Rather than doing a day by day trip report, I thought I'd give an overview of what we loved and what we did not. Hope it helps those considering the trip and is entertaining for those that are just curious.
So, it was an awesome trip of a lifetime. I highly recommend the trip. I was just awed by South Africa as a country. The people were so friendly and the culture was fascinating. FYI: my family did two pre-days which we used to visit Robben Island (which I highly recommend), do a township tour (this was a highlight. Swiwe, the organization we used, was amazing. Thanks so much to the poster that recommended them. We also visited the Jewish Museum, which was also very good-though not a must do. So, on to the ABD portion.
The Good
1. The guides: Daniel and Craig. They were just incredible. They are very in tune to the needs of the group and worked very hard to make the trip meaningful for the adults and children (there were 5 on our trip, ages 10-14). They paid attention to who socialized more with who, so they could break us up into appropriate groups for the safari. They were fun, worked well together, and really just made the trip very special. Craig's knowledge of South Africa was great. He gave the perfect amount of information and we felt very prepared for each site visit. He answered all questions asked and was very candid about his experiences during apartheid. It was great to have the information from someone who lived it. They were also awesome with the kids. Craig told jokes to the kids and he seemed to have a never ending list. So, when the animals weren't out on safari or we went a long time between spotting one, the kids weren't bored. Both Daniel and Craig really went above and beyond including the kids in all aspects of the trip, but without dumbing anything down for the kids or leaving the adults out of the fun! I also lived that they took pictures during the trip. It really takes the pressure off getting shots of everything or worrying that yours won't turn out well.
2. The Table Bay hotel in Cape Town. I think this deserves special mention. I believe it is a change in the intinerary and it was awesome. Really 5 star-the service was incredible and the breakfast amazing. We had a gorgeous view of Table Mountain and the V&A Waterfront. Our room was great and I really have no complaints here at all.
3. The intinerary-besides what we added to the trip during our pre-days, the itinerary was perfect. We loved what we did and felt like we really hit the highlights and more. For those that are concerned it's not enough safari time, we did 6 game drives and saw loads of animals. Of course, it was amazing and could have done more, but we really felt it was adequate time to see the animals.
4. That brings me to the game drives-which were awesome. ABD has handpicked the rangers and animal spotters and they were amazing. Rogers is a top rated tracker and was amazing and Wayne, our ranger imparted so much information and answered all our questions.
5. It was easy. We showed up and ABD did everything. The handling of our luggage was great, water and snacks were provided, as were blankets on safari and we were always reminded of things we needed to know. It just felt luxurious that way-not having to worry about things. Everything was thought of for us.
6. The privacy-many of our meals and visits were private. We were not fighting crowds or noise or any of that. I wasn't sure how I'd feel about this, but it really made a difference.
7. Knysna Elephant Park was just incredible. Feeding the elephants and getting to spend time with them was amazing. I wanted it to be much longer. Also, the food here was great. The best Malva pudding was served at the park. I cannot understate what an amazing experience this was.
The Not Quite As Good
Let me be clear, nothing was bad. There was no ugliness and I am sold on ABD. However, there were things that I did not enjoy as much. None are ABD related. Just things one might want to know.
1. The bathroom at Kapama. It's gorgeous and designed so that you can see wildlife no matter what you are doing in the bathroom. That being said, there is simply no privacy. While there were two sinks (a big bonus), the mirrors were very far away, which I find makes it hard to groom. I also found the toilet very high-I could not put my feet on the ground
The room as also a very long walk from the lobby, dining area, and jeeps.
2. The hotel in Knysna was okay, but clearly a step down from the Table Bay. The choices in Knysna are limited, but the room was very cold and there was no storage space in the bathroom. However, it was adequate.
3. There wasn't any time on our own at the District 6 Museum. Our guide provided all the necessary info, but we would have enjoyed time on our own to explore a bit. Also, we were rushed in the Gold Museum. 15 more minutes would have been nice.
4. Not really a complaint, but rather an FYI. There are a lot of steps and walking on this trip. For those with back, hip, or knee problems, you might want to be aware of the activities involved. One can opt out of a lot of it or use an alternative to see the sights, but if you really want to do everything, bring some pain relievers.
5. Meals at Kapama were not my favorite. During the whole trip,we only ordered off a menu 3 times. There were lots of buffets, most of which were good (though one meal required carrying food up and down stairs), the food at Kapama was often cold because they left the lids off the dishes. However, there was plenty of food and I always found more than enough to eat. My mom jokes that it was an eating trip interrupted by touring.
