A Magnificent Loop in the Southern Rainbow Nation (page 1 of 14)

Hello everyone, It’s been a little over a year and a half since we first set foot in South Africa, and ever since, we’ve been dreaming of returning to explore Southern Africa.

First of all, a big thank you to all the forum members—there are so many on this VoyageForum section, some of whom are unconditional and indispensable experts on the destination—for the amazing travel journals that only make you want one thing: to go and discover these stunning lands. The first journal I read was Bruno’s (Montagnard74), and I was completely captivated by the face in the colors of the rainbow nation.



Now it’s my turn to add my small contribution by recounting our two-week trip during the Christmas period in South Africa.

Even though Attila strongly advised against visiting South Africa during the South African summer holidays, we still gave it a try since my husband doesn’t have the option to choose his vacation dates.

So we went during the peak tourist season, with all its drawbacks: difficulties finding accommodations, crowds at certain sites... But on the bright side, it’s the beautiful season in South Africa while it’s gray and cold back home.

For this trip, we wanted to explore Cape Town and its surroundings, which are already packed with things to see. As a result, we didn’t have time to head north without rushing too much. So we planned the following itinerary, staying in the south:

J1: Lyon/Dubai J2: Dubai/Cape Town J3: Table Mountain – Cape Town J4: Botanic Garden - Robben Island J5: Cape Peninsula J6: Cape Agulhas - Gansbaai J7: De Hoop - Swellendam J8: Garden Route - Knysna J9: Garden Route - Addo NP J10: Addo NP J11: Oudtshoorn J12: Little Karoo J13: Wine Route - Cape Town/Dubai J14: Dubai/Lyon



To give you a taste of what we experienced on the South African roads, here’s a little preview of the wildlife and flora we encountered, as well as the beaches and mountains we glimpsed.











The rest here

Hi there, Thanks for sharing your photos and travel journal with us.

We love this country too 😊—we’ve been several times.

Have a great day!

Absolutely, once you set foot there, you can't help but want to go back 😉.

Friday, December 21 : Departure

The house winterized, last turn of the key in the lock, and off we go to Lyon Saint Exupéry Airport. Oh! How eager we are to leave the gray skies and rain that’s been hanging over Grenoble 🙁.

The roads are packed, and getting into the airport is a bit tricky. It’s past 7 p.m. when we arrive at parking lot P5, booked three months earlier on the airport’s website. The rates are really competitive: 55 € for two weeks instead of 74 €. Plus, with license plate recognition, it’s super easy. The shuttle takes us to the airport, and we’re at Terminal 1 in no time—no one’s at check-in, so we drop off our bags. Great! We feel a little lighter now. We go through security and reach the boarding gate in under an hour. Surprisingly, there aren’t many people flying on this first day of school holidays, so everything moves quickly 🙂.

Flights to Cape Town during school holidays are pretty expensive. We booked almost a year in advance (late February) and paid 1,050 € per person for Lyon/Cape Town via Dubai with Emirates. Our flight to Dubai is on time, and we take off at 9 p.m. After a meal that took nearly two hours to arrive but was quickly devoured, we try to get some sleep. The night’s going to be short—just six hours to Dubai—but we’re excited to reach our destination and soak up the sun 😎.

Saturday, December 22 : Arrival in Cape Town – Sea Point

After a few hours of rest, we land in Dubai at 6 a.m. For us, it’s only 3 a.m.—our eyes are stinging a bit. The layover is nearly three hours, so we have plenty of time to grab a coffee while our plane waits patiently 🙂.

The flight to Cape Town is also on time, and we’re back in the air by nearly 9 a.m. After breakfast and a movie, we try to catch some sleep. Around 2:30 p.m., we’re served a meal—we’re not really hungry, just exhausted 🤪.

At 4:30 p.m., we’re back on South African soil, and it’s awesome because despite the long flight, there’s only a one-hour time difference with France. That’s the best! 😎

We breeze through immigration—our plane was the only one arriving—so our bags are already there. After withdrawing some cash, we buy a SIM card from Vodacom, right at the exit. For 460 R, we get 3G data and 30 minutes of calls, just in case. At 6 p.m., we head to Europcar to pick up our rental car—a Toyota Avenza with seven seats. Hmm! Since there are only two of us, we want to make sure there’s room for our luggage in the trunk. We ask an employee to remove the extra seats and install the rear deck. Perfect! Now we’re all set 🙂.

Less than two hours after landing, we’re on the road. Cool! Driving on the left is a bit tricky at first, but we opted for an automatic transmission, which makes it much easier. As always, we use MapsMe for navigation. Just download the app and the country’s map when you have internet, and you’re good to go—no connection needed for directions. The only downside is the battery drains fast, so we keep the phone plugged in to recharge. Almost no issues...

