If you, (like my good buddy Jayesh and I) are Princess Bride fans, you know that my headline is a quote from the amazing Inigo Montoya. But that’s how I usually begin my final post about a trip.
This trip was a good one. Before we went, everyone told us it was “the trip of a lifetime,” or “the best trip we ever took.” To be totally honest, it is one of the best trips, but not THE best. It does make the top five, but it’s not number one. For me, that spot is still held by our voyage to the Galapagos on Celebrity’s Flora. Let me explain. But not before I give you my favorite African Sunset photo to break up all the text.
The things we loved
The lodging was amazing in its own way. We have never stayed in such wonderful accommodations. Starting with the only one we booked ourselves (The Radisson Red on our first night in Cape Town) to the incredible game lodges at Tintswalo. All of them were great. Two of them had rooms larger than my first apartment (The Cape Grace in Cape Town and the Fairlawn Boutique Hotel and Spa in Johannesburg). The Victoria Falls hotel was just too colonial for me. Too much of a reminder of the way the European/Western world has exploited much of Africa and continues to do so monetarily today. And eating cold food because they have no indoor restaurant is just wrong.
The lodges at Tintswalo Safari Lodge may have been bigger than my first house. But I found them dark and way too isolated. Our room onboard the Zambezi Queen was fine. A little small, but just fine. And they need either doors that lock from the outside or larger safes, along with new and higher furniture in the common areas. When you have to struggle to get out of a couch, that couch needs to go ?.
One more thing about the lodging. It is drop-dead the finest in South Africa. If you visit the websites for the Cape Grace, Victoria Falls Hotel, Fairlawn, or Tintswalo, you will find that all charge around $1200 per night for a room similar to the one we had. To be honest, the best bed I slept on the entire trip was at the Radisson Red in Cape Town. Certainly, the service at the other hotels was amazing, but we also loved the service at the Red and would have been just fine staying there at $165 per night. However, if you want the best lodging in Southern Africa, this is the trip for you.
The food was fine with some amazing standouts. The Spiced Eggs I had for breakfast three days in a row at the Cape Grace in Cape Town were easily one of my favorite dishes ever. Our dinner at Marble in Johannesburg was delicious and a great dining experience. We are glad Beverleigh talked us into keeping our reservation. A few of the dishes at Tintswalo were so good I begged for the recipes, and happily, I have all four that I loved.
This trip included some once-in-a-lifetime experiences. My favorite things we did included our helicopter ride over Victoria Falls (I was too busy being amazed to worry about being in a helicopter). Our morning game drives at Tintswalo (all but one of the evening drives were a bust) and the excellent lectures we heard. The one on the boat in the Zambezi River about Dr. Livingston was especially enjoyable. The ongoing discussion of the historical significance of the mining industry in Johannesburg remains thought-provoking. Our day in the wine country with Gen was incredibly informative in many ways, not just about wine but also about South Africa.
But my drop-dead favorite experience of the entire trip was my solo (with only Gibson driving the boat) “birdwatching” trip on the Chobe River at the crack of dawn. As a photographer, that one was special. Here’s my favorite photo from that day.
I got some great photos. A significant part of why I travel is for the photography. It always makes me happy on a trip when I get great photos that I can come back and be proud of, but Southern Africa does have its photographic challenges.
I would guess that if you asked our wonderful fellow travelers who finished the trip with us at Tintswalo what their favorite segment of the trip was, they would say it was our three days at Tintswalo. For me, that was maybe my third favorite place.
It took me a few days at home working on photos to figure out why. As I compiled my 100 favorite photos from the entire trip (for the record, I took more than 8,000 pictures), I noticed something. The area around Kruger Park and Tintswalo that we visited for those three days was monotone. Everything was brown. Everything blended together.
