South Africa with Pat and Doug

Pat and Doug were just in South Africa. If you've never been to South Africa, the Lonely Planet describes it as "befitting its position at the southern end of the world’s most epic continent, with more types of terrain than photographers can shake their zoom lens at". I got a chance to ask Pat about the trip, and she shared her experience with me.

"We were in South Africa for about 15 days with two days of travel at either end," shared Pat, "the trip was 19 days in total."

"We had a couple overnights, but the key places were the Kapama River Lodge and the Bayethe Tented Lodge, both were fabulous," shared Pat, "In
Knysna we stayed at the Protea Hotel Knysna Quays and in Cape Town we stayed at the Portswood. Both places were wonderfully located."

Pat and Doug also were on safaris while they were there, giving the trip an element of adventure! "All the safari accommodations were great, especially the Bayethe Tented Lodge at Shamwari," said Pat, "it was unique!" Overall, all the places Pat and Doug stayed were very, very good and homes to great locations in South Africa.

As for the rest, I had to ask what kind of activities they enjoyed during the safaris. "Apart from the morning and evening drives, we used the spa services at Kapama. The spa itself and the location were beautiful," shared Pat, "We also sat by the pool at Kapama as the temperature was in the high 20's C. We had less time at Shamwari, but there too, we relaxed outside and enjoyed the weather."

Everyone has a favourite part about their trip, and Pat is no exception. "My favourites were the safaris of course, Cape Town activities including Robben Island - we arranged the Robben Island activities ourselves when we got there," shared Pat.

Any downsides? "Nothing really," said Pat, "I would have liked more time if anything! More time to stay at another location along the Indian Ocean, like Plettenberg, or stay in a wine country town like Franschhoek. It would have also been nice to have more time for activities I couldn't fit in too, like whale watching, or more time on the Table Mountain exploring."

I asked Pat if there was anything she'd like to share with the readers, and she had a great piece of advice: "Everyone should do at least one safari in their lifetime! The experience is so incredible it's almost indescribable," shared Pat, "It was great to experience both the Kapama and Shamwari safaris in that although the animals viewed were similar, the terrain, habitat, the accommodation and food were quite different."

We'd like to thank Pat for sharing her experience with us! Ever been on a safari? Share your insight below.