6 Days in South Africa

South Africa is a beautiful country with a variety of different landscapes. I was able to explore the mountains, the ocean, and the wine country! This country is home to one of the New Seven Wonders of Nature and has a coastline stretching more than 2,500 kilometers. South Africa is full of record-breaking animals including the largest land mammal, the largest bird, the tallest animal, the largest reptile, and the fastest land mammal which are the elephant, ostrich, giraffe, leatherback turtle, and cheetah respectively. South Africa is one of the most developed countries in Africa and has a population of about 50.6 million people. I also found it interesting that there are 11 official languages here.

I stayed in the beautiful city of Cape Town. It is surrounded by both ocean and mountains. Staying in Cape Town was a fantastic location since everything I wanted to experience was within a two-hour drive. There are so many things to do in South Africa and around Cape Town including skydiving, bungee jumping, visiting the Penguins at Boulder Beach, going on multiple safaris, hiking the numerous mountains, going on a wine tour, exploring Victoria Falls, and more! I was able to do a few of these things but 6 days in South Africa is definitely not enough. One could easily spend months exploring! I already have a list of things to do when I return to South Africa!

Cheetah Outreach Project

I had the chance to visit the Cheetah Outreach Project that was launched in 1997. This program was created to raise awareness of the decreasing cheetah population and to campaign for its survival. There are only about 6600 cheetahs left in the wild so something must be done to help save this majestic cat. The program is “promoting the survival of the free ranging, Southern African cheetah through environmental education and delivering conservation initiatives.”

The Cheetah Outreach Project is tackling the declining population of cheetahs by raising Turkish Anatolian Shepherd dogs. Farmers who are trying to protect their cattle are shooting and killing cheetahs. The Outreach Project places the large dogs on South African farms to guard the livestock in an effort to reduce conflict between farmers and predators. Ecotourism also plays a large part in cheetah conservation. At the Cheetah Outreach Project, tourists are educated about the issues and also help to raise money for the Shepherd dog breeding program.

During my time at the Cheetah Outreach Project, I was able to pet an adult cheetah named Romeo. I was also able to pet and play with two cubs in the Cub Encounter! The cheetahs are hand reared in the facility and are raised to be ambassadors for the species. There are also 4 serval cats, a caracal, 2 black-backed jackals, 3 bat-eared fox, and 2 meerkats on the property. All of these animals are here to raise awareness about the plight of predators on South African farms. Click here to read more about this amazing conservation program!

Eagle Encounters

Another conservation program I had the chance to visit is the Eagle Encounters. I am a lover of birds so this experience is one I will never forget! Eagle Encounters is a wildlife rehabilitation, conservation, education, and ecotourism centre that was founded in 2001. The center receives between 200 and 300 injured, abandoned, and confiscated birds a year. An average of 60% of these birds are released where they were picked up after training to restore their muscle tone and fitness levels. Eagle Encounters is non-profit organization and the majority of their income is generated through the ecotourism entrance fee. This money goes towards the Rescue and Rehabilitation Programme who are on call 24/7 to rescue birds of prey from urban and rural areas in and around Cape Town as well as for education. Eagle Encounters believes it is important for the youth to have a sense of awareness of the environment and the creatures in it.

Eagle Encounters is open everyday except Christmas from 9:30 to 5:00pm. There are four different interactive shows each day. I had the chance to volunteer for the bird show we watched and was able to hold a barn owl! Throughout this amazing experience I was also able to hold a Spotted Eagle Owl and two baby Wood Owls (have I mentioned how much I love birds)!! There were many other birds including Jackal Buzzards, Greater Kestrels, and Black Crows. I also held a large snake and rescued Black-Backed Jackal pups! Click here to learn more about this amazing rehabilitation and conservation center!

Aquila Game Reserve

The Aquila Game Reserve was one of the highlights of South Africa for me! I never expected to see so many animals in their natural habitat. This reserve was created 15 years ago in Southern Karoo. It covers about 10,000 hectares of land. There is a beautiful hotel with an infinity pool and large restaurant for guests to stay at. You can choose from a half-day, full-day or overnight safari packages.

