My mom and I always talked about
visiting South Africa.
It seemed so
exotic; lots of animals, safaris, beaches, sun, but yet so far away.
It was a dream that we made come true.
There were 5 of us on this trip; my mom, 3 of
her friends, and I.
I booked us flights
to Cape Town and a hostel so we could have extra money to spend on other things
like tours and shopping.
Our journey
took us to Abu Dhabi, UAE for a night.
I
rented us a private apartment-like
place that cost each of us $12 for the
night.
We got there before noon so we
had all day to tour around the city on a hop-on hop-off bus which costs around
$60.
I usually wouldn’t spend that much
on a tour but it was the best way to see as much of the city as we could in the
time that we were there.
We got to rent
and wear hijabs and visit the gorgeous Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque.
I was so glad to be able to take the ladies
to a place like Abu Dhabi because it’s very different from where the ladies
would usually travel to.
It’s great to
be exposed to such different cultures, ways of life, and types of cities. If
you can, take advantage of layovers!
I had never been to Cape Town, let
alone South Africa, so I wasn’t sure of the best areas to stay in.
I did my best at picking the brains of anyone
that I knew had been there before.
When
booking our hostel, I chose a place that said that it was near the waterfront
which is what I typically look for anyways!
It was night time when we arrived.
We flagged down a taxi that was big enough to fit all of us and our
luggage.
Our driver was extremely
friendly, despite his crazy driving.
He
told us, in his thick accent that was heavily Irish-influenced, so much about Cape
Town, its history, how it was formed, and much more, all in the quick 25-minute
drive to our hostel.
He explained how
the majority of Cape Town was all under water until not long ago when the water
line was pushed far back, exposing the well-known Table Mountain and its
mountain range.
The city of Cape Town as
we know it now was formed.
Our driver
also explained to us that the water level has been on the rise and that soon
enough mother nature will take back what was originally hers.
I don’t blame her.
Us humans invade a land and change what
mother nature created, all for our personal benefit.
I was nervous about our
hostel. Not because it’s a hostel,
because I have stayed in countless hostels throughout my years of travel but,
because I wasn’t sure what my mom and her friends would feel about it. We stayed at Never @ Home hostel in Greenpoint,
Cape Town. It cost us each around $125
for the entire week to stay there. It
was just after 9:30pm. I check us in and
we went to our room I had booked us a shared dorm room with 8 beds in it,
meaning we’d take over 5 of them which left room for only 3 others to possibly
room with us. I say “possibly” because I
have stayed in shared dorms in many places that were not fully booked. I’ve even been the only one in a dorm room
before which is quite nice because it’s like a private room for the cheapest
price! I usually take the top bunk, not
sure why, it’s probably because I gives me a sense of seclusion and a bit more
privacy than a lower bunk. I was hoping
that the lower bunks would be available for my mom and her friends so they
didn’t have the climb up and down all the time which can be kind of difficult
depending on the bed. All of the top
bunks were open when we got to the room and disappointingly, only one bottom
bed was free. Some of the ladies weren’t
very pleased. I felt bad because not
only were a few of them not pleased with the beds, I felt like some may have
been still in a bit of uncertainty about it being a hostel, a shared dorm room,
and in a foreign country. I went down to
the front desk to see if they could change our room in any way. They said that they couldn’t because it was a
really busy couple of weeks for them and everything was booked. I quickly learned that it’s not easy to try
to book accommodations for groups of people; more than the usual my mom and I
and sometimes one of her friends.
I felt really bad and was really
anxious.
I felt responsible for the
ladies and wanted them to be happy with everything.
Although they said that it was all okay, I
didn’t feel like it was but, we had no other choice.
We needed to make the most out of it all.
There were 3 people sleeping in the room when
we got there.
It was nighttime so that’s
expected.
It’s always a touchy issue in
knowing the right and wrong thing to do when arriving in a shared dorm later at
night when people are sleeping.
Do you
turn on the lights?
Am I being too
loud?
I can’t see my belongings.
I’m trying to get situated and ready for bed
after arriving from a long flight.
Am I
being annoying to those sleeping?
I
personally try to be as quick and quiet as I can be because I know what it’s like
being the person already sleeping when someone new comes or people return from
a night out and the lights get turned on and they are super loud and
obnoxious.
