By Chris Elder

For those of you that follow our many adventures, I need to make this point as clearly as possible. This trip blew my socks off at every level and exceeded my expectations to the power of 10! The experience is surreal, exhilarating, inspirational and outside of the long to and from flights, easy to do physically. Our plan is to take a group back in 2019 and it is my sincere hope you’ll take this or another opportunity to visit this magical place called Africa before it’s too late.

The flight from Dulles in Washington D.C. was a long one. There was one refueling stop in Ghana where those traveling on to Johannesburg do not disembark the aircraft. The plane is on the ground for about an hour while it is refueled and a crew comes onboard to clean and freshen up the cabin. By this time we had been onboard for nearly ten hours so we spent the time standing up, walking the isles and trying to stay out of the way  of the cleaning crew. Aside from not being able to disembark, South African Airlines took very good care of us with complimentary meals, snacks and adult beverages. Another seven hour flight and we finally arrived in Johannesburg, South Africa. (If you’re keeping track, that’s about 18 hours onboard the aircraft from D. C.)

We had one small glitch with the fact that our luggage was checked through to Victoria Falls where we would start the ground portion of our trip the next day, so we had to go the night with only our carry on items. Fortunately, Sue and I have learned to pack a one night contingency kit in our carry on and we had no problem going one night without our big bags. Actually, it worked out pretty well as we did not have to lug them around the airport, over to the hotel and back to recheck them the next day. It was very convenient to stay at the Airport Hotel right on the airport property and just a short walk from the gate. This is also where we met the rest of our travel companions and enjoyed a few cocktails at the bar before retiring to our rooms for some much needed rest. Next morning our newly formed band of adventurers were off via a regional flight to the small airport at Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.

Our accomodations at Victoria Falls were spectacular and as soon as we checked into our room, our adventure began. A breathtaking view from our private balcony of the “bush” included a water hole where elephants, giraffe, warthogs, crocodile, baboons and all sorts of antelope-type animals would frequent at all hours. I was in awe as I expected to see animals but not from the balcony of my room. Shortly after getting settled we were collected for our sunset cruise on the Zambezi River. We were greeted at the dock by a group of traditional singer/dancers who performed for us as we boarded the vessel. As we set off we were immediately treated to exotic birds and beautiful jungle scenery. One of the highlights of the entire trip for me was encountering a pod of hippos and I could not stop shooting photos in the perfect natural twilight.

Back at the lodge we had our first group meal looking out over the waterhole and I was surprised that there were so few bugs. I had expected to be eaten alive but our outdoor venue was perfectly comfortable and all we saw were a couple of odd looking flying beetles. We spent the after dinner hours bonding with our new friends and then it was off to bed under our mosquito nets to get some rest for our visit to Victoria Falls the next day.

As we approached the falls via our private shuttle, you could see the mist rising hundreds of feet into the air creating its own weather system. We were issued rain gear when we arrived since once in the vicinity of the great falls, the mist creates rain in spite of the abundant sunshine. We had a wonderful walk through the rain forest as our TC (tour conductor) pointed out the flora and fauna and then proceeded to discuss Dr. Livingston, the English explorer who popularized and named the falls for Queen Victoria.

After our visit to the falls and a short stop at a craft market for trinkets our TC surprised us with a very special encounter. He had arranged for us to break into a couple of small groups for a private lunch with local African families. Our host, Memory, a beautiful African woman, introduced us to her extended family, and prepared a traditional meal for us including a ritual washing of each of our hands. We spent about an hour discussing her local customs, kids, foods and generally just getting to know one another. We all felt so very privileged to be able to participate in this special intimate event.

Back at lodge we had the opportunity to rest up a bit before hearing from a pre-dinner guest speaker. Our TC arranged for an expert to speak to our group on the life of Dr. Livingston. She presented a great lecture on the highlights and even failures of his life, all of which contributed to the course of African history.  Dinner was again on the wonderful open air deck at the lodge where we enjoyed a fine meal, adult beverages and lively conversation of the days events.

Next morning we were off to Botswana where we enjoyed a short game drive on our way to an interesting border crossing where we had to place all of our shoes into insecticide before being allowed into the country. (I forgot to mention that we were also subject to aerosol bombs each time we transferred via aircraft when traveling between countries) Our trip was actually a group of travel agents so when we were not doing safaris on game reserves we were out doing site inspections of the many accommodations. This kept our itinerary extremely busy so we are looking forward to a return visit to enjoy the wonderful accommodations a little more. We stayed a couple of nights on the Chobe Game Reserve where we did morning and afternoon game drives and one spectacular sunset cruise on the Zambezi River. All meals were included and our safaris could not have been better. We saw the “Big Five”…, Lions, Leopards, Elephants, Buffalo and Rhino within the first few days.

We then flew back to Johannesburg for another one night stay at the Airport Hotel before flying on to Krueger National Park the next day. We stayed a couple of nights at a “Glamping” (Luxury Tents) lodge and a couple of nights in spa suites. Both were very comfortable and unique. The safaris in Krueger were just as spectacular as Chobe with additional sightings of Zebra, Giraffe, Cheetah, and the three adorable little lion cubs. My camera was going nonstop every time we left the lodge and between Sue and I, we took over seven thousand photos. Be thankful you don’t have to help us edit them!

Click the photos below to view the gallery (Yes, I am the photographer)

A few things worth mentioning are the following:

Each resort had a Boma night, an outdoor barbecue of sorts including a little entertainment around a ragging campfire. The food could be just as exotic as Africa but there was always an abundance of beef, chicken, rice and vegetables for the less brave.

The dollar went a long way in South Africa with the current rate being close to 15 Rand to 1 US Dollar. Although most meals are included at the lodges, when we did go out it was very affordable.

The safari vehicles were all modified Land Cruisers and in spite of some fairly rough terrain we were all impressed at the comfort we enjoyed while out in the bush.

I can only speak for this time of year but there was not a problem with bugs or mosquitoes. Most accommodations had nets over the beds but I did not see the necessity other than some really cool ambiance.

English was spoken everywhere.

People were extremely friendly especially when you engaged them.

Our South Africa TC speaks several languages and pretty much thought of everything in advance. He and his wife have agreed to personally accompany our group in March/April 2019 which will make the adventure all the more special.

Although we have not confirmed final arrangements, we expect to be able to offer a two week itinerary with visits to Chobe and Krueger National Parks, economy class air, safaris, river cruises, most meals, transfers and a visit to Cape Town for about $7,500 per person. As mentioned previously, the adventure will include accompaniment by your travel agents, (Sue and me) and an expert Tour Conductor team. Please email Sue@VivereTravel.com or call 866/223-6492 for more info. Space is limited so please don’t delay. Payment plans are available.