This was the trip of our lives, just me and my dad on a road trip in a foreign land, Simply Unbelievable. We went around Cape Town, the mother city as a part of the group ‘Castrol Tata Motors dealers’, thereafter it was just me and dad exploring South Africa on our rented four wheels travelling through the beautiful Garden Route. Astonishing blend of Scenic beauty, Adventure and Friendship brewing both new & old ones!
Day1: 3 Jun, Mumbai-Dubai-Cape Town
After a long 9hrs flight, food, movie, chats and drinks with the stewardess of Emirates, we reached Cape Town. The airport was all light up and decorated with vuvuzellas cause hey this country was about to host the FIFA World Cup 2010. We boarded our bus & headed towards our hotel while it was evening & drizzling over the sparkling city, colourful signboards, smooth roads and branded cars. The Table Mountain had hidden behind clouds today. Poverty in Africa seemed to be a myth, btw this was the richest city of the African continent.
After checking into the ‘CapeSun International’ on Strand Street we took a quick shower and left for the ‘Water Front’ (MV) for our dinner and formal introduction with the entire group that we were gona be a part of for the next few days. Dad knew quite a few of them from before and by the end of the trip I had left a much more lasting impression ;). The Water Front had an Indian restaurant among the many offering cuisines from all over the world, it was breezy and the lavish yachts at the dock made it a lovely view. We all needed a good cozy sleep and so we did.
Day2: 4 June, Cape Peninsula Tour
View from the 16th floor hotel room of Cape Town sea coast and distant ships was elegant. Good breakfast and we set off for a tour of the Cape Peninsula, just as we left the hotel we got the 1st view of the magnificent Table Mountain right behind our hotel.
First stop was ‘Cape Point’ (MV) the southern most tip of Africa with its scenic beauty, next the famous ‘Cape of Good Hope’. We then drove down via beautiful houses of ‘Simon’s Town’ and reached ‘Boulders Beach’ for a close look at the pink chested penguins! Lunch was at an Indian restaurant ‘Kushi’, We didnot drive through the ‘Chapman’s Peak’ and reached ‘Seal Island’ where we got into a steamer boat and sailed to the actual ‘Seal Island’ to see 100s of gigantic and lazy seals loathing over each other.
On getting back to the bay we saw a huge seal of a local fisherman entertaining the crowd, we even got to touch him, oh this cute creature is just like a faithful puppy, with deep black eyes, leather like skin and superbly long moustache it was so much fun playing with him.
It was almost evening by now and we headed back towards Cape Town but this time we took the coastal route. The mesmerising scenic beauty of the sun setting into the sea seen from the perfect ‘Clifton Beach’ located at the town of ‘Camps Bay’ (MV) was amazing. There are many hotels here at ‘Camps Bay’ and I so wish if we had spent atleast one evening in this town. Dinner was at the Water Front where we saw a b’day party taking place on a rented Pirate ship everyone dressed as pirates, they sailed into the sea in the cool breeze, a cool way to turn 21 ;)
Day3: 5 June, Orientation tour of Cape Town
Today we woke up with fingers crossed, opened the curtains and yes!! we got what we wanted, a Bright Sunny morning, perfect for the visit to the world famous ‘Table Mountain’, its essential that the weather be good else the cable car that takes us to the top of the table mountain doesn’t operate. So one must keep their itinerary really flexible, if its bright and sunny on your first day itself in Cape Town then forget everything else and gear up for this must visit tour.
Visiting hours stretch from 8.30am till 6pm, there are cafes on top and one can easily spend the entire day on the table mountain thanks to the breathtaking view all around, cool breeze, exotic plants & animals to discover and a HUGE area to cover. Couples stroll around hand in hand or take up a private corner at one of the zillion view points picnicking.
Hours flew by unnoticed, before we knew it was 2.30pm, we were left craving for more.We took lunch at an Indian restaurant in ‘Hout Bay’ another beautiful town just outside of Cape Town.
Next we went for a tour of the vineyard at ‘Groot Constantia wine farm’, this private property offers paid tours where one can get to know how world class wine is prepared. We weren’t so much into the wine thing and the vineyards were all harvested robbing the beauty of it, I would have loved to spend few more hours at the Table top instead.
On the way back we were been driven to a famous city jeweller’s, me and dad decided to skip it. We hopped off the bus and walked around Cape Town’s lanes, talking to people on the street was much more fun. We went down to Budget car rentals office which is very close to our hotel, checked upon our booking, got some good advices about roads and driving on the Garden Route, these people were really helpful and very friendly. We were handed over a big courier kept for us by Selftour (Our travel planner) which contained comprehensive details of our trip including marked maps and brochures, answering every Qs imaginable hence cutting down our anxiety considerably. We walked pass the House of Parliament, City Hall, Castle and Company gardens and reached the ‘Cape Town Museum’, these were all magnificent structures.
