2025 South Africa, Zimbabwe & Zambia - Day #4 - Cape Town

from our Rothschild Safaris Itinerary

CAPE TOWN

Enjoy your day at leisure exploring the city.

I started the day walking with Donna and Kevin. Exploring the harbor and surrounding area, we covered 2.8 miles in 55 minutes. There is an enormous amount of construction taking place. After he walk, I did a 30 minute upper body Peloton workout.

Getting cleaned up, I caught up with Donna and Kevin for breakfast at the hotel.

The objective for the day was the Groot Constantia Winery. As a kid, Tom had collected an early 1960s South Africa postage stamp that commemorated the winery. Tom said that "even then a budding traveler wanted to someday go there." When Sharon started planning our two open days, Tom quickly pushed the idea of visiting the winery.

Groot Constantia is a historical and picturesque winery located in the Constantia Valley of Cape Town. It holds the distinction of being the oldest wine-producing farm in the country, with a history stretching back to its establishment in 1685 by Simon van der Stel, the first governor of the Cape.

The winery's original Cape Dutch manor house and Cloete Cellar are national monuments. The winery's famous "Constantia Wyn" (wine) was a favorite of European royalty and aristocracy, including Napoleon Bonaparte.

I called an Uber XL just before 10 am. It was about a 25 minute ride from the One & Only to Groot Constantia.

The winery grounds are up on a rise with a beautiful view of the valley towards the ocean. The five of us did a self guided tour of the Manor House and the Cloete Cellar. Afterwards, we did a guided tour of the Production Cellar followed by a wine tasting.

Sharon had made a lunch reservation for 1 pm at the Jonkershuis Restaurant on the property. Tom and I both had the estate tasting plate of Cape Malay Specialities [chicken curry, lamb curry, bobotie, samosa, rice, poppadum]. Sharon had Chicken thigh curry [aromatic rice, tobacco onion, poppadum, panned roti, fresh coriander].

Cape Malay food is a unique and flavorful cuisine that originated in Cape Town. It is a wonderful example of a fusion cuisine, blending the culinary traditions of the Southeast Asian slaves and exiles who were brought to the Cape by the Dutch in the 17th and 18th centuries, with influences from Dutch, French, and Indian cooking.

After our late lunch, we caught an Uber XL back to the hotel. The Ubers are working very well. The only issue is that the XLs are smaller SUVs with a third row.

With the late lunch and two more extravagant dinners planned for the next two nights, Donna, Kevin, Sharon and I finished the day with a light dinner in the hotel bar. Sharon had mushroom toast, while I had a broccoli caesar.

Still trying to catch up on our sleep, Sharon and I crashed about 9:30 pm.

2025 South Africa, Zimbabwe & Zambia - Day #9 - Winelands

from our Rothschild Safaris Itinerary

CAPE WINELANDS TOUR

Departure time 9:00AM: Enjoy another day with your guide in the Cape Winelands. Explore the great outdoors in the Paarl region with a choice of wine estates, wondrous hikes, gentle strolls, outrides on horseback, cycling routes, fishing and more.

Lunch at The Greenhouse Babylonstoren at 1:30PM

Unfortunately, I am now getting Kevin's cold. I ended getting only about five hours and forty-five minutes of sleep; this is not enought!?! Moving slowly, I did a five minute Peloton work out in the room.

We had a very nice breakfast. In addtion to fruit, granola and yogurt, they served a frittata.

Barry picked us up at 9 am. We stopped at the Nelson Mandela Memorial outside the Victor Verster Prison. This was the third and last prison where he was held. We talked about Mandela and the course of South Africa after he was released.

Afterwards, Barry dropped us on the main street of Franschhoek. We wandered the length of the town and did some shopping. Sharon bought a table runner for the fall dinner party.

From there, we headed to Le Luce. We did a small sparkling wine tasting and then had a "light lunch." Given how much we enjoyed the dinner at Brookdale on Monday night, we decided that we wanted to eat there again, rather than go into Paarl for dinner.


