Here is the second journal entry in the on going series on my clients’ exploits in Southern and Eastern Africa. Enjoy:

CAPE TOWN:

 Nearly 20 years ago when apartheid still existed and was hearing the
protests of the world, I saw the broadway play Safina; (Whoopi made the
movie) and there is an incredible song the children of South Africa sing
and the chorus is, “Freedom is Coming Tomorrow”.  That is all I could
hear…I had my own soundtrack playing for the next 2 hours.

We were met by one of the many handlers our trip provided and set out to
check our luggage for our domestic flight to Capetown. Funny thing…we
could check 2 bags at 50 lbs each person flying from the US. We were
slightly over, but did not have to pay. Once here, we were only allowed
44 lbs EACH person for domestic travel for a total of 88 lbs. This is
where either our handler or my new second South African friend helped. A
beautiful South African Airways attendant responded to my compliments of
her wardrobe and a SAA’s scarf in particular by giving me her home phone
to tell her the days I would pass thru Johannesburg again and she would
meet me to give me the scarf I so admired!!! (The people you meet…).
We were allowed to travel with our luggage without paying additional
fees.

Our 90 minute airport stay was pleasant; we ate in an Irish Pub, watched
Rugby and found an older gentleman who enjoyed answering my many
questions about the game and country. We were then off to another
pleasant two hour trip on SAA where we were fed dinner again and I slept
the entire flight.

Flying into Capetown was again like flying into any beautiful city with
all of the lights, etc. We were surprisingly transported by bus to the
terminal and happily secured all of our luggage with NO problems!  Met
by handlers again, we were transported to our hotel, The 12 Apostles,
which sits near Table Mountain overlooking the Atlantic ocean. It was
approximately 30 minutes ride and the city is Spotless!  Wealth appeared
to be rampant, at least in the sections we were driving through as BMWs
appeared to be everywhere with other luxury cars. The drive up to the
hotel near Table Mountain was winding and scary as you could see the
valley or waterfront below. There were no streetlights or guard rails!!!
At 3 PM US time, 9 PM South Africa time, 25 hours after I left my home
Friday, we arrived at one of the most beautiful hotels I’ve stayed.
Truly a 5 star hotel. I will show photos later. But the room was lit
with beautiful scented candles and a wonderful fruit basket adorned the
coffee table in the sitting area. Hot tea English style was carried upon
our arrival and the bed turn down including the most decadent thing I
ever had the pleasure to eat. I will be bringing these back to the
states for sure for you guys and dolls.   Considering it is 2:30 AM South
Africa time and we are leaving the hotel in 3 hours for a day on the
water and shark diving, I will close and wish you goodnight.

Please stay tuned for the next entry by Diane. Please comment on her articles as she would love to answer any questions you might have. Let’s get a dialog going here!

Hello Every one,

Today I am going to start a series of Journal Writings by one of my clients Diane who took a safari vacation with her husband Greg to South Africa, Zambia, and Kenya. I really think you will find these writings both informative and fascinating. The first is her impressions of South African Airlines and their coach flight to Cape Town. This was originally written for her family back home so some may be personal references and I may have edited them out. Just so you know.

The Flight

Thus far, my travels have far exceeded my expectations. With the
exception of having a young child sitting behind me with a mother who
apparently had not taught her son the word ” no”, everything was quite
comfortable. South African Airways was the most gracious of hosts and I
wish all my travels could be with them. We were fed frequently, had
individual movies, news programs, American TV shows and documentaries on
Africa to select. Despite my fatigue, I spent the first few hours
watching stories about Africa and Mandela (a different perspective than
from the US - made me cry of course). There were no passengers sitting
in the two seats in front of us, which were the major row for the
emergency exit with extra leg room. That allowed for much better
sleeping as we each had the two seats to ourselves. I slept on and off
for at least 8 hours!!!

I met my first South African friend, Lionel (can’t spell his African
name), a flight attendant for SAA. He was exceptionally warm, from
Johannesburg, although his family roots were from Swaziland. I will save
the details for my book about the wonderful people I meet on my travels.

To my surprise nearly 15 hours had elapsed and we were fed a breakfast
of blueberry waffles (not like American, but tasty), fresh, sweet fruit,
yogurt, etc. And then we found ourselves in SOUTH AFRICA!   
 

My Comments:

I think you can see that this should be a very facinating look at a custom African Vacation and Safari. Stay tuned for the next episode, Arrival in Johannesburg and onward to Cape Town.

When traveling to Africa, the experience wouldn’t be complete without viewing the five must see safari animals; the buffalo, elephant, leopard, lion, and black rhino.  These animals are located in eastern and southern Africa, and are one of the reasons millions of people visit the continent on vacation.  The easiest method to view these animals is with a safari vacation package.  You can find south Africa vacation packages from numerous different travel services.  These packages often incorporate transportation, accommodations, and recreation all in one convenient price.  Those traveling to southern Africa will find a once in a lifetime experience waiting for them, and it’s often said that those who visit once will visit again.  Having firsthand experience with the native African wildlife is an experience to treasure, and gives one a better appreciation of the marvels of the natural world. 

