For my first visit to the mother continent, I decided to start with South Africa in February of 2020. Thankfully, my return home was four weeks before the Covid shutdown. The first half of my trip was to be spent in Cape Town, with the remainder in Johannesburg. I was fortunate to have a direct flight to Johannesburg from the States, which took 15 hours. From there, I took a connecting flight to Cape Town on FlySafair, which was only an additional two hours. II finally arrived at the beautiful African Pride 15 hotel, a Marriott property now known as The Capital 15 On Orange. After checking into my room, I ordered room service and crashed for the remainder of the night.

The next morning, I enjoyed the delicious breakfast buffet, which offered a wide variety of tasty options. As I took my seat, I was treated to a top-notch view of Table Mountain. After finishing up, I headed out for a half-day wine tour to Stellenbosch, a beautiful countryside area about 50 minutes outside of the city. We visited the Vrede En Lust Wine Estate, which boasted scenic views at every turn. It was a small tour with only three people, making for a very intimate experience. The wine and complementary pairings were amazing, and our host was extremely knowledgeable about wine production, grape varieties, and recommendations. Needless to say, we all left with several bottles to take back home.

Once the tour was over,, I decided to walk around the city and grab some lunch. I settled on this place and was not disappointed. You can’t go wrong here. Later that night, I did a bar crawl and didn’t realize how lively the city would be. Apparently, the first Thursday of every month is a big deal, and everyone is out and about. I met other travelers along the way, enjoyed great music, and indulged in Cape Town’s vibrant nightlife scene. We stopped at four different establishments to enjoy an evening of 

The next morning began with a private class at The Pole Project, which turned out to be quite interesting. The session was awesome, though it was impacted by load shedding, which is a regular occurrence. It was a new experience for me, but I quickly adapted. I grabbed an Uber and went to spend the remainder of the day exploring the V&A Waterfront. The weather was perfect, with an average temperature of 78°F throughout my visit. Enjoying the views, browsing the shops, and indulging in the local food were all I needed for a delightful day.

The last full day of my trip included a tour with highlights like Boulders Beach Penguin Colony, Camps Bay Beach, and the Cape of Good Hope. Our guide had a colorful personality and was incredibly friendly. I was saddened to learn that the penguins are expected to be extinct by 2050. We stopped for lunch at a restaurant with stunning ocean views. Our guide advised us not to feed the monkeys and to be cautious. Unfortunately, someone didn’t heed the advice, and I witnessed a pickpocketing event. I’m sure they regretted not listening to the guide’s warning. The landscapes throughout the journey were stunning and something I couldn’t even have imagined. After an eight hour tour, I decided to venture out to a local recommended restaurant that was about a ten minute walk from my hotel. The food and service were equally great. Unfortunately, it took me about 30 minutes to walk back to the hotel because of load shedding. Since the power was out, so was my internet and the ability to call an Uber. I got lost and turned around a few times, but eventually found my way back. After all, getting lost is the reason I was able to explore areas that weren’t originally on the list….safely of course.

The day started at 6 AM with a drive to Pilanesberg to check off a bucket list item: going on a safari. The drive took roughly two and a half hours each way, but was well worth it. Upon arrival, we switched to an open-air vehicle, and the excitement began. A vehicle full of adults quickly reverted to the wonderment of children as we witnessed the incredible wildlife around us. These were creatures I had only seen and read about in books. I felt both scared and excited. The animals were so close, yet completely unconcerned about our presence. After all, in their world, this was just another day, and we were merely guests in their home. We gazed in awe while witnessing the real life Lion King. We saw elephants strolling the roads with their families, zebras lounging in the wild, giraffes were observing from afar, and countless others throughout the day. 

My last tour was a half-day excursion that highlighted Soweto and the Apartheid Museum. The gut-wrenching history of unfair treatment, along with the life of Nelson Mandela and all of his selfless contributions, were rightfully on display. My eyes swelled with tears after seeing this. Growing up in the States, I was taught about segregation, but Apartheid wasn’t as familiar. I left with a profound appreciation for all that South Africans had endured, as well as for the man known as Madiba. I understood why the country was in such a lively state, celebrating the 30th anniversary of Nelson Mandela’s prison release and speech. Soweto, a place I had previously only known through books and television, turned out to be a beautiful mix of people from different classes, professions, and families that resembled many I’ve seen in my own backyard. After the tour, I was excited to do my first photoshoot abroad. I found a photographer on Airbnb and decided to let a native professional capture photos that I wouldn’t be able to take myself. It was an awesome experience! You can view more here.

Since I had a late flight, I decided to spend my last hours in Sandton just walking around. There’s a huge shopping center in the area, so I had lunch and did some last-minute wandering. Later that evening, it was time to head to the airport. I made sure to get there early enough to relax in the Slow Lounge, which was included with my first-class ticket and accessible to those with certain credit cards. As I headed back home on what was, at the time, the tenth longest direct flight in the world—from Johannesburg (JNB) to Atlanta (ATL) with a travel time of 16 hours and 45 minutes—I carried back memories that are still near and dear to me today. Fortunately, I was flying first class thanks to my many Delta points. I enjoyed my trip so much that after returning home, I rebooked a trip to go back. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen due to Covid. The people, the culture, the rich history, the daily celebrations, and the safari experience are all reasons I’d go back in a heartbeat. I hope you will too!