A Month in South Africa: Howzit?!.
1-month in South Africa went by in a flash. My first day, I linked up with relative of a friend in Bermuda who lived in Johannesburg. He was kind of enough to pick me up from my hostel to take me on a driving tour of the area. I don't remember much of it as I had grossly underestimated my jet lag and spent most of the drive pretending to be awake :-s
My hostel was in the area called Maboneng Precint and it was a vibe. The area used to be industrial and run down but a developer bought up a bunch of the buildings and repurposed them. There were art galleries, cafes, a specialty cinema, restaurants with live(ly) music, a multicultural warehouse where you could find food and work of local artisans. It's like hipster central. They had security guards on each block patrolling the area so it was "safe" to walk around just the one strip of street. Otherwise, there are lots of places on Joburg you just cannot go to as a non-local or are explicitly told not to walk near (for safety reasons they always say) even in the daytime. The hostel I booked was run by two partners with a seriously, cool vision. They were welcoming, focused and gave off that "je ne sais quoi". I got the impression that any of their ideas were going to be something interesting and worth experiencing. After checking their social media while writing this - my hunch seems right.
Jo'burg.Jozi.Johannesburg:
Besides Maboneng Precint, there is a lot more to experience in, and around, Johannesburg. A stop by the Apartheid Museum is a must.
For locally made goods, street food and dancing there is the Neighbourgoods Market, in Braamfontein. Day trips include Soweto, the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site or even Pretoria where I had to go to settle visa paperwork at my embassy and visited an exhibition at the Voortrekker Monument.
Spontaneous plans
Sooo should you rent a car with a girl you just met in your hostel to drive down the coast of South Africa?...sure!
A fellow hostel mate and I decided to drive along the famous "Garden Route" of South Africa down towards Cape Town. From Johannesburg this required catching a short flight to Port Elizabeth where the route began. There are several routes were along the way you can find mapped out sights to see and experiences to enjoy. We chose the Garden Route as we wanted to see coastal views and planned a stop in Addo Elephant National Park.
I only had 4 days to do the Garden Route before I needed to be in Cape Town but these were some highlights:
Addo Elephant National Park:
A place to see majestic elephants and other wildlife. It's a wildlife conservation park that is home to the Big &7( African Elephant, Lion, Leopard, Rhinoceros, Cape Buffalo, Southern Right Whale and Great White Shark). My favourite moment was when a family of Elephants crossed in front of cars. One Elephant stayed behind to "guard" the crossing.
Jeffreysbaai:
Jeffrey's Bay (in English) is one of the top ten locations around the World for surfing. If you aren't a surfer, go for the beach or to explore the chill surfer town. We also had fun finding beautiful seashells on the beach.
Tsitsikamma Park:
Highlights of this route was the beautiful coastal park - not so much because of the views but because I learned a lesson about how subjective the words "light trek" are and overcame fears powering through some difficult hiking spots.
Knysna:
There are many things to do around Knysna but we came for the views and watching for whales. Some of the top 10 activities in this stunning area include: enjoying the water; there are lakes, rivers, beaches, boating and swimming. Visit the forest for hiking, cycling, bird watching. Visit the Featherbed Nature Reserve. Go golfing or to a luxury spa. and more and more!
There are other scenic routes that you can take. Just choose your vibe.
Cape Town
Cape Town, the sparkling sister city to historical Johannesburg is well known, but why?
Well, it has everything! a modern and hip city, cutting edge fashion, unique events, food and entertainment at the V& A Waterfront, aquariums, museums, beaches, and of course two famous mountains, to admire and climb - Table Mountain and Lion's Head.
