Growing up in South Africa and living there for 35 years, its a fair assumption that you have been to most places and seen most everything. As a child however, your parents dictated their preferences for ‘vacations’ and as a young adult, you somehow emulate those preferences in your own destinations of choice.
When the decision was made to visit the old home country again, it came with certain preconditions: 1) To spend time in the ‘bush’ as our parents never favored that as a priority; and 2) To spend time at a seaside town that we have never seen before (preferably in the Cape region). That was the easy part. More difficult was catching up with family and friends, fit in a few business appointments and navigate roads now totally unknown to us.
Total flight time: 18h10 (Orlando – Atlanta – Johnannesburg)
Total transit time door-to-door: 27 hours
Total days vacation (including flight time): 15
We kicked off with a birthday celebration for Michael at our sister-in-law’s home in Ruimsig – a suburb of the Roodepoort area (county), west of Johannesburg. Marianna rolled out the red carpet and gathered a whole gang going back many years for the festivities! This was followed two days later by oral surgery for Elsa in the capital of Pretoria, an hour north of Ruimsig (translated as ‘Wide View” from Afrikaans).
The nice part of visiting familiar digs is the opportunity to actually stay with people you know and treasure. As part of Elsa’s recovery, Gerhard & Ria Reyneke so graciously opened their home to us and organized a surprise Couples SPA Day! They live on a tranquil estate on the Boschkop Road to the east of Pretoria and every visit is a treat: In part for their hospitality and in part the environment. One would never suspect a metropolis lies thirty minutes away.
While in the Pretoria area, we also visited Gert & Kobus. These wonderful friends have been around through thick and thin. Yet again they stepped up by giving us their Mercedes to do what we had to do. Our hope is to reciprocate all this kindness to everyone when visiting the USA.
There is a misconception that animals run around wild in the streets of South Africa. While some humans behave like that, all game is protected within large enclosures in natural habitats. Getting to see the wildlife will take you to either a National Park, a private game reserve, private game park or private game lodge. National parks are government run while private property either specializes in conservation or hunting. All are heavily dependent on tourism which has become very specialized.
With our limited time, we did not want to embark on long drives. So we opted for a private game reserve called Mabalingwe (Tswana for ‘Spots of a Leopard‘), just under two hours north of Pretoria (Near the hot springs town of Bela Bela). This 9,500 hectare game reserve offers private homes for rent if their hotel is not to your liking. It also reflects a true South African bushveld environment with abundant bird life, stunning indigenous trees and a wide variety of wildlife. Well maintained roads make sightseeing a pleasure.
Baobab Lodge is a private home that accommodates 12 people and is situated on a hill with a panoramic view of the bush and a nearby watering hole. Grandma Ann joint us with the Deyzel and Reyneke families to connect with nature and share wonderful memories.
In a very short period, we saw large herds of impala, the Greater kudu, giraffe, water buck, blue wildebeest, warthogs and even a tree snake! That was just from the villa’s patio. On the game drives we encountered numerous other birds and flora.
The second promise to ourselves involved ‘me too’ time in a coastal town. The decision fell on Hermanus, a very popular seaside destination about two hours away from Cape Town. The surprising part is that we have never been there before, while the rest of the world it seems, has experienced Hermanus – and often more than once.
The coastline of Southern Africa consists of several natural bays. Most famous are Table Bay and False Bay which merges at Cape Point (and the backdrops for Cape Town). To the East, Hermanus and a few other towns form a half-moon around Walker Bay. Naturally deep waters, this area is known for great white shark habitats (diving) and watching Southern Right Whales nursing their young in winter and spring.
Now-a-days, Hermanus is a popular retirement town and it is here where we found ourselves as the guests of Johan & Alice Deyzel. A retired military general, Johan and Alice served as the military attache in Spain for several years. Fascinating and wonderful hosts, our week in Hermanus flew by. Wedged between the Kleinrivier Mountains (‘Small River Mountains) and the Atlantic Ocean, the view from our guest apartment overlooked the mountain in the back and ocean in the from. Can’t have it better!
A drive to the top of the Kleinrivier Mountains afforded a wonderful view of the whole bay, Kleinrivier Lagoon, harbor and other towns in the distance. Rather than driving, one can opt to hike or mountain bike to the top as well.
As can be seen, Walker Bay stretches as far as they eye can see. Along the way in the Cape Overberg Region, you will find wine estates specializing in Pinot Noir and Chardonnay which are favored among fans due to the cooler climate from the ocean. Fernkoof Nature Reserve and Walker Bay Nature Reserve offer spectacular walks along trails framed by ‘Fynbos’. Fynbos is an evergreen, hard-leaved Mediterranean type shrub-land that grows on nutrient-poor soils and literally means ‘fine bush”. There are over 8,500 species and two-thirds of all Fynbos in the world can only be found in the Cape!
A drive around the Bay will take you to the town of Stanford. Make sure to enjoy a meal at the Manor House Restaurant situated just before town on a beautiful farm that offers lodging and horse riding. Then head off to the town of De Kelders to visit the Caves cut out by the ocean. It is also famed for whale watching in season. Gansbaai (‘Goose Town’) is the next stop and the harbor is a must to watch the daily catch coming in on the fishing trawlers.We highly recommend lunch or a cup of Rooibos tea at Fynbos Shoppe in town.
Continue on the scenic drive to Kleinbaai (‘Small Bay’) before heading back to Hermanus. The primary reason for visiting Kleinbaai is a rock outcropping called Dyer Island, home to hundreds of seals and therefore gourmet on the menu for Great White Sharks. If cage diving is your thing, this is the place to be!
The town of Hermanus itself offers weeks of entertainment on its own. Several beaches cater for rock and sand lovers; overgrown walking paths connect each beach and downtown is a foodies’ dream! The harbor is famous for fresh oysters which can also be enjoyed with a cold beer at the open-air farmers market on Saturdays. ‘Romantiques‘ is a wonderful antique store in the middle of town with an excellent military collection. We had lunch at Lizette’s Kitchen – a turn-of-the-century farmhouse with a charming atmosphere. For an ocean view, try Burgundy Seafront Restaurant for deserts of all kinds.
Heading back to Cape Town, take the route via Caledon (N2) and make sure to stop at the Dassiesfontein Farm Stall. It is a fully licensed restaurant but represents true South African hospitality. Traditional, homemade meals are served while you shop for antiques, homemade breads, jams and a plethora of ‘stuff’.
Heart and home are often the same place. What a privilege to experience two contents and two cultures as citizens in one lifetime!
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