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Day 6 - Richard's Bay Overnight The day started off with some confusion. In the daily it noted that guests had to take the shuttle to a mall as we were not allowed to walk in the port area What it didn't say was that if you had a private tour arranged your tour company probably had clearance to pick you up right at the ship. It also didn't say that the shuttle could also drop you off at the gate (port entrance) if that was where you were meeting your private tour - that was announced over the PA. Our tour picked us up right at the ship but we needed to make some last minute emails to figure out where we were meeting. Also - note the 2nd paragraph. We did have a bottle of wine with dinner last night - because of this regulation they could not leave the bottle on the table but would come and refill as needed. We also had the complimentary sparkling wine still in our cabin - it was not removed. Really not sure what this is about. So the port is very industrial. The decks are closed for walking "due to dust" - you can see the coal right beside the ship For this port we again join autotripper (Rosie) from our roll call who has coordinated this tour. The cost was 4200 rand pp. (there was only 4 of us). It includes all entrance fees & lunch with pickup & drop off at the port. The tour is of the wetlands @ iSemangalso Park & 2 hour Hippo & Crocodile boat cruise, It's about a 1 hour drive to St Lucia where the Park and boat cruise take place. There is really not that much to see on the drive. We kept busy by chatting. **Tip - bring tissue paper & hand sanitizer. Sometimes the bathrooms don't have running water - sometimes no toilet paper ** We arrive at the wetland park We drive around the park and see the grasslands, the wetlands, the beach and the coastal forest - which is what gave it unesco world heritage site We also see some animals on the drive around the park. This is a kudu but we see water buffalo, hippos, a rhino, red darker, wart hogs and several birds. We stop for picnic lunch at Vidal Beach We also stop at Mission Rock Beach - short walk to the coast but uneven Mission Rock Beach - pristine- no one else there but us We were probably in the park for about 3 hours total. We then head to the hippo boat cruise. We are on the last sailing - 4p and there are online 6 people on the boat. It was like we chartered the boat for a private sailing. We start with the safety briefing Throughout the cruise there are announcements pointing out birds, interesting vegetation. And of course we see many hippos We see no crocodiles - apparently they are rarely seen. Our cruise is over and we drive about 1 hr back to the ship. Thoughts on this tour: On this tour the tour guide was more on a driver than a guide - he did point out/tell us about animals on the game drive. But did not share any information about the town of St Lucia, interesting things on the drive to and from the port. At one point we drove by a tree farm - we would have not known it was a farm but Rosie & her husband knew about it and shared their knowledge on how they work. I did enjoy the hippo tour as on our safari we did not get as close to the hippos as on this tour. I am glad we saw the wetlands but even though we saw a couple of animals we hadn't seen before, the game drive portion was underwhelming....but only because we had an amazing precruise safari. If you have had some great animal viewing you may want to skip the game drive portion and replace it with something else. Having said that - still an enjoyable day & good company!

Freestyle Daily - Day 5

Day 5 - Sea Day Today we get notification that on Day 7 everyone on board will have to meet face to face with South African Immigration for the departure process - our next stop after Day 7 is Namibia If you are in a suite/haven your meeting time is 6am - this is the rest of the schedule And this is what the departure form you have to fill out looks like I wonder if we will have to meet with them again when we come back to South Africa? Just some other random things.... South Africa has rolling black outs - they have no power for 2 hours (or so) 4 times/day. It never really impacted us as most of the tourist spots have generators. The bank machines in Cape Town have a low maximum amount that you can withdraw - some as low as 2000 rand (approx 116 usd)- the largest maximum we found was 8000 rand.(approx 465 usd). If need a lot of cash to pay for tours you may want to exchange your money before you come. At the Table Bay Hotel we gave a credit card (as we always do) to cover any room charges. They actually charge your card & then reverse the charges if you didn't use it. We lost $2 in the exchange when the charges were reversed. You do not have to give a credit card - they actually didn't ask for it - I offered bc just used to doing that. If the Robben Island tour is a "must do" for you. Do not leave it unti your last day in Cape Town. We were speaking with a couple who had planned to do the tour on Jan 15th - the day we left Cape Town. All sailings were cancelled due to rough seas (that explains why I was sea sick on the first night). We boarded on the 14th - but had an overnight. I was wondering if people could check in on the 15th - they coud but the process did not look smooth. You had to carry your luggage (through security) all the way to the ship - it looked a little chaotic. Crowd with bags/passports checking in on day 2