I never want to be that
person.
But, it’s hard to be really
quiet and see in the dark when 5 people arrive at night, especially when the
bunks are squeaky and make noises even when we just breathe!
We did our best though.
The people that we roomed with turned out to
be super cool.
One was a photographer
and offered to take group photos of us on our last day by the pool.
Our hostel, like many, had different
amenities.
This one has a nice-sized
kitchen where we could make food if we wanted to, a small pool by a
bar/restaurant that was attached, computers to use for free, and a wall of tour
pamphlets.
The staff was always really
nice and helped with a lot of our activity bookings.
There was a nice size supermarket next door
to the hostel which was really convenient for when we needed snacks for the
beach or car rides, or something to make for dinner.
There was also a very trendy specialty deli
market a few buildings down that was always really busy, especially around lunch
time.
My favorites were the juice and
coffee shops nearby and the Japanese restaurant.
There were restaurants of all cuisine all on
the main road.
Since it was late when we arrived,
there weren’t many options for dinner.
We were pretty hungry after traveling for so long. We were really bummed that every place that
we walked passed was closed but luckily, we wandered passed a cute hotel-like
restaurant that was open for a few more hours.
We were going to be stuck without any food at all or McDonald’s. We wound up eating at that cute place a few
times during our stay. Our hostel was
next to a retro-ish custom-made burger restaurant. We often ate breakfast there. The staff and owner were always really nice
and happy to have us. Our bill was
always around $16 total. One thing that
I didn’t know about Cape Town until I got there was how cheap food and drinks
are. It’s insane. You couldn’t give away your money fast enough
there when it came to dining. There were
5 of us on the trip and our dinner bills were never more than $70 total, and
that’s with appetizers, meals, glasses of wine, alcohol, the whole
nine-yards. And, we dined at pretty nice
places often too. Nice steakhouses,
seafood places, and restaurants along the waterfront. A nice glass of wine costs around $5 on
average, a good beer is around $1.50, a nice size coffee around $1.75, a large
fresh squeezed juice around $2.50, a fresh whole lobster is around $25, and a
filet mignon is around $25.
Greenpoint, where we stayed was a
perfect location. I knew nothing about
Cape Town when booking a hostel so I chose a location that said it was near the
waterfront. We were really pleased with
the proximity and Greenpoint had to a lot of things that we wanted. It’s about a 15 minute walk to the Victoria &
Alfred Waterfront or the big sports stadium, a 15 to 20 minute walk to the city
center downtown or the Green Market, and a short drive to Camps Bay or Clifton
Beach.
Cape Town is a very diverse place. It is diverse in cultures, traditions, and
cuisines. Those from Cape Town have an
English-like accent but Cape Town is such a touristy city that it was often
difficult to distinguish those who are from there, those who moved there, and
those who are just visiting. It was a
pleasant surprise to see such diversity in Cape Town. It’s a really trendy and modern city filled
with a lot of millennials and business personnel. It’s a fairly large city so of course you’ll
see some poverty scattered but Cape Town is a pretty clean and very established
place.
Mom and her friends were really
excited to shop. Cape Town has some
great shopping but, you need to shop wisely for the best deals. I like to wait to do most of my shopping
towards the end of my trips because it’s less to have to worry about when
leaving it in the hostel and it’s nice to do “price-shopping” around to get the
best prices. There are some great places
to shop in Cape Town. There’s more
touristy and pricier shops at the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, the Green
Market downtown, Old Biscuit Mill Marketplace, and several other indoor and
outdoor modern markets. Shopping isn’t
as cheap as food is, oddly, but you can get some pretty decent prices if you
bargain. You can bargain in marketplaces
but obviously not in established little shops or stores where the prices are
set. Green Market is the outdoor
marketplace downtown in the city where you shop and bargain for all sorts of
South African things. I bought some
really pretty beaded necklaces (I bought like 7 of them because I couldn’t
decide on what colors I want. They were
all so nice!). If you go to the Green
Market towards closing time, you’ll get the best prices! Be careful if you’re there on a windy day because
they are make-shift stands that can easily be blown over, which we saw! It could be a dangerous place during heavy
winds. A European girl in our hostel
room told us about Old Biscuit Mill marketplace which as pretty close to
Greenpoint but had set days and times so we missed it. She said it was big and had lots of great
shopping and food too.