It didn’t help that throughout our entire stay at Tintswalo, I felt rushed. Part of that feeling is due to my expectations. I thought there would be more free time. Knowing what I know now, I would have skipped all the evening game drives except the first one. Perhaps this is related to how jaded I became about the animals by the end of the trip. I am not sure how many elephants and hippos we saw, but it must have been in the thousands, especially if you include Cape buffalo. And don’t even think about counting the impalas ?.
The one major thing we didn’t like
There is a reason we probably would not do this trip again. And this is just me. I am sure that the others were fine with it, but for us, this trip is not something we would do over. Airports and airplanes are our least favorite part of travel. It would not be an exaggeration for me to say that they are the one part of traveling that I despise. And on this trip, to see everything, you have to spend a lot of time in airports and on airplanes. When I was out for my walk with Keeley (our dog) yesterday, I suddenly realized that was the problem (for us) with this trip. So when I got home, I added up our time in airports and on planes to make this trip happen. Not counting the time it took to travel to and from the airports, we spent 75.5 hours either waiting in an airport for a flight, on the flight, getting through passport control and customs after a flight or clearing it before one. That’s hell. If I had added it up before we booked the trip, we might not have gone. You don’t realize that you can easily lose entire days at airports and on flights.
Please don’t misunderstand me, we had a great time, but when I realized how much time we spent centered on flying, it blew me away. Just under one-fourth of the entire trip was spent getting to and flying on airplanes. Sadly, I don’t know how else we could have seen everything we did in that short amount of time, but until they invent the Star Trek transporter, I don’t plan on doing another trip like that ?.
As many of you know, Kathleen and I have cruised extensively. We have always said that one of the best parts of cruising is the fact that you only have to unpack once, and your hotel moves you around for a week. While that may have been true on the Chobe River, we never really unpacked anywhere. Which also tells you that we are not the type of travelers who like living out of a suitcase. And dragging two medium-sized suitcases, one carry-on, my backpack with camera and laptop, as well as Kathleen’s backpack, was not fun. I am always envious of people like our new friends, AJ and Diane, who can pack everything they need for an 18-day vacation into two large carry-ons. One pair of my shoes would fill that backpack. And this vacation was all about layering. We needed clothes for hot weather and clothes for cold weather. And there was no real laundry service or opportunity until we got to Tintswalo. Plus, in a few places (like Johannesburg), we couldn’t send any out because we weren’t there long enough for it to come back before we left.
This vacation was just too much moving from point A to point B. We loved all points A, B, C, D and E, but getting there was no fun.
The absolute best thing about the entire trip
Hands down, it was the proud people of Southern Africa. I don’t think we met a single person who lived there who wasn’t trying to be the best they could be, even though they may have been living through horrible circumstances. The service was hands down the best we have ever received in all our travels, and all were supplied with smiles and cheerful voices.
And the openness was amazing. The willingness to discuss their countries, how they felt about what was going on in their country and the world. They had opinions both good and bad, but they expressed them with calmness and thought. They answered my tough questions and made me want to know more about the region and their country. To see the faces of our Namibian crew on the Zambezi Queen singing their national anthem for us brought a tear to my eye. But hearing from a South African that their government still has some ugly remnants of apartheid made me mad as hell. And seeing the poverty of Soweto and the wealth of natural resources, leaving the country to make a profit for those outside of it, left me seething. But as my new friend AJ told me (a very wise man), this is a generational thing that won’t change overnight. But it does need to change.
People that stood out and were amazing included the incredible Delia (this trip could not happen without her), the wine expert Gen, who gave me a five-hour education and contributed to my knowledge of her country, my birdwatching buddy Gibson, who amazed me with his knowledge of the birds, animals and fauna of the Chobe river. And he speaks 11 languages and loves his work—you can tell. Bernard, who runs the Zambezi Queen, is a great leader and so proud of his country, Namibia. Our driver (it pains me that I did not find out his name) at the Fairlawns, who had frank discussions with us on our drives. Beverleigh, who shared her perspective on her country and its foibles during one of the best dinner discussions I have had during our travels. Every single person we met at the Kliptown Youth Program in Soweto, but especially Thando Bezana. Their spirit is indomitable. They are succeeding where others have failed. They truly make a difference. Perhaps they are the beginning of that generational change that AJ discussed.
