"A World in One Country" is an advertising slogan of South Africa and seems like there is a lot of truth in this sentence. Spectacular nature, particularly rich floral life, kilometers of sandy and rocky beaches touched by two oceans (hot Indian and cold Atlantic), majestic mountains, endemic species of animals: rhinos, elephants, lions, whales, penguins, dolphins... blooming deserts, spectacular waterfalls, bush, savana and wineyeards. South Africa surprises with variety and contrasts, being at the same time a country so different from the other African countries, dissimilar from Europe, the only one in it's kind...
General information
Dates: 4 - 27 september 2009 (23 days)
Distance: 7310 km (142 hours)
Itinerary: Rome > Addis Abeba > Johannesburg > Pretoria > Lion Park > Panoramic Route > Mac-Mac Waterfalls > Pilgrim's-Rest > Lisbon Falls > Berlin Falls > The Pinnacle View > God's Window > Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve > Drakensberg Escarpment: Three Rondavels > Phalaborwa > Kruger National Park > Olifants River Cruise > Moholoholo Rehabilitation Centre > Kruger Park > Swaziland > Santa Lucia > Greater St. Lucia Wetland Park > Hluhluwe-Infolozi Park > Shakaland > Durban > Drakensberg Mountains > Addo Elephant Park > Tsitsikamma National Park > Knysna > Garden Route > Jukani Wildlife Sanctuary > Cape Agulhas > Hermanus > West Coast National Park > Cape Town > Simon's Town > Cape of Good Hope > Cape Town > Johannesburg > Addis Abeba > Rome
Car: Nissan X-Trail from Budget Car Hire. Hire rate: 1230 E for 3 weeks (pick-up Johannesburg, drop-off Cape Town, without km limit). The price include "Letter of Authority" that let you enter the small kingdoms of Lesotho and Swaziland.
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Day 1
Arrival to Johannesburg with Ethiopian Airlines via Addis Abeba.
Apartheid Museum. Direction Lion Park.
Accommodation - Shumba Valley Lodge, near Lion Park.
Price: 620 Rand
I highly recommend, beautifull luxury little houses, great location, nice and helpful reception.
Day 2
Lion Park. Home to over 80 lions including the rare white lions and many other carnivores such as cheetah, wild dog, brown hyena, striped hyena, spotted hyena, black-backed jackal, side-striped jackal, and a wide variety of antelope which roam freely in the antelope area. Guests have an opportunity to interact with some of the animals in the Cub World area which has a giraffe feeding platform that puts you at eye level with our tame resident giraffe creating a fun experience for all ages. Then there is the popular cub interaction which allows guests to touch the cubs and take photographs.
Accommodation - Billy Bongo BackPackers (Sabie)
Price 200 Rand.
My advise is not to go (the room in a little wooden house was very confined, cold, with holes in the door, without electricity
+ outiside there were some crazy chickens that woke us up at 5 in the morning:(
Price 200 Rand.
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Day 3
Mpumalanga Region. Mac-Mac Waterfalls, Pilgrim's-Rest, Lisbon Falls, Berlin Falls. Panoramic Route, The Pinnacle View, God's Window, Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve. Drakensberg Escarpment: Three Rondavels.
The fresh mountain scenery and panoramic views over the Drakensberg escarpment are spectacular and give the area its name of 'Panorama Route'. Viewpoints are named for the spectacle they offer, God's Window and Wonder View hint at the magnitude of the scenery. The Panorama Route passes the north-eastern part of the Great Escarpment, the inland plateau declines abruptly and steeply and opens up fantastic views of the plains of the Lowveld a thousand metres below. Few regions in the world can match the extraordinary beauty of Drakensberg Escarpment. Mountains, panoramic passes, valleys, rivers, waterfalls and forests characterise this fabulous landscape.
Accomodation - Elegance Guest House (Phalaborwa, near Kruger Park Gate)
Price 460 Rand
I highly recommend 100%, trully beautiful place, large & elegant rooms, great breakfast. Veeeeeery nice owner (thank you for the adapter:) |
Day 4
Kruger National Park (north part)
Make your Wild Card - loyalty programme that provides access for one year to South African National Parks and Cape Nature Conservation Reserves.
Read more about Kruger Park
Accommodation - Shingwedzi Restcamp (inside the park)
Price 640 Rand
My advise is not to go (the room was very sad, ugly and stinking + high price)
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Day 5
Kruger National Park (central part)
Accommodation - Timbavati Safari Lodge (near Orpen Gate, outside the Park)
Price 980 Rand for a double room (include dinner and breakfast)
I recommend this place, beautiful little zulu houses, good food, swimming pool, bar and restaurant. Animals next doors. Helpful reception.
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Day 7
Return to Kruger National Park (central and south part)
Accommodation - Skukuza RestCamp (inside the Park)
Price 720 Rand
A little bit better than Shingwedzi but I don't recommend (sad, uncomfortable rooms)
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Day 8
Last day in Kruger National Park (south part)
Accommodation - Cockney Liz Hotel (Barberton, near the Swaziland border)
Price 360 Rand
I don't recommend (discoteque next door (!!!), windows and doors with holes, tap with boiling water - impossible to take a shower)
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Day 9
Across Swaziland (Bulembu Ghost City, Mbabane, Ezulwini Valley, Manzini)
Read more about Swaziland
Accommodation - Isinkwe BackPackers Bush Camp (near Hluhluwe, Sth Africa)
Price 500 Rand
I can recommend, little houses surrounded by the bush, nice and clean but sometimes with a little mouse inside;)
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Day 10
Kwa-Zulu Natal Region.