The next stop was the Stony Brook Vineyards. This was a much smaller tasting room than the stops that we had made over the previous day and a half. Barry had never been there and thought that they served a Pinot Nior. They used to, but didn't anymore...


Back early to Brookdale, Kevin, Donna and I walked the grounds. I ended up walking almost two miles, including walking from the manor house to the tasting room. I was hoping that getting outside in the warmer might have a positive effect on my cold.


The five of us finished the day with a fantastic dinner at 7 pm. With a very early start time on Wednesday, Sharon and I crashed before 10 pm.

2025 South Africa, Zimbabwe & Zambia - Day #1 - San Francisco

Sharon and I are off wandering the world again. Following in Van and Holly's footsteps, we are off on a trip organized by Rothschild Safaris. We are traveling with Donna, Kevin and Sharon's brother Tom. Over the next twenty days, we will be exploring South Africa, Zimbabwe and Zambia, including Cape Town, the Cape of Good Hope, the Winelands, Kruger National Park and Victoria Falls.

We had an El Dorado Express Shuttle pick us up at 11:30 am. From there, we collected Tom and then Donna and Kevin in Elk Grove. With heavy holiday traffic, the driver took 5 to 205 to 580 to 880 to the San Mateo Bridge to 101 to get to the airport. It was just before 3:00 pm by the time we got to the San Francisco Airport.

Sharon, Ton and I breezed through the checkin at British Airlines. We were quickly through secuity. The five of us had a bon voyage drink and a snack at the end of the A Concourse.

Donna and Kevin had a 6:40 pm flight on Turkish Airlines to Istanbul. While they explored the lounge and then boarded their on-time flight, Sharon, Tom and I had a light dinner at Perry's in Harvey Milk Terminal 1. Tom and I had a cobb salad, whilee Sharon had a southwestern salad.

Our British Airlines to London was delayed. While we were supposed to leave at 7:20 pm, it didn't pull away from the gate until almost 8:30 pm.

I am looking forward to the next three weeks.

I am writing this on the wireless on the plane somewhere over Idaho... I am shocked at how much of the plane is business class seats. Sharon and I had seats 32A and 32B, a nice pair of premium economy seats along the windows.

2025 South Africa, Zimbabwe & Zambia - Day #8 - Winelands

from our Rothschild Safaris Itinerary

Cape Winelands

Although wine is produced over a much broader area, this region of absolutely beautiful agricultural valleys to the northeast of Cape Town is the real heart of the Winelands. The village of Franschhoek is the prettiest in the area and is the gourmet capital of the country. Set at the end of a beautiful valley with scenic vineyards surrounded by impressive granite mountains, and settled by French Huguenots in 1672, the town has always had a natural proclivity towards fine wines and cuisine. The elegant and historic town of Stellenbosch is the region's capital. The presence of the university gives the town a real vibrancy, whilst various museums and historic sites provide plenty of interest. There are over 100 wineries within easy reach around the town, plus dozens of top class restaurants.

Departure time 9:00AM
Please meet in the lobby of your hotel
Recommended attire casual clothing, comfortable shoes
Activity inclusions - private vehicle and guide, entrance fees
Special notes-lunch is payable direct, order and specific activities may vary

The Cape Winelands are now established as offering the finest combination anywhere in the world of spectacular scenery, excellent cuisine and, above all, award winning wines with an established international reputation.

Today you will enjoy a unique corner of Africa, a taste of its seductive wines and a step into a distinctive past. The wine industry dates back as far as 1688 when French Hugenots, escaping religious persecution at home, settled in the area now centered around the charming, historic town of Franschhoek home to wonderful examples of Victorian and Cape Dutch architecture.

Your day in the winelands offers a range of experiences. You will visit several premier vineyards for wine-tasting. Between tastings at award winning wineries, lunch will be enjoyed in Franschhoek, another charming, historic town the oldest in the country after Cape Town. It is an educational center that is not only famed for its wines but for its distinctive Cape Dutch architecture and walkable streets filled with boutiques, coffee shops, bakeries, galleries and young people. After your tour you will be transferred to Brookdale Estate for an evening at leisure.

