We undertook this voyage in South Africa with our friend Josette with whom we had done the Lofoten islands in 1997.
This country is famous dangerous and to undertake to do it independently claimed a preparation without fault.
Each stage was calculated not to arrive at the night falling into our place from lodging which had been reserved by
Internet or by fax. We did not want to return back from this part of the world without visiting the Victoria falls (video),
it was done the first day of our arrival. Our plane landed in Johannesburg and we took the correspondence
for the falls. We bought a package because we did not find a plane ticket to go to the
falls and the price of this 2 nights escapade was the most important station of our budget.
We took again the plane for Johannesburg where we remained because we did not have correspondence for Upington.
The next morning, we flew away for Upington and travelled by our rented car reserved on Internet.
We went directly to Twee Rivieren in Kalahari Gemsbok National Park. At the time one could
to correspond by Internet with the national parks but the reservation of lodging must be made by fax???
PLACES WHERE WE STAID
KALAHARI GEMSBOK NATIONAL PARK
This national park is the most important of East Africa because it also extends on Botswana with a surface from 3,6 million
hectares. The gemsbok or oryx is the attraction of the park but one meets there also all the large predatory ones like the lion,
the cheetah or the leopard.
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For our first stay in South Africa, we appreciated our lodging with Twee Rivieren. We made a night excursion without seeing only one predator. |
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the horns of the gemsbok are frightening |
and vis-a-vis a lion, the combat is balanced. |
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The springbok is the only gazelle of South Africa. |
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The gnou is an antelope. These ritual combat , never dangerous, are made to indicate the male dominating. |
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the bubale is recognized by its horns in the shape of quadrant. It would have its streaked flesh and would not be worried too much by the predators. |
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The ostrich is largest of the birds but it does not fly. On the other hand, the bustard of Kauri is the largest flying bird from Africa.
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thousands of tisserins live in these Community nests. |
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thousands of tisserins fly of one tree to the other |
From Twee Rivieren, we went to Augrabies Falls where we remained 2 nights.
AUGRABIES FALLS
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the Orange river |
Here, it makes a jump of 191 meters |
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there is only the “Quiver tree” which can grow in this arid landscape where the temperature often exceeds the 40° celsius |
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The daman of the rocks would be the animal which would resemble more with the elephant. Gestation lasts 7 months what is surprising for an animal of this size. |
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the oréotrague is a small antelope which does not exceed 60cm
with a weight of 12kg |
From Augrabies Falls, we set out again for the airport of Upington where we returned our car before taking
our plane for Johannesburg. We did not have correspondence for Skukuza in the park Kruger and we went
in a hotel near the airport. The next morning, we took our
plane for Skukuza and took possession of a rented car which we will keep until Durban.
KRUGER PARK
Large like 2 times Corsica, the Kruger park is the field of “BIG FIVE” to knowing:
the buffalo, the elephant, the rhinoceros, the lion and the leopard.
We saw 4 of them . We scaned each tree but we did not see a leopard.
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Here are 4 of the 5 large big five met in the Kruger park. We even were likely to film the hippopotamuses on the ground closes what is very rare during the day. The rhinoceroses met were white. Some years ago they were threatened of disappearance, to day it is the black rhinoceros which is in the process of disappearance.
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Living in groups, the baboons live more on ground than in the trees. The meetings of delousings allow to reinforce the bonds between the members of the community. The Vervet monkey, with gray peeling has the arms of same length that legs. |
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This large mammal appreciates the high sheets of the acacias.
The giraffe can reach 6 meters in height and its neck of 2 meters comprise the same number of vertebrae as a man. |
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It is the zebra of Burchell which exists in the Kruger park.
In the Kruger Park, we do not attend the massive migrations as in Tanzania or in Kenya. Here groups do not exceed 30 individuals . |
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Impala |
Cob de Fassa |
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the Kudu |
Some antelopes met in the park: the fastest impala, and most elegant The cob which is recognized with its tail surrounded by a peeling of white hairs. The recognizable kudu with its horns with broad whorls, its dorsal bump and parallel white scratches on its peeling. |
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The mottled hyena awaits wisely the end of the meal of the lions. |
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The phacochere is the wild pig of Africa. Its very developed canines are used it to be defended against its predatory: the lion and the leopard. |
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the guinea fowl is originating in Africa |
the calao |
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an eagle |
the vulture located a died impala |
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It will be attacked in first with the tender parts like the eyes |
The vulture will wait until the other predatory ones like
mottled hyena break the animal before continuing its meal. |
Mount Sheba Hotel
The African southern tourist bureau in Paris warmly recommended us to remain in Mount Sheba Hôtel,
a "relais et chateau", located beside the small village of Pilgrim's Rest. From there, we visited
Blyde River Canyon and Mac Mac Falls
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Pilgrim' S Rest, the rest of the pilgrim was the theatre of the gold rush in 1873. The site was exploited until 1972.