The Victoria & Alfred Waterfront
is an awesome place.
We went there
several of our days in Cape Town.
It’s a
pretty touristy place but is really pretty and there’s a lot to do and see
there.
There is a really cool and trendy
market there where you can get specialty items like dried fruits, craft beer,
fresh pressed juice, fresh jams, different types of hot sauces, homemade fudge,
and lots of ice cream.
There are plenty
of unique foods to try of all cuisines.
There was everything from Asian to Vegan to Argentinean to traditional
South African foods, and so much more.
A
popular place there was a burger spot that was always busy.
My mom bought a skewer that had a variety of
South African meats on it including ostrich, wild boar, zebra, and
alligator.
I refused to eat the zebra.
Seriously!?
My favorite thing that I ate at the market was a vegan pizza that had a
seed-based crust, fresh veggies, and an avocado cream sauce on it.
My other favorite was the fresh pressed
juices that you could get.
Cape Town was
filled with juice places, coffee shops, and ice cream places.
On the other half of the market, in the
outdoor area, were lots of booths where local artists and craftsmen were
selling goods ranging from paintings and sculptures to jewelry to
clothing.
There is a huge shopping mall
at the Waterfront that you can easily get lost in.
There are also lots of small boutiques and shops
selling all sorts of things from local souvenirs, expensive art and sculptures,
to basic things.
There is a bank at the
Waterfront where we easily exchanged currency or used the ATM.
You will need your passport to exchange
currency, like usual. Always ask the exchange rate and any fees when exchanging
currency anywhere including airports, banks, and currency exchange places.
Always keep in mind what the range of the
currency exchange rate is so you know whether their rate is good or not.
As of now, $1 is roughly 13.72 Rands.
We walked passed a local group of South
African musicians who allowed us to join in their dance.
My mom’s friend bought a CD from them which
was really nice of her.
I loved the restaurants that were
at the Waterfront.
There are so many of
them.
You can sit outside and enjoy the
beautiful view, get some sun, socialize with others, eat fresh seafood, and
drink great wine for really cheap!
We had
fresh oysters, sushi, wine, cocktails, and appetizers one time and it only cost
around $60 for all of us.
Do know that
the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront does lose electricity from time to time
during the night.
We learned this on our
very last night when we chose a fancy steakhouse to dine at.
After enjoying wine and cocktails at the
inside bar, we sat at our fancy table and ordered a huge meal.
We ordered lobster tails, steaks, prawns, and
a variety of delicious-sounding sides to share.
I say “delicious-sounding” because we never got to eat it.
While waiting for our meal to get done, the
lights went out.
As we sat in candle
light, we waited a little bit to see if the electricity would return.
The restaurant manager approached our table
and informed us that it would be another hour or two before the lights came
back on but because a few of the restaurants on the riverwalk beside us had
back-up generators, we could dine there if we’d like.
It was already pretty late and everyone else
went to those restaurants, we paid for our drinks and left.
We were so bummed that we didn’t get to have
our last cheap fancy meal in South Africa together.
There are lots of tour agencies at
the Waterfront as well.
You can go on a
helicopter sight-seeing tour, catamaran tour, whale-watching tour, and many
others.
We went on a catamaran ride for
$12 each.
It was a sunny day out but it
sure was chilly out on the water.
They
gave us blankets to use though.
We wound
up seeing whales in the distance which was really cool.
It was my first time ever seeing whales.
You also get a really great view of Cape Town
and its cityscape when out on the water.
There are sea lions scattered throughout the Waterfront waters so keep
an eye out because you’ll most likely spot one!
There is a spot across a small bridge there where sea lions come out of
the water and relax in the sun.
It’s a
place that was created for injured sea lions to rehab and return to the water
when they’re ready.
Taking a taxi from the Waterfront can
be quite pricey. We learned this the
hard way. Usually I ask what price to
expect to pay from point A to point B before getting into a taxi when
traveling, especially if I don’t see a meter but, we were kind of rushed into
the taxi because we were in a busy spot and the police were trying to manage
the pick up/drop off area that we were at.
