ceemec wrote:
We're looking at South Africa. Spend several days in Kruger, do the garden route and rest of time between Cape Town and wine country. A bit limited due to the time of year we're going. Northern hemisphere is cold and a lot of the tropics have significant rain fall/monsoons. India and Sri Lanka is also an option but S.A. is the leader currently.
Only perusing this thread now, so apologies for resurrecting it - especially if you've already booked.
If you're intent on SA, I;ve heard from three people that
Shamwari Game Reserve in Port Elizabeth offers a similar safari experience to Kruger, but is far less busy and less 'touristy'. (In Kruger all of the animals are chipped, so you have situations where the guides ask what you want to see and drive you directly to where that animal is. If everyone else wants to see that animal at the same time, you're more likely to see other landrovers parked around a tree (as the case may be) than the animals themselves). From PE you can also go cage diving for sharks - if that's your thing - and/or go for a trip on the
Blue Train which is rumoured to be worth every cent. Or rand.
* EDIT: on doing a quick search it appears the Blue Train no longer includes PE on its route. It may never have, of course, but I thought it used to go from PE through the mountains to Cape Town, but perhaps not.
Cape Town and its surroundings are wonderful, and a 'must see' whilst your there. Obviously there's table mountain - which is a 'wow' and there's a most pleasant walk across the top of it - and a visit to the
Botanical Gardens at Kirstenbosch is well worth half a day of your holiday.
Robben Island is also a 'must see' - but wrap up well, it can get a little chilly out there. I suspect you'd get a lot more out of that visit if you were to flick through Mandela's autobiography
Long Walk to Freedom. Also from Cape Town you'd find it easy enough to get to
Hermanus Bay and do a spot of whale watching - if you're lucky enough to be there while they're in the bay. An incredible sight, if you are! There's also
Boulders Beach Penguin Colony, which I think is near Simonstown. Bring a clothes peg for your nose as penguins stink. Finally, ensure you include Stellenbosch as part of your tour of the wine region, as I have yet to visit a more beautiful place on earth.
On a slight tangent, a South African friend of mine always said the best safaris to be had are to be found in Botswana ...