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The hotel is located within the Veld mountains. The evenings were cold and the fire of chimney was welcomed. It is a place very appreciated by the South African and the restaurant is excellent. We ate one there cheese Roquefort worthy of ours. |
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The falls of the river Mac Mac bear their name because many prospectors shelled who worked here at the time of the gold rush. |
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Bourke's Luck Potholes |
God's Windows |
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the 3 Rondavels (huts) |
On a route of 26 km along Blyde River Canyon,
you have the possibility of discovering the potholes, windows of god and the 3 rondavels who looks like the Zulus huts . |
M'KUZE GAME RESERVE
From Mount Sheba Hotel, we went in the small kingdom of Swaziland and we slept in Ezulwini
in a hotel of chain SUN. The following day, we finished the crossing of Swaziland and arrived in
Zulu country and in the park Me Kuze Game Reserve.
 the guinea fowl |
 the lorie |
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an ibis |
More than 350 species of different birds live in the reserve |
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the zebras of Burchell |
the Nyala antilope |
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the Nyala |
M'kuze Game Reserve offers observatories arranged near water points. It is in this park that we met the Nyala antelope for the first time. |
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a couple of Kudus |
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This white rhinoceros is common in the park. It is distinguished black rhinoceros by the shape of its jaw. Square for white rhinoceros, it is made for brouter the grass, whereas the black rhinoceros has a pointed jaw which allows him brouter sheets of the shrubs. Name “WHITE” does not have absolutely nothing to see with the color who is similar for both. It is a mistranslation. “Wide”, was translated by “White”, white. The white Rhinoceros is 2 times larger than the black rhinoceros.
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Before presenting at the point water, the giraffe supervises its environment. The attitude of the giraffe when it drunk makes it vulnerable to the predators. But the fact of putting out one's tongue shows the great pleasure of having appeased its thirst. |
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a gnou which is watered |
2 Vervet monkeys |
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hippopotamuses in the lake Msumu |
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the vultures share the remainders of a gnou died since a certain time because of the odor which emerged around. |
HLUHLUWE AND UMFOLOZI GAME RESERVES
In Kwazulu Natal, we also visited the park Hluhluwe - Umfolozi, which is regarded as the second park
from South Africa after the Kruger park for the richness of his fauna.
 Park view fromHilltop |
 the Lodge Mtwazi |
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our living room |
In Hilltop, we remained in Mtwazi Lodge which was residence of the first director of the park. |
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There is about thirty years, the white rhinoceros was in way of extinction and one did not see it any more except in the park of Umfolozi. On these 3 sights of rhinoceros, you distinguish the jaw square white rhinoceros.
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A group of young Impala males |
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A group of Impala females |
with their dominating male |
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the Gnous |
a Vervet monkey |
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a phacochere |
Nyala |
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the great Kudu |
a baboon |
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buffaloes |
the ombrette |
ZULU PEOPLE
After our stay at Hilltop, we went to Shakaland, a village or "Zulu kraal" reconstituted for the needs of
televised series Zulu Shaka. Zulu king Shaka is regarded by African as Napoleon. He has constrained them
young men to carry out a military service, it modified the warlike techniques in use at its time while equipping
each warrior with a long shield in skin of cow and a shorter lance. He used the strategy of surrounding
said “horn of buffalo”: the attack on the sides to weaken the center and to gain the battle. English underwent
most severe correction of the colonial history on January 21, 1879 with 1300 died on the British side and undoubtedly
2 to 3000 Zulu side. King Shaka will finish his reign assassinated by his half brother. Shakaland belongs to
southern African hotels Protea which made a place where the Zulu culture is explained to the tourists. Lodging
be carried out in the huts. We did not have place in Shakaland and the Protea hotels directed us towards another
Zulu village,Simunye, a more authentic village.
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For many bus of tourists who visit this place, the Zulus are proud to present their culture and their traditions to us.
Principal attraction is the tribal dance which takes place several times per day.
Click on the picture to see the movie
SIMUNYE
We arrived in front of a small dilapidated building where we left our car and took some luggage
and especially our battery loaders.
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We were not never ridden on a horse and chose the oxcart to go to to the camp where we were
accomodated by Mr Louis, Zulu, the administrator of the camp
Mr Louis
Then, it was the attribution of the rooms, comfortable beds, but candles to light, not windows, a water room
without running water. A great surprise!!!!