The only thing that was required by South Africa at the time we travelled was a Yellow Fever Vaccine - but only if you are coming from a high risk country (that includes a >12hr layover in an airport). Fortunately North America is not on the list! We are taking the anti-malaria pills but only because we did that pre cruise safari (Kruger park and the surrounding areas are considered high risk). If we were only doing the cruise ports we may not have taken them - all the ports are either low risk or malaria free. We would just have put on insect repellent. We haven't seen one mosquito since leaving the safari. We also have Hep A & B, & typhoid from previous travels. I think those are the "extras" you may want to consider. But of course talk to you health care practitioner But do bring immodium and pepto-bismol. They were a HUGE life saver early in our trip.

Day 4 - Freestyle Daily

Day 4 - Port Elizabeth A popular excursion at this port is the Addo Elephant Park - we purposely did not book anything for this port until our Safari was done because if we didn't see enough elephants we would have booked this tour. Our roll call had a couple of private tours happening to this elephant park - hopefully one (or more) can review their experiences. They seemed like pretty good tours. Unfortunately when we went to book something else - all NCL shore excursions were sold out and we were unable to secure a tour with local travel guides - fully booked. It could be bc there was another ship in port. The port itself is very industrial - nothing to do right outside the ship. A cruise critic member from the Jan 2nd sailing gave us a heads up on our roll call. They reported that 2 cruisers were walking just outside the port and were mugged - taking everything including their passports. NCL provided a free shuttle to the Boardwalk Mall- just to have something to do we took it. The bus is not airconditioned - windows are open and when in motion it is cool enough. About a 20 minute drive. These signs were on every 3rd window or so on the bus Just as you leave the port area - this is what the neighborhood looks like - my guess is this is where those cruisers were mugged. Many boarded up storefronts, trash on the road The neighborhood the mall is in is manicured and appears to be a safer area. But like any big city - even the safe areas can be unsafe - always just be aware. We did google Port Elizabeth & it's supposed to be the safest city in South Africa - Cape Town is #2. The mall itself is on the smaller side - I think I saw a sign that there are about 90 stores. And that was our day in Port Elizabeth - in retrospect we should have booked an NCL excursion and then cancelled if we were going to join one of the roll call tours of the elephant park. I just didn't think that every single excursion would be sold out.

Day 3 - Mossel Bay Private Helicopter excursion This excursion was coordinated by a fellow cruise critic member (from our roll call) autotripper (aka Rosie) and we just showed up! Thank you again Rosie for being our personal shore excursion coordinator ( we are joining her for 2 more). So lets get into the day...... this is a tender port. The tender takes about 15 minutes - it was very choppy in both directions, but I think worse in the morning. The port itself is very industrial - no shopping/coffee shop to be seen. We are a little early - meeting time was 9am - our guide arrives and it's about a 20 minute car ride to the helicopter site. Rosie booked us with Mossel Bay Helicopters- she did a custom tour but they have many different tours available - their webisite is : mosselybayhelicopters.co.za Each helicopter seats 3 passengers - for our tour you paid 15,500 rand per helicopter. Because we had 3 in each one it came out to about $310pp. The tour included a flight over a game park, lunch at a vineyard and a great white shark spotting. Total flying time was about 50-60 minutes. We start off by flying over the game farm on the way to the vineyard (about a 20 minute ride), Even though we saw the same animals on our safari it was a different experience because you see them from above. We fly by a little town - the pilot told us the name - but I can't remember. We then land at the vineyard Where we had a leisurely lunch - the cost of entree was included in the tour. But drinks, appetizer & dessert were extra. The food was delicious - we added a wine pairing to our meal. Cost was reasonable. Our 2 wine pairings with a bottle of sparkling water was 360 rand (this includes tip). We then leave to go back to the coast - takes about 20 minutes to get there. Beautiful scenery The guide points our a great white shark - I believe him that it is there but I don't see it! What I do see is our ship .... of you are on our sailing and you saw 2 helicopters hovering around that was Rosie's gang. Then we go back to base - see some more animals on our return. At the base they have a large enclosed area with 2 (or 3) lions - some wart hogs (in another enclosed area). They had set up some fresh fruit & drinks, had some cool towels. It was a 2 minute drive to get to this area - we passed on this portion - the helicopter tour was so amazing and perfect - we feared that the lions maybe a bit of a disappointment because we had seem them recently on our safari. The rest of the group did go - they stayed down there for about 30 minutes and said they enjoyed it - were able to feed the wart hogs. The base area is also the private residence of the owner of the company - Liselle. She has 3 friendly dogs and a cuddly meerkat ... we all took turns holding/snuggling with her Highly recommended tour!

