A few years ago, I went on an amazing trip to South Africa where I got to experience two totally different game reserves and game experiences in the Sabi Sand Game Reserve and the Camdeboo National Park in the Karoo.

Savanna Lodge - Photo courtesy of Savanna Private Game Reserve

07 June 2006 – On my arrival at the exclusive 5 star Savanna Lodge in the Savanna Private Game Reserve, part of the Sabi Sand Game Reserve, I was shown to my room – the thatched Savanna Suite with elegant lounge and large covered patio. The bedroom has a huge en suite bathroom with a large tub in the middle, filled with hot, scented, bubbly water, “his and hers” indoor showers, toilet, and an outdoor shower, plus amenities.

After a luxurious soak and late lunch, we went on our first game drive at 6:00pm and encountered 4 of the ‘Big 5,’ including a pride of lions with a recent kudu kill – not much left, and the lions lying around with fat bellies, one by one going back to chew on another rib bone!  We stopped in the bush for ‘sundowners’ and returned to camp for dinner in the boma, where some singers from the local village entertained us.

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In 2005, I ventured out to conquer my goal of traveling overland Cape Town to Cairo. Shortly after arriving in Cape Town I decided I had found my calling and spent 2 years traveling and working throughout South East Africa & Egypt.

The following journal entries are from my 2005 overland backpacking experience: 

Jessica at Union Building - Pretoria, South Africa

Thursday, March 10, 2005

Pretoria, South Africa – I could feel the moment we landed that Africa had good things in store for me. I seemed to have left all my fears high up in the sky and was open to new opportunities. The drive from the airport into Pretoria looked much like home in California. The same plants and palm trees. And that heat that embraces you. Maybe it was just having the sun on my face again. The weather must have been a warm 75 degrees, and I was so glad to be away from the harsh European cold. It came as a surprise that like in Great Britain, South Africans – and as far as I know all of Africa – drive on the left hand side. I checked into my hotel and I decided to ask a young black man named Tebo where the center of town might be. He could tell I had just arrived and asked to accompany me. (Read More…)

Lion Sands Private Game Reserve – South Africa

I recently had a fantastic experience in the very pristine African bush on a trip that I took to the Lion Sands Private Game Reserve. The Game Reserve has been owned by the same family since 1933, and is in the Sabi Sand Game Reserve. The Game Reserve is an exceptional experience not only for the savanna but also the many wooded glens that abound. The game-viewing is exceptional and we were lucky to see all the big-five, but what really impressed me about Lion Sands is that the family loves the land and takes good care it, and it is the only reserve in the Sabi Sand that has on staff an ecologist, who is responsible for ensuring the preservation of the land.

Lion Sands River Lodge – Land Rover

To experience the Lion Sands Private Game Reserve is a privilege, as you become immersed in the lodge activities and in the excitement of the game-viewing drives. Everyone is very friendly and is anxious that you have everything you need. (Read More…)

The Twelve Apostles Hotel & Spa
Cape Town, South Africa

Cape Town - Khachik and Hilda Tashjian

Location, location, location! Late last November, 2011, I visited Cape Town, South Africa. Although I had been to Cape Town before, what I experienced this time was unmatched by prior visits. The Twelve Apostles Hotel and Spa is the jewel of the Atlantic Ocean, period. What a location it is in! You never want to leave. Such scenery, crisp air, and 180 degrees of ocean right in front of you with schools of fish at your feet. It’s just breathtaking. The accommodations and comfort are at their best at this one-of-a-kind hotel. The food is also a delight; they even have a French chef that resides in the hotel. One meal after the other is a piece of art. The dishes were indeed a succulent treat and oh so comforting after a long day of activity. You must treat yourself to a nice fish meal as it is so delicious that you will never forget the taste. The nature walk behind the hotel is so meticulously gardened – and kept under the watchful eye of Table Mountain. Twelve protruding rock formations guide you as you begin your adventure, hence the namesake for this exquisite hotel. (Read More…)

SOUTH AFRICA – I have been through Johannesburg many times on forced overnights and connections to other places that have held more interest for the general tourist, never stopping for longer than a night. On this trip I was fortunate enough visit the historical sites of Johannesburg and learn firsthand about South Africa’s history.

Liliesleaf Farm

By far, my favorite is Liliesleaf Farm. It was once the headquarters of the Umkhonto we Sizwe, the military wing of the ANC and the Congress Alliance. What was once a residence has now been converted into a museum where you can experience the accounts of the struggle and events leading to democracy in South Africa. You learn about the white family that covered for the revolutionaries that met there to plot the end of apartheid. I believe that what took place at Lilliesleaf is even more significant to South African history than Robben Island. You will gain a stronger appreciation for the country you visit if you can gain knowledge of its past.

Liliesleaf Farm - Aerial view of house at Rivonia

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