Dinner was at the ‘City Century Mall’, the largest in Cape Town located further away from the airport, if looking at people is one of your favourite pass times then this is the place to be. I and a newly married couple from our group dint want to gorge on another Indian meal so we headed for the food court and ordered for some Debonairs Pizzas. Our food frenzy resulted in we missing our bus! Panic did strike in cause it was late night and getting a taxi was being rather difficult, the gang of white youngsters smoking and boozing in one corner of the parking lot dint help us calm ourselves. Anyways we trusted on one of the other white guy who offered us help, took us straight to a taxi and sent us off! Here I recollected scenes from famous movies where you get robbed by a black man or get shot at by some drug peddlers etc. The black African driver did break a few speed limits on the way for sure and was very talkative, well this was cause I had decided not to die quietly. Lolz. We did get back to the hotel unharmed and with smiles. Btw Debonairs Pizza though it turned out to be rather expensive and adventurous was the best footlong pizza I had ever had. Dad was pretty cool upon hearing the incident and so was I, though in hindi I would say ‘phat gayi thi boss’.
Day4: 6 June, Tour of Game resort
We had to start off early at 6am, it was still pretty dark but the drive through the barren land with hills lining both side of the road and the sun rising slowly form behind them, passing through Huguenot Tunnel gave a sort of trance like sensation. Guess I was actually sleepy & dreaming about last nights heroism ;). We reached ‘Aqilla Safari’ around breakfast time had a good heavy meal as usual and then set off in forest ranger jeeps for our ride in the private reserve.
In South Africa if you own a minimum amount of land, you are allowed by the govt. to buy wildlife and run a private reserve called ‘Private Game’. There are plenty such as we got to know in the Ceres mountain region. Within a few hours one is able to spot all the Big 5 of Africa (Lion, Leopard, Elephant, Rhino, Buffalo) in their near natural environment, that’s a big plus over the huge National Parks were sightings are not guaranteed. The resort has swimming pool, bonfire and romantic cottages as well if one wishes to spend a night with the beasts! We then had another heavy meal and soaked in the sun fooling around.
This however didnot deserve an entire day dedicated to it, we could have better utilised half a day doing something else perhaps in the city or observe the sun set at the Water Front or explore Ceres more. This however was our last day with the group, we partied at night, dance music singing, we made some new friends on this trip and impressed most of them as we were the rare two whose adventure was just about to begin and everyone wished us good luck!!
Day5: 7 June, Drive Cape Town-Oudtshoorn 482kms
Early breakfast and all set to roll. Our car from Budget had arrived, Toyota Corolla Altis sparkling steel grey. The delivery guy went through all the inspections and got our sign on the papers. We finally decided on travelling the old fashioned way depending completely on maps and the position of the sun and saved ourselves 75Rand per day for the GPS.
The excitement had reached its peak, it was me at the driving seat and we finally rolled out of our hotel parking at 9.40am. As decided we made a slow and steady start got onto the N2 only to realize very soon that a speed of 60k is annoyingly slow. Confidence of both of us grew as the sign boards on the highway were very prominent and drivers on the road very cautious, everything was designed to perfection. We left Cape Town and passed over the hills heading north. Within 2 hours we had done 180kms, this was rather slow cause only now I was doing 120-150ks with ease. Butter like roads and the straight stretches could be seen for miles in V shaped ups and downs right ahead of us. This was a never before experience the speed, long straight stretches, no horns and cleanliness in the country side that had the mountain range on one side while never ending farmlands on the other side of this highway.
We halted at ‘Riversdale’ for coffee, missipuri and gas refill. A small quiet town, it was lovely talking to a few people there who were really impressed hearing that we dad-son from India were on a road trip all by ourselves! We decided here to have some more fun and changed our route. I insisted on our taking the famous and beautiful R62 which I had researched about back home. Dad was bit skeptical about this idea but gave in to my determination and the roads that looked really safe and well marked.
And so we ditched the N2 and took R323 this took us to ‘Ladismyth’ from where we got onto R62 and saved apprx 60kms of drive. On these roads contrary to the highway, I was able to easily drive @150-180ks, owing to very light traffic and superb road grip of this luxury car. The scenic beauty while going over the ‘Langeberg-Wes Mtn’ range was amazing, the drive was so easy up on the hills as well. Passing by the little towns from within was much more fascinating than travelling on the highway.
We reached ‘Oudtshoorn’ by late afternoon, this was a bigger township than what we had passed by till now. Checked into the old house turned into rest house ‘Foster Manor’, cheap and good. We had some time in hand and decided to visit the ‘Congo Caves’ (MV) its open 9am-4pm, millions of year old limestone cave. There are approx 21 caves in this region but only one open for tourists. A day long cave tour for the very fit persons takes them through small openings from one cave to the other but we were fit only for the regular tour that took 2 hrs. Magnificent stalactite and stalagmite structures of various shades and heights along with their rich history are natures wonder work, at one point I felt a strange chill which was a bit scary too. We got back to our den post sunset, it had been a long day and a very satisfying.
It had rained last night bring down the temperature considerably and this wasn’t winter time. After a good english breakfast at this lovely house in the company of the all so polite and chirpy receptionist who reminded us of Pallavi (my lil sister).
This was an activity full day, we reached ‘Congo Wildlife Ranch’ 10am-5pm, this place keeps Crocs, Bengal tigers, Lions, Leopards, Panthers and their cubs and for a nominal charge we got to touch and play with a full grown Cheetah!! This was some experience scary in the beginning but one that lets you feel the heart beat of the beasts. We loved it all cause don’t you dare think that these are pets, they have had a history of being aggressive when annoyed. This tour took 2.5hrs and do i need to say it was worth it!!
Next stop was the ‘HighGate Ostrich Farm’ (MV) 7am-5pm, here we got to know all about ostriches and also to ride one of them! Bought a souvenirs and stood up on ostrich eggs, I even got pecked by one of them, lolz. The entire tour was of about 1.5hrs and worth it. We now changed seats as dad was egging to drive for a long time now, we witnessed double rainbow and went over the beautiful ‘Outeniqua Pass’. This is the place which is equipped with speed cameras and we spotted them only after passing by ;). The view of the sea from up above the mountain was wonderful. 
We soon passed by the beautiful town ‘Knysna’ and reached ‘Bloukrans Bungy Bridge’ (MV) which hosts the world’s highest bungy jumping at 700+ feet. I was determined to go through with it while dad kept thinking I was kidding until we had finally bought the tickets (700R). Dad was goning to do the bridge walk only while the extra bit of leaping over was left for me to do. 3-2-1 BUNGEEE, and there I went flying off the edge, yelling every breathe out, heart pounding like never before wanting to tear out of my chest, on the verge of peeing in my pants, eyes popping out, the fear lasted for a second but next to it was calm soothing free fall. The toughest part is looking beyond the edge just before the jump but once off it, its heavenly. The view of the sea on one side and the sun setting beyond the mountain range on the other side while you are hanging off the bridge is exquisite. The free fall of 7 freaking seconds is compounded by the rebounds lasting 2 mins in total. FACE FEAR the quote on my t-shirt I bought from there says it all.
I danced and sang was I was pulled up on the bridge the loud music there really led me to a trance, slowly it sunk in that I had actually done it.
The video recording shows how dad was so excited and tensed and smiling all the way as well. Before jumping the edge, I did think of a lot of things but just one last thing that was stuck was the words of my instructor while strapping me up, he said, ‘Make sure your balls are free and not trapped in else your future might really be in trouble, and don’t worry the jump is like having the wildest sex’. I don’t know how to put in words the ultimate mixture of feelings & emotions I went through this action sport. Elated and adrenaline still pumping high we walked off the bridge and I was handed over a certificate of the great achievement, a big souvenir in itself. It had gotten dark and I was the last person to jump off that day, we hurriedly I got back into the car cause we had made a pact back home with mom about not driving at night, which however was already breached the day before. Lolz.
We reached ‘Tsitsikamma National Park’ (MV) in about half hour, the security guard at the park’s entrance handed over our cottage keys and zipped through the curvaceous road through the forest to reach the cafe. Being a vegetarian isn’t that a big problem in todays era, on requesting the chef to prepare something with lot of vegetables and pasta and rice and sauces, he was delighted to get an opportunity to prepare something off menu. The wait was worth it, a delicious platter steaming with appetizing colourful dressing, the best continental food I had ever had, that too at throw away price compared to what were on the menu. All this while we could hear the waves crashing on the beach and new that the next morning would surely offer some spectacular views, with that thought in mind we settled into our private wooden cottage on the hill side.
Day7: 9 June, Canopy tour, Monkey land, Birds of Eden.
A morning that reminded us of the Bengal Monsoon with chilly breeze and heavy down pour. I had gotten up early as in the absence of mom, kitchen was my department per se. Both the bedroom and dining had full glass windows overlooking the breathtaking raging ocean and rain cloud. It was a treat to the eyes and a dream start to the day where we enjoyed the ocean view, with seagulls in our balcony and we feeding on hot tomatoes and toast with Indian spices, snacks and masala tea.