And speaking of AJ, we met and traveled with some really great folks. We missed our new friends Lorraine, Betty and Dennis at Tintswalo when they took the train as their end-of-trip excursion. Our final 12 at Tintswalo were the heart and soul of our group. AJ and Diane (who we hope to see again in the Bay Area). They did a great job of tempering my enthusiasm with their well-thought-out views. I always gravitate to people like that because they are what I need to slow me down and get me to think. The two Marinas were a total hoot. M-1 was always fun and M-2 just totally cracked us up. Riding in the back of the safari truck with her made the afternoon game drive a bunch more fun. Vicky, David, Sonnet and Fred were great people to be around, and just listening to Nancy‘s tales and Rich’s stories of cooking for her still brings a smile to my face. Look in the dictionary under “picky eater” if you want to see what Nancy looks like ?.
That about does it. We had a great time, we wish we had flown less and been able to spend more time seeing things, but Delia made it possible for us to get through airports without wanting to jump off a cliff. Thanks for coming along. Watch this space in October when the October Bunch does Portland and a Columbia River cruise.
I want to leave you with a photo that kind of sums up the end of things. I saved it for just this spot. It’s the end. Enjoy.
The only man I envy is the man who has not yet been to Africa – for he has so much to look forward to. – Richard Mullin
After completing my last trip entry (except for my review), I came across some videos that may interest you. Random videos that I took along the way, which I didn’t post on the day after I took them due to restrictions on uploading. The first bunch is from the Chobe River part of our trip. Make sure to watch this one until the end. The little guy is really cute.
Here’s an elephant taking a mud bath. It was hilarious, even though some of the time we wondered if he would be able to pick himself up out of the muck.
Later the same afternoon, we saw a long line of elephants heading our way.
They just kept coming and coming.
This one was taken the next day when we visited Chobe National Park. The elephant at the start had come up to our vehicle and then veered off at the last minute. I filmed him walking away, and then someone whispered, “You should turn around.” YIKES!
While in Chobe National Park, we saw this pride of lions. Very quick video.
That covers our time on the Zambezi Queen. Here are a few from after that. The first is from the Kliptown Youth Program we visited in Johannesburg. These boys were such excellent dancers, I had to share their performance with you.
Now it’s off to Tintswalo Safari Lodge with the last few animal videos I got. Up first is an example of what it’s like to ride in the back of one of these vehicles. I was trying to film the mom and baby rhino we had found. This shows how hard it is to hold anything, let alone a camera, when your driver is going flat out to keep up with animals.
Finally, we caught up, and our driver was able to slow down and get me a better shot of the actual rhinos.
I thought I would give you one last video showing you what a nighttime safari looks like. I’m not sure about you, but I have no idea how our tracker/spotter can see anything while going that fast. This might be the reason we never found anything after dark.
That’s it! I will be back tomorrow with the final summary and review of the trip. Would we do it again? Did we like the AmaWaterways experience? How was the food? What did we really dislike about the entire trip? What did we love? Come back tomorrow and find out.
Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up, it knows it must outrun the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning in Africa, a lion wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the slowest gazelle, or it will starve. It doesn’t matter whether you’re the lion or a gazelle – when the sun comes up, you’d better be running. – African Proverb
I’m not sure if you’re aware, but I always include a quote at the bottom of each post that relates to the topic. I just Google “quotes about xxxx,” and use the one I find that best fits my topic. Yesterday, when I was looking to find one to finish our first day in Johannesburg, I found one about South Africa in general. But when I was looking for it, I found the quote below by, of all people, the actor Ryan Phillipe. And it pretty much encapsulates what I want to say about Johannesburg, South Africa and pretty much the people of Africa everywhere we went. Here’s the quote:
Working in South Africa, the people in Johannesburg get under your skin. It stays with you. It’s a place I want to take my children back to. It’s a place that filled me with great joy and inspiration, but also sadness. I think it’s one of the most complex places on the planet. —Ryan Phillippe
Editor’s Note: No trip we’ve ever taken has affected me like this one did. And I realize that this discussion will seem like I have a point I can’t get to. So as much as I want you to read and understand how I feel, I won’t hold it against you if you skip all the text and look at the pictures.
