Many of us hadn’t realized that even though it is Sth. Africa, we would be experiencing fall and the farther south, the colder it would be. The first couple of days, 15th and 16th, the weather was delightful. However, it become chilly after that. Our ROVOS portion was downright freezing..winter temps. Singita was comfortable and warm, but not hot. It was lovely weather. Cool in the mornings and evenings and about 80ish during the day. Livingstone was warm and was the only area where it felt warm enough to lie by a pool. J’burg was fall weather.
Activities:
Capetown/Bishop’s Court and Cape Grace.
• We were driven to Table Mountain for a cable car ride and walk on the mountain. We understood that some days the mountain is there and sometimes it isn’t, so you have to be opportunistic and go when the going is good. Our first day, the weather was lovely, so we went with Ray and Penny via hotel taxi and returned to Cape Grace via taxi we picked up at the mountain. The line moved quickly. The ride up the mountain was in a rotating cable car and it was about a 3 minute ride..very scenic. Most folks find that you can do the mountain and walk up top in about one hour.
• There is a township tour conducted by Paul at Bishop’s Court that Ray and Penny and Gary and Anne took which each raved about. We did not have a chance to take this.
• The ½ day tour of Capetown and District 6 was just ok. The District 6 museum was interesting, but only takes about ½ hour max. There really was not too much to see historically.
• The Robbon’s Island tour was highly rated, but we couldn’t get a reservation and missed out. Book early.
• The craft market in town was enjoyable and many bought pretty things, reasonably priced.
• The mall was nice and the craft market at the mall was nice. Things are reasonably priced.
• Wine tour: Scenery was lovely. We broke into four vans and went to 3 wineries for tastings and one for lunch. The lunch was superb. This area felt very much like Napa.
• Cape Point: Sadly, rainy weather dampened the experience. Lunch was good, but the penguin walk was rained out. We only spent a short while with the penguins. The ride was similar to that of the Amalfi coast or CA rt 1A. We stopped once for shopping (carvings).
Rovos Rail:
• The first stop was a boring, pretty little town with a couple of museums that could have been my grandparents’ attic. It was bitterly cold and the only reason to get out was to stand on firm ground.
• The second stop was Kimberly Diamond Mine. It was a fairly interesting and short tour. We drove through town with some commentary and learned Kimberly was the first city to get electricity and that it was, at one time a very wealthy town. It was a holiday and much was closed. The Kimberly mine is now shut down and it is under construction to make it a tourist attraction. There was some discussion about the diamond mining business and a brief stop at a lovely gift shop. Where things were nice and reasonable.
Sabi Sands/Singita Boulders:
I will write more extensively on our experiences, but will just discuss what is available.
• Swimming in common or private plunge pools
• Spa
• Gym
• Nature walks
• Safaris: Normally began at 6 and end around 9-9:30am and begin at 3:30 and end 6:30-7pm. We stopped for refreshments both am and pm. The drinks and hor d’hoevres by the sunsets were wonderful.
• Dinners with friends
• Boma dinner with entertainment. This was a barbeque with a number of interesting native dishes.
Victoria Falls/Royal Livingstone:
• The four corner’s tour
• Pool
• Shopping at the market
• Walk along the falls (you get wet..it’s lovely, but you do not get the vastness of the falls like you do Niagra)
• Helicopter ride: $90pp for 15 minutes or $180pp for 30 minutes. This is the way to see the falls. You actually go into the gorges with the 30 minute tour. We only took the 15 minute tour and wish we did the 30 minute one. It was worth the money.
Johannesburg/Westcliff:
• Sowento/J’burg city tour: EXCELLENT. It began at 10:30 and ended at 5:30. This was a private tour and cost around $200 for the two of us. We learned about the history of J’burg and saw all of the communities from rich to poor. We actually went into a township and met with those who lived there and could ask questions. We went into shanty homes and into several township museums, including Nelson Mandala’s home. You could find crafts to purchase along the way. We were asked for a donation (very minor) upon entering the township (for a separate 15 minute tour) and to enter someone’s home and talk with them. I will write more about this tour later.
• Apartheid museum.
• Diamond and gold mine tours
• Cradle of mankind tour. Kind of like LaBrea tar pits with people skeletons.
• Craft market at Rosemont mall.
• Zoo
