Coming to you live from the air, somewhere above Africa heading to our next destination! You may be wondering if I am ever going to return home, the answer is yes. We finally finished booking the rest of our flights this week, which is bitter sweet. I will be back to the states mid-January, I will be meeting my mom in Florida and then my sisters in Nashville for wedding dress shopping! I can’t wait to see my family and my pup, I miss them all so much! I’m afraid my dog won’t remember me after 4 months, praying that’s not that case. Most of me never wants this journey to end, I mean we’ve been to so many amazing places, but when you look at a map we’ve hardly scratched the surface. There is so much to see in this world and traveling really has taught me so much. Being able to embark on this journey has put traveling into perspective and made me realize how accessible it actually is. Ok, end rant, lets talk South Africa.

Cape Town:

First off let me give credit to our amazing friend Andy who lives in Johannesburg, he basically put together our entire itinerary for the three weeks we were there. We met him in Cape Town which was full of amazing landscapes everywhere you turned. The town was super vibey full of amazing cafes, vintage cars, different cultures, shopping, tourist attractions, hiking and beaches. We stayed in the downtown area, walking distance to Long St which had blocks of bars and restaurants. We spent a whole day at V&A Waterfront doing some shopping and walking around. I absolutely fell in love with the live African music throughout the waterfront, every group was incredible!

Another day was spent driving to Simonstown and Boulder’s Beach which was about an hour drive from Cape Town. Boulder’s Beach is where you can see hundreds of penguins, they were so cute! There were plenty of signs throughout the park to read about their lifecycle and we were able to see the penguins at different stages, as well as some nesting on their eggs. Simonstown is a must do, it was so gorgeous, I definitely recommend staying for lunch overlooking the water. We stopped at Muizenberg Beach on the way and saw the cute colorful houses too. Some other things we did included hiking Table Mountain for sunset (must do), visiting the historical Bo Kaap houses and driving through Camp’s Bay.

Lastly, here is a list of a couple must visit restaurants/ cafes in the Cape:

Monkey 47/ hidden gin bar - we would’ve never found this place without Andy, but it is a total hidden gem. I don’t even like gin and it was amazing. I was mostly obsessing over the decor in the place along with every other place there after.
Truth - awesome (or lekka as the say in SA) coffee and breakfast spot - steampunk vibes, so so cool.
Origin - another great cafe, music was so vibey that I requested to have the playlist haha.
La Parada - hands down my favorite spot, specifically for a Sunday funday. It is a wine farm at the top of a mountain overlooking downtown. Live music and dancing, people of all ages - so much fun!
So Cal - fun spot to dance the night away.

Driving up the coast:

Day 1 - Franschhoek:

Wine is a big deal in South Africa. We booked a wine tour through the Wine Tram (blue line), which included 6 wine farm visits. The tour was very well organized, we were transported by a gorgeous vintage wine tram/ bus to each farm throughout the mountains. We were allowed an hour at each or you could decide to skip others and stay longer. We made it to 4 wine farms, had plenty of tastings including wine, chocolate, cheese, olives and olive oil. All of it was so good, not to mention the views were incredible. Franschhoek is a pretty small town where nearly everything closes around 6pm, aside from a few restaurants. I highly suggest doing the Wine Tram if you make it to Franschhoek!

Day 2 - George:

On the way to George we decided to drive a little out of the way to L’Agulhas, the southernmost tip in Africa where the Indian and Atlantic oceans meet. If you find the right spot you can actually see where they collide, I don’t think we saw it completely, but it was still breathtaking. We explored around the area, talked to strangers and almost got attacked by a bird, all in all a great stop. We explored George a bit and made it to Herold’s Bay where we had dinner overlooking the water at Dutton’s Cove. In the distance we spotted whale splashes, so cool!

Day 3 - Kynsa:

We finally began the breathtaking Garden Route on our way to Kynsa, stopping at dolphin viewpoint (unfortunately no sightings) and the Map of Africa viewpoint where we watched paraglider soar overhead. Everywhere you turned on this drive and in Kynsa was just breathtaking.

