For 24 days we travelled from Cape Town through four African countries and back to South Africa again in Johannesburg. Here is the first part of this journey.

In 2016-2017 we travelled around the world, quite literally, and there was just so much to do that we didn’t have time to write about it while travelling. Therefore we have picked up our old photos and notes to now share this journey.

When more parts have been written, they will be available here:

• More parts coming soon…

See the whole journey in Africa on the map here:

Arrival in Cape Town

On the 29th of December we arrived in Africa for the first time, more specifically in Cape Town, Africa’s second largest city. We were to spend New Year’s here, and on New Year’s Day we would embark on a 24 day journey through five African countries.

In Cape Town there was a lot to see, way too much to list it all here. In the historical area we got a glimpse into the old seafaring days, where the south coast of Africa was among the most dangerous waters to cross. We got to see the remnants of apartheid and everything from luxury mansions along the coast to sheet metal houses in the ghetto. And on New Year’s Eve we got to see the fireworks hurdle towards the sky. Very much like home, just a lot warmer.

Table Mountain

There were two places in Cape Town we really enjoyed visiting. The first was Table Mountain, Cape Town’s huge and flat mountain. There was a cable car running from the foot of the mountain to the top, but we decided to hike all the way up and rather take the cable car on the return down again.

At the top there was a view of all of Cape Town, the coast and as far as the eye can see towards the South Pole. From here we could also see Lion’s Head, which was the next big attraction on our list.

Lion’s Head

A little in the afternoon we started hiking towards Lion’s Head, a smaller mountain that strictly speaking doesn’t look that much like a lion’s head. Well, it’s at least a lot pointier than Table Mountain… First we stopped at a natural cave, called Wally’s Cave. The view from here was great, but due to safety hazards and risks of erosion, the path was closed off sometime after our visit. Future visitors of Lion’s Head should therefore stick to the official path to the summit.

Well into the evening we reached the summit. Walking here in the dark was probably not the brightest of ideas (no pun intended!), but we got up all the way without a scratch, and without meeting a single other person. The view towards Cape Town at night was great.

Not to the southernmost point in Africa

On New Year’s Day we embarked on our journey around Africa. We were going north towards Namibia, but start heading south! Because the first stop was at Cape Point, a place believed by many to be the southernmost point in Africa. However, this is not correct, that place is in fact Cape Agulhas.

Southernmost or not, Cape Point has a lot to offer. The view from the top of the cliffs made us truely understand why this place was feared so much by the sailors back in the day. We also got our first encounter with Africas diverse and numerous wildlife. First a handful of baboons, then a group of penguins. Yes, penguins! Despite what many believe, they actually live naturally in Africa and seem to really enjoy it here.

Finally it was time to get in the truck and start heading north. And our African guide made it very clear: It was a truck, not a bus. Well, it was a large vehicle with many seats made to transport people, but yeah, guess it was a repurposed truck.

Hondeklip Bay: Tourist hotspot or ghost town?

After a long night’s sleep, maaaany hours of driving and a small eternity on a gravel road where we didn’t see another car for hours, we finally arrived at Hondeklip Bay. Or “The dog rock bay” as it can be translated into. As it turns out, there was a rock here that (once upon a time) looked like a dog, and that’s how the place got its name. Looking at this rock and Lion’s Head, we really think certain explorers should have their eyesight checked.

According to Wikipedia, Hondeklip Bay is a popular tourist destination among the locals. With its 534 inhabitants, almost no other people in sight and deteriorating buildings, we weren’t that sure about how much of a tourist hotspot this really was. But right after New Year’s it might have been in the very low season as well. In any case it was interesting to see a place so different to Cape Town, and continuing onwards we were about to discover that the most incredible experiences were lining up for us.

More about this in the next article from our journey around Southern Africa. We cross the border into Namibia and padle on the Orange River.