Day 3 - Freestyle Daily

We are having fun! We planned to go see the illusion act....but fell asleep. Still not quite right with the time change!

Day 2 - Cape Town Today we just walked around the V&A waterfront. From the cruise port just follow the yellow path and it will take you to the waterfront. About 5 minutes to the entrance. We walked around, did some shopping. Ate some food. Nice relaxing day. Even though we stayed in the V&A waterfront we really didn't get a good sense of it until today. You could easily walk to the cruise port from any of the hotels that are located in the V&A waterfront.

Freestyle Daily - Day 2

Robben Island Tour - Private tour We did a private tour on Robben Island. You take the ferry with everyone else but instead of getting on the bus - you get into a SUV and are able to get off at all the stops so you see things that you would not have on the bus, This was the cost for the private tour for 2 people You can book online ahead of time - there are a limited amount of seats on the ferry - but on our sailing /people were walking up and purchasing the general tour at the window. I'm guessing you probably have to book a private tour in advance. We were on the 9am sailing - arrived around 8am and it was already quite hot out. There were seals sleeping in the sun You can go inside early - there is air conditioning and there is a small exhibition You get in line and board the ferry Despite being air conditioned it was quite stuffy on the ferry - look for the vents in the ceiling and sit under them for the best air flow. The ride takes about 30 mins - it was quite choppy - if you easily get sea sick take meds/wear a patch. We arrive on the island and start the tour with the visitor center. Prisoners were allowed one 30 min visit a month - no contact talk on a phone and look through glass This was the guards uniform (they call the guards wardens) In the visitor center there was a room where prisoners could meet with their lawyers - again only 30 mins monthly And this is the court room where punishment could be added to your sentence for breaking rules (like an Indian prisoner giving bread to a black prisoner). We then drive by a leper graveyard. Many years earlier the island was a leper colony. The we stop and tour where Robert Sobukwe was held. I had never heard of this gentleman. Our tour guide said that Nelson Mandela was more aligned to Martin Luther King & Rober Sobukwe more aligned with Malcolm X. Robert Sobukwe Where he slept - he was allowed to wear regular clothes and had a bed and a radio. But no one, including the wardens (guards) were allowed to talk to him. We then go to the Lime Quarry where hard labor was done daily- we get out, walk around and learn about the atrocities done here. We then stop for a bathroom break where you can purchase a snack/water Then go the the maximum security prison where Nelson Mandela was held. Here our guide is Tom Moses - he served 11 years as a political prisoner. This portion of the tour is the same as the general tour - the only difference is the group size - the bus tours together - I think there are 40 people/bus. On our tour it was just the 2 of us - you hear everything (some of it was so horrific part of me wishes I didn't hear it) The prison issue uniform except black prisoners were not allowed shoes Nelson Mandela's cell We tour for about 25 minutes - we may have seen a little more than the larger group tours bc with only 2 people you move much quicker. The kitchen and the menu (notice the black prisoners had less - bread forbidden) A very sobering tour but highly recommended.

