Tourist In My Own Country

Recently, my husband and I got the opportunity to travel to the Kruger National Park and Johannesburg. Our first two nights were spent at Rhino Post Safari Lodge followed by two nights at the Radisson Blu Sandton, and concluded with a trip back to Cape Town on the most luxurious train in the world, Rovos Rail!

The widely known Kruger National Park — the largest game reserve in Africa covering an area of 19,485 km2 and spanning over the two provinces of Limpopo and Mpumalanga — is truly a sight to behold. This is a place for the adventurous at heart with a deep desire to be fully immersed in the wild.

Two days were spent in pure bliss in the Kruger National Park with days beginning with 6 AM game drives and incredible sightings of the Big 5 and many other animals and concluding with sundowners in the bush. Sunsets in the game park cannot be put into words as the sun descends over the horizon, illuminating the trees and creating silhouettes of the animals leisurely roaming about the waterhole. When we weren’t out spotting all sorts of animals, we spent time at the lodge at our leisure and unwinding with tranquil massages on the lodge deck. Being there gave us a new sense of appreciation for the wild as we were perpetually immersed in bush and landscape. The lodge was beautifully adorned with décor sticking true to the essence of nature – that there are no permanent structures. This is why the lodge was made from natural materials such as stone, wood, thatch, and canvas for the ultimate bush experience.

Our two days in the Kruger National Park soon ended and we made our way to Radisson Blu Hotel Sandton situated smack bang in the heart of Johannesburg’s business district. That was where we were to spend the next two days. After waking up very early for two days in a row, going on game drives and socializing with the other visitors in the Kruger, it was a lovely city getaway where we just spent our time lounging by the pool deck and making a trip to the Sandton City shopping mall that is within walking distance of the hotel. With friendly staff, excellent service and a beautiful room, our stay at the Radisson Blu Sandton was definitely a memorable time!

The next part of our journey was a once in a lifetime experience! My husband and I were gob-smacked when we found out we would travel back to Cape Town in style on the most luxurious train in the world, Rovos Rail! Everything about Rovos Rail was top quality. The staff were outstanding, the food was phenomenal, and the cars were absolutely breathtaking! We adored playing dress-up and feeling as though we are living out some high-class society fantasy.

Along the way back to Cape Town, we briefly stopped in Kimberley where we visited the Big Hole and then partook in a guided tour of the Kimberley Open Mine Museum. The view of the Big Hole was spectacular as we beheld what is considered to be the deepest man-made, with a depth of 200 m2. Prior to being Kimberley’s most visited tourist attraction, the Big Hole was just an ordinary flat-topped hill. Well, that was until 150 years ago when man began his pursuit of diamonds with nothing but their hands and shovels and then proceeded to make history.

All in all, our whole trip was one for the books and we’ll be looking back on this adventure that has created an abundance of memories that we’ll cherish forever.