The Adventure Company: Exploring Solo in South Africa

Our blog entry for this week comes from Rachel Wetten, who recently went to South Africa, to have her very own adventure. Here is what she got up to:

"Hi, my name is Rachel. I'm 30 and have just been on the most amazing trip to South Africa. I did the Kruger, Mountains and Cape trip, which was accommodated.

I originally booked the camping version of the same trip, but was upgraded when it failed to go ahead. I was initially disappointed, but decided to approach it with my typical 'What will be, will be' attitude. A wise decision in hindsight!

I have a friend in Johannesburg, so flew out a couple of days early to spend time with her and her family before the trip started. This was the first trip of this kind I have done and although I have travelled alone before, the thought of meeting and spending 2 1/2 weeks with a group of people I didn't know was rather daunting.......... so I took a deep breath and got on with it!!

From Johannesburg we went to Kruger National Park, via Graskop where we had spend our first night.



It was incredible, the enormity of it, the expanse and the wildlife. It was a truely magical experience to turn a corner and have a giraffe or an elephant or a herd of 60+ water buffalo blocking your path and the only thing you can do is stop and wait for them to move!!





The early morning game drive - starting at 5:30 - was just amazing! By 8:30 we had seen four of the 'Big Five' and much more besides. A cheetah sat on a rock, calling to her babies or mate, is a sight I shall never forget. (I think the guides were rather pleased as well!!)



We stopped for brunch and I had to pinch myself that I was really there, in Kruger, helping to make a fabulous and much anticipated meal of bacon, eggs, beans, mushrooms....... having just seen what I had seen. I couldn't quite believe it!

From Kruger we spent one night in Swaziland, where the electricity failed - but that is another and very long story that added tremendously to the idea of an 'adventure holiday'! - and then on to Mkuzi Black Rhino Reserve.

We took a trip to a local Zulu homestead which is not put on for tourists, but is where this family live, it is their home. It was a very humbling and moving experience for us all and the atmosphere in the bus on the way back was a little subdued.

The meals cooked for us by our wonderful guides were consistently superb and the 'drunken chicken' that second night in Mkuzi was a sight to behold......!



From there we carried on to the Drackensburg Mountains, which were literally breath taking, and awesome, in the true sense of the word. The walk to 'Jacob's Ladder' and subsequent swim in the naturally formed pools by the waterfalls, was just fantastic and something I shall never forget.



From here we had our longest driving day - ten hours in all - passing through Umtata (Mandela's birthplace) and a vast array of scenery down to Kei Mouth, right on the coast. This was a lovely little town, where we stayed for two nights and got our first taste of a South African pub!

We then travelled inland again, spending one night at Addo Elephant Park and then through Tsitsikamma National Park, (home to the world's highest bungee jump, in which I did not partake!!) and back to the coast at Knysna. This is the most spectacularly beautiful town and location. Evidently the clear blue skies and 30'c heat aided the views; but completely stunning!



Here we had our first night eating out and were taken to a lovely Greek restaurant right on the waterfront. After the meal a few of us carried on into the town and further sampled South African pub life, with live music. A very good night!!



After Knysna, we took the Garden Route, via Cape Agulhas, (the southern most point of the African continent and the geographical point at which the Indian and Atlantic Oceans meet - quite spectacular and well worth a visit!) to Hermanus, where we stayed for one night.

The next day we started the final leg of our mammoth 6,500km journey, to Cape Town. We stopped for lunch in Stellenbosch and had the opportunity to sample some locally produced wine. It was the most beautiful place, with stunning architecture and the mountains in the distance. I had to keep taking mental pictures and breathing in the atmosphere, because I knew we only had a matter of days left.

We arrived in Cape Town on Valentines Day and because of this we were 'let loose' for the evening. I spent it in a pub on the Waterfront, eating pizza and watching England lose in a rather spectacular fashion to Wales in the Six Nations!!



The next day we went to Hout Bay and took a boat trip to see the colony of seals who reside there. We then travelled to Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope (the most south westerly point on the continent) We had lunch there and then carried on to Boulders Beach and a large group of African Penguins. I have to say this was rather surreal - to see penguins walking on sand and sun bathing!! But quite lovely!