I'm running out of battery, so I need to post, but please feel free to ask questions.
So, it was an awesome trip of a lifetime. I highly recommend the trip. I was just awed by South Africa as a country. The people were so friendly and the culture was fascinating. FYI: my family did two pre-days which we used to visit Robben Island (which I highly recommend), do a township tour (this was a highlight. Swiwe, the organization we used, was amazing. Thanks so much to the poster that recommended them. We also visited the Jewish Museum, which was also very good-though not a must do. So, on to the ABD portion.
The Good
1. The guides: Daniel and Craig. They were just incredible. They are very in tune to the needs of the group and worked very hard to make the trip meaningful for the adults and children (there were 5 on our trip, ages 10-14). They paid attention to who socialized more with who, so they could break us up into appropriate groups for the safari. They were fun, worked well together, and really just made the trip very special. Craig's knowledge of South Africa was great. He gave the perfect amount of information and we felt very prepared for each site visit. He answered all questions asked and was very candid about his experiences during apartheid. It was great to have the information from someone who lived it. They were also awesome with the kids. Craig told jokes to the kids and he seemed to have a never ending list. So, when the animals weren't out on safari or we went a long time between spotting one, the kids weren't bored. Both Daniel and Craig really went above and beyond including the kids in all aspects of the trip, but without dumbing anything down for the kids or leaving the adults out of the fun! I also lived that they took pictures during the trip. It really takes the pressure off getting shots of everything or worrying that yours won't turn out well.
2. The Table Bay hotel in Cape Town. I think this deserves special mention. I believe it is a change in the intinerary and it was awesome. Really 5 star-the service was incredible and the breakfast amazing. We had a gorgeous view of Table Mountain and the V&A Waterfront. Our room was great and I really have no complaints here at all.
3. The intinerary-besides what we added to the trip during our pre-days, the itinerary was perfect. We loved what we did and felt like we really hit the highlights and more. For those that are concerned it's not enough safari time, we did 6 game drives and saw loads of animals. Of course, it was amazing and could have done more, but we really felt it was adequate time to see the animals.
4. That brings me to the game drives-which were awesome. ABD has handpicked the rangers and animal spotters and they were amazing. Rogers is a top rated tracker and was amazing and Wayne, our ranger imparted so much information and answered all our questions.
5. It was easy. We showed up and ABD did everything. The handling of our luggage was great, water and snacks were provided, as were blankets on safari and we were always reminded of things we needed to know. It just felt luxurious that way-not having to worry about things. Everything was thought of for us.
6. The privacy-many of our meals and visits were private. We were not fighting crowds or noise or any of that. I wasn't sure how I'd feel about this, but it really made a difference.
7. Knysna Elephant Park was just incredible. Feeding the elephants and getting to spend time with them was amazing. I wanted it to be much longer. Also, the food here was great. The best Malva pudding was served at the park. I cannot understate what an amazing experience this was.
The Not Quite As Good
Let me be clear, nothing was bad. There was no ugliness and I am sold on ABD. However, there were things that I did not enjoy as much. None are ABD related. Just things one might want to know.
1. The bathroom at Kapama. It's gorgeous and designed so that you can see wildlife no matter what you are doing in the bathroom. That being said, there is simply no privacy. While there were two sinks (a big bonus), the mirrors were very far away, which I find makes it hard to groom. I also found the toilet very high-I could not put my feet on the ground
The room as also a very long walk from the lobby, dining area, and jeeps.2. The hotel in Knysna was okay, but clearly a step down from the Table Bay. The choices in Knysna are limited, but the room was very cold and there was no storage space in the bathroom. However, it was adequate.
3. There wasn't any time on our own at the District 6 Museum. Our guide provided all the necessary info, but we would have enjoyed time on our own to explore a bit. Also, we were rushed in the Gold Museum. 15 more minutes would have been nice.
4. Not really a complaint, but rather an FYI. There are a lot of steps and walking on this trip. For those with back, hip, or knee problems, you might want to be aware of the activities involved. One can opt out of a lot of it or use an alternative to see the sights, but if you really want to do everything, bring some pain relievers.
5. Meals at Kapama were not my favorite. During the whole trip,we only ordered off a menu 3 times. There were lots of buffets, most of which were good (though one meal required carrying food up and down stairs), the food at Kapama was often cold because they left the lids off the dishes. However, there was plenty of food and I always found more than enough to eat. My mom jokes that it was an eating trip interrupted by touring.
I'm running out of battery, so I need to post, but please feel free to ask questions.
