Extraordinary Road Trip

Our 16-night Extraordinary Road Trip Travel Itinerary Highlights:

• 12 days car hire with Avis Car Rental on a one-way drop off from Johannesburg to King Shaka International Airport
• 1 night stay at the Indaba Hotel, Johannesburg, with dinner and breakfast
• 1 night's stay at Angels View Hoyo Hoyo, Graskop, with breakfast
• 3 nights stay at Imbali Safari Lodge, Kruger National Park, with all meals and 2 game drives daily
• 1 night's stay in Foresters Arms in Swaziland, with breakfast
• 3 nights stay in Thonga Beach Lodge, KwaZulu-Natal, with 3 meals and selected activities
• 2 nights stay in St Lucia for a timeless walking safari, with 3 meals and walking activities
• 1 night stay in Durban, with a traditional spicy dining experience and breakfast 
• Commercial flight from Durban Airport to Cape Town International Airport
• 5 days Avis Car Rental in Cape Town
• 4 nights' stay at The Cape Milner Hotel
• Private guided tours in Cape Town

Our Experience:

A honeymoon that will bring us back for many years to come  

Arriving in South Africa was somewhat different from the image we had "conjured" up in our heads... The image of “Africa” where wildlife ran freely and people lived in a "stuck-in-time" era... hahahahaha! That joke was on us as we arrived in a huge built-up city called Johannesburg. You would think we did our research, but our imaginations got the better of us instead... hahahaha!! 

We collected our car and headed out into the Metropolitan jungle of Johannesburg, with highways and byways that connected to many routes. Wendy, our travel agent back home, advised us to download the Waze App to get us around... and it brilliantly navigated to all the places we needed to be! 

We spent one night in Johannesburg, quickly getting used to the road for our big trip. To kick off our trip, we enjoyed a dinner at Chief’s Boma Restaurant – a traditional dinner with live entertainment. This really whet our appetites for more! 

The next day, we meandered along the Panoramic Route from Johannesburg to Kruger National Park. We took in some amazing sights, including the gorge lift, where the views were breathtaking. We spent the night in Graskop.

After breakfast the next day, we meandered through the little towns as we made our way to Imbali Safari Lodge, situated inside the Kruger National Park, where we had booked to stay for three nights of safari experiences. We saw so many animals as we made our way to the lodge.  We felt like a king and queen feasting on delicious meals, lapping up information from our experienced ranger and sleeping like babies in a luxurious bed... of course, whilst being surrounded by the BIG 5!  

Before you could blink, we were on the road again, making our way through to Swaziland/Eswatini  (a new stamp in our passport). We visited the glass factory, the candle factory, and watched some traditional Swazi dancing. Not wanting to rush this experience, we stayed the night in this little country before making our way to South Africa’s province of KwaZulu-Natal. This time, we switched it up and headed to the beach for three nights! We drove to a little town, parked our car, were collected by the lodge, and headed to a special place where we did the most amazing snorkelling experience in the world. We swam in open waters with wild dolphins and swam above sharks as well. It was the best experience ever!    

By this time, we had fallen in love with South Africa. It was time to be on the road again. This time, we wanted to go back to the bush for the last touch with Africa’s Big Five. We made our way down to St Lucia for a 2-night walking "timeless" adventure in Zululand. Not only learning about the hippos and crocodiles, our guide also kept us enthralled with stories of his Zulu culture. We left feeling like family. This experience left indelible imprints on our hearts.

Soon, it was off to Durban, where we spent the night reacclimating to civilisation. We had a very different dining experience at the world-famous "Britannia Hotel" to taste the curried bunny chow.  That was an amazing experience. We walked off our delightful dinner on the Umhlanga promenade. 

The next morning, we dropped our car off at King Shaka International Airport and headed to Cape Town, fondly known as South Africa’s Mother City. It felt like we were in Europe, but still in Africa... WOW!! Suddenly, the wide open spaces were surrounded by mountains that poured into the sea, and dotted with brightly painted buildings, all steeped in history. We spent four days at the Cape Milner Hotel, walking around the city, visiting Table Mountain, and of course, the famous Peninsula, making sure we didn’t miss anything. We soon found ourselves in the most beautiful part of the Cape... The Winelands. We heard historical stories as we walked amongst the vines, sipping wine and nibbling on the best cheese ever! Matthew was another soul who filled our hearts. 

This trip was certainly THE best experience of our lifetime!