From Naples to Africa

Lisa Speller
Luxury Travel Advisor

I first traveled to Africa in 2016 after raising my paddle in a live charity auction during a golf tournament to bid on a safari. I came home from that charity event on a euphoric high, prize package in hand, and, after a year of advance planning, we embarked on an adventure that turned out to be the best vacation we ever had!

We arrived in Cape Town, South Africa for three days of pre-safari exploration. We strolled the vibrant modern Victoria & Albert Waterfront, photographed the colorful architecture of the Jewish quarter, hiked the colorful Kirstenbosch Gardens, rode the cable car ride up Table Mountain and cruised the stunning coast and countryside stretching down to the Cape of Good Hope, where we spotted our first wild baboons, ostrich and penguins.

We spoiled ourselves with fresh oysters for breakfast daily, drank outstanding, inexpensive local wines and dined in a selection of modern, sophisticated restaurants offering cutting edge farm to table fresh ingredients.

Our guide enlightened us about South African politics, the history of Apartheid, Nelson Mandela’s tragedy and triumph and the country’s current struggles beyond the tourist’s gaze.

From Cape Town, we drove to the Cape Winelands where we visited multiple worldclass wineries and tasted our way through the stunning hillside vineyards and valleys of Stellenbosch and Franschhoek. The wines of South Africa are delicious, the hospitality world-class and the dramatic scenery is spellbinding!

From the Cape Winelands we flew to the east coast near Zululand, where we spent two luxurious nights on the wild Indian Ocean at The Oyster Box Hotel. The Oyster Box Hotel transports you to old world British Colonial glamour. A national treasure, the Oyster Box is popular with those in the know for afternoon tea and the weekly curry dinner, which is not to be missed!

Our finale was a five-night safari in Zululand, which included a combination of Safari conservations and accommodations in Hemmingway-style tents as well as a traditional Safari Lodge. Our tent was heavy canvas mounted on a platform, with all the comforts of a hotel room including a king bed, electricity, running water and a private ensuite bathroom.

Here we were one with nature. Animals roamed freely around us and seemed accustomed to humans being in their wild kingdom. Our first game drive was an adrenaline rush as we encountered zebras, elephants, giraffes, cape buffalo and rhinos in our first few hours in the bush.

When the stars came out at night, we settled into bed, our adrenaline remaining high, and were startled by the clamor of galloping hoofs, it seemed, right through our tent! My husband jumped out of bed, peered out the tent, and spotted a herd of zebra charging by, their white stripes glowing in the moonlight. So magical a moment, I would argue they were unicorns! We woke the next morning to marvel at the muddy monkey prints all over our front porch, andpictured them trying to break into our tent, and scavenge for the biltong, spiced nuts and apples we stashed in our backpacks.

Over the next five spectacularly memorable days, our Safari guides and trackers maneuvered miles of bumpy dirt roads winding through African bush to search for the big five. We were endlessly surprised by hundreds of wild elephants, zebra, giraffe, lions, leopards, hyenas, rhino, cape buffalo, kudu, nyala, monkeys, wild boar, baboons and ostrich. The animal behavior we witnessed up close within sometimes inches of our safari jeep was mesmerizing, and the photos and videos we captured, priceless.

Africa is captivating. It is a destination that remains in your heart and beckons you to return. Since that first journey, I not only returned to South Africa with my husband, I also have had the incredible opportunity to experience Kenya, Tanzania, Namibia, Gambia, Angola, Ghana, Senegal, the Ivory Coast, and Morocco.

Where to next? Gorilla trekking in Uganda or Rwanda.

Lisa is a professional travel advisor affiliated with Preferred Travel & Company.

Contact Lisa Spiller: Lisa@PreferredNaples.com 239-261-1177