Lunch Reservation at La Petite Ferme Restaurant A table for 5 has been reserved for 1:30PM

BROOKDALE ESTATE

Set against the dramatic backdrop of the Klein Drakenstein mountains in Paarl, Brookdale Estate is as unexpected as she is enchanting. Hugged by the tranquil valley and surrounded by natural beauty, the estate is also a working wine farm and offers some of the region's most innovative wine creations.

Brookdale Estate is home to an elegant Manor House with sprawling gardens, a restaurant and tasting lounge, and a natural paradise of indigenous vegetation. The estate is also has a new state-of-the-art Wine Cellar, which overlooks a portion of the vineyards. Set on gentle slopes amongst our vineyards, The Bistro gazes across new vines and the mountainous landscape of the valley in the Paarl Winelands. Within the Tasting Room, you can discover more about the Brookdale and Mason Road Wines, ask questions, learn about the vines and wine philosophy and sample terroir-driven vintages.

Crashing early the night before, I had a pretty good night's sleep. Sharon and I both slept until just before the alarm went off at 6:30 am. I did a 10 minute bodyweight Peleton workout in the room.

Sharon and I finished packing and then went down for breakfast (omelet). Dragging the luggage down and checking out, we met Barry in front of the hotel just before 9 am.

The plan for the day was to explore the Winelands. Working with Sharon, Barry switched around the plans from the original itinerary to make more sense geographically. Over the course of the morning, we wine tasted at Meerlust, Waterford Estate and Oldenburg, I would love to find some bottles of the Meerlustl Rubicon for the fall dinner party. Barry said that it was South Africa's Opus One. The tasting at Waterford was wine and chocolate. The setting at Oldenburg was fanastic.


We stopped and briefly explored the town of Stellenbosch. Sharon bought an Ostrich bracelett and purse.


We had a light lunch at Babylonstoren (Vegetable and Grain Bowl). Afterwards, we walked briefly through their extensive gardens.


Heading to where we were staying for the night, we made a stop at the Afrikaans Language Monument. Barry said that it was the first time in six years of guiding that a group had ever asked him to stop there. It is definitely brutalist architecture.

We are spending two night at the Brookdale Estate. The five of us finished the day with a wonderful private dinner at the Estate. We started dinner about 7:30 pm. By the time, we got to bed it was almost 11 pm.

2025 South Africa, Zimbabwe & Zambia - Day #6 - Cape Town

from our Rothschild Safaris Itinerary

Cape Town City Tour

• Departure time 8:30AM
• Please meet in the lobby of your hotel
• Recommended attire - casual clothing, comfortable shoes
• Activity inclusions - private vehicle, entrance fees
• Special notes - lunch is payable direct, order and specific activities may vary.

Your day starts with a spectacular cable car ride up Table Mountain. Table Mountain is a flat-topped mountain forming the bulk of Table Mountain National Park. The main feature of Table Mountain is the level plateau approximately 2 miles (3 kilometers) from side to side, edged by impressive cliffs. The plateau, flanked by Devil's Peak to the east and by Lion's Head to the west, forms a dramatic backdrop to Cape Town. This broad sweep of mountainous heights, together with Signal Hill, forms the natural amphitheater of the City Bowl and Table Bay harbor.

Head back down the mountain by cable car and dive into an eclectic mix of Cape Town's highlights on your city tour. You will get a sense for Cape Town's pop-culture via a walking/driving tour through some of the city's most beloved neighborhoods. From the Company Gardens to the Spin St Slave Tree and the Trafalgar Flower market there is much in which to see and participate.

Visit District Six, which exists today as a stark reminder of the trauma that occurred across the nation when whole communities and people groups were displaced in the name of 'national good. Visit the museum and the actual site en-route to one of Cape Town's most artistic neighborhoods - Woodstock. This suburb features some of the best examples of urban renewal and is home to designers, boutique stores and the most highly regarded street art (graffiti) in the country. Filled with the tastes and sounds of a new Cape Town, you will feel the creative pulse of the city and meet with local artisans of food; coffee; visual art and crafts.

