Sensational South Africa: Wildlife, Whales, and Wine

The Trip

Experience “the world in one country” — South Africa. One of the most vibrant, complex, and environmentally-conscious countries in Africa,  South Africa has it all —wildlife, whales, wine, and wonder — and is waiting for your visit! The country has undertaken massive efforts to protect and promote what they have been able to conserve, and this is obvious from the attention to habitat preservation, wildlife stewardship, and showcasing their vibrant culture and history. From the exotic plants of the fynbos, to the myriad of great and small wildlife, to the dynamic marine environments of two oceans, we will discover the magnificence and distinctiveness of this fascinating country on our active adventure.

Our trip starts in the vibrant Cape area, affording us experiences with unique wildlife such as African penguins and Southern right whales, curious plant species, colonial history, quaint villages, Art Deco towns, and peaceful vistas of vineyards. We hike to the top of renowned Table Mountain to view the landscape from afar before we approach and experience it closely. A highlight in the area will be our time spent in Tsitsikamma National Park, a coastal wildland where we hike and explore along the rugged coastline before enjoying a zip line/canopy tour in the indigenous forest. Our trip then takes a turn to the northwest where we spend three days on safari in world-famous Kruger National Park and a private game reserve, searching for the “Big Five” (African lion, African elephant, Cape buffalo, African leopard, and White/Black rhinoceros) as well as all the other amazing animal and birds that inhabit the park and reserve. We also have a very special close and personal encounter with elephants at an elephant education facility. Our small group size allows for more interaction with our guides and each other, as well as more intimate experiences with wildlife encounters.

While there is still poverty, overpopulation, poaching, and political unrest that is found in other countries of Africa, South Africa has been able to mandate conservation and develop ecotourism in a positive manner that impacts all levels of the population. South Africa has 19 National Parks, 7 UNESCO World Heritage sites, and 9 “trans-frontier” parks that share borders with other countries. Human ancestry in South Africa heralds from ancient times, making it rich in archaeology and anthropology. Finally, a visit to South Africa cannot be without an understanding of the apartheid system of racial segregation that was abolished in 1994. There will be a number of opportunities for discussion on how this history affects current politics and progress, including the impact on conservation. Come and take a walk on the wild side in South Africa!

Day 1:  We meet in Johannesburg for a welcome dinner and introduction to our upcoming adventure. Overnight Johannesburg. An optional tour of Soweto township and the Apartheid Museum, not included in the trip cost, may be offered. The tour begins at the airport with a guide and travels to the Apartheid Museum and then to Soweto for tour and lunch (not included). After lunch, you will be dropped off at our hotel.

Day 2:  After breakfast, we transfer to the airport to fly to the southern point of the African continent, Capetown, arriving late morning. We will take a city tour visiting the Malay corner of the city, Bokaap; the park and heritage site of Company Gardens; the former slave market and now a vibrant street market of Greenmarket Square; and the most beautiful garden in Africa, Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens. We will lunch along the way. Later on we will have a few free hours to stroll along the lively waterfront or explore the town and its Art Deco architecture. Overnight Capetown.

Day 3: Today is a full day on Capetown’s iconic Table Mountain. We plan to hike to the top via the original explorer route, weather permitting (a day when the “tablecloth” of cloud is not over the peak,) and enjoy views of Lion's Head, Signal Hill, Robben Island, the Cape Town city centre, Table Bay, and Devil's Peak. If time permits, after lunch on top we will hike to Maclear’s Beacon, the highest point, and then take the cable car down to town. We enjoy a night out on the town for dinner. Overnight Capetown.

Day 4:  After breakfast we head out for a full day Cape Point tour including a scenic drive all along the spectacular peninsula via Chapmans Peak. We walk up to Cape Point lighthouse to see the merging of two oceans and take a short hike around the Cape of Good Hope, maybe seeing a baboon or two. Our lunch at Two Oceans Restaurant affords incredible views along the coast; we will be on the lookout for whales. After lunch we travel to Simonstown to visit the African penguin colony at Boulders Beach; be prepared to be enchanted and amused! We arrive back at our hotel to relax a little before dinner out on our last night in Capetown. Overnight Capetown (B,L,D).

