South Africa

At 3pm, Magali, Sebastien and I set off on a guided tour of the surrounding Xhosa village. Wearing flip-flops was a mistake, as we were soon traversing the grassy, manure-covered …

I awoke to a cloudy morning in Bulungula, but at least the rain had stopped. I surveyed the scene outside my window. A cow. A few rondavels on a grassy …

When I received word the children’s recital was canceled because they couldn’t walk to school in the rain, I left Buccaneers for Bulungula, a new eco-friendly backpackers set further up …

Posters around Buccaneers alert visitors to the severe shortage of clean water in the region, so the cold front which began to sweep across South Africa’s coast was a good …

The moment I stepped out of the Baz bus at Buccaneers, I knew why it was so popular. Situated on its own undeveloped coastal hill, the views of the beach …

  Around 12:30pm, we headed to the park’s picnic grounds which overlooked yet another watering hole with lots of elephants.  Food was eaten, a green snake was seen slithering from …

After a nice self-catered breakfast on the backpacker’s patio, we motored to the gate and collected our maps of the park, complete with a checklist of the animals we hoped …

John recruited me for an overnight trip to Addo Elephant National Park for a few reasons. First, he offered to drop me off in Port Elizabeth afterwards, meaning I could …

The Island Vibe backpackers in Jeffrey’s Bay is located atop a sand dune, just a few minutes walk to a popular wave called Kitchen’s Window, the Billabong factory shop, and …

I arrived at Island Vibe in Jeffrey’s Bay after dark, the sounds of crashing waves all around me. The scene was lively, and the setup much bigger than the sister …

The bus ride to Storms River, a small village within the Tsitsikamma National Park, lead us over the Bloukrans Bridge that is home to the world’s highest bungee jump (from …

The night after my stay with Brother Paul, I was in nearby Plettenberg Bay. Upon arrival in the early evening, the sky was grey and overcast, and the main street …

Now that I know I can get a refund minus $100 for my impromptu British Airways purchase upon arrival in South Africa, or change the dates for $50, I need …

Brother Paul did me a huge favor when he agreed to host me for the night. Sister Carrie, an older, white Australian woman who has lived in South Africa for …

I could only bite my tongue so long before I broke into a conversation on the Baz bus between two guys at the start of their round-the-world trips, a young …

The thrilling Thai Tiger Kingdom experience fresh in my mind, I splurged on time with both the cheetah cubs and adults. They were much smaller than the adolescent tigers. In …

The ostrich riding worked up my appetite so I crossed the rode on my bike and devoured a ham and cheese toasted sandwich in a pretty tea garden. I hit …

The caves were a nice warm-up to the main event, ostriches. Outdshorn is the self-proclaimed ostrich capital of the world, and they are a popular draw. Already having consumed ostrich …

I booked tour “C” through the hostel, which consisted of transport to the Cango Caves and an ostrich show farm, leaving me with a mountain bike ride of 12 kilometers …

The bus and shuttle rides from Hermanus to Outdshorn, ostrich capital of the world, ended up taking an entire day. Along the way, people hopped on and off at various …