Day One - Freestyle Daily

Day One - Embarkation This cruise starts with an overnight and we actually do not leave Cape Town until 4p on day 2. Check in times were from noon until 6p. We picked 330p as our check in time so that we coud do the Robben Island tour in the morning (I will review that in a separate post). It was a 10 min car ride from the hotel to the cruise terminal. We were dropped off at the front door and our bags were taken. You go into the section called "the market" go up the escalator and walk above the market to check in. This is the market - looks like a food court We are 30 minutes early for check in - there is no line for anything. There was no paperwork to fill out at the checkin - the health questionnaire is all digital. They take our picture again even though we uploaded it when we first checked in online 3 weeks ago. There is a suite/haven area to sit - it doesn't look that comfortable. The only people sitting here were staff. It's very industrial looking but they tried to make it cozy Then we go through security - this is where we left our wine to collect at the end of the cruise. And then you board the ship - you use a gangway just like when you dock in port. If you are in a suite/haven there is a small employee gangway on the other side that you use. Our bags arrived within 30 minutes of getting into our room - fastest we have ever received them.

Wine Tasting - Full Day Tour I new that there were vineyard's in and around Cape Town - but I had no idea so many. Here is a map of just the Stellenbosch region - the grape symbol marks a vineyard (on the photo the grapes look like an upside down triangle) Our guide met us in the lobby just before 9am and asked us if we wanted to visit any specific farm. We had 3 wine tastings on the itinerary so we asked him to pick 3 different ones..... so off we went. The first farm was a small family owned farm called Zevenwacht. They have a hotel/restaurant on the property - wedding receptions are held here. We started with a little education on how the wines are made Then we had 2 whites & 2 reds paired with cheese. Not a bad breakfast! The guide walked us through the steps to get the most out of your wine tasting The 2nd Wine tasting was at DeMortgenzon This is a working farm - no hotel/spa. We again tasted 2 whites and 2 reds. No cheese in between - just water. Absolutely loved the ambiance of this vineyard. Our guide said its a little off the beaten path. We were the only ones there. The grounds are beautiful. We then were driven to the town of Stellenbosch where we walked around/looked at some shops. We had lunch in Franschoek before we headed over to our 3rd tasting at La Motte. At La Motte we tasted 4 whites & 4 reds. Water and crackers in between the wines. This tasting room is very chic - reminded me of a trendy Soho spot in NYC Outside they have sample vines of all the different grapes they harvest with descriptions We bought one bottle of wine at very vineyard to take back home. On our way back to our hotel we stop at the last prison Nelson Mandela was at when he was finally released. There is a statue marking the occasion - unfortunately not a good photo bc of the sun. While driving between the vineyards the guide is filling our heads with information about the area. Another enjoyable full day in Cape Town.

We did not eat at any seafood establishments, hopefully one of my other shipmates will see this question and have a recommendation!

If I recall the post by autotripper1 on our roll call - her tour operator was told by someone in the port authority that there was a scheduling issue (I am guessing that there are too many ships in port?)

Cape Point Full Day Tour This was a full day tour that took us down the coastline to Cape Point with some scenic stops along the way. We used the tour company that coordinated our safaris to also book our Cape Town tours. For this day they used Jarat Tours (they also did our transfer from the airport to the hotel). If booking independently I would recommend them. We chose to do a private tour for this day as we sometimes want to spend less or more time at certain sites. The car was very comfortable - in the back had a charger for your devices. Water (sparkling or still), mints, cleaner to clean your glasses. We start the ride by driving by Camps Bay Beach. Our guide says during holidays it is very crowded. It was just after 8am and still a little foggy - only a few people on the beach. Some scenic rugged coast line as we head towards Long Beach We arrive at Long Beach. It looks gorgeous - completely empty. Our guide tells us that this beach is used by locals to walk their dogs & horse rides are offered on the beach. It's not used as a "normal beach". Apparently the winds are quite strong, the sand is quite rough and the water very cold. But it looks beautiful. We then head to Boulders Beach to see the African Penguins. 20 yrs ago apparently you could walk amongst the little guys - but now we only observe from the walkway. It's an easy 1- 2 minute walk to get to the penguins - walkway is wheelchair accessible And the penguins! On route to Cape Point we see ostrich's We arrive at Cape Pointe. The tram that takes you to the top is broken - so if we want to see the lighthouse and actually see Cape Pointe we have to walk up the hill. It is a steep climb - took a good 20 minutes to walk up. This is a photo from the top - you can see the parking lot way down below (not that one white SUV - that's where the tram normally drops you off) to give you a sense of distance. This is not a wheelchair accessible pathway - although the majority of the climb is a cobbled walkway you do frequently encounter stairs We get to the top where the light house is And then you see Cape Point I'm pretty sure I was taught in elementary school that this is where the Indian Ocean & Atlantic meet - only to find out that's actually at Cape Agulhas - and per our guide there is nothing to see there. I was correctly taught that there were many shipwrecks along the point because of rock under the water that the ships did not know about when first exploring the area. You can see the whitecaps out in the middle of the sea - that's where the rocks are Then we stop at the Cape of Good Hope - it's very crowded here. We just stop to grab a photo of the sign and leave. Along the drive back to our hotel we stop for lunch. Throughout the drive our guide is giving us the history of the area - pointing out things of interest. We end with a little tour of Cape Town. I have very few photos after Cape Point .... not sure why I stopped taking them - I guess I just sat back and enjoyed the ride. A long enjoyable day.