Day 5:  This morning we begin our journey on the Garden Route. We are in for a tasty treat as we travel to Stellenbosch, the heart of the Cape Winelands area. We enjoy a wine and chocolate tasting in this quaint university town. We lunch in the charming harbor town of Mosselbay and then continue to whimsical Knysna. In Knysna we walk to view to the dramatic headlands at the harbor entrance and then check into our cozy hotel. There may be time for a pre-dinner swim. Overnight Knysna.

Day 6:  After breakfast we drive to Plettenberg Bay for our exciting whale watching cruise. Weather permitting, we will sail by the Cape fur seal colony, affording great opportunities for photos of seals in and out of the water, and hope to spot some Southern right whales and dolphins off the coast. If weather is too rough, we will opt for another adventure. In the afternoon we hike in the Knysna forest, learning about the unique fynbos biome characterized by endemic species of heath, protea, composite, iris, and lily families. We return later to the hotel for a quick swim or walk around the beautiful hotel grounds. Overnight Knysna.

Day 7: This morning we depart along a scenic drive to Tsitsikamma National Park. This area is known for its spectacular coastline and indigenous forest cover. We’ll enter the park at the Storms River mouth, lunching above the crashing seas. In the afternoon we take a hike over a dramatic suspension bridge, watching the seals and kayakers below. We then travel to a cozy eco-lodge on the bluffs above the sea in the Misty Mountain reserve for a dinner that is destined to delight! Overnight Tsitsikamma area.

Day 8: After breakfast we drive back to the Park to take one of the many trails depending on conditions — Blue Duiker, Loerie or The Waterfall. After a lunch, we will take an exciting kayak and inflatable raft up the Storms River gorge for a unique South African adventure, including a paddle into a bat cave and underneath verdant cliffs and forest. We return to our lodging for our last night on the Garden Route. Overnight Tsitsikamma area.

Day 9: It’s early wake-up today to drive to Port Elizabeth for our morning flight to Nelspruit, the gateway to Kruger National Park. At this point we switch gears for the amazing wildlife adventures ahead. Upon arrival we will have a very special experience at Elephant Whispers, an elephant education center, on the Elephant interaction tour. If you have ever wanted to touch an elephant’s skin, tail, or give one a kiss, this is your chance! Afterwards we leave for safari lodge, surrounded by the sounds of Africa. Overnight Hazyview.

Day 10: Very early, with a cup of tea or coffee in hand, we depart in our safari vehicles for a full day safari in Kruger National Park. Your excitement level will be off the charts. During our day, our guide and driver will take us to the best locations as we search for the Big Five (African lion, African elephant, Cape buffalo, African leopard, and White/Black rhinoceros). The thrill of seeing a lion pride lazing by the water; witnessing a mother rhino and her baby splashing in a pond; feeling the power of the elephant as a herd passes in front of our vehicle; sighting a leopard napping in the tall grass; trying to grasp the length of the eyelashes of a giraffe; and so many more experiences await us. We’ll stop at one of the rest camps for lunch and meet local South Africans on safari with their families. Overnight Hazyview.

Day 11: We have a leisurely breakfast at the hotel, taking time to go to the animal viewpoints to see if any gazelle or impala are grazing early. We then transfer to a private game reserve in mid-morning, settling into the open-air living areas. After lunch we can enjoy the grounds and look for wildlife, savor an amazingly delectable high tea, and then go to our safari vehicle in late afternoon. We tour the reserve, our guides following footprints and signs of the various animals to track them as they partake in their pre-nocturnal activities. We hope to encounter the elusive rhino, its prehistoric eye trying to determine our plans, and perhaps hear the roar of the lion as dusk settles in. Tonight we have special farewell dinner under torchlight, feasting on fresh barbecue. Overnight Kapama Lodge.

