Southern landscapes, northern wildlife: returning to South Africa (page 1 of 6)

After a first trip in 2009 (already!) where, roughly, we did a circuit passing through Hazyview, a private reserve in Sabi Sands, Santa Lucia and Isimangaliso, Hluhluwe and the South African part of Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, then a quick stop in 2013 to go to Lesotho, we wanted to come back to this country.

Why not the Cape region this time, but there was no way we were coming back to this part of the world without going on a safari. Mountain Zebra or the Karoo seem more about landscapes than animals, and Addo doesn’t excite me much either... So it’ll be Kruger.

Flight prices, schedules, and durations led us to a Paris-Cape Town, return Johannesburg-Paris with British Airways, via Heathrow.

Now we just had to figure out how to fit in quite a few things without driving too many kilometers or changing accommodation every day, at least in the Cape region. Here’s what we ended up with:

Arrival in Cape Town on Saturday, October 10 at 11 AM

2 nights in Hermanus

1 night in Franschhoek

2 nights at Mountceder in the Cederberg

3 nights in Hout Bay

Sunday: transition day—flight to Johannesburg, drive toward Kruger, night in Lydenburg.

Kruger: 1 night in Letaba, 2 in Satara, 1 in Lower Sabie.

Last night in Mbombela (formerly Nelspruit) before heading back to the airport for an early evening return flight.

For those who want to read the full story without interruptions, it’s here.

Friday, 10/9

A pretty stressful departure.

First, I woke up in the middle of the night, convinced I’d swapped my first and last names during check-in 🤪... Couldn’t get back to sleep, even though I knew British Airways wouldn’t answer before 9 AM.

Well, for them, everything was fine... but then they started talking about ETA... an ETA for England 😮? ?? Yes, it’s recent. Apparently, you don’t need one for an air-to-air transit... but you never know, it’s better to have it just in case. No one could give me a clear answer that it wasn’t necessary. In the end, we didn’t get it... and we didn’t need it.

But here’s the thing: our flight ended up leaving Paris 45 minutes late (10 minutes due to a schedule change and 35 minutes of actual delay), so our 2-hour layover shrank to 1 hour and 15 minutes. That should be doable, right? The board showed our flight at Gate B: great, it’s right next door! But at Gate B, three employees were just there to tell everyone who showed up that security had to be done at Gate A... and off we went, sprinting through the corridors, endless escalators going up and down, a little shuttle ride, security at Gate A ("You’re going to be cutting it close!" Oh really? 😠), then pretty much the same route back, only to end up just a few dozen meters from where we started! 😠

Boarding was already well underway, and after all that running, we were hot and thirsty, but phew! We made it onto the plane!

Saturday, 10/10 On the other hand, nothing to complain about on this London-Cape Town flight—it arrived early!

I booked a (small) Suzuki S-Presso because it seemed to have a higher ground clearance than its competitors. Unfortunately, we ended up with a Tata Tiago (yes, it exists), which is lower (and also smaller, with an even more sluggish engine... yes, we were able to compare because in Johannesburg, we *did* get an S-Presso). Somehow, we managed to fit everything in the trunk ("Whatever you do, don’t leave anything visible!") and off we went to our first accommodation in Hermanus, under a glorious sun.

Nikki welcomed us warmly, explained what there was to see in the area, and advised us to book a restaurant for that evening.

After dropping off our bags, we headed to the "cliff path," just 3 minutes from our place. This part of the coast is famous for its southern right whales from June to November. Let’s cut to the chase: there *were* whales, but they were very far away and very sleepy 😕. At best, we saw (photos taken at 600mm): A few ripples or a faint spray,



a bit of tail...



...or a bit of head.



Too bad—the owner of our next accommodation told us she’d seen around thirty of them up close here in early September.

With no whales in sight, the dassies (or rock hyraxes) were everywhere... and fun to watch.

The other local star (when there are no whales 😏)

Here we go! 😉 It's stressful with these complicated departures, all the uncertainty, and rushing around airports...

Hello Kate

We're sailing from north to south of the same continent 😉

Even without whales, the cliff path is still a really nice walk:

Around Penguino Guesthouse



The Fick's Pool Bar:



We continue...



...All the way to Mickey Point, where huge waves crash against the rocks. Impressive!





Maybe it's time to think about dinner: heading to Chard’grill, known for its meat: "Sorry, we're fully booked!" "And tomorrow?" "Fully booked too... oh! There's one slot left at 5:30 PM." 5:30 PM??? That's early 🤪! But the slot is reserved for 2 hours—we don’t have to order right away, as long as we free the table by 7:30 PM. Well, 5:30 PM it is then!

So, let’s eat fish instead of meat! Specifically, the local specialty: klingkip. Heading to Fisherman’s Cottage just a few steps away... Fully booked! ...Or maybe 5:30 PM again 😏... Alright, we’re not going to try every restaurant in Hermanus! We don’t have time to go back to the room, so we sit in the sun on one of the many benches (there are benches everywhere, and they all have names 😮!), facing the sea, watching the dassies and trying to spot a whale spout in the distance. Downtown is lively, there’s music, it’s pretty nice. We can walk back from the restaurant on foot and feel safe (asked the B&B for their opinion).

