In the midst of organizing old photos, we revisited our first international trip together and reminisced about how much of a blast we had (and how young we looked). This particular holiday was actually intended to be a surprise trip to Italy for Matt as a celebration for completing his residency… but with all the unknowns regarding his schedule, the surprise couldn’t be kept a secret. The trip planning took a turn as we decided to hold off on Europe altogether and check out a completely different continent… leading to one of our FAVORITE vacations in Zambia and South Africa!
When figuring out what we wanted to do/see, there were two things already on our list: safari and shark diving. Both activities could be done in South Africa, but after more research, we decided to add a stop in Zambia for the chance to see and swim in the beautiful Victoria Falls.
After an incredibly long journey to Livingstone, Zambia, we checked into our lodge and were treated with a welcome dinner cruise along the Zambezi river. The remainder of the night was spent relaxing in order to prepare ourselves for what was to come in the days ahead 🙂 Our first full day consisted of a walking tour of the area and hike to a spot called “Boiling Pot”, which offered different views of the roaring Victoria Falls. All views were absolutely stunning and we even got the site of a double rainbow cascading down the falls. The big day came when we could go to Livingstone Island and actually SWIM in the falls. This was quite an experience. There are two “pools” that allow guests to swim right up to the edge – Devil’s Pool and Angel’s Armchair – both pretty freaky but there was no way we weren’t getting in… totally worth it! After an exciting day on the island, we headed back to the lodge for a quick swim and couples massage (a vacation isn’t complete without one), then prepared for the next leg of our holiday to begin our SAFARI.
In a previous post on our trip to the Congo and East Africa (Kenya/Tanzania), we mentioned that the safaris in East Africa vs South Africa were vastly different. Both safari’s were wonderful, but we both agree that if we were to do another safari, we’d probably go back to South Africa. East Africa, had full day game drives since everything was SO spread out. In South Africa however, our game drives were split between early morning and evening, so we could relax at the lodge and have a proper lunch in between. The vehicles and restrictions were also different: EA: closed vehicle with pop-up roof and could not drive off track (couldn’t get as close to animals) vs SA: open vehicle that could go off track and get much closer to the wildlife (but still at a safe distance). There are a number of parks/reserves to choose from when going on safari in South Africa. We landed on the Sabi Sands Private Game Reserve and had an amazing experience while staying at Cheetah Plains (which recently underwent a MAJOR renovation and looks completely different from when we stayed there 5 years ago!). Everything about this place was impeccable – the service, the game drives, the accommodations, the food, the people! We seriously need to go back. Everyday our guide would pack us complimentary snacks and beverages or “sundowners” to enjoy while watching the beautiful sunsets on our afternoon game drives. We would have delicious outdoor dinners around a new bonfire configuration every night and enjoy hearing stories from other safari guides. On our first day at the lodge, we were hanging out by the river bank and a herd of elephants came by to bathe just a few feet away from us! The game drives themselves were so fun – we saw some pretty crazy stuff including a pride of lion eating a zebra (we drove by the carcass and could only see its teeth left behind). We also saw the rest of the big five (lion, elephant, buffalo, leopard, rhino) and SO much more. It was truly incredible. (you should really check out the image gallery – Matt got some excellent shots from the safari…but here are a few below):
After our safari excursion, it was time we set off for the last leg of our holiday and explore the very cool and unique city of Cape Town! This city is so remarkable in that you are surrounded by both magnificent mountain views (including the famous Table Mountain) AND a plethora of beaches. Even better is that South Africa as a whole has some of the best sunsets we’ve seen during any of our travels. Cape Town has a little bit of everything, so rather than rambling on about every thing we did in detail, here are a few of the many highlights during our time there:
- Old Biscuit Mill – farmers market-esque area with food/shops featuring local vendors/artists
- Robben Island – took a ferry from the waterfront to Robben Island where former South African president Nelson Mandela was imprisoned.
- Drive up to Signal Hill for sunset views of the South African coast
- Wine Tour exploring Paarl and Stellenbosch regions!
- Camps Bay/Clifton Beach for sundowners <3
- GREAT WHITE SHARK DIVING in Gaansbai!!!
- Drive and exploration of Cape Point and Cape of Good Hope
- Getting semi-attacked by penguins at Boulders Beach
- Drive through Simons Town and Kalk Bay
- Drive through a township where we experienced some traditional braai at the famous Mzoli’s
- Gorgeous views when hiking Lion’s Head Mountain despite Anne-Marie’s panic attack (this is when Matt first discovered Anne-Marie’s lack of endurance and major fear of heights).
And there you have it. Our first international vacation together in a nutshell. Definitely one of the best trips we’ve taken and we’d certainly love to do it all again one day. Thanks for reading and stay tuned for our 2019 adventures!
For more pictures from our trip to Zambia and South Africa, check out the image gallery page or click on the links below: