Day 1-2: Amsterdam

The first stop on our journey was Amsterdam, land of windmills, wooden shoes and cheese! 

Our overnight flight arrived mid-morning, Netherlands time. We checked into tour hotel, freshend up and changed, and went out to explore this historic and beautiful city. Built around a series of canals and bridges, the heart of the city is brimming with shops, museums, restaurants - and, of course, the infamous "Red Light District".  It is also home to the Anne Frank House, a bibliographical museum dedicated to the Jewish wartime diarist.

Another interesting and unique aspect of Amsterdam is the prevalence of "coffee shops" - which do not serve cups of java, but instead are purveyors of all types of cannabis. Marijuana is legal in Amsterdam, and these small shops can be found sprinkled throughout the city. (If you want a cup of Joe, you need to head to a "cafe")

On our second day we embarked on a 3-hour organized bike ride through the countryside. We stopped at a windmill, a wooden shoe crafting shop and a cheese store. It was a wonderful contrast to the busy, crowded streets of Amsterdam and a relaxing and enjoyable way to spend the morning.

And speaking of bikes - Amsterdam is absolutely teaming with them! It is the most common means of getting around town, and you need to keep your head up while walking because cyclists are everywhere and generally do not stop for pedestrians. 

Day 3: Travel

Day 4-6: Johanessburg

We awoke early and had a wonderful breakfast before meeting Natasha, our driver and guide for the day. 

Soweto

Soweto is an urban complex in Gauteng province of South Africa. Originally set aside by the South African white government for residence by Blacks, it adjoins the city of Johannesburg on the southwest. Its name is an acronym derived from South-Western Townships, and it is the country’s largest Black urban complex.

Day 6-9: Manyeleti Game Reserve & Tintswalo Lodge

Manyeleti Reserve

The Manyeleti Private Game Reserve borders Kruger National Park, Timbavati Game Reserve and Sabi Sands Game Reserve, forming part of a huge area of land in which wildlife roams free. We spent three fascinating days exploring the Reserve, witnessing wildlife of all kinds in their natural habitat. From Impalas to Kudos and Wildebeests; Zebras, Giraffes and Hippos; Rhinos, Elephants and Lions – not to mention a diverse range of interesting and beautiful birds – it was a cornucopia of some of the best that nature has to offer. We were even lucky (?) enough to see four male lions feasting on a buffalo they had taken down earlier. Overall, it was a breathtaking and exhilarating romp through nature, the likes of which we had never experienced before.

All along, we were in the fine and capable hands of our guide Floyd and our tracker Reply, who were knowledgeable, talented and very friendly. They helped make our first ever safari adventure an experience to remember.

Tintswalo Lodge

During our Manyeleti safari, we stayed at the beautiful Tintswalo Lodge. I don’t know what exactly our expectations were, but the moment we arrived they were more than exceeded. Tintswalo is a gorgeous resort-like lodge with a rustic, luxurious feel. You are welcomed by a grandiose entrance which leads to an expansive and beautiful deck, where breakfast and lunch are served. The deck overlooks a watering hole that welcomes elephants and other wildlife daily, mere feet away from where guests sit. Our room at Tinswalo was a spacious and extremely comfortable suite, complete with a large canopy bed, a sitting area, a luxurious open bathroom with a large shower and separate tub, and a deck with a plunge pool. Unfortunately, due to cool weather and a schedule that kept us quite busy, we were not able to take full advantage of all that our accommodations offered. But Tintswalo provided us a luxurious and extremely comfortable respite and a welcome contrast from our days exploring the bush.

Our stay at Tintswalo was made even better by our butler, Orlando, and our ______   ___________, who attended to our every need. Both were always available and greeted us with a warm smile whenever we saw them.

Day 10-12: Londolozi Private Reserve & Founders Camp

Londolozi Game Reserve

Our next safari adventure took us to Londolozi Game Reserve. Situated on the western border of Kruger National Park, this beautiful reserve offered a somewhat different experience than Manyeleti, with spacious grasslands mixed with areas of dense bush, and open tracts of land along the banks of the Sand River. The range of wildlife we encountered at Londolozi was equally amazing. Each day we saw a wide range of incredibly beautiful animals, most of them up close and personal. On our second day, we stopped to view a group of 7 or 8 elephants on the side of the road, but our vehicle had ignition problems and wouldn’t restart. Our guide radioed back to the lodge for assistance (and another safari vehicle) – but while we waited, two of the elephants got into a fight only about 30 yards in front of us! After they settled their differences, one of them decided to come and inspect us more closely. Our tracker simply waved his finger at him and said “No!”, and the elephant slowly wandered away, sufficiently chastised. Another highlight was coming across a mother leopard and her two young cubs, who were perhaps the cutest of the animals we saw on our trip. They were very curious about us. One of them sauntered over to us and seemed to want to get into our vehicle! He then went underneath it, walked over to another safari vehicle to check it out, then casually walked back to his mother. We also witnessed a stand-off between a large herd of buffalo and a pride of lions. The lions would slowly approach the herd, only to get rebuffed by a group of brave buffalos. They would regroup and try their approach again as the herd retreated a bit. This back and forth went on for some time. We don’t know how it ended up, but the confrontation was both exciting and fascinating.

Our guide Meghan and our tracker Bongs were both absolutely wonderful. Meghan was so knowledgeable and so friendly. We immediately hit it off and enjoyed three wonderful days exploring the reserve together.

Londolozi Lodge

As much as we found Tintswalo to be an absolutely wonderful place, Londolozi took it up a notch. Michele and I describe it as a “Four Seasons in the Bush”. It was beautiful, luxurious, extremely comfortable and well-equipped, providing us everything we could want and then some. Our suite was very spacious, again with a gorgeous canopy bed, sitting area, two bathrooms, and a large deck with (yes, again) a plunge pool. The main lodge had lovely dining facilities, an amazing wine cellar (where we had a special dinner), a library sitting area and so much more.

Our hosts Chloe and Hanna, were charming, sweet, friendly and efficient. They were there to attend to our every need, always with a smile, and made our stay at Londolozi all the more special.

Day 13-15: Cape Town

Day 16-17: Amsterdam (Part 2)

Day 18: Flight Home