So, we got into the taxi, and it didn’t have a meter. He was a younger driver. I asked him how much it was going to cost from
the Waterfront, where he got us from, to Camp’s Bay. He had an earphone in one ear so he would
call who we thought was his boss and ask questions. It was kind of odd though because he would
randomly talk about the weather or traffic but, what we later realized was that
he was talking in some sort of code to his boss. He would also speak in another language on
and off too. I think he was telling his
boss that we were white, women, foreigners, and asking how much the taxi would
could, therefore meaning that we had no clue.
We paid around $20 total for the 30 minute ride. In the U.S, that’s pretty cheap and hard to
find but, in most foreign countries, including South Africa, that’s not so
cheap. When we were leaving Camp’s Bay,
we got a taxi and it only cost us $5 total to get back. Our driver and the guy that booked us a tour
told us that we were definitely ripped off.
You will always get ripped off when you travel in foreign countries but
it’s nice not to. I always try to ask
someone how much to expect to pay for a taxi ride somewhere before going. Every bit of money saved when traveling is
money left to spend at another time, sometimes when you need it most.
We later learned that there is a
shuttle van that drives up and down the main road in Greenpoint stretching from
downtown Cape Town to Camp’s Bay that only costs 8 rand, which is less than
$1! At first, the guys from this van
would see us trying to wave down a taxi, which often took longer than usual
because we needed a taxi big enough for the five of us but, I just thought that
it was an annoying van of guys trying to charge us for a ride somewhere. Since I felt in charge of the ladies, I
didn’t want to risk seeing if it was a legit shuttle or not. I should’ve let the guys explain a bit more,
or asked someone at my hostel what the van was all about, or thought for a
second because it’s common in foreign countries to have a really cheap shuttle
as an option for transportation. I
usually take this as a means of transport in other countries when I travel. We wished we knew about this shuttle earlier
in our trip. It would’ve saved us some
taxi money! It stops and picks up people
in random spots, usually people on their typical daily work routine. That’s a way to save some money when backpacking
or traveling on a budget.
If you come across a taxi driver
that you really like, it’s a good idea to ask them how much they’ll charge for
an all-day (or specify what hours) private tour. They’ll most likely give you a really cheap
price and recommend some great places that you may not know about other
The weather in Cape Town was so up
and down. One day it was sunny and
really warm out, the next it was chilly and windy. We went in March so it was practically the
end of summer for them. When packing for
Cape Town, definitely throw in some warm clothes as well, especially if you go
the same time of year as we did.
Cape Town and surrounding South
Africa is absolutely stunning. It is
undoubtedly one of the most beautiful places that I’ve ever visited. We took tours all along the coast and saw the
bluest water and whitest sand. We
traveled all over from the coastline down to the very southern tip of the Cape
Peninsula called the Cape of Good Hope.
Our driver took us to a place where we were able to climb down a few
feet on the cliff to sit on a bench which allowed you to sit at the tip of the
Peninsula. Being terrified of heights, I
was of course scared but, it was too cool and too beautiful of a view not to
do. Hout Bay is a popular place to go,
especially to get to Seal Island.
We told our driver that we wanted to go to a
flea market to do some shopping. He took
us to one that he preferred. It was
pretty busy but a pretty nice place.
There was everything from local art, jewelry, clothing, and tons of fun
foods to try. There was music and beer
to enjoy too. The market was near the
water so afterwards, we walked to the water where the driver said seals usually
hang out at. Sure enough, there were
seals! They were so adorable. They were catching fish while they put on a
little show for us by climbing up on the rocks.
I could watch them all day. I was
in heaven with those seals. They made me
laugh. As I walked away, one swam to
follow me. I wish I could have brought
one home!
We told our driver that we wanted
to eat lobster for lunch so he took us to a popular restaurant that
There was plenty of
seafood to choose from on the menu.
We
invited our driver to eat with us.
We
had everything from crawfish, lobster, and oysters.
Outside of the restaurant was a local man
putting on a little show with a sea lion by the fishing boats.
He does this for whatever money he could
get.
He let us feed the sea lion with
fish.
My mom even put it in her mouth
and fed it to the sea lion.