Lunch will be enjoyed at a local restaurant offering freshly prepared, uncomplicated, wholesome food. At the end of your exciting day of discovery, return to your hotel for the remainder of the day at leisure.

Please note that the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway is weather dependent. Your tour can be canceled at the last minute at the discretion of the cableway company. Rothschild Safaris is not responsible for canceled tours; nor can we issue refunds for canceled tours which are at the discretion of the cableway company. Note that your guide will discuss alternative options with you.

I started the day with a 30 minute Peloton sltrength workout and a short walk on the treadmill in the fitness center. After breakfast in the hotel, we started our formal Rothschild Safari itinerary. We met our guilde at the front of the hotel at 8:30 am for a Cape Town City Tour.

The day included:

• Table Mountain - Table Mountain is an iconic, flat-topped mountain that forms a spectacular backdrop to the city of Cape Town. While I stayed at the car park and read my book, Tom, Sharon, Kevin, Donna and the guide took aerial cableway to the top and walked the Klipspringer Walk.
• Truth Coffee - We explored the shop and got a cup of coffee. Truth Coffee was voted as the best coffee shop in the world by London's Daily Telegraph.
• Company Gardens - We walked through the Company Gardens. The garden is the oldest in South Africa, with its origins dating back to 1652. It was established by the Dutch East India Company as a "vegetable garden" to provide fresh produce for the settlement and for the passing ships on the trade route between Europe and Asia. Over time, it evolved from a purely utilitarian farm into a botanical and public space.
  
  
• District 6 - We stopped in District 6 and talked about its history. In 1966, under the apartheid government's Group Areas Act, District Six was declared a "whites-only" area. Over the next two decades, more than 60,000 residents were forcibly removed from their homes and relocated to the distant, barren area known as the Cape Flats. Their houses and businesses were bulldozed, turning a thriving neighborhood into a wasteland. The former inner-city residential area of Cape Town that has become a powerful symbol of the injustices of apartheid.
• Bo-Kaap - We explored Bo-Kaap. It means "above the Cape" in Afrikaans. It is a vibrant and historically significant neighborhood in Cape Town. Situated on the slopes of Signal Hill, it's famous for its brightly colored houses, steep cobblestone streets, and unique cultural heritage. The area, formerly known as the Malay Quarter, has its origins in the 1760s. It was established when Dutch settlers built rental houses for slaves and political exiles brought to the Cape from various Dutch colonies in Southeast Asia, including Malaysia and Indonesia, as well as from other parts of Africa.
• De WaterKant - We drove though De Waterknat, "The Waterside." De Waterkant's history is closely tied to that of its neighbor, Bo-Kaap. Its roots date back to the 1700s when the area was a working-class residential district where many of the servants lived. Its original residents were people of mixed-race heritage, including freed slaves and artisans. It is now a trendy gay village.
• Upper Union - We had a late lunch at the Upper Union Restaurant. The five of us shared ten small plates.
• Zeitz Museum of Contemporary African Art - We stopped at the museum to talk about its architecture. The museum and the Silo Hotel were built from a set of old grain silos.

The actual agenda for the day was different than the itinerary that we got from Rothschild Safaris.

Donna, Kevin and I walked back from the museum. We stopped for a quick glass of wine at Time Out Market.

Sharon made dinner reservations for the group at COY for 7 pm. We had a four and a half hour dinner! I had the tuna first course, the octopus second course and the Mielie Samp for my entree.

By the time, we walked home and crashed it was 11:15 pm...

2025 South Africa, Zimbabwe & Zambia - Day #15 - Leopard Hills Private Game Reserve

Elephants, African Wild Dogs and Lions!

Up at 5:05 am, we met the group at 6 am. We were out on the game drive by 6:15 am.

It was a slow start to the morning. After some rain overnight, it seemed like the animals were bedded down. Eventually, we started to follow a couple of groups of elephnats. Johan's background is a zoologist and his master's theis was on elephant vision. He was very fond of the elephnats.

We watched the elephants pulling up trees to eat the roots. They were also stripping the bark off the trees to get to the cambium layer of the tree.