We had the opportunity to learn about the reserves different conservation efforts. The Aquila Safari Animal Rescue Centre (ARC) is a non-profit organization. It is a temporary home for injured animals that need attention before they are released into the wild. Saving Private Rhino is another project run through the Aquila Game Reserve. Rhino populations throughout the world are quickly declining due to the poaching of them for their keratin horns. This project is working to conserve the African Rhino and find anti-poaching solutions. If rhino poaching continues to accelerate, they may become extinct within 20 years.

This reserve is home to the Big 5 – buffalo, leopard, lion, elephant, and rhino. I was lucky enough to see all of them except the leopard during my half-day game drive. We also spotted giraffes, hippos, antelope, and springboks! The elephants were definitely my favourite! We had a group of about 20 people and a very knowledgeable guide who spoke to us about the different animals. Click here to read more about this incredible game reserve!

Boulders Beach – Penguin Colony

Visiting South Africa, I never expected to see penguins! Just outside Simon’s Town lays Boulders Beach and Penguin Colony. African Penguins have only been in South Africa since 1982 when an original pair arrived from Dyer Island. Visitors are able to walk on the boardwalks that make it easy to get close to the penguins without being able to touch them. There are hundreds of penguins here including four different species.

We spent 2 hours at Boulders Beach and Penguin Colony. You can also go to the beach for a swim with a few penguins if you’re lucky! The water is very clean with huge boulders (hence Boulders Beach) that block the wind and large waves. Remember not to touch the penguins! They have extremely sharp teeth and very high stress levels. There is a 40R entrance fee with all profits going to the protection of the penguins and other sea birds!

Duiker Island Seal Colony – Hout Bay

Duiker Island Seal Colony is just a short cruise ride from Hout Bay. The seal colony is nestled beneath the well known Sentinel Mountain. The boat holding about 40 people took us to the colony where we circled a few times and were able to take pictures. We were not able to stop and get out as to not disrupt the seals’ habitat. There were thousands of Cape Fur Seals of many shapes and colours! From farther away it looked like the island was moving. It cost 90R per person for the 40 minute cruise with Drumbeat Charters. Well worth it! There were also people scuba diving near the colony, which I hope to do next time I’m in Cape Town!

Table Mountain Hike

Table Mountain is an iconic landmark of South Africa and one of the New Seven Wonders of Nature. It is also one of the oldest mountains in the world – 5 times older than the Rocky Mountains. The top is 2563 feet above sea level. Table Mountain gets its name from the flat top. On most days the mountain is covered in clouds that is known as the “table cloth.” There are more than 2200 species of plants on this mountain and 70% of them are endemic to the area or not found elsewhere.

There are over 350 different routes and trails to the top of Table Mountain. We chose to go up Platteklip Gorge to Upper Cable Station. This is one of the most direct routes to the top. It is also one of the most popular so make sure to go early and beat the crowd! The trail starts a few hundred meters from the Lower Cable Car. Our Uber driver dropped us off right at the beginning. It took us about an hour and 15 minutes to reach the top. We probably could have gotten up faster but it was a SUPER WINDY day. I recommend not climbing to the top of Table Mountain if the weather isn’t great. Our Uber driver told us we would be fine but there were a few different times we didn’t feel safe. Hiking up through the gorge, the wind was funnelling straight through. There were moments where we had to climb on all fours to avoid being pushed off the edge! But on a nice day, this hike is very doable. It is made out of rocks and climbed almost like stairs.

If you are not a hiker, I still recommend taking the cable car to the top for the breathtaking view! The Cable Station was built in 1929. At the top there is a café and a gift shop. When the weather isn’t great, the cable car is closed. Keep this in mind if you are planning to hike up and take the cable car down (like us)! Hiking back down took us about an hour. Our day didn’t go quite as planned but we still had a great time!

South African Wine Tour

Three of us spent a day in South Africa on an 8 hour wine tour through the Stellenbosch region! We booked our tour through Africa Story Tours and had a great time. There were a total of 13 people in our group from around the world plus our great guide Willem. We went to four different wineries including Villiera, Remhoote, Backsberg, and Fairview wineries. Throughout the day we tried a total of 19 different wines, 4 champagnes, a craft beer, and brandy. We also had chocolate and different types of cheeses! Our tour included transportation to and from where we were staying and a delicious traditional lunch!