What do you think of when you imagine Africa? Deserts, lions, tigers, and the wilderness? Oh my? That’s what I first thought, but after spending three weeks in Cape Town, George, and various other cities over break, I realized that there is so much more to the beautiful country of South Africa.
The first question most people ask me about my trip is why did I go there in the first place? I was not studying abroad or going on a mission trip, but simply visiting. My very close friend was born in South Africa and at the age of six, she and her family immigrated to the United States. Every few years, her family tries to make a trip to South Africa for three weeks to visit the rest of their family. Over a year ago, they graciously asked me to travel with them and I was beyond thrilled. It was one of the best trips I have ever been on and I could not be more thankful for being so warmly welcomed into their family’s homes.
It is hard to narrow down just a few highlights of the adventure but some of my favorite experiences were definitely a Safari, a tour of Cape Town, and of course, the chance to try many wonderful new foods!
The Safari
Going on a Safari was ten times better than any zoo I have visited. Driving through a national park in Jeep and seeing all the amazing animals was so thrilling.
Cape Town
Cape Town was of my favorite cities during our visit! It is a little touristy, but also very beautiful. We enjoyed fantastic seafood on the waterfront. We also climbled to the top of Table Mountain, which was recently named one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World! I would definitely recommend Cape Town because it beautiful, full of attractions, and also very accommodating to tourists.
Food
When I travel to a different country, I love trying to understand its people’s culture as much as possible. Obviously, cuisine is usually a large aspect of culture, as is the case in South Africa. At almost every meal, I tried something new and different. Because of the warm climate, South Africa has an incredible variety of fresh fruit. A few of my favorites were litchi, passion fruit, and gooseberry. There was also a large selection of meat such as lamb, springbok, kudu (the deer-like animal pictured above), and even ostrich! Everything I tried was delicious; however, I was especially fond of the candies. In addition to all the large American brand candy bars, there were also many new types I had never tried, such as Mint Crisps and Crunchies.
I truly enjoyed my travels in South Africa. There was so much to see and so many new things to try. The people were very kind, welcoming, willing to teach visitors about the country. If you ever get the chance to visit South Africa, definitely take it!