Category: Safari

Today’s highlight?  The BEST APPLE CAKE IN NAMIBIA – or at least the sign says!

After leaving Fish River Canyon, we began the long drive to the Namib Desert and our home for two nights, Desert Camp.

On the way, we had to stop for cake!

 

The women on this trip ROCK!  Thanks to the men for helping us up the ladder, catching us when we fell, and snapping this photo.

 

Other desert delights.

 

 

Desert Camp is rugged and beautiful!

 

 

Sunset was magnificent!

 

 

 

 

 

First wildlife photo:  a jackal!

 

 

Busy busy day!

We started by canoeing on the Orange River for about 14 kilometers.  Afterward, we had a delicious brunch and loaded into the Red Elephant for a long drive to Fish River Canyon, the second largest canyon in the world.

The first set of photos are from the canoe trip.

 

 

 

 

 

The trip through the desert, during which I saw several oryxes and springboks but did not capture them with my camera.

 

 

Fish River Canyon

 

 

 

 

Sunset at the Seeheim Hotel.

Today’s goal:  Cross the border into Namibia.  What did this mean?  Waking up in time for 7am breakfast and hitting the road by 8am.  Surprise!  All twelve of us were ready to leave on time!  Unusual, I think, for a group journey.

The crossing itself was, thankfully, uneventful.  We had to “check out” three times from South Africa and “check in” twice, including having our temperatures taken, in Namibia.

Loading into the “Red Elephant”

 

Rocky vistas along the way

 

Lunch stop…where a couple in a nearby car was “engaged in interpersonal activity!”

 

Climbing onto the Red Elephant to help stow lunch gear was easy; getting down necessitated being carried by one of our guides!

 

Beautiful rocks where we stopped just before the border to make sure we were ready for the crossing

 

Felix Unite, our lodging for our first night in Namibia

 

 

What do I love doing most (after hugging grandkids and eating ice cream, of course!)?  Hiking to a waterfall!

Today’s trip from Cape Town to Cederberg included an optional hike up to a waterfall.  Yayyyyy!!!

These photos are definitely culled.  There “may” be ones of me at the waterfall in my underwear…and a few of traveling companions in their “natural” bathing suits!

Mango trees roadside

 

Hike to the waterfall – out of ten of us, four climbed the full hike up up up

 

 

Tall Sifiso resting – or, shall I say, allowing us to rest

 

The reward!

 

 

Highlanders Lodge

 

Cederberg at golden hour

 

Wine tasting before dinner at Highlander

Upon deciding to venture to Africa for a safari, I knew from friends that in addition to seeing and photographing animals, I wanted to explore Cape Town and Victoria Falls.  I, therefore, reviewed tours with companies I’ve worked with before and decided on a 22-day adventure with KE Adventure out of England, who books with on-the-ground company Sunway Safaris.  I liked the itinerary and the promised small group experience.

This morning, I met my group.  With ten travelers and two guides, both named Sifiso!, I climbed into our safari truck and headed to the southern-most tip of the African continent.

Our “home away from home” for the next three weeks.

 

After a short stop at Hout Bay, we continued to Cape Point, hiking first to the lighthouse at the cliff top and then down to the Cape of Good Hope.

 

 

 

 

 

On the roadside, wild ostriches greeted us.

 

At Simon’s Town (yes! that’s the name!), we saw penguins.

 

 

The Atlantic Ocean water felt cool and refreshing.