Foto: The cable car to the top of Table Mountain (bron: Ronald van der Veer)
South Africa - If the weather is good, we go early to Table Mountain. Outside, the wind is still quite strong. I doubt whether the cable car will operate today. The reception can’t help us yet. They can only inform us from half past seven whether the cable car will run or not. We decide to take the risk with the six of us. We order a taxi. When we arrive at Table Mountain, people are already waiting. The staff are unsure, but they are unfolding all the parasols. We join the queue and wait for what’s to come. Normally, the lift opens at eight o’clock, but at eight o’clock nothing happens. Around half past eight, there is movement. A test run apparently went well, and the ticket office opens. Eventually, we get into the second gondola up to the 1,086-meter-high Table Mountain. The gondola rotates very slowly, so you get a view of all sides of Cape Town, the bay, and Robben Island during the ride. The view from the top is fabulous. It’s remarkable how steep the mountain rises and that the top is completely flat. We take a 45-minute circular walk and have a drink at the restaurant. By now, it has become quite busy.
Addo Elephant Park
South Africa - Addo Elephant National Park is a nature reserve in South Africa’s Eastern Cape, established in 1931 to protect the endangered Cape elephant population. Today, it is one of the largest and most successful conservation projects in South Africa’s history. ...
Cape of Good Hope
South Africa - The guide apologizes and asks if we had received notice that he would be late. We hadn’t! We quickly set off, picking up four German tourists along the way, completing our small, friendly group. We start the tour along the coastline heading south. At ...
From_Mossel_Bay_to_Plettenberg_Bay
South Africa - The Garden Route, or Tuinroute in Dutch, lies along South Africa’s southern coast and is one of the country’s highlights. The route stretches from Mossel Bay to Plettenberg Bay, featuring stunning natural scenery with deep sea inlets, rivers, and ...
Kruger National Park
South Africa - We set off at 7:45 a.m. for the game drive in two jeeps. The jeeps stay together so everyone sees the same wildlife. Our driver, Jafta, leads the way. Immediately after leaving the campsite, we see buffalo, impalas, and wildebeest. Turning east, we spot ...
The township Soweto
South Africa - Soweto is South Africa’s most famous township, over a century old. It originated when tens of thousands of Black residents of Johannesburg were relocated there by the white authorities. Leaders such as Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu lived here. Soweto, ...
Valley of Desolation near GraaffReinet
South Africa - Graaff Reinet was once South Africa’s fourth-largest town. It began as an administrative outpost of Cape Town to govern the interior. Not surprisingly, many houses are built in the same old Dutch style as Cape Town. Our lodge is on the city’s edge ...