At some point, the guide got a call on the radio. We left the elephants. We ended getting a chance to see African Wild Dogs for a second time. The included 11 adults and 8 puppies.

African wild dogs (also known as painted dogs or painted wolves) are listed as "Endangered" on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. For comparison, Cheetahs are classified as "Vulnerable." "Endangered" is a more severe conservation status. The global population of African wild dogs is significantly smaller than that of cheetahs.


As we were wrapping up a late breakfast, a young male hippo wandered towards the watering hole below the lodge. It is the first time that we have seen a hippo out of water! For breakfast, I had eggs on avocado ciabatta toast.

For the second day in a row, we skipped lunch. After updating my blog, I wandered down to the fitness center. I did a 10 minute Peloton core workout and then walked for 2 miles on the treadmill.

Sharon and I had a very cool experience in the afternoon. A large herd of elephants gathered at the watering hole behind our room. At one point, a young female came over and tried to drink out of the pool on our deck; her trunk wasn't long enough. A little while later, a larger elephant started towards the pool. Sharon got up to get into a better position to take a video. The elephant saw her, stopped and wagged its head back and forth. Our guide told us that this is an acknowledgment that they see you and that everything is cool.

Being able to watch the animals the watering hole made Sharon much happier about the room.

The evening game drive focused on a small pride of lions (1 males and 3 females). They were laying in the grass along the Sand River. There was some excitement when the guide attempted to park near the lions and the vehicle starting to tilting to one side.

The evening break was a beautiful spot overlooking the Sand River. It was one of the nicest sunsets that we have seen.


We had dinner in the BOMA again. I had a oxtail curry as my main course on top fo Stywe Pap (Stiff Pap). Pap, also known as mieliepap in South Africa, is a traditional porridge made from coarsely ground maize meal (mielie-meal). It is a thicker, firmer porridge that can be served with stews, meat, or vegetables.

Tomorrow is a travel day. Packing up the room after dinner, it was almost 10 pm by the time that we crashed.

2025 South Africa, Zimbabwe & Zambia - Day #A - Musings

Struggling to find the words to describe the trip, I heard Sharon tell someone that it was phenomenal. It really was a once in a lifetime trip. At one point, Sharon ranked it as the best trip that we have ever taken.

One of the things that made it so amazing was the itinerary by Rothschild Safaris. We used Rothschild because Holly and Van had done two trips with them: one with Van and Stacey, and; another with Van and Holly. I can't say enough good about Rothschild. Everything was top shelf: the acommodations; the guides; the transfers, and; the airport greeters. Although we moved around quite a bit over the three weeks, the trip went extremely smoothly. As Donna said, the airport greeters at Capetown and Johannesburg were the bomb. Although we have had better individual meals, the food for the whole trip was very good.

The service everywhere was also very good. With high unemployment rates in several of the countries and tourism an important part of the economy, they throw people at service.

The prices were very reasonable in South Africa. We were surprised that dinners weren't more expensive. In contrast, in Zambia, everything was pricey.

Taken in total, the games drives at the two Safari Lodges were unbelievable. [Note to self], I need to build an index of all of the animals that we saw. As I said over the course of the trip, I am amazed that the predators are so comfortable with the jeeps. We got a chance to see lions, leopards, cheetahs and wild dogs up close and personal.

Before the trip, Drew asked me what I was looking forward to the most on the trip. I said the Leopard Hills Private Game Reserve. It was supposed to be the most luxurious of the two game lodges. As it turned out, I enjoyed the M@kanyi Private Game Lodge more. I liked the acommodations, the food and the guide at M@kanyi more than at Leopard Hills. Nevertheless, we had some remarkable experiences at Leopard Hills, including: cheetahs; the vultures on the cheetahs' kill; a large group of elephants drinking at the watering hole outside our room; Sharon's encounter with an elephant; and lots of leopards. Leopard Hills also included the Sands River; the terrain was very different from M@kanyi. When we were with the guide at M@kanyi, we felt like we were with Indiana Jones. The Leopard Hills guide was more of a college professor. I wouldn't hesistate to recommend either lodge.

While we won't ever go back to Zambi, I really enjoyed the Tongabezi Lodge.

