Chris Dyson's Travel Blog

The tour was officially over but half of the group had decided to do the optional half day Johannesburg city tour as our flights were not until the evening. We met in the lobby and left just after 8:30am. The guide pointed out various buildings as we drove into the city before arriving at Constitution Hill, the site of a former prison. We walked around here and then next door there was also a constitutional court. Constitution Hill prison cells. We continued our drive passing over Nelson Mandela bridge. The guide pointed out some more key buildings before stopping at Carlton centre which has 50 floors. At the base is a shopping mall and if you go up the elevator, you get to the 'The top of Africa' viewpoint. This has been the tallest office building in Africa since 1973. After this we made our way back to the hotel to collect our suitcases. View of Johannesburg on the 50th floor of Carlton Centre. After a late lunch I made my way to the airport via a free shuttle b...

Our final full day as a group together started with breakfast just after 6am. We left just before 7am knowing we had a long drive day ahead of us after this morning activities. The day would consist of 4 short stops for photos and lunch before pressing onto Johannesburg. Blyde River Canyon, Three Rondavels. Our first stop was at Blyde River Canyon to see the Three Rondavels. The canyon is 25 kilometres in length and is around 750 metres deep on average. We then made a short drive onto Bourke's Luck Potholes. This is a p opular geological site formed by years of water erosion. Bourke's Luck Potholes. Next on the agenda was to travel to Lisbon falls. The Lisbon Falls are the highest waterfalls in the Mpumalanga province. We were then due to stop at 'God's Window' viewpoint but unfortunately the clouds moved in and we were unable to see the view. This instead turned into a 10 minute browse for some souvenirs from the locals. We then made our way to the...

Today most of the group would be doing a sunset game drive with barbecue dinner included, so we all had a good sleep with no real rush to get up. Most people used this opportunity to relax around the hotel pool or sit in the sunshine. After a relaxing day we all met in the lobby at 4pm. After a short delay we transferred to the Kruger National Park for our third and final time. African sunset. Our group of 20 made our way to a spot to get a great photo of the sunset. We had a target of around 7pm for the dinner so we continued to explore. We went to the same spot where we saw the leopard yesterday and we were lucky enough to see it feasting on the Impala in the tree. It was amazing to watch this happen in the wild right in front of our eyes. After the light had faded we stopped at our designated dinner spot and enjoyed a meal in the middle of the park. We had an armed guard on standby at all times. I was able to also use this opportunity to take some fantastic stargazing photos....

We started the day by meeting in the hotel lobby at 05:30am to collect our breakfast boxes. We would be spending another full day in the Kruger National Park, only this time in an open vehicle instead of the coach. As soon as the winter sun had risen we had some early sightings of elephants and some rhinos with birds on their backs. Another morning highlight would be seeing a warthog waking up from its hole and wandering off into the bush. One new animal we didn't sew yesterday was a honey badger. A warthog just waking up out of a hole. We took a morning break at Tshokwane, which is the same place that we used as a rest stop yesterday. No hyena to be seen today but the monkeys were back trying to steal an apple from somebody who wasn't looking. In the late morning we would have many giraffe sightings as well as the usual impala's. Just when things were looking quiet we saw 3 elephants running to the watering hole. We took a break once again for lunch at Skukuza know...

We started the day just after 07:30am by leaving the Bundu lodge and made our way to the Kruger National Park. After our morning rest stop to buy snacks and use the ATM's for the final time we entered the park just after 10:30am. Entering at the Paul Kruger Gate. Our very first sighting was a group elephants which we saw just before we even entered the park via the Paul Kruger gate. As the morning progressed we saw many impala, kudu, crocodiles, zebras, buffalo, wildebeest, lion, giraffes and more elephants crossing the road right in front of our coach. We took a 40 minute break for lunch at Skukuza rest camp before getting back to spotting the animals. Elephants crossing the road in front of the coach. Hyena at the rest stop picnic area. In the afternoon we saw a wild hyena just outside the restroom, adding warthogs and even a rare leopard hunting impala's as one of the last things we saw for the day. We managed to see 'the big 5' all in 1 day so we we...

Another early start at 05:30am as we made our way to George airport. We checked in and waited for boarding after 8am to make the 2 hour flight to Johannesburg airport. The landing was aborted for safety reasons as another plane made its way onto the runway, but there was no drama on the 2nd attempt. We then picked up two more people on the new coach and made the long drive towards Nelspruit. Kulula flight to Johannesburg. We made a stop at Alzu petroport service station, which had many animals at the rear of the facilities. I think most people would agree that this is the best service station they had ever been to. Various animals at Alzu petroport service station. We continued our long drive day eventually arriving at Bundu lodge around 17:30pm. We checked in and briefly had a walk around the grounds looking at some of the free roaming small animals. Dinner was set for 7pm and we looked forward to the upcoming 3 days at Kruger National Park. A video of today can be view...

