We know that we have barely scratched the surface of Africa by only visiting South Africa but we look forward to future trips to Kenya, Egypt and Tanzania, just to name a few. Here are some of our top takeaways from our time in South Africa.
With our friend Dana at the top of Lion's Head, looking down on Cape Town.
1. Game is ubiquitous – both on the various animal reserves and in the local restaurants! In addition to the amazing time we had on our safari tours, we also tried biltong (similar to beef jerky) and loved ostrich!
2. The scenery is stunning. Beaches, mountains, cliffs and panoramic views are abundant; driving through the country was definitely a highlight for us. The coastline was very similar to parts of California and Australia.
3. South Africa has something for everyone! Cape Town is a modern city with great restaurants and shopping but is also surrounded by beautiful mountains, perfect for hiking or walking. The world-renowned vineyards of Stellenbosch and Franschoek are within a 45-minute drive from the city, plus golf courses and game reserves are easily reachable by car. It’s really hard to go wrong here and we feel confident in recommending South Africa to just about any type of traveler.
4. Apartheid was uncomfortably recent and its impact can still be felt throughout the country. Understanding what happened only 40 years ago left us feeling bewildered and extremely aware that tragedies like this can happen – and are still happening in other countries – while the rest of the world keeps spinning.
5. The racial and socioeconomic disparity in South Africa is sadly very black and white. Between every beautiful town and city were impoverished townships – overcrowded slums – where local residents tried to hitch a ride from passing highway traffic. Beyond just seeing the vastly different living conditions, Alex and I detected what we could only describe as very clear, direct racism during some of the conversations we had with locals.
6. (Local) wine is very cheap. Actually, everything was much cheaper than we expected! For some reason I expected New York City prices but we found restaurants, hotels and shops to be very reasonable. The ZAR / USD exchange rate was also pretty favorable – yet another reason to visit!
7. Every South African is an amateur weatherman. Anytime we spoke to a hotel staff member or waiter about our upcoming plans, we received an opinion on the current wind conditions or cloud cover. Apparently the weather patterns are highly variable so we appreciated the extra concern!
8. Hiking trail maps do not provide consistent difficulty scales. Our hike to the top of Table Mountain was described as “moderate,” and was one of the most difficult we have ever done! On the other hand, our hike in Betty’s Bay was estimated to take anywhere from four to eight hours and we were done in less than two. Lesson learned: take hiking guides with a grain of salt!
9. Cape Town’s close proximity to beautiful beaches reminded us a little of New York City and the Hamptons, although South African beach towns are a lot less crowded!
10. The city of Cape Town is very diverse and modern so it was sometimes easy to forget we were actually in Africa. That feeling ensures that Alex and I will want to return to other parts of the continent when we can.
Peak: Hike up Table Mountain - the views were stunning and the sense of accomplishment we both felt after finishing such a challenging hike was a natural high unto itself!
Pit: An unnecessarily hostile B&B host along the Garden Route...
Next Stop: Istanbul, Turkey