb enough to try to pet them. Wildlife is more civilized on the other side of the country, where penguins flood the beaches near Cape Town and some of the world's most unusual flora dwells. Cape Town itself is spectacular with Table Mountain dividing the coastline and the Euro-African urban area. A trip up the mountain by cable car is a must on a clear day. A few days in the surrounding wine country at Stellenbosch are also a must, especially if you're a wine lover or collector. The price is right for shipping home wines unavailable in the United States. Pinotage, a varietal unique to South Africa, has made a name for the country's wine industry, along with lots of other good reds and whites. South of Cape Town, the Cape of Good Hope is also worth a visit to see the Atlantic and Indian Oceans collide. Rumor has it the rough waters in this area have caused more shipwrecks than anywhere else in the world. Off the coast of Cape Town is Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was once exiled. Today it is a memorial to the human suffering caused by the Apartheid government. While these days of oppression are gone, remnants of South Africa's civil strife exist in museums, memorials and subtly in daily life. But South Africans get along quite well now in spite of history. If you have more than 10 days in South Africa, Sun City, northeast of the capital of Pretoria, is a mini Las Vegas with fabulous resorts that have real-looking fake beaches, casinos, glitzy shows with topless women and fine restaurants. From a pair of dice, you can find paradise 30 minutes away at Pilanesberg National Park, a game reserve atop extinct volcanic craters. Also of interest is the Garden Route along the southern coast from Hermanus to Port Elizabeth. You can stop by an ostrich farm and get the ride and leather hide of your life from a big bird. For an amazing blend of wildlife and culture, South Africa is worth the trek to the Southern Hemisphere, especially for the adventurous at heart. TIPS British Airways, Delta, KLM, South African Airways and Virgin Atlantic fly from the United States to South Africa. A 15-hour direct flight from New York to Johannesburg is available on Delta and South African Airways. If you can afford a business or first class ticket, this long flight is worth the money. Also consider bringing a sleeping pill to help you snooze away some of the hours. If you only have 10 days, divide your time between Kruger National Park and the Cape Town area. Head straight to Kruger from Johannesburg, which has the closest international airport to safari land. Domestic flights via South African Airways to the cities of Phalaborwa and Hoedspruit northeast of Jo-berg get you within driving distance of the game reserves. The best bet is to stay at two different private game reserves for two nights each to increase your odds of seeing a greater number and diversity of animals. Your last five days should be divided between Cape Town and the surrounding wine country. Domestic flights to Cape Town from the Kruger area are inexpensive and frequent. Renting a car is recommended to get from Cape Town to the wine country, Cape of Good Hope and Garden Route if you can handle driving on the left hand side of the road. Wine country is less than an hour's drive from Cape Town. Winter in South Africa (June-August) is a great time to go on safari as the days are hot and dry, the grass low and watering holes sparse, which allows for better viewing of the animals. Just be prepared for temperature extremes (30°-90° F) as it gets cold when the sun goes down. Between October and April, there are late-afternoon showers, which may dampen the experience for some, however, summer in the bush brings green growth and animal births. Cape Town temperatures are mild all year round (50°s-70°s), but the best time to go is from February to April, which is late summer/early fall in the Southern Hemisphere. While malaria pills are generally recommended for those bunking in the bush, the dry winter in the Kruger Park region, Mpumalanga, makes mosquitoes scarce. If you take malaria pills, opt for the newer anti-malarial medication, Malarone, rather than Lariam (mefloquine), which causes a higher percentage of undesirable side effects. ACCOMMODATIONS
Kruger National Park
Tanda Tula Safari Camp, Timbavati Nature Reserve
Honeyguide Tented Safari Camps, Manyeleti Game Reserve
Cape Town
Villa Belmonte
Underberg Guesthouse
Table Mountain Lodge
Wine Country
Constantia Uitsig Country Hotel, Constantia
Ons Genot, Stellenbosch
Le Quartier Francais, Franschhoek
Mountain Shadows, Paarl
RESTAURANTS Kruger National Park Bush camps in private game reserves offer some of the best food in the country. This is fortunate as there's nowhere else to go for miles. Cape Town
Bukhara, City Center
Mariner's Wharf, Hout Bay Harbour
Penguin Point Café, Simonstown
One Waterfront, Waterfront
Quay Four, Waterfront
WINE COUNTRY For a complete listing of vineyards and wine tastings, go to the Stellenbosch Wine Routes web site at http://routes.wine.co.za/stellenbosch. Recommended dining venues are below (note the dollar goes a long way when it comes to fine dining in South Africa):
Constantia Uitsig, Constantia
La Colombe, Constantia
Le Quartier Francais, Franschhoek
Boschendal, Groot Drakenstein
Spier, Stellenbosch
NIGHTCLUBS No surprise, there are no nightclubs in the bush, just nightlife by way of animals hunting and mating. However, there's a human watering hole (bar) and interesting people in every bush camp. Cape Town As the second largest city in South Africa, Cape Town has a number of clubs and lounges with great music and funky crowds.
Rhodes House
Fez
Eclipse Cape Town, Camps Bay
The Leopard Lounge
The Ivory Room
SHOPPING Some of the most unique souvenirs come from the streets, where hand-carved wood and stone sculptures, African masks, jewelry, and other handmade items are for sale. Many vineyards in the Western Cape offer wine tastings on a regular basis. Wines are so reasonable priced that they are worth shipping by the case to the United States. Many excellent South African wines are not sold in the States, so exporting them on your own is a good idea. Cape Town Victoria & Alfred Waterfront hosts the greatest number of retail shops in a single space, but more interesting are the markets, where local artists sell their wares, such as gorgeous beaded jewelry, for very few Rand (1 U.S. dollar equals about 6 Rand). Greenmarket Square is open daily, and on Sundays there is a craft market near Green Point Stadium. Hout Bay has several artists, potters and sculptors who live in the area and sell their works. Negotiate prices to get the best deals. Adderley Street has shopping centers, malls and fashion and jewelry stores. St George's Mall and Long Street have a number of interesting boutiques. Sea Point has many fashion and clothing shops down its Main Road as does Camps Bay. The False Bay coastline is known as the Treasure Coast with many shops selling a variety of wares. The villages of Kalk Bay and Simon's Town offer the most. |