That night we all went together for our last meal of the trip to the Waterfront in Cape Town. This is the most amazing city, with a veneer of the laid back and relaxed South African lifestyle, but bubbling excitedly underneath. And to turn, where ever you are in the city and see Table Mountain............



Monday was our last day and Table Mountain had been closed both previous days, so when the guides came down for breakfast and informed us it was open, most of us were very pleased.

I, for one, was honestly terrified! I hate heights and the thought of going up 3,500m in a cable car left me literally shaking (really, the entire time we were queuing I was outwardly trembling!) but I was determined to do it.How can you be in Cape Town, have the opportunity and not go up Table Mountain?



So thanks to a very kind and considerate tour guide (you know who you are!) I made it to the top of the mountain! It is, apparently, very common for it to be rather windy on top, but someone was smiling down on me that day, because there was not a whisper..... It was simply incredible!! (And no, I did not take all the pictures, my official photographer must take the credit for these!)



So that was South Africa, well a bit of it and through my eyes, but I can't recommend it highly enough. Take a sense of adventure, a laid back attitude, a lot of good humour and enjoy........... "

Rachel went on our Kruger, Mountains and Cape trip , however The Adventure Company also have nine trips to South Africa. You can find out more on our Adventure Company Website.

Have you been to Africa recently? We'd love to hear about your experience! If you are interested in submitting an entry, please leave a comment, or send us an email using the contact box at the side of the page.

Thanks for reading,
The Adventure Company

The Adventure Company: Tour Guide Entry: South Africa

This month our blog comes from Francois Senekal, a tour guide with The Adventure Company.

He gives us an insight of what he sees on a day to day basis, and even shows us some juicy video content which shows birth, death, and mother nature at its very best....

"Hello there!,

I am a tour leader for The Adventure Company in Southern Africa, and wanted to let you know a little more about what I do, and what you can expect from tour guides when you are here.

I am not able to get online very often, but I am in-between tours this week and thought that I would show you some videos that I have taken on some of the tours that I have led in Southern Africa



The above video was taken in Etosha National Park in northern Namibia. We visited Etosha on the The Cape To Victoria tour. Etosha is the prime game viewing area on Namibia.



Etosha means "Great White Place" and it is dominated by a massive mineral pan which takes up about a quarter of the National Park. The pan was originally a lake fed by the Kunene River, however the course of the river changed thousands of years ago and the lake dried up.



But the perennial springs along the edges of the Etosha Pan draw large concentrations of wildlife. There are numerous species of antelope present in the park, large concentrations of elephant and the ever present, predators.



This video of Springbok giving birth was taken on an early morning game drive. Springbok time their birth to coincide with the start of the rainy season to ensure that there is sufficient grazing to raise their young.

Springbok also have the ability to delay the birth of their lambs so that the conditions are perfect to give the young the best chance of survival. The herd also time the births so that all of the pregnant females calf within a few days of each other.



This is vital because “safety in numbers” is the strategy for survival. By “flooding the market” with young, the idea is that the predation of the young will not have an adverse effect on the population.

The group who witnessed this birth said it was one of the highlights of the tour. It is not often that one gets to see a wild animal giving birth. The females usually head off to a secluded spot.



This video was taken in Savuti in Botswana. The parks of Botswana are a wildlife paradise, and the game viewing in the parks is, in my opinion, the best in Africa.

On a morning game drive we came across 2 lionesses. They were moving with purpose through the bush (most sighting of lions are of them sleeping) so we knew that something interesting was going to happen. All of the lionesses, stopped, crouched and started stalking. We could not see what had taken their interest.



Being on a “hunt” with lions is an amazing experience. The tension and excitement that you can see in the lions is instantly mirrored in your own emotions. The adrenalin starts pumping, vision and hearing become sharper – it feels that you are actually taking part in the hunt!




Out of nowhere this warthog emerged. It saw the lions and started running. It did not have much chance. The lions were on it in a few seconds and it was over. It is amazing how quickly these life and death struggles unfold in the bush.