Hello, I'm heading out. What month did you go?

Welcome Didier

We left from the 10th to the 24th of October.

Hi Muriel,

I’m rushing to book my spot in the Tata Tiago before this gorgeous Indian carriage fills up! 😛

You're right, I'm not sure there's much room in the back 😏. At least I learned it's Indian (I thought it was Russian )

Tata is India's largest automobile manufacturer.

Not sure if the models are sold in Europe due to the West's strict safety and emissions standards.

Hi Muriel, Just FYI:

Tata is a VERY large Indian industrial group, present in aeronautics, telecommunications, steelmaking, and more...

They’re also a manufacturer of passenger and commercial vehicles, owners of Jaguar, Land Rover, and they finalized the acquisition of Iveco in October 2026.

Take care.

Thanks Alain for these details.

I know Jaguar and Range Rover (of course!), Iveco by name, but I’d never heard of Tata . Shows you learn something new every day 😉.

Sunday 11/10 Before breakfast, a little walk along the cliff path towards the harbor this time, and in the mist... a different atmosphere.



Like all the breakfasts we’ll have, this one is delicious and very hearty:



Next, we head to Stony Point and its penguin colony (Cape penguins for us, African penguins for the locals). We bought a Wild Card for two people, so we won’t pay any entry fees for the national parks. Actually, penguins are already around before the "official" entrance.



After this entrance, a short observation walkway lets you see a few more penguins and cormorants, which are at least as numerous as the penguins.

Some are sunbathing:



Others are practicing their singing:



Others are still deciding which way to go:



Another one is getting weighed:

The cormorants are nesting:





We get back in the car and drive to Kogelberg Nature Reserve, just a few kilometers away.

This reserve offers treks of varying lengths, up to several days. For a half-day, we're torn between two hikes: route #4 (easy) along the Palmiet River (about 10 km with the option to return either via the 4x4 track or the same path) or route #6 (moderate), which goes up and then back down to the Harold Porter Gardens. In that case, you’ll need a ride back, but you can always turn around before the descent and retrace your steps. It’s hot, so let’s go for the river—at least we won’t risk getting lost!





I was worried this hike would be monotonous, with the same views over and over. Not at all! It actually became one of our favorite moments of the trip! The scenery changes constantly—sometimes you’re right by the river, other times you’re overlooking it—and the many proteas and other flowers add stunning colors to the landscape. It’s beautiful, peaceful, and so relaxing…

After stopping every 5 minutes to take photos, we realized we wouldn’t have time to reach the end (dinner at 5:30 PM 😛!!!). So, we had to turn back. In the other direction, it was still just as beautiful, calm, and peaceful.



Uhhh! What’s that yellow-orange thing across the path? 🤪 It wasn’t moving, but it was a little too straight to be a branch or a plant. A few more steps… ah! Scales! This "thing" was actually a snake 😮. We stopped cautiously a few meters away and waited… still no movement… maybe it was dead? And then, finally, the tail began to disappear *very* slowly into the bushes, centimeter by centimeter. Based on its size and color, the snake identification sign at the park’s entrance left no doubt: it was a Cape cobra, a rather aggressive and potentially deadly snake… a little retrospective scare!

Back in Hermanus, completely fogged in, with a much lower temperature than in Kogelberg. The whales were still far away and just as lethargic, but there were plenty of birds,



... and the dassies were still just as fun to watch. Where’s Waldo?









5:30 PM! Time to go to dinner!!! 😏 Even though I’m not a fan of red meat (the waiter looked desperate when I said « well done »), I have to admit the fillet was really good.

I'm definitely in, even if we'll probably have to squeeze in the back!

Taking the opportunity to clarify something about cars and help out Muriel: While Tata is indeed Indian, TatRa (with an R) is a Czech car brand, mainly known for its indestructible trucks. That might explain the mix-up 😉.

PS: The Penguino Guesthouse looks amazing!

I'm heading back to South Africa. For the stories, but also for the beautiful photos...

Hey Bruno!

This story might bring back some memories for you 😉

TatRa (with an R) is a Czech car brand,

I’m adding a name to my new list of vehicles

PS: The Penguino Guesthouse looks amazing!

We were really happy with all our accommodations—they often exceeded our expectations in terms of hospitality, comfort... and breakfasts!

Thanks Manu for joining us! 🙂

Tomorrow, we're off to Franschhoek!

Thanks Manu for joining us! 🙂

Tomorrow, we're off to Franschhoek!

In Vino Veritas!

It was planned... but actually, no!

I really need to finally make up my mind and deepen my knowledge of South Africa by exploring this area! Your hike sounds amazing, and so does the beef fillet! 😛 (But rare for me, though...😉)