From Penguins to Elephants

A while ago, I wrote about my first trip to Africa. It was a life-changing experience, and my sister and I were quick to plan another trip to explore further the country that has seduced us with its beauty, its people, and, of course, its animals. After a wonderful experience on a safari trip to Tanzania, my sister and I were eager to return to Africa and learn more about this captivating and diverse continent — our goal — South Africa. We booked our trip with Wilderness Travel, an adventure travel company out of Berkeley, California. They have proven to be masters at creating unique trips to our planned travel destinations. They have a talent for finding the best guides and maximizing experiences for those willing to experience "adventure travel."

Our guide proved to be the most patient of leaders, with a wealth of knowledge and enthusiasm for all the places we visited as we traversed South Africa. A bonus — he was a highly successful professional photographer, who shared tips as we snapped the challenging scenery and wild animals. He offered us the insight of an Afrikaner fiercely proud and open about apartheid.

The trip was a collection of separate trips. It included stops and ranged from the sophisticated city of Cape Town to a private game camp in the Sabi Sands Game Reserve. We moved from west to northeast, roughly 1,150 miles. In the early days of our trip, we visited a penguin colony on the Cape Peninsula. During the last two weeks of our trip, we found ourselves up close and personal with the Big Five (elephant, buffalo, lion, leopard, and rhino).

Packed in between the penguins and the elephants in the game preserve, we experienced the famed wine district, the white sandy beaches of the Garden Route, the craggy Drakensberg Mountains, and finally, the much-anticipated game parks.

What impacts you most about South Africa? Extremes. There are 11 official spoken languages, with Afrikaans and English being the most widely spoken. There is no question that you have to travel smart. There is crime. We traveled with a savvy guide who kept his campers close. We never felt at risk except for one especially feisty elephant we encountered on a game drive. We saw no other Americans as we traveled. We found the people of South Africa friendly and passionate about their country. Each was eager to hear where we were going and what we were doing.

We traveled in what was summer in South Africa. We had no rainy days and enjoyed warm, if not hot, days. Our food and wine were outstanding. We tasted new and different things, like springbok, ostrich, kudu, and impala. Every meal was accompanied by delicious vegetables prepared in new and different ways — no fried food.

The highlight had to be the game preserves. It cannot be described it has to be experienced. At the end of our trip, we experienced several different game preserves. We grew to know the knowledgeable guides who led us to spots where we were sure to see the wild animals we sought. The trophy experience is seeing the Big Five on the same day — we've accomplished it several times. It was thrilling to see elephant, buffalo, lion, leopard and rhino all in close proximity.

Would I return to Africa? You bet in a New York minute.