When we were at the Tongabezi, we ran into the Nicci Bonella, the Group General Manager for Green Safaris, on an inspection tour of their lodges. Having a drink with her on the second night, I asked her where she would go back to in Africa. Somewhat surprisingly, she said Fundu Lagoon on Pemba Island. While I don't think that we will ever get there, I have added it to my places to travel. She also talked favorably about Lake Malawi.

Interestingly, on our last night, we ended up talking to a travel agent, Sandra Schonbachler from Anderson Expeditions. Originally from Switzerland, she came to Africa and fell in love with countries. Sandra was checking out the Tongabezi for clients. She also mentioned Lake Malawi as a destination. Although I don't think that we will get there either, I added to my places to travel.

2025 South Africa, Zimbabwe & Zambia - Day #19 - Livingstone to Johannesburg

I wrote this blog entry using the Wifi on the British Airways flight from London to San Francisco.

from our Rothschild Safaris Itinerary

TRANSFER
Departure time 10:00AM: This morning, you will be transferred to Livingstone International Airport for your flight to Johannesburg where you continue on to your international flight home.

LIVINGSTONE-JOHANNESBURG
SA Airlink 4Z483 - Departs 13:25 - Arrives 15:10

MEET & GREET
Upon arrival in Johannesburg, a special meet & greet has been arranged to assist you through the airport and on to your connecting flight.

Donna and Kevin
JOHANNESBURG-ISTANBUL
Turkish Airlines TK43 - Departs 17:55 - Arrives 04:40 (+1)
Note: (+1) Flight will arrive the following day.

Sharon, Mark, and Thomas
JOHANNESBURG-LONDON
American Airlines AA7105 - Departs 21:15 - Arrives 07:30 (+1)
Note: (+1) Flight will arrive the following day.

We were up just before 6 am. We did our final packing; I had a hard time getting my bag closed. I did two 5 minute Peleton Core workouts on a yoga matt on the deck in front of our room.

We joined Donna, kevin and Tom for breakfast at 7:30 am. I had an omelet.

Although I am never coming back to Zambia, I really enjoyed the Tongabezi Lodge. The service was top shelf.

They picked up the bags at our room at 9:45 am. We loaded up at 10 am to go to the airport. I am terrible with names but the activities guide that we had for the last four days took us to the airport. Donna thinks that his name was Phixion.

Livingstone is a very small airport, but the international terminal was nice. There were a lot of shops. I ended up buying Sharon a Christmas Ornament. The SA Link flight from Livigstone was on time and eventful.

When we landed in Johannesburg, we were meet at the end of the jetway by two greeters. As Donna said, "the greeter service is the bomb." The greeters shepherded us through passport control, to baggage claim, to the check-in for our next flight, through an assisted security line and then to our gate. It made the whole process very stress free. As part of the post trip observations, I need to talk more about Rothschild Safari. Everything about the trip has been excellent.

While Donna and Kevin had less than a three hour layover, Tom, Sharon and I had six hours. We had a drink and a cheese board at Bottega Whisky and Wine Bar. It boasts the world's largest whisky and wine collection available at any airport.

Eventually, we wandered to our gate. The plane for the flight is an Airbus 380, a very large quad engine jet. British Airways configures these planes for 470 passengers!.

We had a very late dinner on the plane. It was close to midnight by the time that we ate. I had chicken. We were somewhere over Congo.

2025 South Africa, Zimbabwe & Zambia - Day #7 - Cape of Good Hope

from our Rothschild Safaris Itinerary

Cape Peninsula Tour

• Departure time 8:30AM
• Please meet in the lobby of your hotel
• Recommended attire casual clothing, comfortable shoes
• Activity inclusions - private vehicle, entrance fees
• Special notes - lunch is payable direct, order and specific activities may vary

Today you will travel to the Southwestern tip of Africa, known as Cape Point, where it is fabled that two oceans meet. En-route you will stop at Boulder's Beach, residence of the adorable frolicking African penguin colony. Take a stroll on the generous boardwalk, where viewing of the penguins allows for natural behavior with minimal disturbance to their nesting and interactions.