On the Safari's there was the odd mosiquito - but we do not think we were bitten. We wore insect repellent on all the drives. The guides at both camps said the mosquito population was unusually low. On the other hand at night the non biting bugs were quite a nuissance when eating outdoors - especially at Leopards Hill. In Cape Town I have not noticed any insects - I'm sure there is the occasional fly/bug of some sort - just have not noticed them. We are taking our daily malaria pills!

The Table Bay Hotel We are staying at the Table Bay Hotel on the V&A Waterfront. The location is excellent. It is attached to the shopping mall - it's an easy comfortable air conditioned 10 min walk to the Wharf where most of the restaurants are & where the ferry for the Robben Island tour is. The shopping mall is huge - over 400 stores (that may include the restaurants too). The lobby One of the restaurants called the Lounge - we ordered room service from here the night we checked in. Meals are reasonable priced - most entrees 10-15 usd. Food was good. The room Nespresso coffee, various teas and bottled water replenished daily. There is an fridge (empty) for use if needed. View from the room Breakfast is included with our room - if you were to pay for it would cost you 410 rand pp (about $24 usd pp). The selection is HUGE and the food is very good - I snapped several photos but there is a lot more And the have 2 stations where you can have your omelette/fried eggs made You can eat inside or out on the patio So would I recommend this hotel? Love the location and the breakfast. Staff incredibly friendly. Room is okay (maybe nothing would measure up after being just in such luxury at the safaris?). If this hotel is priced within your budget I would recommend it. Would I go over budget for this hotel - no (but I would have for the safaris 😎) Interesitng note - we are on the 6th floor (I think there are only 8 floors)- there is a security guard station at each end of the hall. I'm not sure if this is on every floor or if there is a VIP staying on our floor. The hotel is in a very safe area. If I remember I will ask at the desk. Let me know if you have any specific questions about the hotel - only here for 3 nights and check out tomorrow to board the cruise. Off for our wine tour - will post about that and the Cape Point tour we did yesterday soon - a little behind!

Leopard Hills - Sabi Sands Reserve This was our 2nd camp - known for the amount of leopards and in that way it did not disappoint. Same type of itinerary as the first lodge - mini bar and fridge well stocked just as in our 1st camp. Female Male It crazy how close you get to the animals - the male walked up to the truck and went under it out the other side. The guides are amazing - positioning the truck so you get a front view - then repositioning for a side view. The only animal we did not see was the cheetah. The lodge itself is beautiful. If sits on the face of a hill and has no fencing so animals can come into all areas of the lodge. Our guide told us that about once a year someone forgets to close/lock their room and baboons get in and destroy it. Apparently they see themselves in the mirror - think its a rival group and proceed to rip apart everything apart. The lobby This stair case takes you to the indoor and outdoor eating areas. I thought I snapped a photo of the eating areas but can't find it. This is the common pool/sitting area. Your room also has it's own dipping pool The Room And view from the room with an outdoor shower The food looked very good - but bc of our now resolved GI issues we ate very light so cannot comment on the gourmet meals that were served. One note, if you plan on doing a safari in Kruger Park - you do not need neutral colors. I purchased shirts/pants in colors I will never wear again as that is what the research told me to do. The seasoned Safari goers wore regular summer atttire - in various colors - blue shirts, jean shorts, runners. You could tell the newbies as we looked like something out of a safari clothing catalog! Now having said that - I think if you safari somewhere outside of Kruger Park where the have that Tsetse fly neutral colors are a must. We are on our way to Cape Town this afternoon!