Rain in this part of south Africa is common due to the geography and in such conditions the ‘Canopy Tour’ at ‘Storms River Mouth’ (MV) does not operate. We still decided to try our luck and left for this place which was a 20mins drive. Fate favoured us and the tour was open because the rain had stopped which again is very usual here. We were all geared up with safety harness and instructions read out loud by our guide. To our luxury me and dad were the only people for the morning tour that made the guide enjoy with us freely. The speedy sliding on ropes tied from one platform to the other made high up on the tree trunk especially when you are 30meters above ground in the dense forest gives some shivers in the beginning. Soon we got hold of the technique of using the palms and legs to perfection, this was fun even for dad who was doing very well. We spotted some very rare African birds, monkeys on the tour, the chirping of other forest creatures rhyming with the raindrops crashing into the gigantic leaves...this really was the voice of mother nature. The view from one of the highest platforms 40m high was unique as we could see the forest below bathing in the sun and vapour rising from the many 1000 years old Outeniqua yellow wood trees. The tour took some 2 hours. Just as we travelled back to base on the huge forest truck it started pouring like hell, this called for a high fie we were damn lucky. After collecting our video recording & certificates and some hot tea and sandwiches it was time to head for the next destination.
To reach the ‘Monkey Land’ and ‘Birds of Eden’ we travelled back south crossed Bloukrans bridge which filled me with content and a satisfied smile within, really wanted to do it again. It was raining all the way and Africa looked completely different from what we had seen till now. As the name indicates the above two places are somewhat like an open zoo. These are huge Jurassic type single cage like structures which house exotic variety of monkeys and birds in forest like environment, whom you can get really close to and even touch them if they let you to. We spent a few hours clicking photos of some of the most weirdest and cutest looking monkeys and chimps. 
By afternoon, we were tiered and could just think of sitting at the beach and fill in with the ocean view, on the way back we stopped at a grocery store and picked up some food that I was excited to cook for dinner at our well equipped cottage. Tsitsikamma is the biggest national park of the south and is beautifully architecture for tourists to stay for days and enjoy the environment. Accommodation ranges from shared cottages, private bungalows, parking space for caravans and even tent houses.
The raring Indian ocean with its waves breaking on the natural boulders on the shore, seagulls and pelicans playfully fighting with the gust of continuous strong wind.. ah it makes you miss your loved ones far away, jump and run about and fills you with happiness for realising the fact that you are alive. We went on a short trek up the hill to a point where the river meets the sea and soon it was sunset and we returned to our den. Dad packed our bags while I made some delicious packaged Indian food brought from India ;) dal makhani, paneer, alo dum with puri, parantha. Fresh salad and soup from our grocery shopping also formed part of our lavish dinner ;). From tomorrow our returning leg of the journey starts.
Day8: 10 June, Tsitsikamma-Knysna- Mossel bay- Knysna 300kms
This was a breezy morning but no rain. We checked out of Tsitsikamma after the home made snacks that we had carried all the way from India, filling, tasty and saves cost. On the way to Knysna we stopped at ‘Knysna Elephant Park’ (MV) just after Plettenberg and enjoyed a lovely tour feeding, walking, playing underneath the gigantic African elephants and racing their little ones gave me a lifetimes happy memory. The best part of these organised private farms is that they give us the otherwise impossible opportunity of getting so close to the wild. The animals are not tamed like pets they are provided there natural environment and the natural aggression is tried to be kept alive. 
We felt close to nature while walking with the entire heard as they drank water from the lake and observed how animals value family. The responsible heads of the herd, the playful curious young, the aggressive matures fighting for identity. The park offers excellent accommodation for night stay overlooking the resting place of the elephants, we missed out on this because we were on a fixed schedule. 
We had a good time roaming around, had good meal at a take away and enjoyed the sun beating down the coastal bay. We drove back to explore Knysna which has a lot of water activities to offer but we missed the last cruise tour that takes you to the Knysna lagoon head from where the sun set is said to look the most romantic. The ‘Knysna Water Front’ is a good place to hang around and has some popular local pubs but it all shuts down by 8pm. We went back to spend the last night in South Africa recollecting the grand memories of this unique trip and also to finish off the remaining last packaged food!
Day9: 11 June, Knysna-Cape Town 500kms
The last leg of our road trip began with kind of a heavy heart. Bright sunny day and we had 500km to cover on the N2 this was along the coast till Mossel Bay and then on the road moved closer to the mountain range amidst the farmlands. Passing through small beautiful towns we stopped at one of them for petrol and snacks. We needed to get the car washed up before handing it over at the airport (Trying to improve the image that Indians leave behind a lot of dirt and mess), the guys at the gas station were happy to help.
People all along our trip were very friendly and crazy about their country hosting the prestigious FIFA world cup 2010 which ironically was to begin today in Cape Town. Yeah, we should have extended the trip for one more day and witnessed this frenzy by being at the heart of it. Dad took over the driving now and I couldn’t have deprived him of this opportunity. By the end of the trip we would have driven 1500kms over 5 days of which he drove barely 300kms and I was still not contented lolz. The approach to Cape Town saw a sea of cars jammed up wanting to enter the city, mostly due to FIFA fever.
A lot of activities had been going on for a long time related to promotion of this world event adding to the colour to the natural beauty of South Africa. We could see the Table Mountain far away bidding us goodbye. There are plenty of gas stations near the airport where we filled up the tank to full before handing over the car. The thorough inspection was just a look around the car by the personnel and a simple Qs, “You had any problems, sir?” Sweet hospitality. The buzz and deafening noise of the vuvuzellas helped us get over the pain of leaving this beautiful country cause the joy is in the heart and it goes with us to stay forever.