At the restaurant, we appreciated the Zulu cooking
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In the sunrise, Mr Louis joined together us to explain us the culture Zulu and we drank the Zulu beer.
At the night, we assisted at an exceptional tribal dance, but unfortunately without lighting for good to film it.
After the spectacle, we were entitled to the restaurant with its specialities and the next morning at 6 a.m., hot water was
poured in the bath-tub dug in the stone with a light breakfast in the room before
to return to the restaurant for a copious breakfast.
The chance made us discover the camp of Simunye but we let us have still today an excellent memory of it.
GO THERE!!!!!
We leave the camp of Simunye to return to us to the airport of Durban where we returned our car
and taken the plane for Port Elizabeth where we rented a new car that we will return to the Cape.
ADDO ELEPHANT
From Elizabeth Port, we went to Addo Eléphant where we remained. On the road, we have
seen the townships made famous sadly for the period of apartheid. At the beginning of the 20th century,
the elephants are regarded as a calamity by the colonists who sharpen a professional hunter
Pretorius to eliminate them. Its success was complete but the public opinion is moved and obtained creation of
national park Addo Elephant in 1931 with the 11 survivors. Today the park of 9000 hectares is saturated
with more than 200 pachyderms. This is made possible with the density of the vegetation and with the food value of the tree
“spekboom”. The elephants are difficult to see because of the vegetation and it is necessary to settle early the morning near
of a water point to observe them.
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Click on the picture to see the movie
 The ostricht male is recognizable by its black feathers |
 The feathers of the female are maroon |
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The bubale |
The Serpent eater |
East of Cape Province
FromAddo Elephant, we went to Drostdy hotel at Graaff Reinet . To go there,
we passed by Cradock to see Mountain Zébra National Park without seeing the famous zebra of the mountains.
the historical city of Graaff Reinet
It is starting from Graaff Reinet that you visit the valley of desolation in Karoo Nature Reserve
Here, you could make a film of western
We then joined the Jardin road by the bridge Paul Sauerr
We remained 2 nights with Knysna and made the excursion at the day of the island of Featherbed.
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Sight of Knysna and its area from the island of Featherbed.
From Knysna, we travelled towards George, the end of the Jardin road. Many tours operator go on
road Jardin, but for us it was the least interesting part of our voyage. It is an edge of sea, undoubtedly very snuffed
by the South-African ones. We, we were sensitive to the flowers which decorated the beautiful residences and all that recalled us
a landscape already seen in France. Of George, we were in Oudtshoorn, the capital of the breeding of ostriches and discovered
hills of small Karoo.
It is in small Karoo that the very pretty house of Jans and Almeri Rautenbach is located. We met a lot of difficulties
to find it. We telephoned several times at Jans to ask him for the road and ended up finding the house late in the evening
where awaited us Jans and Almeri and an English family which remained this evening in Oulap .
Jans is a producer of African southern cinema and it made build a modern house decorated with old pieces of furniture
and a collection of African southern art. Today it organizes exposures for the young painters of the
underprivileged communities.
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Jans et Almeri offer a excellent hospitality to their guests. They prepared us a meal with the products of their country like
the springbok. And wines… Marvellous!!!!! during the meal, Jans animated the conversation and the principal subject was Europe
with the entry of the single currency, the euro. Jans favoured very this idea. We keep still today
an immense memory of this evening passed with Oulap. A very good address. Do not missing if you pass in
in the area. From Oulap, we were in Stellenbosch while passing by the caves of Kango.
Around the Cape of Good Hope
In Stellenbosch, we remained 2 nights in Caledon Villa, an excellent address. Johan and Ode Krige received
us with heat and much attention and Johan were proud to present the living room to us where are exposed the
paintings of the Krige family on 9 generations. From Stellenbosch, we drived on the wine trail until Franschhoek,
where we visited the huguenot museum which shows the influence of the French vine growers in this area of the world.
We are ridden to the table mountaintable to discover the city of the Cape, then we travelled towards Houtbay,
a small fishing port where we spent the night. We intended to go on the cruise of the island to the seals but,
unfortunately we were there at the bad season.
 the small port of Houtbay |
 pont of view from the Chapman Road |
Houtbay is dominated by Chapman' S Peak. The road which skirts the hill is called “Chapman Road”. While following this
road you arrive in the natural reserve of the Cape of Good Hope, famous for the richness of the flora of which proteas
the flower emblem of South Africa.
 Cape point |
 Cape Point |
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the good hope cape |
the road finishes at Cape Point, a place with the high cliffs. We took the way which skirts the sea and who arrives at the Cape of Good Hope. |
We took again the road for Simon' S Town, a small village where a colony of penguins resides.
and we finished by Hermanus, a place where the whales are visible from the coast.
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