Day 12: On our final day, we arise early in the morning for our last game drive. We will watch the sun rise, perhaps behind the slender neck of a giraffe, or glinting on the horns of the Cape buffalo. Our breakfast is at leisure with time to view the rhino pond for any residents until we transfer to Hoedspruit Airport for our flight back to Johannesburg. We arrive in Johannesburg mid-afternoon, in enough time to connect with evening overseas flights. We say goodbye to South Africa with great memories of our adventure and plans to return.

NOTE:  Itinerary is subject to change.

Getting There

The trip starts and ends in Johannesburg, South Africa. There are many airlines that fly to Johannesburg; you can go direct from Washington-Dulles, New York City-JFK, Atlanta, and a number of cities in Europe like Frankfurt, Munich, and Paris. Most flights arrive in the morning in South Africa.

Arriving early in Johannesburg is recommended as we have a very full itinerary and it is better to be rested in advance. The leader will be happy to assist you with ideas and suggestions if you wish to extend your stay on either end of the trip. An optional tour of Soweto township and the Apartheid Museum, not included in the trip cost, may be offered on August 22. The tour begins at the airport with a guide and travels to the Apartheid Museum and then to Soweto for tour and lunch (not included). After the tour you will be dropped at our hotel in time to relax before our welcome dinner.

Please do not make non-refundable travel arrangements until notified to do so by the trip leader.

Accommodations and Food

We will stay in charming chalets, modern hotels and first-class safari lodges. All of our accommodations have en-suite bathrooms. Rooms are double-occupancy; if you come alone we'll give you a roommate of the same gender. Single supplement may be available for an additional cost; please contact the leader. The food will be delicious -- a mix of local and typical African dishes, with a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables and seafood. Vegetarians can be easily accommodated. We'll travel by comfortable, private air conditioned bus. There will be a few long drives, but the scenery along the way is spectacular.

Trip Difficulty

This trip is suitable for individuals who are in good health, get regular exercise, enjoy nature, and have a good-humored approach to traveling in Africa -- where things might not go as predictably as they do at home. Our trip is not strenuous but does involve some hiking, and can be considered moderate most days. Elevation gains and losses on most hikes are minimal except for the hike up Table Mountain; there will be an option to take the cable car up if desired. We will be traveling at the end of the dry season and the beginning of spring, so nights can be cool. We will be rewarded with spring wildflower displays and easy viewing of wildlife!

Equipment and Clothing

No special equipment is needed. However, binoculars and a camera are highly recommended. Your leader will provide a comprehensive packing list well in advance of the trip.

References

Books

• Anthony, Lawrence and Spence, Graham, The Elephant Whisperer: My Life with the Herd in the African Wild.  (Lawrence Anthony devoted his life to animal conservation, protecting the world's endangered species. Then he was asked to accept a herd of "rogue" wild elephants on his Thula Thula game reserve in Zululand. This is his story.)
• Estes, Richard and Otte, Daniel., The Behavior Guide to African Mammals. (Drawing on his own extensive fieldwork and on the research of many other scientists, Richard Despard Estes describes and explains the behavior of four major groups of mammals. If this is an area of interest to you, you will enjoy this book even though it is dated)
• Kavanagh, James, South Africa Wildlife:  Pocket Naturalist Guide.  (pocket-sized, folding guide to refer to while driving or trekking)
• Mandela, Nelson, The Long Walk to Freedom: The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela. (Nelson Mandela is one of the great moral and political leaders of our time: an international hero whose lifelong dedication to the fight against racial oppression in South Africa won him the Nobel Peace Prize and the presidency of his country. )
• Manning, John, Field Guide to Wild Flowers of South Africa. (Describes more than 1,100 of the shrubs and herbs of the region, highlighting the most conspicuous species)
• Michener, James, The Covenant. (James A. Michener’s chronicle of South Africa is an epic tale of adventurers, scoundrels, and ministers, the best and worst of two continents who carve an empire out of a vast wilderness. )
• Newman, Kenneth and Vanessa, Newman’s Birds of South Africa: 10th Edition. (Newman’s Birds of Southern Africa, a leading field guide in the region, illustrates and fully describes all the birds recorded from the Antarctic to the Zambezi River. )Adams, J.S., and McShane, T.O.; The Myth of Wild Africa
• Olopade, Dayo, The Bright Continent: Breaking Rules and Making Change in Modern Africa. ("For anyone who wants to understand how the African economy really works, The Bright Continent is a good place to start." —Reuters)
• Stuart, Chris and Mathilde, Stuart’s Field Guide to the Mammals of South Africa. (This is a fully revised edition of the Stuart's best-selling field guide to southern Africa's extraordinary wealth of mammal species – from tiny shrews to the iconic Big Five, and including those that live in the sea.)

