South Africa is one of those “trips of a lifetime” where travelers create indelible memories. Covington travelers Tom and Tomarie Boyd did just that as they explored the culture and charm of Cape Town, tasted the nectar of the Winelands, experienced the remarkable sights and sounds of the bush, and felt the spray of Victoria Falls. Tom’s amazing photographs documented it all and he has graciously shared his thoughts and photos of the trip with us. Enjoy!

This is How South Africa Was Our ‘Trip of a Lifetime’

by Tom and Tomarie Boyd

Tomarie and I have traveled fairly extensively, but this was truly a trip of a lifetime for us. We think our Covington advisor, Rosemary, is the best travel agent in the world because she used her personal knowledge and contacts to create an exceptional South Africa itinerary customized just for us.

An Inspired Solution for a Long Flight

To start, Rosemary advanced the idea that we could fly Emirates Business Class and make a stopover in Dubai for about the same cost as going straight to Cape Town. The stopover made the long trip easier and gave us a better understanding of the Emirati culture. Dubai looks just like in pictures – skyscrapers everywhere and no people on the streets. They are all either in expensive cars or inside in air conditioning! The phenomenal growth of the area since the 60s, from shacks to city, is all due to oil money.

Cape Town, South Africa

We flew to Cape Town and stayed in the elegant Victoria & Alfred Hotel right on the waterfront, with a view of Table Mountain from our room. We had a wonderful view the first day before the fog rolled in for the next two days. October is the bridge between dry and wet seasons, so we knew fog would be likely.

Unfortunately, high winds closed the ferry to Robben Island, the political prison where Nelson Mandela was incarcerated. But we did enjoy the waterfront museum about Robben Island where we clarified our understanding of the political activism that eventually triumphed over oppression.

We spent a full day exploring the Cape Peninsula – the end of the world! Our tour traveled along the spectacular Atlantic coastline and over rugged mountain passes to the Cape of Good Hope National Park. We delighted in a close encounter with the unique African penguin colonies at Boulders Beach and visited the renowned Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens.

A Private Winelands Tour

We were pleasantly surprised with a visit to the charming university village of Stellenbosch and the Winelands. In fact, we can’t say enough about how beautiful and very upscale the area is. The scenery was simply majestic. You know you’ve arrived somewhere special when all the car dealerships sell Jaguars and Mercedes! After some time exploring the town, we enjoyed a tour of the cellars and a tasting at the Raats Vineyard and Winery. We’ve been to Napa, California multiple times and we agreed that we liked South Africa’s Winelands even better.

Our Amazing African Bush Experience

We flew from Cape Town to the single-runway Skukuza Airport in Sabi Sands Game Reserve. Our guide met us and from there we drove for an hour in a four-wheel drive land cruiser over dirt roads through the Mala Mala Game Reserve. It was very remote and we had our first animal sightings of giraffe, elephants, and hippos.

Our destination, Rattray’s on Mala Mala, is the quintessential “Into Africa” experience – discreet elegant African opulence. Only eight luxury suites called khayas ensure exclusivity. Each one is a free-standing 2,500 square foot house with lovely decor. There are lavish his-and-hers full bathrooms, a secluded outdoor shower, a stylish living room, and an outdoor dining area. Each khaya also has a large verandah facing the Grand River with a private plunge pool built into it. The luxury blew our minds when we walked into that house!

The main lodge has a viewing deck with a telescope, a bar, and wine cellar. Dinner is announced by the beating of African drums and served under the stars in a traditional reed boma. Rates include the magnificent suite, all meals, and twice daily game drives.

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Game Drives in South Africa

Rattray’s resort sits on 50 square miles of private reserve and shares a 19 km unfenced border with the Kruger National Park. Since we were in a private reserve, we were able to go off-road to get very close to the animals. When we planned this safari, I never dreamed that we’d be within feet of wild animals doing what they do in everyday life. We saw them kill, eat, and protect babies. It was like being in National Geographic. That was what made it so special.

We were in an open jeep, but I never felt any fear because the animals totally disregarded the vehicle (although our guide did carry a rifle). While we were watching some zebra, we asked our guide Bruce why they didn’t seem to care about our presence. He opened the jeep door and put one foot out and the zebra bolted! They tolerate vehicles but are very wary of man. The exception is the rhino. They don’t like the jeeps and if you get too close they will charge. The guides knew when the rhinos were staring us down, it was time to leave.

Each couple staying at Rattray’s had their own jeep and guide. When we were on game drives, the guides talked to each other on radios to share animal sightings. On one evening drive, Bruce spoke to his colleagues and then asked us, “Are you ready for a ‘Ferrari Safari’?” We enthusiastically said “Yes!” and hung on for dear life as he went spinning and tearing down the dirt roads so we could catch the magnificent sight of a full-grown leopard against the setting sun. That may be my favorite memory of the trip.

Another vivid memory is when Bruce heard of a fresh impala kill by a mama leopard. When we got there, the baby was seemingly alone, feeding on it at the base of a tree, but mama was standing guard out of sight. Suddenly a great bellow came from behind us and a hyena raced in to steal the kill and threaten the baby leopard. With a fearsome roar, Mama came tearing out of the tree to rescue her baby. She scampered them both back into the safety of the tree to wait out the hyena. Finally, when the hyena had his fill and slunk away, mama leopard drug the rest of the carcass up into the tree where baby could feed in safety.

Victoria Falls, South Africa

Our last stop in South Africa was the Victoria Falls River Lodge, the first private game lodge in the Zambezi National Park. The suites there are luxury tents on stilts with breathtaking views of the Zambezi River. The indoor/outdoor shower was like Ritz facilities, but with water flowing through the wooden floor! We had morning coffee on our deck watching the warthogs nearby.

Water buffalo grazed on an island out in the river and with no fences, we were warned not to wander at night alone. One evening, we called for the golf cart to pick us up for dinner and as we went out to the deck, two massive bulls had wandered up within five feet of our tent! The driver shined his light on them and we walked right by and got in the cart. It was a not-so-subtle reminder that it’s their territory and we are the visitors.

The Victoria Falls Lodge stay included daily game drives and river cruises in the Zambezi National Park, as well as all meals, and a tour of Victoria Falls. The Lodge was so close to the thundering falls that we could see the mist from a distance.

The Circle of Life

We saw all of the ‘Big 5’ – elephant, rhino, buffalo, lion and leopard – and much more. Tomarie began the trip with a love of elephants, but by the end had fallen in love with leopards, hippos, crocodiles, and the long lashes of the gentle giraffes. Our game drives were morning and evening, which are feeding times. You could see buzzards circling in the air so the guides knew where the kills were. We saw lions that had taken down a giraffe or zebra and crocodiles chasing a Cape buffalo. At first, the sight of a kill was hard, but you realize that it’s life and that’s how they survive. We go to the grocery store; their Harris Teeter is each other.

We always celebrated sunset in the bush at the end of each afternoon game drive. One night as we headed back to the lodge in the dark, our jeep headlights landed on a majestic male lion so we stopped to watch him. Like something out of the Lion King, he let out a roar that shook our bodies. It wasn’t directed at us; he was talking to his mate. Off in the distance, his mate answered. They were getting ready for a night hunt – going to the grocery.

If a luxury safari experience is on your “trip of a lifetime” list, talk to a Covington advisor about how we can customize a trip to fit your interests and budget.

All of the excellent photography in this post is courtesy of Tom Boyd. You may not reuse these images without permission.