The continent keeps calling – Southern Africa Adventure

By Nancy Dorrans

Africa, the continent keeps calling me. Four different times I’ve been and still, I’m drawn to return…

It’s hard to believe that this spring our small group of eight adventurous friends are celebrating the 10th anniversary of our 2016 adventure to South Africa and Zimbabwe.

The first part of this journey “Joyful Cape Malay” was posted in The West End News on June 07, 2023. As promised, here’s more of the story…

Southern Africa Adventure 2016

Our group flew from Cape Town to Johannesburg, where our new guide Piet greeted us. He soon introduced us to Suki, the lively hostess at the Malikana Guesthouse in Kempton Park. We spent one night there before heading east to Kruger National Park and Karongwe Private Game Reserve,

It was here at the Malikana guesthouse that I met Rudolf Badenhorst. He’s a lively independent Southern Africa tour operator, now based in Malawi. We exchanged contact information and a Springbok Shot. That’s a popular South African layered shooter of crème de menthe and Amarula cream liquor. It mimics the green and gold colors of the Springbok’s national rugby team.  I had a feeling I would meet Rudolf again…

The next day we rambled along the famed panorama route east to the parks with stops at Blyde River Canyon, Bourkes Luck Potholes, and God’s Window. We met a lady at a rest stop selling roasted Macadamia nuts and visited the South African Lisbon Falls. That evening we enjoyed a traditional South African Braai (Barbecue).

In Search of Big Game

The next three days we were in search of the Big Five: elephant, leopard, lion, rhinoceros, and cape buffalo. But also, the Ugly Five: warthog, hyena, marabou stork, vulture, and wildebeest. Only the leopard stayed elusive, as all we caught was a fleeting glimpse of a tail-tip through the brush.

Of all the antelope, the Klipspringer were a personal favorite. They have specially adapted hoofs for living on the rocky cliffs. They stand, walk, leap, and land on their tiny hoof tips like ballerinas constantly on tip toe. Then we enjoyed the colorful lilac breasted rollers, the noisy goway birds, and so many others.

We had a close encounter with an elder elephant and spent time with about two dozen hippos at a hippopotamus pond gathering.  There are a few videos on my Adventure Marketplace YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@adventuremarketplace7947.

Hope School

Just outside Kruger, our tour included a visit to the Hope School, a preschool designed to give students a head start in learning English, the language of education in South Africa. The students enthusiastically sang for us the alphabet song and others. At recess, we taught them “Ring around the Rosie”! The circle grew over and over as we sang the song until almost everyone was included.

Villages of Victoria Falls

Next we flew to Zimbabwe and walked along the side of Victoria Falls, where the mist made its own rainbow. We were invited to dinner at the home of a local woman named Flatta (meaning breach). She shared stories and traditional food and showed us around her garden. The pepper plants weren’t for eating; they were to protect her kale plants from elephants. A kind of elephant repellent.

During a visit to a local village near the falls, we met the leader who was also chief, preacher, teacher, and mayor. He introduced us to Nompilo, a young artist with no use of her arms or legs. She paints with her feet. Now based in Bulawayo and connected to KoMpisi Village, she has exhibited solo and in group exhibitions around the country. Her art helps to provide income to the village, and she is a cherished member of the community.

We experienced Victoria Falls from all sides. We walked along the opposite side under a rainbow, and we cruised above “The Falls” at sunset with cocktails and crocodiles.

After some free time shopping at the Elephants’ Walk Shopping and Artists’ Village, we had to rush across the bridge — it turns out elephants sometimes use the same path at dusk! 

Up next, a few of us took helicopter tours over the falls, and my friend Bruce and I ventured down the steep valley to the banks of the mighty Zambezi River for an exhilarating rafting adventure. Whew!

Thank you, Southern Africa

While experiencing “The Falls” and being near the wild animals in the game preserves was breathtaking, it was the people we met, the schools we visited, the history, the personal stories we listened to, and friendships we made that made this trip one of my favorite all time adventures.

Africa keeps calling. My dreams to return are slowly coming into view. If you’d like to go, please let me know.