Movies

• http://hubpages.com/animals/best-documentaries-on-african-wildlife
• http://shop.nationalgeographic.com/ngs/category/dvds/animals-and-nature/african-animals?categoryLevelId=A054
• http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p010jc6p

Conservation

The Sierra Club is an environmentally focused entity. We are concerned about conservation and sustainability of resources both locally and globally. Our work is accomplished by volunteers and aided by a salaried staff, and encourages grassroots involvement. Our outings hope to inspire participants toward understanding the environmental parallels between home and abroad.

On this trip we visit Kruger National Park, considered to be a leader in wildlife protection and conservation. We also visit and stay at a nearby private wildlife reserve and learn about the differences and reasons that South Africa has both National Parks and private reserves as part of their conservation efforts. In the Kruger area, the grasslands outside of the Park and private reserves are used for cattle and sheep livestock farming. The government had the foresight to initiate practices to combat soil erosion, overstocking and water supply issues in these grasslands early on in order to protect wildlife habitat and movement. We will see examples of this on our trip. Our visit to parts of the Cape Floral Region Protected Areas outside of Capetown will help us understand the unique biome of the fynbos. The biodiversity and endemism of this region surpasses what is found in the richest rainforest habitat.  The protea, one of the most popular flowers in floral arrangements, originated here. Urban expansion, agriculture, and invasive species threaten this unique ecosystem. Finally, during our introduction to the South African wine industry in Stellenbosch as well as in our restaurants, we will discover the “Sustainable Wines South Africa” seal. This was developed in South Africa and is endorsed by the World Wildlife Fund as the new standard in environmental practices in the wine industry.

South Africa is a complex, vibrant, and probably the most environmentally-conscious country in Africa. Unlike many other wildlife and biodiverse areas in Africa, South Africa has undertaken massive efforts to protect and promote what they have been able to conserve and protect. While there is still the poverty, overpopulation, poaching, and political unrest that is found in other countries of Africa, South Africa has been able to mandate conservation and develop ecotourism in a positive manner that impacts all levels of the population. South Africa has 19 National Parks, 7 UNESCO World Heritage sites, and 9 “trans-frontier” parks that share borders with other countries. Human ancestry in South Africa heralds from very ancient times, making it rich in archaeology and anthropology. The historical apartheid system of racial segregation that was abolished in 1994 affects current politics and progress, including conservation. We will have many lively discussions amongst ourselves, our guides, park rangers and conservationists, and other travelers and South Africans on our adventure.

Evacuation and Travel Insurance

The Sierra Club provides evacuation insurance to all participants on international trips. Since this coverage does not include any trip cancellation or interruption insurance, we suggest you purchase another policy separately to provide coverage for your trip and other travel costs. This policy also does not cover pre-trip and post-trip travel. Please note the evacuation insurance provided does not cover claims resulting from any pre-existing condition that occurs within 60 days of the trip departure. If you have specific questions about this exclusion, please review the insurance brochure. For information on purchasing a separate policy, please see our travel insurance page.