Just one note of caution, do make sure you understand the VAT refund process at the airport when you land in South Africa, we lost quite a bit cause of the disillusion that guys wouldn’t be shopping much at all!
Many thanks to ‘SelfTours’ (South Africa based tourism company) for helping us in planning our trip and hotel booking with special thanks to Cheryl at Selftours who kept up with us in restructuring our itinerary, her valuable inputs, prompt replies and for encouraging us to go ahead with the dream road trip.
The places which are a Must Visit are marked as MV.
Day1: 3 Jun, Mumbai-Dubai-Cape Town
We left Mumbai early 3am on 2 June and reached Dubai in 2hrs. Dubai International Airport left me awestruck. It was huge & glamorous to say the least, a miniature of the world itself. ‘Dubai Duty Free’ has gardens, restaurants, departmental stores, wine shops. It has 1000s of flights doing the rounds and so are the lakhs of people from around the world. It was breakfast time and the flight to Cape was 4hrs from then, so we freshened up, had some light food and dosed off in-front of our boarding gate. Thank god for the phone alarm and a super dash made by both me & dad as the gates had changed. We were the last ones to board the flight. We boys looked at each other and the eyes said it all, the big ADVENTURE had begun!
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| Salman Khan |
After checking into the ‘CapeSun International’ on Strand Street we took a quick shower and left for the ‘Water Front’ (MV) for our dinner and formal introduction with the entire group that we were gona be a part of for the next few days. Dad knew quite a few of them from before and by the end of the trip I had left a much more lasting impression ;). The Water Front had an Indian restaurant among the many offering cuisines from all over the world, it was breezy and the lavish yachts at the dock made it a lovely view. We all needed a good cozy sleep and so we did.Day2: 4 June, Cape Peninsula Tour
View from the 16th floor hotel room of Cape Town sea coast and distant ships was elegant. Good breakfast and we set off for a tour of the Cape Peninsula, just as we left the hotel we got the 1st view of the magnificent Table Mountain right behind our hotel. 
First stop was ‘Cape Point’ (MV) the southern most tip of Africa with its scenic beauty, next the famous ‘Cape of Good Hope’. We then drove down via beautiful houses of ‘Simon’s Town’ and reached ‘Boulders Beach’ for a close look at the pink chested penguins! Lunch was at an Indian restaurant ‘Kushi’, We didnot drive through the ‘Chapman’s Peak’ and reached ‘Seal Island’ where we got into a steamer boat and sailed to the actual ‘Seal Island’ to see 100s of gigantic and lazy seals loathing over each other. 
On getting back to the bay we saw a huge seal of a local fisherman entertaining the crowd, we even got to touch him, oh this cute creature is just like a faithful puppy, with deep black eyes, leather like skin and superbly long moustache it was so much fun playing with him. It was almost evening by now and we headed back towards Cape Town but this time we took the coastal route. The mesmerising scenic beauty of the sun setting into the sea seen from the perfect ‘Clifton Beach’ located at the town of ‘Camps Bay’ (MV) was amazing. There are many hotels here at ‘Camps Bay’ and I so wish if we had spent atleast one evening in this town. Dinner was at the Water Front where we saw a b’day party taking place on a rented Pirate ship everyone dressed as pirates, they sailed into the sea in the cool breeze, a cool way to turn 21 ;)
Day3: 5 June, Orientation tour of Cape Town
Today we woke up with fingers crossed, opened the curtains and yes!! we got what we wanted, a Bright Sunny morning, perfect for the visit to the world famous ‘Table Mountain’, its essential that the weather be good else the cable car that takes us to the top of the table mountain doesn’t operate. So one must keep their itinerary really flexible, if its bright and sunny on your first day itself in Cape Town then forget everything else and gear up for this must visit tour. 
Visiting hours stretch from 8.30am till 6pm, there are cafes on top and one can easily spend the entire day on the table mountain thanks to the breathtaking view all around, cool breeze, exotic plants & animals to discover and a HUGE area to cover. Couples stroll around hand in hand or take up a private corner at one of the zillion view points picnicking. Hours flew by unnoticed, before we knew it was 2.30pm, we were left craving for more.We took lunch at an Indian restaurant in ‘Hout Bay’ another beautiful town just outside of Cape Town.
Next we went for a tour of the vineyard at ‘Groot Constantia wine farm’, this private property offers paid tours where one can get to know how world class wine is prepared. We weren’t so much into the wine thing and the vineyards were all harvested robbing the beauty of it, I would have loved to spend few more hours at the Table top instead. 
