Is Africa on your “bucket list?” It certainly wasn’t on my or my wife’s list, but our children and their lives have provided us the causes and inspiration to go beyond our comfort zone. Our son, Sean, spent his tour in the Peace Corps in Gambia in 2002, and we traveled there with our daughter and her fiance—something she described as “… an adventure, NOT a vacation.” Sean’s job with UNICEF prompted us to travel more than 95,000 miles by air from Gilroy to Kenya, Uganda and Cape Town for marriages, births and medical care in the past three-plus years.
For anyone who would like to visit Africa, Cape Town, South Africa is a terrific place to start for a variety of reasons. First, you can get along fine speaking English virtually anywhere in the country. Second, the current exchange rate from dollars to South African rands is favorable to visitors from the United States. Thirdly, there are no significant issues with water or health, especially in Cape Town where we stayed for two months, one in February (their summer) and one in July (their winter).
If it is wildlife you want, look no further. While Kruger National Park near Johannesburg is top dog, there are countless smaller, private reserves near Cape Town that offer safaris. For a modest amount of money, you can get right up close to a wide range of African wildlife.
We enjoyed an evening/stayover/morning safari at the Aquila Safari for less than $125 per night, with food included. In and around Cape Town are places such as The World of Birds, The Ostrich Farm, The Crocodile Farm and Boulder’s Beach, where you actually can swim with African penguins.
The city itself is very cosmopolitan, with shopping ranging from African markets in downtown on Green Street to the very “high brow” shopping at Victoria and Alfred Waterfront. This metropolitan area of more than 4 million people has stunning views of the famous Table Mountain and its bay. Gorgeous views are also seen from the top of Table Mountain, which towers more than 3,000 feet over the “City Bowl” and is reachable by hiking or a tram that takes you to the top in only a few minutes.
It is an active, outdoorsy sort of place, with bicycle riding, kite surfing, surfing, boating, windsurfing and even a chance to meet a great white shark underwater in a cage—it is you in the cage. We took a small boat out to Robben Island—the prison where Nelson Mandela spent many years—which is currently a memorial to those who were imprisoned there with former prisoners and guards as docents. Who would have thought this would be possible only 20 years after the era of apartheid?
And, to top it all off, the renowned South African wine region in Stellenbosch is only a 45-minute drive from central Cape Town. It is a truly beautiful area, reminiscent of the Napa Valley, yet the landscape is even more dramatic and the wineries older. The Dutch influence is apparent here in the street names and the architecture of the old winery buildings. We tasted wonderful wines, ate terrific food—including ostrich and springbok—and often got to visit wild animal rescue facilities connected to these wineries. Costs of tasting wines are lower than in Napa and about the same as in Gilroy. Most places offer seating while wine tasting, giving a more “homey” feel for visitors.
Cape Town—what’s not to like? Ironically, their summer season has the best flight prices from San Francisco, with our fare in February costing less than $1,500 per person. If you choose to go, watch for good fares, which can range from $1,300 to $6,000 per person, even in economy.
We would recommend this trip for those who, after taking the “Ice Bucket” challenge, want to cross this off their own bucket list.
James Blaschke is a Gilroy resident.