Half an hour later, we arrive at our Airbnb, booked on Ocean View Drive in Sea Point. Originally, we’d chosen a place in Camp Bay, but the host canceled without any explanation. Hotels near Cape Town’s beaches are pricey, so we went for a studio instead. Until now, we hadn’t run into this kind of problem. By late May, we had to find new accommodation, which wasn’t easy—it’s peak season, and options were limited. Still, for under 100 € a night, we got a spacious, spotless studio with a fully equipped kitchen.





We didn’t meet our host, but the instructions for picking up the keys were crystal clear—no issues. We’ll be very comfortable here for the next four nights. Plus, there’s a secure parking spot at the residence. Security seems to be a big deal in South Africa—every residence has gates, sometimes even barbed wire on the walls. Security patrol cars cruise the streets. It feels a little strange, but that’s how it is.

By the time we drop off our bags, it’s 7 p.m. We head straight to the beach to catch our first sunset of the trip.





The weather’s beautiful—yep, it’s summer here 😛. The temperature’s still above 20°C, which is amazing after leaving winter behind. When we landed this afternoon, it was 26°C, so we peeled off layer after layer.

We grab a few groceries at a small supermarket on the way back and head home for a quick dinner. Tonight, we don’t ask for seconds—by 10 p.m., we’re fast asleep 🙂.

To be continued here

Hi there, Your trip report couldn’t have come at a better time—I’m doing almost the same route but leaving this Saturday... I’ll be following your journey closely. See you around!

Awesome! You're gonna have a great trip 😉. How long are you going for? For Saturday, it'll be a bit tough to get past the Cape 🙁, sorting photos takes so much time 🤪. Have a great trip!

I'm leaving for 16 days. I start with a 5-day cruise departing from Durban, and then I'm renting a car from Port Elizabeth to Cape Town. My route will be very similar to yours in that part!

Well, here we go!

Yes! 😉

How lovely, a new travel journal! Thanks in advance.

I’m planning our first trip to South Africa this summer, and even though we won’t be visiting the Cape region, I’ll be following your journal with great interest.

I already love the photo of the elephants—so adorable.

Welcome Sandrine! 🙂 Careful—South Africa is addictive 😉.

Thanks again for taking us on another journey! 😎

Hello everyone,

The first travel journal I read was Bruno’s (Montagnard74). I was struck by the face in the colors of the rainbow nation.

Thanks for the quote, but it’s true that there’s such a kindness on this part of the forum that encourages us to open up... For those interested, a little plug: https://voyageforum.com/v.f?post=7361984;#7361984

Since the vehicle is quite spacious, even with fewer seats, I’d be happy to tag along for this travel journal! Especially since my gut tells me my next destination might not be too far off....

Welcome Joel to Africa—it’s gonna be quite a change from Thailand 😉. Though… there are elephants, monkeys, beaches, and forests here too 😛.

Since the vehicle is quite large, even with fewer seats, I’m happy to hop in and follow this travel journal!

Yes, Bruno, come along—there’s still plenty of room in the car 🙂.

Especially since my little bird tells me my next destination might not be too far away...

What do you mean?! You just got back and you’re already thinking about your next vacation . First, you should work on your travel journal(s) 😛.

Oh, I was missing a travel journal about a part of South Africa I don’t know much about! 🙂 Are the animals the same as the ones you came across in Mexico? 😄

Oh, I was missing a travel journal about a part of South Africa I don’t know well 🙂 Are the animals the same as the ones you saw in Mexico?

Hello Regis, Ah! Now I know why you’re going to Mexico this summer... Not sure it’s for the diving 😉. All the same... my husband still talks to me about it 😕.

Ah! Now I know why you're going to Mexico this summer...

Change of plans—I’m not going to Mexico anymore. My daughter wanted to go on a language trip, so that ate up a big chunk of the budget 😕 They say, "Have kids," right? So it’ll just be diving in the Philippines and Egypt.

All the same... my husband still brings it up 😕.

😏

Have kids, they say.

Yeah, but we’d be bored without them 😉.

So it’ll just be diving, the Philippines, and Egypt

WHAT? The Philippines aren’t exactly next door, and Egypt isn’t bad either 🙂. Mexico will have to wait a little longer... in the meantime, follow us in Africa 😎.

WHAT? The Philippines aren’t exactly next door, and Egypt isn’t bad either 🙂. Mexico will have to wait a bit longer... in the meantime, follow us in Africa 😎.

The main thing is it’s only two weeks of vacation—usually I go for five. But hey, I’m not complaining 😎