The day started just after 7am as we made our way to Oudtshoorn to an ostrich farm. The farm breeds ostriches as well as the chance to feed them or even ride them if you are under 75kg. We also had Ostrich meat for our lunch at the same place. Highgate Ostrich farm. In the afternoon we moved onto the Cango Caves. Most of the group did the standard heritage tour, and 5 people did the more challenging Adventure tour. This is one of South Africa's best limestone caves and attracts many visitors from all over the world each year. Cango Caves. We then drove a further 15 minutes to end the day at our overnight lodge. Dinner was served and shortly after, some of the group enjoyed an optional star gazing guide. It was a clear night so those that joined would have had the best visibility possible for viewing. I was happy looking at the stars with my eyes as I am familiar with where to look for some of the planets. A video of this day can be viewed below:

The day started at 8am after breakfast and we had 4 optional excursions to choose from this morning. I chose to do Treetop canopy zip-lining in Tsitsikamma instead of bungee jumping, hiking or a trail drive. We had a quick safety briefing and basic training on how to operate the zip-line. I attached a camera to my helmet to hopefully get some good footage. In total there was 10 platforms to descend from varying in length, height and speed. It was a good experience and I would recommend to others if you have never done something like it before. Me on the zip-line in Tsitsikamma. Later in the morning we left for Storms River Mouth to hike a trail and walk across the suspension bridges. Most of the group ordered some lunch so it would be ready for after the 1 hour hike. In total we spent around 2 hours here before driving on at 2pm. Unfortunately we encountered a flat tyre on the coach and we had a long delay on route to the hotel in the afternoon. We spent the better part of 3 ho...

We checked out of the hotel at 7am after breakfast and we were on our way to the Botlierskop Private Game Reserve. Here we have the chance to see many different animals including 4 of the so called 'big 5'. We were all able to fit in one vehicle, so all 22 of us plus a driver set off to explore the large area of land to see what we could find. This activity would last around 3 hours total, and despite been very bumpy at certain times, I feel everybody enjoyed it. We were lucky enough to see everything we had hoped to see and several more animals. A lion at Botlierskop Private Game Reserve. Knysna boat cruise. In late morning we made our way to Knysna for a boat cruise. This also had a restaurant which we took advantage of and had lunch on. In the afternoon we visited either Monkeyland or Birds of Eden. I chose Monkeyland and I feel like that was a good decision. There are 11 different species of monkey here and the guide had good knowledge of each one. A group...

Today I had to wake up very early for a 04:45am pickup to go shark cage diving in Gansbaai. It was R2300/£132 which may seem expensive, but for a once in a lifetime experience i feel it would be worth it. We arrived at Gansbaai, got checked in and received a life jacket to make our way out to sea. It took around 10-15 minutes to get out to a good location for shark sightings. We were lucky and we only had to wait around 10 minutes to see a shark. Everybody rushed to the side of the boat and the first group made their way into the cage. In the water for shark cage diving. The sharks are attracted by using chum. The chumming process consists of mixing fish parts, bone and blood together and using this as bait. The cage held 10 people and there was 9 of us who chose to do it from my tour so we all went in together to make up the 3rd group in the water. We were just meters from the sharks and we saw 4 total in the few hours we were out at sea for. I took photos/videos from the top ...

We started the day just after 9am, so we had the chance for a good nights rest. Our first stop today was a visit to a wine cellar at Vredenheim, Stellenbosch. We would sample the wine or grape juice and we also had an early lunch at the same place in another building. In the early afternoon we made our way to Eikestad, Stellenbosch. This is a famous university town in the western cape province. Stellenbosch winery. Later in the afternoon we made our way to another wine tasting session at Blauuklippen before making a further 1 hour drive to the coastal town of Hermanus. We checked into the hotel were we would be staying overnight, and I had a brief explore of the town before the light faded. I got some dinner and went to bed early as I have a 4am start ahead of me tomorrow for shark cage diving. Hermanus sea front hotel. Video of this day can be found below:

We met in the lobby at 07.20 to gather on the bus for a tour to Cape Point. We started the day by backtracking slightly where I ended yesterday, passing the V&A waterfront. We then drove past Camps Bay and stopped for a photo opportunity before driving on to Chapman's Peak. The drive on Chapman's Peak had some great scenery to take in I definitely chose the best side of the coach to sit on. We then headed further along the coast to Cape Point where we saw some wild baboons in the area and some birds and sea lions resting on some rocks. In late morning we walked up a small hill to the Cape Point lighthouse. View of Hout Bay along Chapman's Peak drive. We then made our way to Boulders Beach next in the early afternoon, to see the South African penguins. The South African penguin is also known as the jackass penguin. We then made a stop in Kalk Bay for a late lunch. I tried a freshly sourced toasted tuna mayonnaise sandwich with fries as a side dish for R50/£2.90....

The day started at a reasonable hour after a good nights sleep, with a morning city tour in Cape Town. We would first drive up to Signal Hill to check out views of Table Mountain and Lion's Head. We could also look back down on the city of Cape Town and see the stadium used in the 2010 football world cup. Finally if your camera has a good zoom, Robben Island was visible in the distance. Table Mountain(Left) and Lion's Head(Right) as seen from Signal Hill. We then drove back into the city centre to do a walking tour. We saw the city hall, high court and company's gardens. A quick drive back near the hotel we explored the area called Bo-Kaap. This area is traditionally a multicultural area, it is known for its brightly coloured homes. We then drove to the V&A waterfront to end the mornings city tour. I then split from the group to get some lunch and have some free time in the afternoon. Bo-Kaap's colourful buildings. I made my way to the pickup point fo...

I left home on my journey towards my 32nd country. I took the Transpennine express train bound for Manchester Airport and encountered a 15 minute delay. Because of this delay I then needed to change trains at Manchester Piccadilly for the final 10 minutes towards the airport. I arrived at the Terminal door around 25 minutes later than expected, but it was OK as I always allow myself plenty of extra time. I proceeded to Terminal 3 to the British Airways bag drop to offload the suitcase. There was a quick 10 minute queue but nothing major. Then finishing off my bottle of water before making my way through the security area. My hand luggage was pulled to one side due to the amount of electronic equipment, but after a quick check I was on my way to the departure lounge. In total after the several minor delays I had around 40 minutes before the boarding gate was announced. This allowed me to use the toilet and grab some lunch. Boarding started 5 minutes later than stated but again this...