Day 4 - Sedgefield & The Heads:

We stayed the night in Plettenberg Bay but decided to backtrack a bit once we heard about the Wild Oats Farmer’s Market in Sedgefield which only occurs on Saturdays. I’m a sucker for Farmer’s Markets, thankfully we were in the right place at the right time. The market was full of amazing food options, antiques, children playing, live music and hand crafted goods. We spent hours here just strolling around trying not to eat everything in sight, the food was amazing! We headed back toward Plett after the market, stopping in The Heads near Kynsa for an unforgettable lunch at East Head Cafe and more exploring. Once we made it back to Plett, we visited Robberg Nature Reserve for a quick hike at sundown. More breathtaking views and lots of dolphin sightings, my heart was so full!

Day 5 - Plettenberg Bay:

Wake up and swim with seals they said, it’d be fun they said. Ok, done. To be honest I was a little nervous about this experience after seeing pictures of how close they get to your face, but I am so happy we decided to do it. I had so much fun swimming with the playful sea pups, it was so incredible. They only allow you to swim with the females and pups especially during mating season as males can become aggressive. The Offshore Adventures team was very experienced and knew exactly where to let us jump out of the boat to swim, thankfully no shark sightings while we were in there. Full disclosure, the water in the seals area is mostly full of feces and doesn’t smell that great, but the experience was totally worth it (they do have showers for after).

We stopped at Thyme & Again for an amazing lunch near Plett. The cafe had a cute little market attached to it which had fresh baked goods and plenty of snacks for the drive. Next stop, worlds highest bungee jump at Blokran’s Bridge. I can’t even put into words how this jump felt. At this point I’ve accomplished other bungees as well as skydiving, but THIS bungee was very different, by different I mean terrifying. Being only attached to something by the ankles and being alone was a far different experience. Before I jumped John, my little angel that worked there whispered to me telling me I was about to have a South African moment feeling the most alone I had ever felt and I was the only one who exists right now. It was such a special moment and I am forever grateful for his sweet message. For what felt like 5 minutes I was free falling into the air feeling like nothing was attached to me, thankfully the bungee caught me. Just like that I completed the worlds highest bungee, such a crazy thrill!

Day 6 - Port Elizabeth:

Safari day!!! We booked through Dungbeetle Tours which connected us with Scotia Safaris, a Private Game Reserve that borders the eastern side of Addo Elephant National Park. The whole experience was very well organized and so worth it. The lovely couple who managed the reserve picked us up for breakfast then took us to the marina where we started out on our 3 hour sea safari. We spotted a pod of 800+ dolphins who swam alongside our boat for an hour, it was one of the most incredible things I had ever seen. We also spotted lots of penguins and seals along the ride. The second half of the day was inside the Private Game Reserve for about 5 hours, including stopping for snacks and dinner. Our guide was very experienced and knowledgable about all of the animals, we were able to spot lions, zebras, giraffes, warthog, impala, blessback, wildebeest, crocodile, various antelope, nyala and various antelope. We stopped for dinner in the gorgeous lapa which was similar to a log cabin. We were fed traditional South African braai, their version of a BBQ and got to know the other people on our tour. It was a 15 hour day, full of meeting new amazing people and adventure.

Johannesburg:

We spent our last few days in Johannesburg spending time with Andy and meeting some of his amazing friends with the cutest kids and puppies. Food wise, Tasha’s is a must - a cino feezo will be the best thing you’ve ever tasted. La Bouqeria for dinner and Sin + Tax for speakeasy cocktails. Katie’s Palace for a night out, it’s where all the magic happens.

A must do in Joberg includes visiting Soweto, a township of Johannesburg infused with history of the struggle against apartheid. Walking through the poverty areas where 20+ people fit into a small home was eye opening and definitely reminds you of everything you have to be thankful for. The South African people are some of the most genuine and sweet people I have ever met. I have so much appreciation for people that live a simple life, not over complicating things, just making life happen with whatever they are handed. The people I met that day inspired me in more ways than one, I am forever grateful for them allowing us into their lives. I can’t say enough great things about South Africa, truly a special place.

Sending you all the love,

Anayat ❤