Listening to the distinctive South African accents over dinner last night brought back so many wonderful memories of my times in Africa. I started my life in Nigeria, West Africa and a very different world to Southern Africa, however my adult travels in Africa have been from ancient Egypt in the north, through Kenya – the birthplace of mankind and Great Rift Valley – and further south to Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana and South Africa. All of these countries are unique, and all offer the traveller a different experience.

Cape Town is one of the world’s most amazing cities, along with Rio, London, New York and Sydney. Perched on the southernmost tip of Africa, Table Mountain rising majestically behind, it would seem that from every angle, you can glimpse the ocean. This cosmopolitan city has been at the crossroads of ancient trade routes for centuries, and its cultural heritage reflects these historical influences. Blessed with a Mediterranean climate, nearby Stellenbosch, Constantia, and the Western Cape are home to wonderful wineries. Travel to the tip of the continent to see where the Indian and Atlantic oceans collide, be brave to enter these notoriously bracing waters. 

Wildlife is the focus of most people who venture to Africa, and when I visited Kruger National Park in the east of South Africa, sharing a border with Mozambique, I was not disappointed. We certainly saw The Big Five (elephant, lion, leopard, buffalo, and rhinoceros) and a highlight was an early morning walking safari with a young guide, gun at the ready (for protection, of course) and a wily old tracker. While the young gun was telling us how wonderful he was and that we wouldn’t see any real wildlife in this part of the park, the tracker was intent and watching like a hawk; suddenly, his eyes widened, and he encouraged us all to still ourselves and be quiet – as we peeped around the corner of a large bush there was a pride of lions, warming themselves in the early morning light, content with full tummies from the morning catch. We saw leopards dragging antelope up into the high thorny branches of acacia trees, hippos wallowing in the riverbeds, giraffe craning their necks to nibble at the youngest leaves, and dazzle of zebra skittish from the sound of predators. 

The rhythm of life while staying at these wonderful game lodges mimics that of the wildlife. You are woken as dawn is breaking with hot tea before heading out on safari; your expert guides and trackers attune to the ways of the wild, their keen eyes spotting the most camouflaged of creatures blending into the landscape. Return for a leisurely day around camp, perhaps a swim in the pool or immerse yourself in a good book. In the late afternoon, the activity ramps up again with the sunset game drive. It is easy to spend day after day seemingly repeating your activities, yet every day is as exciting as the last. 

The warning I give to first-time travellers to the African continent is to beware it is addictive! 

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