Continue your drive to the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve where you are provided with an opportunity to view animals like the Cape Mountain zebra, mischievous baboon and blissful ostrich; all of which reside in the reserve among the indigenous Fynbos. Along your route, learn how the treacherous rocks running along the Atlantic Seaboard came to be known as the 'Ship Graveyard', why Bartholomew Diaz called this 'The Cape of Storms', and why Jan Van Riebeeck proclaimed Table Bay as The Cape of Good Hope.

Lunch is typically enjoyed at a local restaurant situated right on the coast and will likely include fresh seafood. After your meal, continue your scenic drive toward the dramatic and beautiful Chapman's Peak. Hugging the face of Chapman's Peak Mountain, this pass offers breathtaking vantage points that rise-up to 1,945 ft. (593 meters) above sea level. Each one of the 114 curves along the roadway offers incredible views - so keep your camera ready! You will return to your hotel in the late afternoon.

In spite of the late night, I had trouble sleeping. I was up and moving before 6 am. Leaving Sharon sleeping in the room, I headed down to the fitness center. I did a 30 minute Peloton Upper Body strength workout and then walked for 1 1/4 miles on the treadmill.

Getting cleaned up, Sharon and I headed down to the breakfast. I have been alternating every morning between pancakes and an omelet.

We meet the guide at the front of the hotel at 830 am. Everyone is very happy with our guide Barry!

Heading South along the east coast of the Cape of Good Hope, we made a quick stop at the Just Nuisance dog statue. From there, we continued to Boulder's Beach. The beach is home to a large colony of African Penguins. There is a nice boardwalk for viewing the penguins on the beach and nesting in the trees.

Continuing South, we headed in the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve. We took a couple of side roads searching for animals. We came across a number of Ostriches and a troop of baboons.

We stopped at the tip of the Cape of Good Hope for picture. Backtracking, we headed up the road to the old lighthouse. Given the length of the line to take the funicular up to the lighthouse, the group decided to pass and look for more animals.

Taking a different side road, we were find to find elands and bonteboks. leaving the nature reserve, we passed more Ostriches and a smaller troop of baboons.

Heading back towards Cape Town, we drove up the west coast. We stopped for a late lunch at The FoodBarn. The food was excellent. I had bouillabaisse [rich fish soup with line fish, mussels & prawns, saffron mash & rouille] and risotto [with celeriac, truffle, roasted onion & pecorino, with seared prawns]. Sharon had venison loin [springbok, poached quince, mash fritter, mesclun leaves, honey and lime jus].

Continuing up a rugged stretch of the coast, we got back to the hotel just after 5 pm. After a quick stop at the room, Donna, Kevin, Sharon and I went to The Watershed to do some shopping.

The four of us continued to Silo Hotel to watch the sunset from the rooftop bar.

After a big late lunch, Sharon and I decided to skip dinner and ended up heading back to the room. We started packing. We are moving on to the Winelands tomorrow. I crashed hard about 9:15 pm.

2025 South Africa, Zimbabwe & Zambia - Day #18 - Tongabezi Lodge

After 2 1/2 weeks of pushing hard, we planned a down day at the lodge before we start home tomorrow.

from our Rothschild Safaris Itinerary

Livingstone

TYPICAL DAY IN LIVINGSTONE
Time in the Livingstone area is what you make it. Most visitors want at least a guided tour of the famous falls, either on the ground or from above, or both! Then, you may choose to pump yourself full of adrenaline on some of the many activities available like the gorge swing, zip lining, or rafting. Or perhaps the more mellow activities are more your style things like sunset cruises, a steam-train dinner experience, or a traditional high tea? Relaxing in your unique accommodation is always an option for you, too! No matter what you choose to do (or not do), your time in the Livingstone area is sure to be memorable and perfectly tailored to you.

LIVINGSTONE ISLAND BREEZER
Departure time to be advised by management
Please meet in the reception area of your accommodation
Recommended attire casual clothing, hat, sun protection
Activity inclusions - transfer to/from starting point, guides, entrance fees, food & beverages
Special notes - Tour operates dependent on water levels. Cruises depart at 7:30 AM, 9:30 AM and 10:30 AM. Tour duration approximately 1.5 hours.