When we first arrived in Cape Town, we drove from the airport to the tourist area near the harbor where we were staying. On the ride in, we noticed a number of areas that were in what I (at that time) would consider extreme poverty. Our driver explained that those were areas where the poor lived. He told us in no uncertain terms to stay out of those areas unless accompanied by someone familiar with them. We had been told the same thing by our friends at home — that certain areas were worse or slightly dangerous than others.
First, I want to mention that every South African (and those from Namibia, Zimbabwe and Botswana) we spoke to were the most open and honest people we have ever met (as a group). They were willing to discuss their countries’ triumphs and failures, as well as their foibles and achievements. We had more open and frank discussions with a wide range of people, from our guides and drivers to ship directors and nearly anyone we asked questions of. Never have I felt or heard such openness about a country I was visiting from that country’s people.
This is Delia. She guides people around a country she loves—South Africa. She is an amazing woman whom I greatly admire.
Foremost among those open to discussion was our guide, Delia. Her insights into the facts of apartheid, as well as her discussion on how far things have come and how far they still have to go to achieve true racial equality, were truly interesting and a shock to me. I am still not sure I am ready to write about it, but I do look forward to discussing it. Then, when we reached Johannesburg, our city guide, Beverleigh, joined us for dinner on our last night at the hotel, and that table for seven was one of the most eye-opening and intense conversations I have ever had while traveling.
Let’s get back to Johannesburg. AmaWaterways had planned a day for us that included an introduction to some of the charity work they do, a stop in the township of Soweto as well as visits to the Nelson Mandela home, a lecture on the diamond and gold trade (which was also open and beyond interesting to me due to the nature of the discussion of economics), followed by dinner.
I must be honest, when I first saw this day scheduled, my thought was… what a bore. Maybe I will skip it and just rest. But after hearing Delia speak about it, and Beverleigh discussing it, and the enthusiasm that Lucky (the man from Ama who had met us at the airport) showed about it, we had to go. Our first stop was the Township of Soweto. If you are unfamiliar with what a township is, I pulled this (via AI) from Google:
In South Africa, a township is a residential area established during the apartheid era to segregate non-white populations, primarily Black, Coloured, and Indian communities, from white residents. These areas were characterized by limited infrastructure, overcrowding, and socioeconomic challenges. While apartheid ended in 1994, the term “township” continues to be used to refer to these historically designated areas, which have since undergone significant transformation.
As we drive to Soweto, the things we see outside our windows get progressively worse. The poverty and conditions start at a level below what would be considered the poverty line in the USA, and they go down from there. No running water, no toilets except for some porta-potties, no facilities to wash clothes, no place to wash yourself on a regular basis, and eventually, nothing. Lucky told us how bad it was, and his stories were worse than what we were seeing. Garbage was everywhere. Not because people didn’t care, but because there was nowhere else to put it. One large apartment-size bin that would have served 100 apartments in the USA and been picked up once a week had to serve thousands of people and be picked up once a month.
We finally pulled into a part of Soweto that was as bad as anything we had seen. Lucky told us that his new trainee, Colin, would take over the tour from here because Colin lived here…in this part of Soweto. Colin invited us to leave the bus and walk through the area. He said not to take photos of adults unless we asked permission first, but that kids would happily say, “Shoot me!” and want us to take their photos. We walked through some of the saddest urban blight I have ever seen and finally reached an oasis in the midst of all the despair. That oasis was the Kliptown Youth Program. It is a school, a community center, and so much more. They had an American donor who was introduced to the place via AmaWaterways. They gave the center $2.5 million to build the building, and since then, Ama and their guests have supported the center in many ways.