On the way back we were been driven to a famous city jeweller’s, me and dad decided to skip it. We hopped off the bus and walked around Cape Town’s lanes, talking to people on the street was much more fun. We went down to Budget car rentals office which is very close to our hotel, checked upon our booking, got some good advices about roads and driving on the Garden Route, these people were really helpful and very friendly. We were handed over a big courier kept for us by Selftour (Our travel planner) which contained comprehensive details of our trip including marked maps and brochures, answering every Qs imaginable hence cutting down our anxiety considerably. We walked pass the House of Parliament, City Hall, Castle and Company gardens and reached the ‘Cape Town Museum’, these were all magnificent structures.
Dinner was at the ‘City Century Mall’, the largest in Cape Town located further away from the airport, if looking at people is one of your favourite pass times then this is the place to be. I and a newly married couple from our group dint want to gorge on another Indian meal so we headed for the food court and ordered for some Debonairs Pizzas. Our food frenzy resulted in we missing our bus! Panic did strike in cause it was late night and getting a taxi was being rather difficult, the gang of white youngsters smoking and boozing in one corner of the parking lot dint help us calm ourselves. Anyways we trusted on one of the other white guy who offered us help, took us straight to a taxi and sent us off! Here I recollected scenes from famous movies where you get robbed by a black man or get shot at by some drug peddlers etc. The black African driver did break a few speed limits on the way for sure and was very talkative, well this was cause I had decided not to die quietly. Lolz. We did get back to the hotel unharmed and with smiles. Btw Debonairs Pizza though it turned out to be rather expensive and adventurous was the best footlong pizza I had ever had. Dad was pretty cool upon hearing the incident and so was I, though in hindi I would say ‘phat gayi thi boss’. Day4: 6 June, Tour of Game resort
We had to start off early at 6am, it was still pretty dark but the drive through the barren land with hills lining both side of the road and the sun rising slowly form behind them, passing through Huguenot Tunnel gave a sort of trance like sensation. Guess I was actually sleepy & dreaming about last nights heroism ;). We reached ‘Aqilla Safari’ around breakfast time had a good heavy meal as usual and then set off in forest ranger jeeps for our ride in the private reserve. 
In South Africa if you own a minimum amount of land, you are allowed by the govt. to buy wildlife and run a private reserve called ‘Private Game’. There are plenty such as we got to know in the Ceres mountain region. Within a few hours one is able to spot all the Big 5 of Africa (Lion, Leopard, Elephant, Rhino, Buffalo) in their near natural environment, that’s a big plus over the huge National Parks were sightings are not guaranteed. The resort has swimming pool, bonfire and romantic cottages as well if one wishes to spend a night with the beasts! We then had another heavy meal and soaked in the sun fooling around. 
This however didnot deserve an entire day dedicated to it, we could have better utilised half a day doing something else perhaps in the city or observe the sun set at the Water Front or explore Ceres more. This however was our last day with the group, we partied at night, dance music singing, we made some new friends on this trip and impressed most of them as we were the rare two whose adventure was just about to begin and everyone wished us good luck!!Day5: 7 June, Drive Cape Town-Oudtshoorn 482kms
Early breakfast and all set to roll. Our car from Budget had arrived, Toyota Corolla Altis sparkling steel grey. The delivery guy went through all the inspections and got our sign on the papers. We finally decided on travelling the old fashioned way depending completely on maps and the position of the sun and saved ourselves 75Rand per day for the GPS. The excitement had reached its peak, it was me at the driving seat and we finally rolled out of our hotel parking at 9.40am. As decided we made a slow and steady start got onto the N2 only to realize very soon that a speed of 60k is annoyingly slow. Confidence of both of us grew as the sign boards on the highway were very prominent and drivers on the road very cautious, everything was designed to perfection. We left Cape Town and passed over the hills heading north. Within 2 hours we had done 180kms, this was rather slow cause only now I was doing 120-150ks with ease. Butter like roads and the straight stretches could be seen for miles in V shaped ups and downs right ahead of us. This was a never before experience the speed, long straight stretches, no horns and cleanliness in the country side that had the mountain range on one side while never ending farmlands on the other side of this highway.
And so we ditched the N2 and took R323 this took us to ‘Ladismyth’ from where we got onto R62 and saved apprx 60kms of drive. On these roads contrary to the highway, I was able to easily drive @150-180ks, owing to very light traffic and superb road grip of this luxury car. The scenic beauty while going over the ‘Langeberg-Wes Mtn’ range was amazing, the drive was so easy up on the hills as well. Passing by the little towns from within was much more fascinating than travelling on the highway.