Greater St. Lucia Wetland Park cruise (UNESCO site). Indian Ocean Beaches near Santa Lucia. iSimangaliso Wetland Park: Mission Rocks, Lake Bhangazi.
Read More about Greater Santa Lucia Wetland Park
Accommodation - Shonalanga Self Catering (in the center of Santa Lucia)
Price 300 Rand
I recommend, quite nice, big apartments with a kitchen, near restaurants, shops, gas station, internet caffe.
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Day 12
Hluhluwe - Infolozi National Park (Infolozi Part), Zulu Village (Shakaland), Durban
Accommodation - Happy Hippo Accomodation (Durban)
Price 390 Rand
It wasn't bad. I recommend: central, clean, with a private parking, common kithen, bar and a kind of sea view (port).
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Day 13
Drakensberg Mountains. Royal Natal National Park. Amphitheatre Peak, Cathedral Peak. uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park.
Read more about Drakensberg Mountains
Accommodation - Didima Camp (inside uKhahlamba National Park)
Price 680 Rand
I highly recommend! It is a fabulous place with spectacular views on Drakensberg. Fantazious, big and very very comfortable houses (on the right). Beautiful restaurant with a good food& wine, helpful reception. It was the most beautiful Camp we slpet in.
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Day 14
uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park, Cathedral Peak Nature Reserve, Giant's Castle National Reserve
Accommodation - Sani Lodge BackPackers (departure place for Sani Pass)
Price 350 Rand + 50 for breakfast
I recommend, nice round little mountain houses, tasty breakfast.
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Day 15
Across KwaZulu-Natal, down from Sani Pass (Lesotho), direction Addo National Park (Estern Cape)
Accommodation - Avoca River Cabins (village of Avoca, near Addo Gate)
Price 300 Rand
I RECOMMEND in 100%!!! It was a great experience to wake up in the middle of citrus farm with a smell of orange flowers that were everywhere and wonderful birs warbling. The rooms are very very nice and the bathroom was just a masterpiece;) Nice owners and great position to visit Addo National Park. Don't miss it!
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Day 16
Addo Elephant Park www.addoelephant.com (Estern Cape)
Accommodation - Abalone Beach House (Plettenberg Bay, at the ocean)
Price 350 Rand
I recommend, nice, clean, big rooms, quite nice, near the beach. It is possible to make whale&dolphin watching from the common terrace (beautiful view). Common Kithen, safe parking.
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Day 17
Tsitsikamma National Park: Nature's Valley i Storms River Mouth. Bloukrans River Bridge Bungee Jumping. Knysna.
Read more about Tsitsikamma National Park
Accommodation - Island Vibe Knysna
Price 320 Rand
It wasn't bad. Tipical Backpackers. The bad thing was that we got sick in one of the Knysna restaurants (Oceans Basket).
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Day 18
Garden Route: Knysna, Wilderness, George, Mossel Bay (Western Cape)
Read more about Garden Route
Accommodation - 3 Colours Blue*** (Mossel Bay)
Price 600 Rand
I recommend, beautiful luxury rooms with a warm decor and brillant sea view. Delicious breakfast, perfect position.
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Day 19
Mossel Bay, Jukani Wildlife Sanctuary, Cape Agulhas, Hermanus.
Read more about Cape Agulhas
Accommodation - Walkerbay Manor an Artist's Home (Hermanus)
Price 550 Rand
I recommend, nice artistic atmosphere, rooms small but warm and climatic. Quite central. Breakfast extra.
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Day 20
Hermanus (Whale Festival), direction Cape Town, West Coast National Park
Read more about West Coast National Park
Accommodation - Cape Oasis Guest House (Cape Town, Table View)
Price 380 Rand
I recommend, but avoid to choose the wooden house, it was cold and uncomfortable. The other rooms (inside the house) were quite nice. Parking outside, but it's quite safe at Table View. Far away from center but there are some restaurants near there.
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Day 21
Cape Town , Green Point. Muizenberg, False Bay, Fish Hoek, Simon's Town, Boulder's Beach (Penguin Colony), Cape Point National Park, The Cape of Good Hope. Whale wathing near Simon's Town i Muinzenberg.
Read more about Cape Point National Park
Accommodation - Topsail House (Simon's Town)
Price 400 Rand
It wasn't bad, even if more beautiful outside than inside. The important thing is that little cities like Simon's Town for example are alternative for Cape Town that might be dangerous at night.
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Day 22
Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens, Table Mountain, Cape Town.
Accommodation - Road Lodge Hotel (next to the Cape Town Intenational Airport)
Price 460 Rand
Only if yoy really have to... The hotel have 7 floors but doesn't have a lift (!) The rooms are small and sad. But the good thing is that Road Lodge is just a 300 meters from car hire dropp-off point, so if you fave to leave a car in the morning it's the best place you can go.
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Day 23
Fly back : Cape Town > Johannesburg > Addis Ababa >Rome (22 hours)
They were three wonderful weeks in the country of contrasts, beautiful landscapes, paid slavery (I see it this way), a country maybe a little bit overvaluated but after all very beautiful...
If you have any questions regarding the trip don't hesitate to contact me. Waitnig on your emails at: ashk@interia.pl
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