Soon after the adults had the warthog down, and under control, the cubs appeared. During the excitement of the hunt we had not even noticed the cubs hiding behind a bush. I only managed to get my camera out of my bag after the chase. It’s a pity that I did not catch the whole sequence on film but I was not interested in my camera while the drama was unfolding.



Watching a kill is an emotional experience. Some in the group felt for the warthog, while others were supporting the lions. Either way, this is nature at it’s most raw, and definitely puts things in perspective for us humans in our very safe living environment.



I hope that you enjoy these videos. Working as a guide means that I am exposed to these daily dramas in the bush many times, but it always excites me, and I love showing people the many wonders that are in Southern Africa.

I hope to see you on tour sometime soon, and when I am close to a computer with internet access, I hope to send some more interesting videos.

Francois Senekal
Tour Leader
Southern Africa."



You can come across Springbok on two of The Adventure Company tours to South Africa. The Cape To Victoria tour and the Cape Desert Delta tour include visits to the Victoria Falls, the Namib Desert and lots of exciting wildlife during their 24 day itineraries.



Check out Lions and travel through waterways by riding in mokoros (dugout canoes) on the Delta to Victoria Falls tour.

Follow a similar route and even swing by to see elephants in their natural environment on the Okavango to Victoria Falls tour

Thanks for reading
The Adventure Company
"Adventure is our middle name"

The Adventure Company: Nature’s Great Events on BBC.

Here at The Adventure Company, we clearly love mother nature, and hold a special place in our hearts for the animal world too. Therefore, we are naturally very excited about the latest show to hit the BBC, because Nature’s Great Events is going to knock the socks off the average nature programme.

Using the most up-to-date technology, the show has captured the earths most dramatic and epic wildlife spectacles, and the animals, which feature in them. Whilst these have been filmed many times before this is the first time that such grand migrations and occurrences have been captured in such detail.

If you have digital, you can also watch the series on BBC HD, and really marvel at the detail. This is because they have used cutting-edge aerial, underwater and ultra slow-motion filming techniques. For geeky fans amongst you, the series also used a rare and unique camera- a FrankenCam, a motion-control macro camera developed by Ammonite Films and capable of shooting extreme close-ups of tiny subjects.

Everyone’s favourite naturalist, David Attenborough also narrates the series. You can watch the first programme this Wednesday (11th February) from 9pm-10pm on BBC One.



Episodes are set in the most glorious of settings including the Okavango Delta in Africa, the Arctic, and the northern Pacific Ocean.

The first episode of the series focuses around springtime in the Arctic where everything begins to melt and thaw. The episode focuses on the challenges polar bears face as their habitat is thrown into disarray, and how others such as the arctic fox, beluga whales and flocks of birds adapt so well to the climate change,

This particular episode was also filmed during the largest “Great Melt” ever recorded, as during the lengthy filming 400,000 square miles of extra ice disappeared. We first see the baby and mum polar bear here as they look for food, and the episode also focuses on the Hudson Bay bears as they fight, out of hunger.



Aerial camera also follow a large group of narwhals as they travel along giant cracks in the ice, a nail biting mission due to the fact that if the ice slides shut, they would suffocate. Beluga whales provide one of the most light-hearted moments of the show as hundreds gather in shallow rivers to rub themselves on smooth pebbles and gently exfoliates away their year old skin.

Other episodes also focus around The Great Salmon Run which follows the 500 million salmon who travel 20,000 miles to return to the exact patch of gravel in the river from which they were born they fight to make it up river along the way, dodging the prey who want them as their next dinner before they finally spawn and die. Revolutionary camera film 100 times faster than normal and slow motion shots show specific hunting techniques the bears use.



The Great Migration follows the huge amounts of wildebeest, zebras and gazelles as they migrate across Tanzania’s Serengeti Plains. Using a gyro-stabilised helicopter mount, the team captures the action as the herds fight the odds and an erupting volcano whose billowing smoke and ash is hot on their trail.