He was such
a good sea lion and so cute.
was near
the flea market.
On Easter, we wanted to spend the
day doing something fun and special since we were spending Easter away from our
families. I decided to book us a wine
tour with a private driver. Not all of
us are big fans of wine but, how can’t you visit South America and not try some
wines! The tour cost each of us close to
$50 each. Do keep in mind that some of
the wine-tastings will have an additional charge for tastings but they’re
always a few dollars extra. It was a
cloudy rainy morning when we got picked up.
Our driver had a few maps available for us to customize our own
tour. I wasn’t knowledgeable about many
of the wineries except for the Jordan winery so, the driver gave some
recommendations based upon our interests.
Some popular vineyards include: Constantia, Spier, Stellenbosch, and De
Grendel. The areas where the wineries
were located were just beautiful. The
vineyards were stunning and all were quite different. The establishments at each of them were
pretty spectacular. Some were small and
intimate, some were more industrial-like, some were more secluded, and others
were very busy. Some wineries had
chocolate, cheese, and olive pairings to choose from. There were cafes and restaurants attached to
many of them.
Some were even super swanky. Our driver took us to a really well-known
vineyard called the Delaire Graff Estate.
It had a fancy hotel, statues, spa house, diamond shop, and more. There were expensive Rolls Royce cars leaving
the hillside driveway as we entered. Our
driver told us that things were often filmed at that location due to its luxury
and popularity. You could definitely
tell that very wealthy people gathered there.
It was pretty cool to go see but, we definitely felt out of place. We also chose to stop at a berry farm which
had a cute little restaurant and shop where you could buy all types of berries
and berry-made products like jams and pastries.
Our driver called an owner of a
vineyard that he knew and was able to get us a table.
It was a stunning place.
There was a small pond with a wooden bridge
and a small cabin on it.
There was even
a castle in the hillside above it.
There
were willow trees draping the water and the vibrant greenery all over.
The restaurant had outdoor and indoor
seating.
There were a good amount of
people there.
They took us to our table
indoors.
It was a cute place to
dine.
We ordered our meals and some
wine.
It was delicious.
I had an Asian-influenced salad but others
had lamb and chicken with roasted vegetables.
It was a great Easter meal.
Although it cost around $170, you
can’t go to South Africa and not go on a safari. Africa is a place blessed with a wide variety
of magnificently beautiful animals. It
was always on my wish list to go on an African safari. I was so excited to finally be going on
one. There are a few different safaris
to choose from while in Cape Town. The
“Big Five” Safari is quite popular but we chose the Aquila safari. I booked it right from the hostel’s front
desk. The tour van picked us up the day
of our safari and we picked up a few other tourists before heading there. Our driver did a great job at providing us
with a lot of information on things that we past. There was Groote Schuur Hospital that we
passed that is worldly known as the very first place to perform a human heart
transplant. We also drove by the
Khayeltisha slums of Cape Town, one of the world’s top 5 largest slums in the
world. I didn’t go into them like I did
the Dharavi Slums in Mumbai but, we got to see what it looked like from the outside. The slums went on for miles. They are huge. To hear the story of how many immigrants live
there without their families to ultimately try to make a better life for them,
to learn the amount of danger and problems that exists within there, and to
learn the dangers of mass fires within them, is hard to imagine. Seeing places and lifestyles like that puts
your life and country into a whole new perspective.
It was around a 3 hour drive so we stopped in
a small town to grab a bite to eat at a diner and to use the restroom. It was pretty chilly out and I definitely dressed
in hopes of sunshine and warm weather. I
quickly ran into the clothing store next to the diner and bought a pair of
comfortable pants that I could use for the remainder of my trip. Wherever I
travel, I can’t seem to escape terrifying rides on winding roads that are
usually high up in the mountains and that make me extremely nauseous. The drivers always drive so fast and so crazy
that it only elevates my fear and nausea.
My mom and her friends were holding on for dear life as we whipped
blindly around mountainsides and came within inches of the edge of the
cliff.
This is very common.
Story of my life when I’m traveling in most
countries.
There was a happy moment on
this drive which is that we got to see a lot of monkeys hanging out in the road
and on the mountain side.
Our driver
slowed down so we could get a few photos.
