Most Inspirational Moment
The things that stood out for me were seeing leopard in the Kruger and lying awake in the tent listening to lions roaring in the surrounding bush [I hope that they were further away than they sounded!!], watching a group of rhino walk by the waterhole close to the campsite in Swaziland [they really were almost close enough to touch], the gorge walk in the Drakensberg, Lesotho [an unbelievably beautiful mountain kingdom - it was great to get out and walk through the countryside and the local village to see ancient bushman art], Tsitsikamma [a campsite right on the shoreline, so the constant sound of waves breaking, the chance to see dolphins swimming past, and a wonderful walk along the shoreline to a waterfall] and finally Capetown. All amazing, and each one worth seeing in its own right. But what was truly inspirational was seeing Robben Island and Nelson Mandela's cell and then standing underneath the balcony in Grand Parade picturing him raising his fist and shouting "Amandla" when he was finally released. Don't miss out on either.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Rob was an excellent tour leader - knowledgeable, competent, very hard working, good on the logistics and excellent at spotting game. You could ask him anything - if he couldn't immediately identify something that you had seen [which was rare], or give you an answer to a question, he would find it out pretty quickly and come back to you. He was easy going and good company, making sure that he spent time talking to everyone, yet maintained a quiet authority over the group such that everything ran smoothly and everyone was generally in the right place at the right time. However, he was only one element of an excellent team of four [expertly aided and abetted by Sifiso, Tallis and Petros] who all worked really well together. All four of them pitched in and did whatever was needed - driving the bus, pitching and dismantling the camp and cooking excellent and varied meals. The four of them worked tirelessly to make sure that we were all able to sit back and enjoy ourselves to the maximum.
Advice for Potential Travellers
The general concensus is that the trip is best done from Joburg to Cape Town, which is a great place to end up in. My one real regret is that I didn't add on some extra time there at the end of the trip - there wasn't enough time to cover everything that I wanted to see and do, and Cape Town is a very cool city where it would be good to spend a few days after the trip ends. I would definitely recommend doing so.Travel light - there are plenty of opportunities to get laundry done easily and cheaply [notably Bilene in Mozambique and Lesotho] and it is unnecessary to haul around a large and heavy bag. A lot of the hotel/guest house accommodation is on first floors, and it is so much better if you can carry your own bag up and down the stairs.Don't be put off by the camping - most of the campsites are in stunning locations, and it really is the best way to enjoy the landscape. The tents are put up and taken down for you, and the beds are really comfortable. Similarly, don't be put off by the thought of a day of walking in the Drakensberg. The gorge walk passes through amazing scenery and is really not to be missed - although it ascends gradually on the way there, it is mostly contouring, and there isn't a huge gain in height, so not particularly strenuous. Finally, as the trip notes say, there are some long driving days. But they are a necessary part of covering all the ground and seeing different places, and are usually enjoyable in their own right because of the ever changing scenery that you are passing through, and the one-off spots - baboons, antelope and mountain zebra by the roadside and the people and villages that you pass by. There are plenty of coffee/toilet/leg stretching stops. Sit back and enjoy it, take an iPod to listen to and a book for the rare occasions when you don't want to just sit and take in the scenery.