When we got to the center, we met Thando Bezana. He is one of the many people who run the center. Over the next two hours, we toured the center and discovered how incredibly successful they have been in helping kids achieve success. Touring the center and walking through Soweto was one of the most eye-opening experiences of my life. I think I will shut up here and let you see some photos I took that day. We will start with a walk through a part of Soweto. Don’t forget; if you click the first shot, you can scroll through with your arrow keys or by swiping. And PLEASE…don’t look at my photography on a phone. Please…
Our guide Collen grew up no more than a few hundred feet of the center.
Soweto scenes
Our group walks through
Some great and very cute kids.
More Soweto sceneds
Soweto
Soweto
Soweto
More Soweto kids
Those ports-potties are the only toilets in this entire area.
Soweto
Soweto living.
The floors were very interesting. A combination of every scavenged floor material you can imagine.
This is where the laundry is done for hundreds of people. It is also the only source of fresh water in the community.
Laundry done at the communal water source.
A couple of things to add about this walk. We went into a home, but I didn’t feel comfortable taking photos inside. It was dark, and it smelled of the paraffin stove they used for cooking indoors. There was makeshift furniture and no electricity or running water. Outside, laundry that had been done at the local faucet (the area’s only running water) was hanging out to dry. It was both a home and total squalor.
However, the most remarkable aspect was the people who lived here. They may live the hardest life I have ever seen in a modern city, and yet their spirit seems indomitable. Smiles were on the faces everywhere we looked, especially those of the children. The adults we saw seemed to genuinely love their kids and were great parents, trying as hard as they could, but just unable to break free and move on.
But one reason to rejoice in the midst of all this was the aforementioned Kliptown Youth program. Here are the photos I took at their center.
The entrance to KYP
Our host, Thando talks to AJ. It turns out that a school near where AJ and Diane live in the Bay Area supports this program.
Successes are celebrated.
Kids are kids.
They have quite the computer lab…
With donated computers that are outdated in our world but state of the art in theirs.
I love a good street portrait.
Kids at lunch. You would neve know they live in such abject poverty.
Center goals for 2025.
The original center.
These guys danced for us representing the center.
Kathleen and I have decided that this will now be our chosen charity. The good work they are doing there is making a dent in one of the worst situations I have ever seen. It is not a solution. As I discussed later with A.J., this problem is generational. But it has to start somewhere, and KlypTown is a good place to make that happen. If you are interested in exploring this further, you can see their website by clicking here. I encourage you to take a look.
Here’s a quick video of the guys dancing. They were amazing and talented.
After our emotional morning at KYP, it was time to immerse ourselves in some South African history by first visiting the home of Nelson Mandela. I don’t have to say anything about apartheid or Mandela, because it is almost certain you know the story. Imprisoned for years, he is finally able to unite his country and put all of apartheid in the past (we later found that sadly, that was not true). After that visit, we headed to another neighborhood to visit and have lunch at the last home he lived in prior to his death. Lunch was wonderful, and it was wonderful seeing both homes. Mandela is to South Africans what George Washington is to the United States. Just about ten times more important. His photo and legacy are everywhere. Not only is it on the 100 rand note, but his face is on every single other piece of money I had in my pocket from 10 rand notes. We were shown around the house by David, a grad student who knew his stuff and explained the complicated relationship between Winnie and Nelson Mandela. It was a great experience. Here are some photos I took while at the two houses and on the street outside, where dance groups were circling constantly looking for tips.
One set of dancers we saw before we went in the house.
Entering house.
David our guide.
Back outside, dancers still there.
Our guide Lucky, decided to let these guys perform for us.
They were pretty good
And the provided me with some great facial shots.
And some fun action.
Like this…
And this.
Finally lunch at the home where Mandela lived after he retired.
A beautiful place in the middle of a traditional white neighborhood.
That has been turned into a restaurant by Mandela’s personal chef.