When 19th century explorer David Livingstone traveled down the Zambezi River in November 1855 with the local Tonga tribesmen, he camped for several days on an island to explore his 'discovery,' the Victoria Falls, and its surrounds. Now you can follow in his footsteps and explore the aptly named Livingstone Island, located in the middle of the Zambezi River and is perched on the very lip of the Falls on the Zambian side. Cruise down the Zambezi in search of crocodiles, hippos, and other wildlife along the riverbanks. Birds are plentiful and gorgeous.

Land on Livingstone Island where you will enjoy a light breakfast (coffee, tea, bacon or egg rolls, and biscuits) along with a traditional "Maheu" drink right in the middle of the Falls, whilst surrounded by the stunning views which makes for an unforgettable and breathtaking experience not to be missed. Following your tour, return to your lodge for the remainder of your day to spend as you wish.

**Swimming in the Devil's Pool is optional (bring your bathing suit, a change of clothes and shoes that can get wet. Towels are provided), subject to timing on the excursion and water levels - only possible during low water which is usually mid-August to mid-January.

SIMONGA VILLAGE VISIT
Today you will visit Simonga village to experience life as it really is in rural Africa. A short drive takes you to a local village where you will be shown all aspects of African village life. Visits allow you to spend quality time in the environment of these traditional African settlements, meeting local residents and visiting children at their school. There are very few people who don't come away from the experience feeling enriched by the time spent there.

MARAMBA & MUKUNI VILLAGE MARKETS
The Maramba and Mukuni markets are visited daily by hundreds of locals from Livingstone and surrounding areas. They come to buy everything from fresh fruit and vegetables to chitenge, the bright patterned fabric characteristic of Southern and East African fashion. A guide will escort you through the marketplace and will be there to help when buying from vendors if required.

Sharon and I took an opportunity to sleep a little later. It was almost 7 am by the time that we both got up. We had a lazy breakfast with the group. I had french toast.

After breakfast, Kevin and I fished off the dock with the guide. Using casting rods, we were fishing for tiger fish. Fishing for about an hour, neither of us caught anything.


After starting to pack, I went to the fitness center. I did a 30 minute upper body Peleton strength workout and then walked 40 minutes and 2.4 miles on the treadmill.

Getting cleaned up, the staff said that they had a surprise location for us for lunch. We met the group at 1:30 pm. It turned out that we were having lunch in the middle of the lodge's garden. The chef described it as farm to table. The five of us walked through the garden and picked a number of vegetables and herbs for the meal.


The chef then prepared the meal right there. The meal included a fennel soup followed by chicken, beef, salad and cauliflower rice with vegetables. It was very good. It turned out to be a very lazy, late lunch.


After lunch, I scrambled to get my blog updated for Wednesday. I have never gotten more than a day behind updating the blog on this trip, but I still feel like I am spending too much time working on it. I have got to figure a better strategy that uses templates for the blog entries when we are traveling.

The plan for the late afternoon was a sunset cruise. We spent a little more than an hour crusing up the Zambezi River. We got a chance to see hippos and crocodiles. All of the boats from the lodge stopped on an island across the river from the lodge. We had a cocktail and watched the sun go down.

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When we got back from the cruise, we rushed to get ready for dinner. The second surprise of the day was that they were serving us dinner on a dock in river. We had watched a couple have dinner out there on the prevous night.

It was an interesting experience. The bugs weren't too bad. I had soup starter and a pork main.


Given it was the last night of the trip, Sharon and I had a drink with Donna and Kevin in the bar. Tom crashed. We ended up talking to a travel agent. Born in Switzerland, she has lived and worked in Africa over the last twenty years. Over the course of the trip, I had a number of conversations with an assortment of people about visiting Africa. I need to pull together a blog entry that summarizes the discussions.

Sharon and I crashed just after 10 pm.

A footnote. I finished reading this blog entry abroad the British Airways flight from Johannesburg to London somewhere over the Congo...