The Great Tide tracks the hundreds of millions of sardines who are on the search of warmer waters in South Africa and the reams of ocean hunters, including dolphins, sharks and whales who are waiting for them.



The Great Flood tracks herds of elephants as they try to find water in the Kalahari Desert, and then have to adapt again as the Okavango Delta floods. Finally The Great Feast focuses on Alaska and British Columbia as the increased sunlight brings a wealth of nature including sea lions and whales. Using advance camera techniques the programme checks the growth of phytoplankton, which are the basis of all life in this vast area.



The Adventure Company also has a few tours, which take you to the same areas, and let you witness these fascinating events yourself.

There are 6 Arctic expedition trips to choose from, alongside our Serengeti Explorer Tour and we also offer 9 Tours To South Africa

Did you encounter any cool wildlife on your latest Adventure Company trip? If so, leave us a comment or let us know!
Thanks for reading
The Adventure Company

The Adventure Company: Family Trip To South Africa!

Our latest blog comes from Eleanor, who travelled to South Africa to take part in our Rainbow Nation Family Holiday. Below are a few highlights of her trip:

"Our South African holiday has to be our best ever family holiday..

The Soweto tour was a wonderful start. Almost straight away we got invited to join a party. Some of the teenagers were a bit dubious about the food on offer, but we all appreciated the friendly welcome. It was a Sunday and we were all amazed at the number of churches and people dressed in their Sunday best.

Mandela’s and Desmond Tutu’s old houses were a must as was The Hector Peterson Museum. My daughter and I had recently watched a documentary about the schools uprising in 1974 and I was moved to watch her take her 13 year old brother under her wing to explain what had happened there. We were also all invited to meet Queen Elizabeth of Soweto.



The visit to the Shangana village was another special day. The kids were invited to blow the welcome horn and some of them even managed to make a noise!



They then got a chance to join in a dance with some of the local children.



Kruger cannot fail to delight. Our list of animals and birds seen grew to about 30 including all the ones you would expect – elephant, giraffe, monkeys, 57 varieties of antelope! But the special highlight was seeing not one but 2 leopards with cubs.

Our driver Khosa deserves special praise for not only having amazing game spotting skills (something he puts down to the effect on his eyes of the smoke from so many nights round camp fires!), but also for his limitless patience in helping us all to pick out the leopards that were so well camouflaged in the trees.



The bats at a café we stopped at one day were another unexpected treat:



Another real plus was simply life on the road. Not just for the places we saw but travelling itself because this was where the teenagers really started to gel as a group, due to them having to help with the chores – loading the vehicles, cooking and washing up.

I know some children are very outgoing and can make friends almost instantly but my two are quite shy and having to work together as a group really helped to break the ice. So much so, that the seating pattern in the minibus changed after that, with all the youngsters at the back playing games while all the adults got the seats near the front. My children are still in touch with the friends they made on this trip via facebook.



We didn’t make our fortunes gold panning but it was lots of fun.



Swaziland was another big hit with old and young alike. Even I enjoyed the market - and I am well known for hating shopping in all its forms.



After the market we went on to Malolotja – a magical place where the youngsters got to scramble over some amazing boulders as the sun set.



I think we were all a little sad to say goodbye to the wild places and head for the coast but Umhlanga (pronounced Umshlanga) was a good place to chill, enjoy the beach and some more upmarket facilities. The sea was warm enough for some of the group, despite being August and therefore winter.



It was also good to enjoy the freedom to wander without our tour guides and there was still wildlife to be found in the rockpools for those who wanted to.



We had chosen to include the Cape Town extension and were very glad we did as it is such a colourful city in every respect.



We were lucky enough to see Table Mountain without its ‘tablecloth’ of cloud and enjoyed seeing the penguins at Boulders Beach. But the things that really stand out in my mind were the visit to Robben Island where Nelson Mandela spent so many years and the District Six Museum.

After such a wonderful trip we can’t wait to do another!"

Eleanor and her family travelled with us on the Rainbow Nation Family Holiday.

Please check the website for the latest pricing, availability and a full itinerary!

Thanks for reading,
The Adventure Company
"Adventure is our middle name"