After our lunch, we had a free afternoon. Some of the folks wanted to shop, so the bus dropped them off at an upscale shopping mall. Others, like us wanted to go back to the hotel, Kathleen to nap and try not to cough, and I wanted to work on a post. But first, we needed just a couple of things from a local pharmacy. The hotel provided us with a driver and van (at no cost) to transport us to the pharmacy (approximately eight to ten blocks away), wait for us while we shopped, and then return us to the hotel. I mention this mundane piece of information because in any other city that we have ever visited, I would have just walked those eight to ten blocks and picked up what we needed. While driving there and waiting with the driver, he and I had a frank discussion about the security at the hotel, the reasons that I couldn’t have walked, the fact that in Cape Town we were told not to leave the tourist area and why we should feel unsafe.
Some quick stats that blew us away:
Overall Unemployment:
South Africa’s official unemployment rate rose to 32.9% in the first quarter of 2025.
Expanded Unemployment:
The expanded unemployment rate, which includes those who have given up looking for work, is 43.1%.
Youth Unemployment:
The unemployment rate among young people is particularly high, with one report indicating it was 53.5% in the first quarter of 2022.
Gender Disparities:
Women generally experience higher unemployment rates than men.
Racial Disparities:
Black Africans face significantly higher unemployment rates compared to other racial groups.
When you put all this together, you get a country and urban area that is primed for crime. People have to steal just to survive. And there are no jobs. And the jobs that exist for those at the bottom of the spectrum (youth, Black Africans, and women) pay very poorly. (The minimum wage in South Africa is R28.79 per hour—equal to $1.64. That’s $65 for a 40 hour week and $261 for a month.) No wonder places like Soweto still exist.
After our free time ended, we gathered in a hotel meeting room for drinks and a quick talk (about an hour) about the gold, diamond, and precious mineral trade in South Africa, and how it shaped the country’s history and continues to do so today. A historian specializing in South African history (whose name I can’t recall) joined us to provide facts. She was very knowledgeable and knew her stuff. As it turns out, South Africa is one of the richest countries in the world in terms of natural resources. They are among the top producers of gold, diamonds, platinum, and many other precious minerals that keep the world turning. However, much of South Africa’s wealth has been, and still is, owned and exploited by foreign interests.
When she finished, a question-and-answer session followed, and she was joined by Beverleigh, our Johannesburg AmaWaterways specialist. Both were very candid. I asked, “Why, when Mandela took over, considering his relationship with Castro and other socialists, why did he and his party not nationalize the mines and the sources of these other minerals?” Their answer saddened me. The answer that both women gave was that Mandela had to contend with other, mostly Western countries dictating terms to him. If he wanted recognition and support for the new government, then they needed to back off on any thoughts of socialism or nationalization of the white, foreign business interests.
I guess that about sums it up. Our day concluded with the aforementioned dinner conversation. My conclusions, (yes, I know I need to do more research) were that we (the rest of the world) have been exploiting this country and others in Africa and still are, to the detriment of its people. And to make matters worse, while we were in the country for less than two weeks, there were at least two breaking news stories about national corruption in the South African government.
Now that I have said all that, I must tell you that in over 20 years of travel, visiting 55 countries, we have NEVER experienced better service—complete with smiles and genuine graciousness—than the service and caring we received in Southern Africa. These are people who have been downtrodden for so long, yet their spirit is incredible. Some of the hardest working and most joyful people we have ever encountered. Even in Soweto, or in a village just beginning to form alongside a river in Namibia, or among those still living under the shadow of colonialism in Victoria Falls, there was happiness and authentic caring. People going above and beyond to take care of us.
I’m about to step down from my high horse. Please just understand that I (like Ryan Phillipe) have very mixed feelings about Africa, but I completely appreciate the openness and spirit of its people. Let’s wrap this up on a positive note with one more video showing some of those incredible dancers.
PS: I will be back tomorrow with more animals from our four day trip to Tintswalo Safari Lodge just outside Kruger National Park.
