A Trip to South Africa and Victoria Falls

South Africa is one of my most favorite places on earth. I’ve been able to travel pretty extensively throughout the world, but South Africa has become the place I’ve been to the most because I love it so. I was there in March of 2019… I actually got one of the last three flights out of Cape Town before they closed the borders due to Covid. It was nearly three years between visits and I was SO EXCITED to go back!

Because I am my own worst travel advisor, I booked myself on a double red eye from Montana to Cape Town via Amsterdam. Although the extra cold Heinekens at Schiphol are delicious, I’d just take one of the many direct flights from the east coast into JNB or CPT (or do a stopover for a few days in Dubai) rather than trying to sleep two nights on a plane. In economy. I should know better…

Anyway! I arrived into sunny Cape Town early in the morning and made my way to The Commodore Hotel located at the V&A Waterfront. This is a great 4 star property located steps away from the shopping and dining and people watching at the waterfront. Literally steps away—there is staircase out the back door that leads you down into the heart of it all! With 236 rooms, this should feel like a large hotel, but it didn’t! The rooms are lovely and spacious with views of the courtyard, waterfront or Table Mountain. Nautical themed with clean lines and all the conveniences one needs made for a great three night stay. I spent the day wandering the waterfront and recovering from my travels before tucking myself in.

Day 2: I enjoyed the day at leisure. One of my favorite runs in the world is from the Waterfront up and over to Camps Bay, which is a cute little neighborhood on the coast. The promenade along the ocean goes at least half way and then a sidewalk begins where that ends. You have the most spectacular views of the ocean, the 12 apostles, amazing homes, tons of people watching and dogs to pet along the way. I hopped an cab back The Commodore, cleaned up and headed to the Oranjezicht City Farm Market. I’d never been here before and it’s AMAZING! So many farm stands with meats and cheeses and veggies and balms and herbs and and and and… Such a great spot to grab a bite and watch the locals. Highly recommend this if you have a few hours free on Saturday or Sunday mornings.

Day 3: Winelands!

I live in a beer drinking culture so it sure is nice to have a break from that to sip some amazing wines! ERM picked my traveling companion and I up at 8:00am for our private day tour out to the Winelands of Stellenbosch and Franschhoek. Is there a better way to start the day than with a chocolate and wine tasting at Waterford Wine Farm? Followed by a wine-pairing lunch at Clos Malverne Farm? Not a bad way to spend a few hours. We  then headed to Franschhoek where we had a bit of time to wander the streets before we capped off the day with a Nougat and Wine Tasting at Grande Provence Wine Farm. We were back at the hotel by 5:00pm or so and tired and tipsy, we called it a day! Early morning to follow as we head to Kruger!

 Day 4/5:

This morning we were met in the lobby of the hotel (after an amazing breakfast buffet) and transferred to the hotel for our flight to Skukuza. On arrival here, we were met by our guide and transferred via mini game drive in our safari vehicle to our PRIVATE VILLA at Elephant Point! After we picked our jaws up off the floor, we had a quick tour of our villa before headed out on a game drive in Kruger National Park. I was super impressed with the guide as while we were in the park proper, it really didn’t feel like that. We saw tons of game and relatively few people. He knew where to go, to get off the beaten path and into the bush which really made for a great experience. Our private chef cooked us a lovely dinner in our villa and we headed to bed as we had an early morning game drive the following morning.

Post morning game drive, we did a site inspection of some of the other villas (2- 6 bedrooms). Each one was more amazing than the next! The architecture and décor were mind-blowing! I wanted to stay in some of them forever!  We had the afternoon to enjoy our villa and private pool before a boma dinner.

Day 6:

This morning we were transferred back to Skukuza for our flight to Johannesburg. ERM met us at the airport and transferred us to the Davinci Hotel in Sandton. This hotel is chic and shiny and in a great location attached to the Mall at Nelson Mandela Square. We explored the mall this evening and had dinner on the Square. It was a quick night as the next morning we were transferred over to the Leonardo Hotel, just a few blocks away. My one bedroom suite was fully equipped with a kitchen, separate bedroom, spacious and luxurious.  The restaurant/bar/spa/pool area at the Leonardo is stunning, but the claim to fame here is ALTO 234 -The highest urban bar in South Africa. Even though it was pouring rain, we took an elevator ride to the top to have a look. (I’m sort of glad you couldn’t see anything!)

Day 7:

ERM transferred us to the airport this morning for our flight to Victoria Falls. Upon arrival I was met and transferred to the new Palm River Hotel where I stayed for one night. This hotel is just STUNNING. Located on the banks of the Zambezi River, with huge willow-like trees everywhere, tall ceilings with doors that open making the common areas indoor/outdoor living. It felt like you where on a southern plantation. Super relaxing atmosphere, lovely rooms and good food. This evening we were treated to a sunset cruise on the Ra’Ikane. This was about a two hour cruise on the Zambezi where we saw tons of hippos and lots of birds. We had snacks and drinks and a lot of laughs with our fellow cruisers.

Day 8:

This morning I was off to Ilala Lodge located in the town center. I checked in, had a look at the lovely property and then wandered around town for a bit. I spent the afternoon enjoying the massive deck that overlooks the foliage and such near the falls. You can see the spray in the distance! The pool area is great for lounging and escaping the humidity and heat!

Day 9:

This morning I walked the 900 some steps to the Falls and entered the park before the crowd. I had most of the viewing points to myself, which was really a treat! I highly recommend getting there early and beating the crowds and Ilala Lodge is perfectly located for this!  While the water levels were low, the falls were still insanely impressive! I made my way back to the hotel and transferred to the airport for my journey home. (Luckily I wised up and changed my flights to NOT connect in Europe on the way home and took the direct JNB to ATL flight.)

If you want to learn more about my trip, or chat South Africa, Legacy, Ilala, or the Palm River, please drop me a line!