Sleeping next to a toilet is the kind of thing you’d expect on a rough trip through Africa, but not on the very first night in the City Lodge next to ORTambo!
Earlier that day, we’d flown from King Shaka, where our families had gathered to send us off. I was travelling with my son Ryan, friends Pete Meyer and Paul Kalil, and Paul’s son Josh.We had dubbed our month-long adventure“Africa –Wild & Untamed”and I’d picked my travel partners carefully.
Pete is an old Durban business associate of mine; I’ve known him for years. Paul and Josh work for their family packaging business, also based in Durban. I have six children but Ryan is the only one left in South Africa so he was the lucky one who could join in easily. He’s a game ranger at Manyoni Private Game Reserve in Zululand.
The five of us arrived at the City Lodge in Joburg only to find out that Pete somehow didn’t have a reservation – and the place was fully booked!We begged the lady at reception to allow one of us to sleep on the floor of the room. She agreed and I sacrificed my bed for Pete and made a nest on the floor.
So far, so good, but 20 minutes after lights out, Pete started sawing down a plantation! The man is an erratic snorer and I’m a light sleeper, so I movedmy floor-bed into the rather snug bathroom. At first, I lay my head next to the toilet bowl to fit into the limited space, but the smell of Toilet Duck singed my nasal cavities. The only other option was to put my head inside the shower cubicle with my toes in Toilet Duck territory.
Africa –Wild & Untamed was off to a wild start!
Geladas in the Highlands
Denne historien er fra October/November 2023-utgaven av go! - South Africa.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Denne historien er fra October/November 2023-utgaven av go! - South Africa.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Rolling out the big guns
If you're still scanning the horizon for a Chinese automotive invasion you're looking the wrong way. It's already happening, and the new GWM Tank is the off-road spearhead into the highly lucrative and hotly contested lifestyle market.
TAKE A HIKE
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Time out in Dullies
A long weekend in Dullstroom is just long enough to make you realise you need to spend several more weekends here! There's food, drink, art and action in abundance. Here's your guide.
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Long live the Hibiscus Coast
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The island at the end of the earth
Imagine adlace-with the cleanest air arid:the clearest seawater, where_no human.oranimabwants to:harm you: A placewhere the climates balmy. year-round:-with a sekrhistory ahd wwild scenery. A place like this:exist8” and it’s called St Helena.
A day on the road
You never know what the road will bring. Toast Coetzer heads south on the N1 and discovers South Africa.
The wilder shore
The final leg of a 30-day trek across East Africa sees lan Tyrer and the Africa - Wild & Untamed crew explore both shores of Lake Malawi. Get ready for an overloaded ferry, a croc attack and being surrounded by elephants...
A river runs through it
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