He also stopped at a nice viewpoint for us to
take pictures.
We finally got to the other
side of the mountain and were close to where the safari was.
We were in the middle of nowhere.
Literally.
Along the way, we did pass some ostrich, turtles, springbok (South
African deer), and other animals.
We
arrived at Aquila.
After paying the
remainder of the cost, we climbed into a safari jeep.
I wanted to sit at the end so I could be in a
spot for great views and photos.
I’d be
lying if I said that I wasn’t a bit nervous to go into an area with wild
animals, especially lions and cheetahs.
There are no safaris in the Cape Town region that are completely natural
habitats but, Aquila is one that is quite close to it.
Aquila consists of hundreds of square miles
of land where rescued animals are placed to live a safer, happier, and
healthier life.
Aquila separates any
animals that are predators and prey to one another by having fences around
areas that are so far and wide that you will only see the entrance gate.
The lions have their own area, as do the
cheetahs.
The remainder of the animals
are together such as the elephants, giraffes, rhinos, ostrich, zebras,
springbok, buffalo, hippos, wilder beast (yes, that’s a real animal!), and
others.
Poachers are known to cut the
horns from rhinos and tusks from the elephants, usually in a very inhumane
manner that leaves the animals suffering.
When I was in my state room on a cruise through Scandinavia, I accidentally
stumbled upon a documentary about rhino poaching and it scarred horrific images
into my mind.
Our (very attractive)
safari guide told us that they put poison into the horns of the rhinos at Aquila
so they’re undesirable to the poachers.
The poison does not seep into the rhino so they remain unaffected by
it.
The poachers also try to steal
cheetahs for their skin and fur so there is lots of a barbed wire circling the
cheetah area.
The land is so vast that upon
entering the first area, we didn’t see anything for quite a while. At one point, the tour guide stopped and
jumped out of the jeep. “What is he
doing?” we asked ourselves. He told us
to watch out for cheetahs so that none pounce on him. What?! You’re joking right!? Later we learned that we weren’t in the cheetah
area, he was just trying to be funny. He
bent down and picked something from the ground.
He handed us a handful of grape-like berries that were light green and
plump yet long and oval in shape. He
told us each to take one but to wait to eat it.
We were very leery about his antics.
What are these and why is he telling us to eat them? When I put it in my mouth and began to chew
it, it burst with a very bitter, disgusting juice. He laughed and told us that they are berries
that they give the animals to boost their libido. Great, thanks tour guide! As the taste lingered in our mouths, we drove
around, bouncing up and down along the bumpy uneven ground, keeping an eye out
for anything that may be an animal in the distance. At first we didn’t’ know about the animal
separation so I was certain a cheetah was going to jump out of a bush at
us.
Soon enough, we spotted a rhino
eating.
We pulled up pretty close to it
but we had to be careful that it didn’t charge at us.
His horn had been trimmed down.
We then saw a herd of zebra drinking
water.
They are absolutely stunning
animals.
The patterns on them are true
works of art.
I asked my mom if she was
sorry for eating that zebra meat at the marketplace a few days prior.
There was a majestic and beautiful giraffe
that felt like a giant friendly creature going for a walk.
We also saw another giraffe with its head in
a tree eating.
They’re very peaceful
animals.
Then, we saw my favorite, the elephants.
They were in the far distance and slowly walked
our way.
They were two giant beauties,
one much smaller than the other, who walked side by side at all times.
They were both rescued from a disgusting
abusive past with the circus and brought together to live freely at
Aquila.
The tour guide told us that they
didn’t know one another beforehand but they are inseparable ever since they met.
I could just sit and watch them all day if I
could.
They were simply incredible and
it made my heart so happy to see them be free and loving life.
I wish that for all animals.
We drove around to find the baby
hippo that was born not along ago.
We
finally spotted it with its mom and dad.
We watched as the baby pounced around carelessly for a bit.
Quite adorable. At one point, the mom and dad
actually had a standoff with one another, head to head, as a sign of dominance.
They didn’t do anything other than butt heads
with one another before walking off.
I
wasn’t sure what was going to happen.
We
drove past wilder beasts.
Yes, wilder
beasts, a creature that I thought only existed in tales and books.
They did their name justice, they looked
quite off-putting.