When scheduling a south Africa vacation package, make sure there is a wildlife safari involved in the package or that one is scheduled during free time.  This is an opportunity that no one should miss when visiting the continent where people, and perhaps life itself, originated! 

Are you a steam train enthusiast?  A history buff?  Just want to travel South Africa?  This nostalgic luxury trip combines a vintage train journey with the exotic beauty of Africa.  

Enjoy stops at game preserves, railway museums, and just see the incomparable African countryside.  You will stay in an actual Pullman or deluxe suite to enjoy the romance of the rails.  Since this is not a regular scheduled route for the railroad line, this special charter will be run entirely under steam, which is something you can tell your grandkids about (or take them along as witnesses).

First you must ask yourself what type of safari experience you would like to have? Being driven in an open landrover through the African bush and grass plains looking for the ever elusive Leopard, walking with an experienced game ranger on foot and getting to know more about the smaller fauna and flora of the region. Another option is driving yourself in a fully equipped 4×4 or renting a normal sedan vehicle and sticking to more well used roads in national parks such as Kruger (South Africa) or Etosha (Namibia). For those that like camping but don’t have all the kit, consider a participation camping safari. All of the above safari types are available in different price categories.
Here are a few interesting safari options:

Rail Safaris

Balloon safaris

Horse riding safaris

Elephant back safaris

Canoe safaris

Walking safaris

Ocean safaris

OK, everybody has heard all about the rioting in Kenya after the elections. People canceled their trips to safari there. Same thing in South Africa when people heard that they were killing the illegal immigrants and refugees.

While it is true that there was rioting in Kenya, according to Jetta Bates-Vasilatos writing in Recommend Magazine, not one tourist was hurt in Kenya. Most tourists on safari never even knew anything was happening in localized areas of the major cities.

The same is true for South Africa. While once again it is true that there was some bloodshed in isolated pockets, that violence was never directed at tourists. I had clients on romantic vacations in both locations at the time and they never had a problem. They came back glowing and gushing about what a great time they had!

The question was “is travel to Africa safe?” The answer is yes in the majority of areas of Africa. One must take the usual tourist precautions of course, but the tourist, safari, nature and cultural areas of Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania, and Uganda currently is safe and open for business. Because of the perception of danger, those planning their trips to Kenya and South Africa have shied away. Those that are savvy travelers are taking advantage of bargain pricing in South Africa and Kenya to attract the travelers back. Those that have been there before know what a bargain the safari offerings in both countries are right now. They are scooping them up. Should you be?

Check the news. Are you seeing anything lately about strife in either country? What are you hearing? What are your plans for travel to Africa? Have you changed any of your plans? Have you postponed any of your plans for Africa travel? Have you switched travel to another country? Let’s have a dialog about this! Pitch in and comment.

Hello everyone. What do you think about travel insurance? Good? Bad? In between? I always thought I would never need trip insurance. I was in good health and I wasn’t traveling during or to hurricane prone areas. I was safe right? Wrong! What happens when an air carrier suddenly ceases operation? What happens when they are a South African carrier and you have no recourse?

This is what trip insurance is for. It is for when an air carrier out of the blue ceases operation with no refunds and you can’t cancel your credit card as it is part of a package and you didn’t use a credit card. It is for when your planes don’t connect and you arrive at the intermediate airport a day late and a dollar short. It is for when you are in Fiji and your luggage is in Bali. It is for that emergency evacuation to the States or your home country because you can’t be treated at the local hospital for whatever happened to you.

That said, you need to check your policy carefully. Many times the full policy can not be seen until you actually sign up for it. You generally, in the States anyway, have a few days to look it over and if it does not meet your needs, return it at no cost and go on to the next one. Make sure the policy is going to cover everything you need or are concerned with before you leave. If you think your credit card will cover you for trip insurance, call them and ask it they will cover whatever your priority is. If not, then purchase trip insurance. I now get it automatically. I purchase a trip, I buy trip insurance. Sometimes with the supplier, sometimes with the agent, sometimes on my own. An agent can steer you in the right direction, but you need to read that policy to make sure it works for you.

Some facts:

obtaining medical treatment and hospital care abroad can be expensive, and medical evacuation to the U.S. can cost more than $50,000. Note that U.S. medical insurance is generally not accepted outside the United States, nor do the Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid programs provide coverage for hospital or medical costs outside the United States. If an insurance policy does not cover them abroad, it is a good idea to consider purchasing a short-term policy that does.

As a further precaution, a travel agent or traveler may want to go to a special Web site set up by the Department of State - http://travel.state.gov. The State Department’s Office of American Citizens Services and Crisis Management (ACS) administers the Consular Information Program, which informs the public of conditions abroad that may affect their safety and security. Country Specific Information, Travel Alerts, and Travel Warnings are vital parts of this program.

As the title says Africa travel is a bargain compared to Europe. The Dollar is still strong in South Africa making any trip there a value packed experience. For those of you that have been there recently, how far has your money gone? Are there better areas for africa travel that South Africa as far as value for the money spent? Please give me your thoughts on this.