Pilanesberg Game Reserve, Pretoria South Africa

Pilanesberg Game Reserve

South Africa

Arranged through Goway Tours

We leave Cape Town on South Africa Airlines, flying to Johannesburg.  Our guide picks us up at the airport for a three and a half hour drive, north to Pretoria and the game reserve.

We are off to see the Big Five--the elephant, lion, leopard, rhinoceros and the cape buffalo, north from Johannesburg and Pretoria in one of the country’s most popular wildlife areas  Pilanesberg Game Reserve. Set in an ancient volcanic crater, this well-stocked reserve has a dramatic landscape that supports a wide variety of plants, animals and birds.

The fourth largest park in South Africa, Pilanesberg is a melting pot of topographies--which include syenite koppies, forested ravines, bush veld and rolling grasslands and lightly wooded areas--all contained in the crater of an extinct volcano that covers 55,000 hectares.

Thabayadiotso, "the Proud Mountain", offers fitting relief to the panoramas of the park. Apart from the large mammals, the park is home to over 300 species of birds. 

 

Our accomodations are in the Ivory Tree Lodge.

Ivory Tree Game Lodge is situated in the north eastern region of the Pilanesberg National Park, the closest point of entry is through Bakgatla Gate.

Nestled in the basin of an ancient amphitheatre divided by riverine woodlands and elephant trails lies this exclusive private game lodge. The central facility includes, stunning feature pool, bar, conference room, dining room, boma, reception and curio shop. Guests stay in private bungalows, with the featured outdoor shower!

Once settled in our room, we begin our first of the twice daily game drives. Viewing animals in their natural habitat is one of the most thrilling experiences ever. The game drives were three to three and a half hours in length. Morning drives began at 5 a.m and evening drives at 4:30 p.m. We didn’t miss one and were thrilled and amazed on every drive. Our guide, Solly Maponyane was knowledgeable, entertaining and determined to show us the Big Five!    If you plan to visit Pilanesberg, or Ivory Tree Lodge, be sure and ask for Solly. He is the best!

We left South Africa with sadness and will definitely return. It was one of the best trips ever for us and we would highly recommend it. Thanks to Winnie at Goway Travel for all of the arrangements and to Fazelia and Roberto, with Thomson Africa Tours for taking care of us in Cape Town.

 We took hundreds of pictures and I can only share a few, so enjoy !

Cape Town South Africa

Cape Town South Africa

Flight KLM Toronto to Amsterdam  7 ½ hours

Flight KLM Amsterdam to Cape Town  11 hours

Long flight with only a two hour stopover in Amsterdam but KLM is an excellent airline and the time passed quickly.

We arrived in Cape Town South Africa at 10:30 p.m so straight to the hotel for some much needed sleep before the adventure began.

Cape Town is the second-most populated city in South Africa, after Johannesburg , and it is the provincial capital. Located on the shore of Table Bay, Cape Town was originally developed by the Dutch East India Company as a supply station for Dutch ships sailing to East Africa, India, and the Far East. As of 2011 the metropolitan region had an estimated population of 3.74 million.

Our hotel was the stunning Southern Sun Waterfront Hotel, located at the entrance of the V & A Waterfront. A large hotel with 600 rooms, breakfast restaurant, bar, gym, pool and dinner restaurant, it is conveniently located to everything.

We were both surprised and impressed by the city of Cape Town. Both culturally and visually, Cape Town is one of the most beautiful and vibrant cities we have visited.

Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens provided wonderful scenic walks through the indigenous Fynbos vegetation. Located along the eastern slopes of Table Mountain, the views from every angle were awesome. Covering 36 hectares, the gardens are large and we returned the next day to finish our tour.

The V&A Waterfront quickly became one of our favorite places with shops, restaurants and lively outdoor bars, it was a wonderful place to relax and people watch.

A day trip to Cape of Good Hope and Boulder Beach proved to be the highlight of our Cape Town visit. The scenery was spectacular and the penguins were a joy to visit.

Our trip would not have been complete without a cable car trip up Table Mountain. The views from the top were amazing and the hiking trails gave us some much needed exercise.

I would recommend the Hop on and Off bus. At less than $20 Cdn. for an all day pass, you will see and experience Cape Town at its finest.

All in all, we were impressed with Cape Town and would definitely consider returning to the vibrant city. Sadly, we left South Africa on Tuesday and Mr. Mandela passed away on Thursday. He will be missed.

NOW  OFF TO PILANESBURG GAME RESERVE……………….

Calais, France

October 2013

Calais is connected to Dover in England by ferry services provided by P & O, DFDS Seaway and MyFerryLink. The trip of 26 miles,  takes about one hour and thirty minutes for both vehicle and foot passengers. Once you reach the port in Calais, shuttle busses run every thirty minutes to the center of town or the train station.

 

Calais is directly connected to the European motorway network. The A26/E15 provides access to the heart of France, including Paris.

  
 

 

 

Calais was once a humble fishing village but is now the combination of three towns, Calais Nord, Calais Sud and Calais Quest. Nord is the old part of town and harbour area. Rue Royale is considered to be the smarter shopping street, filled with boutiques and restaurants. However, be forewarned that many shops are closed on Wednesday, as we soon found out. Calais Sud is separated by canals and is the main town center.

 

There is a lovely park in the center of Calais which is well worth the time to enjoy.

  

When we departed from the ferry, we met a couple from western Australian, Marg and Wayne Hall and spent the rest of the day touring Calais with them. After walking many streets and avenues, we  found a nice café on the beach and enjoyed a lovely meal and a pint.

 

 

 

 

The wind was blowing fiercely on the beach but we did walk in the sand for a short distance. Rather than take the shuttle back to the port, we took a leisurely stroll and enjoyed the comraderie.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Calais is very large and would require more than a day to really be seen and appreciated.

The White Cliffs of Dover England

Dover, south east coast of England
October 2013

 

Dover is a popular ferry port and ferries from Dover to Calais travel all day at a very reasonable price.

The ferry ride takes about one and a half hours and is most enjoyable. More on French Calais later, but now let’s talk about Dover.

 White Cliffs of Dover

 

 

The cliffs themselves are truly spectacular. We hiked along the top of the cliffs for over four miles and the scenery was spectacular.

The waterfront promenade is a lovely walk and during our stay,  the temperature was in the low 20’s C in October. The sun was shining brightly and the entire experience was truly wonderful.

 

Of course, no visit to Dover is complete without a visit to Dover Castle. We climbed the hill from the shore to the castle, but those less ambitious can drive up to the car park at the top.

 

Spectacularly situated above the White Cliffs of Dover, this magnificent castle has guarded British shores from invasion for  more than 20 centuries. There is an admission fee, but it is definitely worth the visit.

The Great Tower and the castle itself will impress, even  those with little love of history, as you  immerse yourself in the royal court of King Henry II. Experience the vibrant colour and opulence of the rooms in one of medieval England's most important castles.

A visit to the tunnels is a must and for over 200 years the tunnels have provided shelter, safety and secrecy to those defending the shores.  You will find yourself immersed in the drama of the Dunkirk evacuation in the very tunnels where the desperate rescue operation was masterminded. State-of-the-art effects and real film footage combine to bring those dramatic events of May 1940 to life in this fascinating experience. Be sure to explore the atmospheric Underground Hospital.  Converted into a hospital for injured troops in 1941, visitors today can experience the sounds, smells and atmosphere of the World War II hospital with its operating theatre.

 

After leaving the castle, with much to discuss, we stopped in the White Horse Pub for a cool pint of ale.

A truly informative and fascinating day in Dover.

 

The next morning we caught the early ferry and headed for Calais.