We left that area and
entered the electronic gate into the lion area.
Our tour guide would jump in and out of the jeep to open and lock the
gates.
Again, I got nervous.
Were they going to run up behind us or pounce
from behind a tree? We didn’t see any lions until the very end.
They were sleeping under a tree, hiding from
the heat.
I don’t blame them.
After leaving the lion area, we lastly went
into the cheetah area.
This area was
much smaller than the others so you could see from one side to another.
What we didn’t see were…..cheetahs!?
That’s right, no cheetahs.
The bushes were very small and there weren’t
many hiding places for them so we were perplexed.
Where are the cheetahs?
The tour guide said that they hide from the
wind.
Hide?
We can see through and over every shrub on the
ground.
We never found out where the
cheetahs were.
After the safari was over, we went
back to the outdoor seating area where they prepared lunch for us. Some safaris, including Aquila, offer little
cabin-like homes to sleep in for a charge if you plan to stay more than one
night. Often people choose to go on a
several day safari tour of some sort so they stay there. After our yummy lunch, we got back onto the
tour van and continued the long winding ride back. Thankfully I didn’t eat too much for lunch.
Another fun thing that we did was
visit Penguin Island at Boulder Beach on our tour to the Cape of Good
Hope.
There is a fee of 65 rands (around
$5).
You walk on a long wooden deck
where there are many penguins walking on the other side of the railing and beneath.
Many of them were sitting on their nests,
cuddling their babies, or building a nest.
We watched a male penguin run around to others nests and try to steal
materials to bring to its female.
Others
got angry at him as he dodged around them.
It was really entertaining and very hilarious.
Cape Town offers something for
everyone.
From beaches to mountains, vineyards
to local markets, and safaris to whale watching.
There is fun for all to have.
Robben Island is a good place to go
sightseeing and go on a historical tour.
Almost everyone who visits Cape Town goes to Table Mountain.
You can’t escape the view of it since it sits
in the distance from every angle in Cape Town.
There’s a cable car to take to the top of Table Mountain to enjoy the
view from above.
I paid a deposit to go
cage diving with the great white sharks but, the weather the following day was
bad so it was canceled.
I was leaving
South Africa the next day so I couldn’t reschedule and I got my deposit
back.
One day I will return to Cape
Town, because it’s awesome, and I will go cage diving!
If you are a beach bum like
myself, there are different beaches to choose from. Clifton beach consists of 4 separate small
beaches that are separated by boulders.
We weren’t very fond of this beach because although the weather was
nice, it was super windy and we kept getting pelted by the sand. I must prefer Camp’s Bay beach. It’s a little further than Clifton beach but
it’s really big and really nice. It has
a great view of the 12 Apostles Mountains and Lions Head Mountain in the
distance. There are lots of little shops
and places to dine in Camp’s Bay along with tour desks, all on the main road.
Shopping
Old Biscuit Mill
Victoria & Alfred Waterfront
Green Market in downtown Cape Town
Remember to always bargain if you can!
Tips/Advice
Check currency exchange rate beforehand
$1 is roughly 13.72 Rands right now
Have a calculator/phone handy when exchanging currency
Always double check your change given back to you
Agree on a set price or have the drive set the meter before
getting into a taxi
Use the cheap vans that yell out for passengers and make
many stops and pick-ups along the main road.
It’s super cheap!
Food is super cheap!
Think of booking private tours with a taxi driver to get a
great price, create your own itinerary, and learn of other places that you may
not have heard of before.
Clean, safe, established place
Very diverse in cultures and cuisines
English is widely spoken
Take advantage of a layover if you can
Things To Do:
Safari
Shark Cage Diving
Whale Watching Tour
Catamarans
Boating
Helicopter Tours
Shopping
Penguin Island/Boulders Beach
Seal Island (remember, you don’t have go there to see seals
or sea lions, they’re all over)
Camp’s Bay beach
Clifton Beach
Wine tasting tours
Cape of Good Hope
Hout Bay
I love Iceland! It’s
a no brainer why outer space and other movies are filmed in Iceland. The terrain is just incredible. You’ll see everything from jagged fissures, green grass fields, ice fields, black sand beaches, barren plateaus,
mountains, snowy peaks, hot springs, geothermic ground, geysers, and glaciers.
