For the next twenty days, it was me, three of my closest friends, and the open road. As a birthday present, they had planned a safari through South Africa, from Cape Town to Namibia, behind the wheel of a luxurious Volkswagen minivan that we had rented.
the mother city
Our self-drive tour started early on Monday morning when we picked up our minivan in Cape Town before booking into the guest house in Welgelegen. Although we all live in Cape Town, we thought it would be fun to book a guest house instead of getting into the Christmas spirit, while we drove around Cape Town and hit all the tourist attractions that we never got to do. Ryno wanted to ride the cable car up Table Mountain, Bronwyn wanted to visit Robben Island, while Marius and I were fine with whatever activity came our way.
The two parts of my time in Cape Town as a tourist that I enjoyed the most were our trip to Cape Point and the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens. Cape Point is part of Table Mountain National Park and is a combination of rugged and rocky mountains overlooking the Atlantic Ocean that surrounds the lower end of the Cape Peninsula. There is a lot of controversy about where is the location of the meeting point of the Atlantic and Indian oceans. Some say that they are located at Cape Point, but the correct information is that Cape Agulhas is the meeting place of the two oceans. But this doesn’t take away any reason not to visit Cape Point, which is ready to reward you with remarkable natural scenery, fine seafood at Two Oceans Restaurant, and a fascinating bit of history.
The vineyards
On the fourth day of our tour, we were in the heart of the Cape Winelands and booked a bed and breakfast in Franschhoek. I realize this may sound biased, but Franschhoek has always been my favorite place out of all the small towns in the Cape Winelands. Its charming beauty is unmatched and the atmosphere evokes memories of a small French town where food is not a necessity for life but a delicacy that nature has given us. We spent the day enjoying too many wine tastings and sampling some of the best South African cuisine, for which Franschhoek is infamous.
After spending the night in the Provencal-style country hotel we’d booked into, we hit the road again, taking turns driving to Clanwilliam. This small town is located approximately 230 km from Cape Town and is part of the greater Cederberg mountain range, which gave us more than enough time to catch up on nonsense from popular culture while arguing about which radio station to use. we should listen. Clanwilliam is famous for its flowers, which during the flower season bloom in fields and fields of wildflowers and is a highlight in the life of any passionate photographer. We were staying at a four star hotel which had a more intimate atmosphere and service that is to be expected in small towns like Clanwilliam. You feel welcome from your first step in the city. Every little detail at Ndedema seems to have been attended to personally by the owners.
closer to the edge
Before crossing the border, we spend the last night in South Africa in Springbok. This very small town is located in Namaqualand and was the source of much of our entertainment. We went to one of the pubs and met some of the most interesting people who told us old farm fables and the things they used to do when they were children.
After our night of cultural experience, we were heading to Namibia. The German influence in Namibia is still very evident. Many local people still speak German and the hospitality of the locals is very welcoming. Marius, who is Namibian, was able to take the lead and soon became our guide from Fish River Canyon Park to Swakopmund, which is part of the Namib desert. After exploring them, we travel to Omaruru, where the desert meets the lush green savannah.
It was always a pleasure to visit Etosha during our stay, with plenty of opportunities to see the Big Five Game. Our trip soon came to an end, which was filled with twenty days of getting to know my three closest friends even more while driving through some of the most beautiful regions of Africa. Although we each had our preferences when it came to our favorite places, the fact is that we all enjoyed the trip and were not dissatisfied or unhappy with any part of it. Whenever I think of our trip, the Red Hot Chilli Peppers song “Road Tripping” comes to mind, bringing a smile to my face and reminding me of our little road trip experience.