We reached ‘Oudtshoorn’ by late afternoon, this was a bigger township than what we had passed by till now. Checked into the old house turned into rest house ‘Foster Manor’, cheap and good. We had some time in hand and decided to visit the ‘Congo Caves’ (MV) its open 9am-4pm, millions of year old limestone cave. There are approx 21 caves in this region but only one open for tourists. A day long cave tour for the very fit persons takes them through small openings from one cave to the other but we were fit only for the regular tour that took 2 hrs. Magnificent stalactite and stalagmite structures of various shades and heights along with their rich history are natures wonder work, at one point I felt a strange chill which was a bit scary too. We got back to our den post sunset, it had been a long day and a very satisfying.Day6: 8 June, Oudtshoorn-kynsna-bloukrans-tsitsikamma 216kms
It had rained last night bring down the temperature considerably and this wasn’t winter time. After a good english breakfast at this lovely house in the company of the all so polite and chirpy receptionist who reminded us of Pallavi (my lil sister). 
We soon passed by the beautiful town ‘Knysna’ and reached ‘Bloukrans Bungy Bridge’ (MV) which hosts the world’s highest bungy jumping at 700+ feet. I was determined to go through with it while dad kept thinking I was kidding until we had finally bought the tickets (700R). Dad was goning to do the bridge walk only while the extra bit of leaping over was left for me to do. 3-2-1 BUNGEEE, and there I went flying off the edge, yelling every breathe out, heart pounding like never before wanting to tear out of my chest, on the verge of peeing in my pants, eyes popping out, the fear lasted for a second but next to it was calm soothing free fall. The toughest part is looking beyond the edge just before the jump but once off it, its heavenly. The view of the sea on one side and the sun setting beyond the mountain range on the other side while you are hanging off the bridge is exquisite. The free fall of 7 freaking seconds is compounded by the rebounds lasting 2 mins in total. FACE FEAR the quote on my t-shirt I bought from there says it all. 
I danced and sang was I was pulled up on the bridge the loud music there really led me to a trance, slowly it sunk in that I had actually done it. The video recording shows how dad was so excited and tensed and smiling all the way as well. Before jumping the edge, I did think of a lot of things but just one last thing that was stuck was the words of my instructor while strapping me up, he said, ‘Make sure your balls are free and not trapped in else your future might really be in trouble, and don’t worry the jump is like having the wildest sex’. I don’t know how to put in words the ultimate mixture of feelings & emotions I went through this action sport. Elated and adrenaline still pumping high we walked off the bridge and I was handed over a certificate of the great achievement, a big souvenir in itself. It had gotten dark and I was the last person to jump off that day, we hurriedly I got back into the car cause we had made a pact back home with mom about not driving at night, which however was already breached the day before. Lolz.
We reached ‘Tsitsikamma National Park’ (MV) in about half hour, the security guard at the park’s entrance handed over our cottage keys and zipped through the curvaceous road through the forest to reach the cafe. Being a vegetarian isn’t that a big problem in todays era, on requesting the chef to prepare something with lot of vegetables and pasta and rice and sauces, he was delighted to get an opportunity to prepare something off menu. The wait was worth it, a delicious platter steaming with appetizing colourful dressing, the best continental food I had ever had, that too at throw away price compared to what were on the menu. All this while we could hear the waves crashing on the beach and new that the next morning would surely offer some spectacular views, with that thought in mind we settled into our private wooden cottage on the hill side.Day7: 9 June, Canopy tour, Monkey land, Birds of Eden.
A morning that reminded us of the Bengal Monsoon with chilly breeze and heavy down pour. I had gotten up early as in the absence of mom, kitchen was my department per se. Both the bedroom and dining had full glass windows overlooking the breathtaking raging ocean and rain cloud. It was a treat to the eyes and a dream start to the day where we enjoyed the ocean view, with seagulls in our balcony and we feeding on hot tomatoes and toast with Indian spices, snacks and masala tea. 
Rain in this part of south Africa is common due to the geography and in such conditions the ‘Canopy Tour’ at ‘Storms River Mouth’ (MV) does not operate. We still decided to try our luck and left for this place which was a 20mins drive. Fate favoured us and the tour was open because the rain had stopped which again is very usual here. We were all geared up with safety harness and instructions read out loud by our guide. To our luxury me and dad were the only people for the morning tour that made the guide enjoy with us freely. The speedy sliding on ropes tied from one platform to the other made high up on the tree trunk especially when you are 30meters above ground in the dense forest gives some shivers in the beginning. Soon we got hold of the technique of using the palms and legs to perfection, this was fun even for dad who was doing very well. We spotted some very rare African birds, monkeys on the tour, the chirping of other forest creatures rhyming with the raindrops crashing into the gigantic leaves...this really was the voice of mother nature. The view from one of the highest platforms 40m high was unique as we could see the forest below bathing in the sun and vapour rising from the many 1000 years old Outeniqua yellow wood trees. The tour took some 2 hours. Just as we travelled back to base on the huge forest truck it started pouring like hell, this called for a high fie we were damn lucky. After collecting our video recording & certificates and some hot tea and sandwiches it was time to head for the next destination. 
