 South Africa
Golf safaris - "Where else can you play one of the top golf courses in the world in the morning and
spend time watching lion, leopard, elephant, rhino, buffalo and whales in their natural
habitat that evening? " - Gary Player
South Africa's gold and diamonds underpin its still vibrant and diverse
economy. At 440,000sq miles, it is three times the size of Kenya or Texas,
and offers widely varying landscape and experiences. For real Africa, it
is a lot less wild than the countries further North, but the facilities
are are more "civilized"! The main wildlife areas are the world-famous
Kruger Park, 7,700 sq. miles bordering Mozambique, and the Kalahari Gemsbok
Park, which borders Botswana. Kruger itself caters to mass tourism, but
there are large numbers of private areas on the Western edges of the park,
which feature the plushest - and most expensive - game lodges in Africa
- Singita, Londolozi, Mala Mala and Sabi Sabi to name but a few. Johannesburg
has a bad name for crime, but like most cities in the world, it has its
no go areas as well as excellent ones. Sun City, Las Vegas in the bush,
is an attraction, but without doubt the Cape area and its famed Garden route
is a must. Cape Town, arguably the most beautiful city in the world, and
the nearby wine districts of Stellenbosch and Franshoek are spectacular
inn scenery, wine tasting and history. There are many world class hotels
in the area, as well as comfortable B&Bs. Seasons are reversed from
the USA, game viewing being best from June to September, but it is enjoyable
year round.
Safaris to South Africa can also conveniently include side safaris in
Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Namibia.
Getting there: There are direct flights on Delta / SAA from Atlanta and
New York, or one can transit through Europe.
Highlights:
 Table Mountain - Cape Town: This ancient majestic granite mountain towers
3,565 feet above Cape Town, and dominates the scene for miles around. There
is a cable car to ascend, as an alternative to a tough 3 hour hike. Clouds
rest on top on many days to form the famous table cloth! Cape Town has an
interesting history, and many old buildings in addition to the spectacular
coastal scenery all around it, particularly on the drive down to the Cape
of good Hope and Cape Point. Cape Town itself deserves at least a 3 day
stay.
 Singita Lodge - Sabi Sands - Kruger: This exclusive lodge on the banks
of the Sand river, is situated on 30,000 acres of the Sabi Sands ecosystem.
It is divided into two separate lodges, Boulder and Ebony which each sleep
18, in 9 luxury suites, each with its own plunge pool. A health club and
wine cellar indicate that no effort at comfort has been spared. The surrounding
bush has been cleared to resemble the Serengeti, and indeed the game viewing
from their excellent fleet of Land Rover 130's is superb.
 A Carriage on the Rovos Rail train: This luxurious train of up to 19 coaches,
some of them dating back to the 1920's, have been meticulously restored,
but with all the modern comforts. All the rooms are suites of varying sizes.
Steam locos pull them on certain stages, and these trips rank as the greatest
rail experience anywhere on earth. Regular trips are between Cape Town and
Pretoria, the Garden Route, and Pretoria to Victoria Falls. However their
ultimate journey is the 12 day 3,800 mile run from Cape Town through to
Dar Es Salaam!
 Londolozi - Sabi Sands - Kruger: Londolozi is the flagship of the Conscorp
group, who have invested a vast amount into wildlife conservation throughout
Southern Africa, and their lodges are all of the highest standards of luxury.
Londolozi is divided into three camps - Main Camp, Bush Camp with eight
air conditioned ensuite chalets, and Tree Camp with six. Game viewing in
the area is excellent, and bush walks and night drives are offered also,
to complement the superb food and service.
 The King of the Beasts: The chance to study wildlife at close quarters
is ever present when driving in a Land Rover - or should I say the chance
for the wildlife to study you!
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