Iceland is also speckled with stunning waterfalls and basalt pillar
formations. 
I had an early arrival in Reykjavik so I had time to figure
out what I wanted to do. The sun hadn’t
risen yet so there wasn’t much to do. I
knew that I wanted to figure out how and when I could go to the Blue Lagoon
because I heard that you could go right from the airport. The Reykjavik airport is fairly small and
there was quite a bit of construction going on so there weren’t many options on
where to hang out. Luckily, there was
free WiFi. There were several other
travelers sleeping on the floor of the airport in sleeping bags. Once the sun came up and the airport got a
bit busier, they were woken up by security.
There were multiple tour company booths that were open so I was able to
compare prices and choices on what to do. I knew that I wanted to book some
tours in Iceland to make the most of my time there. I usually don’t book tours since I enjoy walking
everywhere when I travel but, Iceland is quite spacious and you need to either
rent a car or book a tour. I wasn’t sure
if it was best to book tours online before I got to Iceland or if I could do it
when I got there. Sometimes tours must
be booked a few days in advance or they can be filled quickly if it’s a popular
time of year to go so I was unsure of what to do. I try not to get overwhelmed when planning
trips so I decided to just do it all when I got there. I was happy to see the tour booths open so
early in the morning. I learned that you
can book pretty much anything at any time when in Iceland, despite the websites
saying that pre-booking is required. It’s
not.
Yes, the Blue Lagoon can be considered a tourist trap that’s
extremely overpriced but, it is a stunning place and a fun experience but, if
you are really tight on a budget, there are lots of other hot springs
throughout Iceland to relax in. Although the flights to and from Iceland are
quite affordable, Iceland is very expensive country. Next to Norway, Iceland is the second most
expensive country that I’ve ever visited. Accommodations, food, gas, and
shopping; are just some of the money suckers in Iceland. 
I booked two tours from my hostel. I was in Iceland for only 5 days so I wanted
to see as much as I could. If you’re
pretty adventurous and want to save more money, you can rent a van or car and
travel around Iceland. It’s really easy
to find people in town or at your hostel that are looking for people to pitch in
some money and join in on the road trip.
It’s a nice way to meet people and to travel around Iceland. If you rent a van, you can save money on accommodations
and just sleep in it where you’re allowed to.
I booked one tour called the Golden Circle Tour and another called the
South Shore Adventure Tour. I paid
around $180 total for both tours combined through the Reykjavik Adventures
Company on a brochure that I found. You
may hear or read that you can do without the Golden Circle Tour when in Iceland
because it may be too touristy or over-rated but, I really liked it! I’m not one to do what all other tourists do
but we got to see a lot on that tour. It’s
the most popular tour and takes you a geothermic area that has Geysir and Strokkur
(which erupt all the time), Gullfoss waterfall, Haukadalur, and Thingvellir National
Park/Parliament. It also stops at other
places and waterfalls along the way. My best friend in Iceland was my
over-sized rain coat that I found at a thrift store back at home. The weather in Iceland changes
constantly. One minute it’s sunny, then
it’s raining, then it’s freezing, then it’s super windy, and then it’s sunny
again. I just made sure to have lots of
layers so that I could take some off it I needed. When I was cold at the
geothermic area, I stood right beside the smelly Geysir and when it erupted, I
was misted with warm stinky air. It sure
felt good though. 
I really enjoyed the South Shore Adventure Tour. You must travel to the South of Iceland when
you’re there. There is so much to
see. The tour took us to the Reynisfjara
shore near Vik on South coast where the black sand beaches and basalt caves
are. The black sand beaches are
stunning. The waves were incredibly big
and scary. We went to the Seljalandsfoss Waterfall and
the Skógarfoss Waterfall. The waterfalls are massive and incredible. Near
Skogarfoss, there is a Viking museum that we got a tour of and we got to
venture into Viking homes. Yes, it was
difficult for a six foot tall girl to fit through a viking’s doorway. We even got to take a short hike to a
glacier. It was a remarkable scene with
the foggy air and water below. There are
tours to go on longer and more adventurous hikes on glaciers. 
-Hraunfossar Waterfall- water flows out of water into river