To reach the ‘Monkey Land’ and ‘Birds of Eden’ we travelled back south crossed Bloukrans bridge which filled me with content and a satisfied smile within, really wanted to do it again. It was raining all the way and Africa looked completely different from what we had seen till now. As the name indicates the above two places are somewhat like an open zoo. These are huge Jurassic type single cage like structures which house exotic variety of monkeys and birds in forest like environment, whom you can get really close to and even touch them if they let you to. We spent a few hours clicking photos of some of the most weirdest and cutest looking monkeys and chimps. 
By afternoon, we were tiered and could just think of sitting at the beach and fill in with the ocean view, on the way back we stopped at a grocery store and picked up some food that I was excited to cook for dinner at our well equipped cottage. Tsitsikamma is the biggest national park of the south and is beautifully architecture for tourists to stay for days and enjoy the environment. Accommodation ranges from shared cottages, private bungalows, parking space for caravans and even tent houses.
The raring Indian ocean with its waves breaking on the natural boulders on the shore, seagulls and pelicans playfully fighting with the gust of continuous strong wind.. ah it makes you miss your loved ones far away, jump and run about and fills you with happiness for realising the fact that you are alive. We went on a short trek up the hill to a point where the river meets the sea and soon it was sunset and we returned to our den. Dad packed our bags while I made some delicious packaged Indian food brought from India ;) dal makhani, paneer, alo dum with puri, parantha. Fresh salad and soup from our grocery shopping also formed part of our lavish dinner ;). From tomorrow our returning leg of the journey starts.Day8: 10 June, Tsitsikamma-Knysna- Mossel bay- Knysna 300kms
This was a breezy morning but no rain. We checked out of Tsitsikamma after the home made snacks that we had carried all the way from India, filling, tasty and saves cost. On the way to Knysna we stopped at ‘Knysna Elephant Park’ (MV) just after Plettenberg and enjoyed a lovely tour feeding, walking, playing underneath the gigantic African elephants and racing their little ones gave me a lifetimes happy memory. The best part of these organised private farms is that they give us the otherwise impossible opportunity of getting so close to the wild. The animals are not tamed like pets they are provided there natural environment and the natural aggression is tried to be kept alive. 
We felt close to nature while walking with the entire heard as they drank water from the lake and observed how animals value family. The responsible heads of the herd, the playful curious young, the aggressive matures fighting for identity. The park offers excellent accommodation for night stay overlooking the resting place of the elephants, we missed out on this because we were on a fixed schedule. 
Our next halt was at ‘The Old Cape Road Guest House’ in Knysna. This was a cottage on the highway turned into guest house and gives a clear view of the Knysna lagoon heads. It was afternoon and this was our last day before we head home, so it was time for extra adventure. We drove 100kms south to ‘Mossel Bay’ famous for its ‘Diaz Museum’ which houses rich history of South Africa and some great artifacts which seem to have jumped right out of my childhood school history book, remember the famous Vasco da Gama joke!!
We had a good time roaming around, had good meal at a take away and enjoyed the sun beating down the coastal bay. We drove back to explore Knysna which has a lot of water activities to offer but we missed the last cruise tour that takes you to the Knysna lagoon head from where the sun set is said to look the most romantic. The ‘Knysna Water Front’ is a good place to hang around and has some popular local pubs but it all shuts down by 8pm. We went back to spend the last night in South Africa recollecting the grand memories of this unique trip and also to finish off the remaining last packaged food!Day9: 11 June, Knysna-Cape Town 500kms
The last leg of our road trip began with kind of a heavy heart. Bright sunny day and we had 500km to cover on the N2 this was along the coast till Mossel Bay and then on the road moved closer to the mountain range amidst the farmlands. Passing through small beautiful towns we stopped at one of them for petrol and snacks. We needed to get the car washed up before handing it over at the airport (Trying to improve the image that Indians leave behind a lot of dirt and mess), the guys at the gas station were happy to help.
People all along our trip were very friendly and crazy about their country hosting the prestigious FIFA world cup 2010 which ironically was to begin today in Cape Town. Yeah, we should have extended the trip for one more day and witnessed this frenzy by being at the heart of it. Dad took over the driving now and I couldn’t have deprived him of this opportunity. By the end of the trip we would have driven 1500kms over 5 days of which he drove barely 300kms and I was still not contented lolz. The approach to Cape Town saw a sea of cars jammed up wanting to enter the city, mostly due to FIFA fever. 
Just one note of caution, do make sure you understand the VAT refund process at the airport when you land in South Africa, we lost quite a bit cause of the disillusion that guys wouldn’t be shopping much at all!Many thanks to ‘SelfTours’ (South Africa based tourism company) for helping us in planning our trip and hotel booking with special thanks to Cheryl at Selftours who kept up with us in restructuring our itinerary, her valuable inputs, prompt replies and for encouraging us to go ahead with the dream road trip.
ReplyDeleteThis is an exotic dish! You are really brave to cook this.
Restaurants in South Delhi