Nice that you don't have to take malaria meds. Both my husband and I missed our morning drive today bc we couldn't be away from the bathroom! No one else at the camp has any GI symptoms....we think it may be a side effect of the malaria meds. Thankfully we have Imodium.

As promised here is what our Safari truck looks like Seats 6, 7 if someone sits next to the driver

Kings Camp - Timbavati Private Reserve Here is the itinerary for our stay The game drive in the morning is 3.5 hrs - the evening was 2.5 hrs. The safari trucks have been modified - the middle seat has been made a storage bin for blankets/rain gear. Because of this there is no bad seat - I will take of photo of it on this evenings game drive. So far we have seen impalas, elephants, lions, rhinos, hippos & a couple of giraffes and many birds. Most of the photos are on my phone and when I try to post them they come up sideways. During each game drive you stop for a break - last night was a drink at sunset. This morning was coffee/tea & cookies. Normally breakfast is right after the morning drive at the lodge. This morning we had "breakfast in the bush". It was AMAZING. The food is delicious and somehow the staff made it feel super luxurious. The omelette/egg station Our table The lodge itself is beautifully appointed. On arrival yesterday afternoon we were greeted with a refreshing juice drink and given an introduction to the surroundings (and the rules - i.e. no walking after dark unaccompanied by staff). The lodge only has 8 suites & one family suite. There are so many areas to sit and relax it is easy to not see other guests if that is your preference. The entrance to the lodge One of the outdoor covered seating areas One of the outdoor uncovered seating areas (this one by the pool) One of the indoor seating areas Outdoor eating area for meals A little gift shop - I forgot to pack a long sleeved shirt so purchased one - 900 rand - not outrageously priced. We are in one of the 6 luxury suites - there are also 2 honeymoon suites and a family suite. ...and at night with the mosquito netting The bathroom (there is also an outdoor sitting area and outdoor shower on the other side of the window) There is plenty to drink in the room - a nespresso coffee maker - a fully stocked fridge And this is vodka, gin, brandy, whisky & small bottle of South African red wine The patio/private dipping pool They have insect repellent in the room - but I did not see sunscreen. This camp (like I think most are) is fully inclusive - only massages at the spa & purchases in the gift shop would incur extra cost. We only arrived yesterday afternoon but the food and service has been incredible. LOL..maybe the food tastes so good bc for over 30 hours we ate airport lounge & airplane food. We were so jet lagged yesterday evening that they set up of dinner in our room So the big question is would I recommend this camp - absolutely! The only negative is the cost - although not the most expensive camp in the area it is definitely one of the pricier ones. I looked to see what it would cost if you booked our room next week - for 2 nights about $6800. If you book for this time next year its about $3700 for 2 nights. We used a tour company called Discover Africa to coordinate this safari trip as well as hotel in Cape Town/transfers/flights/tours - so I'm not sure what we paid for the "safari portion" - I'm guessing it was around $1500-1700/night for the 2 of us when we booked. Please feel free to ask any questions!

What we did for vaccines.... The vaccine situation for South Africa (like most countries) is fluid - when we first starting planning covid testing was definitely an entry requirement (I cannot recall if the vaccine was also mandatory) but that is no longer the case. It seems the only "mandatory vaccine" you would need is the yellow fever vaccine but only if you came from a country that is "on the list". This includes long layovers in their airports (>12h). Our flight in from the USA stopped in Lome (which is a high risk area) but only for 1 hour - just dropped off/picked up passengers. We did start taking our daily malaria pills and will continue them for 7 days after our trip is over - Kruger park is high risk for malaria right now. We also are still covered for typhoid from a trip we took pre covid. And we have the typical North American vaccines, MMR, tdap, flu, covid.