I usually bring my 40-150mm 2.8 pro lens for a whale watching tour without a second thought as the whales are never close enough to use a shorter focal length. For the first time, I stood at the trunk of the car and questioned whether I should take the shorter focal length lens.
I had been on 2 whale watching trips during my visits to British Columbia this summer and didn’t even think about it before, but for some reason I had 2 minutes of photographer anxiety. In the end, I didn’t take it because I know that when wildlife appears closer than they normally do, there’s not enough time to change lenses.
Maybe I just knew I was going to see orca whales up close.
We came upon a pod of transient orcas after about a 20 to 30-minute ride from where we departed at Fisherman’s Wharf in Victoria, British Columbia. Transient orca whales are also known as Biggs killer whales. We watched them alternate between shorter 2-minute and deeper 4-minute dives. In those longer dives, they were hunting.
As our captain vied for position and stopped a safe distance away, my best friend who is from British Columbia and is Nlaka’pamux and Cree First Nations was quietly singing her ancestral songs. We were the only 2 on the back of the boat.
Suddenly, a spy hop!
At that moment, I knew they were coming.
Spyhop!
Shortly after the spyhop, some of the orcas started poking their head out of the water as if they were checking us out.
Orca whale in the Straight of Juan de Fuca near Race Rocks, about 17 km from Victoria, British Columbia.
I started to notice more surface activity but weren’t sure what the whales were up to. Then, we could see a harbour porpoise. They seemed more interested in playing with it than eating it as they would push it along and disappear with it under the water. The naturalist on board our Eagle Wings Tours boat thought that they were teaching the baby orca how to hunt. The truth is, he wasn’t sure, as he said that he had never seen anything like it before.
While the large male orca swam close to Eagle Wing tour’s other boat, my friend started to sing a little louder. I knew she was trying to communicate.
An orca shows us a belly roll.
Two orcas and a harbour porpoise.
Then, two orcas were straight out in front of us with their heads above the water looking towards us with the porpoise between them. It was as if to say ‘look what we have’.
The next moment they came towards us.
Two orcas show us their catch, a harbour porpoise.
As they got closer, I switched to video mode and captured the moment they swam under our boat, twice! I said hello and thanked them, out loud.
I thought they’d reappear on the other side of the boat, but instead they resurfaced on the same side that they started from, right beside us.
Orcas with Race Rocks in the background, about 17km from Victoria, British Columbia.
We saw humpback whales too, we think we saw 2 different ones. Humpback whale tail.
A humpback whale tail against a British Columbia sunset.
A beautiful sunset behind Trial Island, near Victoria, British Columbia
Every now and again I’d hear my friend say “kuk’stem” which is thank you in the Nlaka’pamux language. She was following Indigenous protocol in giving thanks to the whales and the Creator.
In August 2014, Toronto Travel Massive, a community I’ve been a part of since May 2013, celebrated its 4th anniversary. It was an India inspired event with Intrepid Travel and India Tourism as co-sponsors. Intrepid Travel gave away a 15-day tour and I was the lucky winner! In February 2015, I went to India for the first time on the Unforgettable India tour.
We began the tour in Old Delhi touring the markets and temples, experienced Ganga by boat in Varanasi and further down river where we ‘sailed’ and camped overnight, saw the elusive Ganges dolphins, journeyed through rural India to Bandhavgarh National Park, Khajuraho and Chanderi and ended it all by visiting Agra and the iconic Taj Mahal.
All scenes were shot with my iPhone 5s & 6+ except for the final scene which was shot with an Olympus OMD em1.
A rainy day at the Taj Mahal in Agra, India – March 2015.
Have you been thinking of a family trip to South Africa? Is family travel in South Africa possible? Can you go on a safari with kids? Can a 4 year old go on safari? Can a 9-year old go on safari? YES. YES. YES. YES and YES.
South Africa is one of my favourite countries in the world, and Cape Town is my favourite city. It’s also one of our favourite places for a family trip. So much so that we’ve been to South Africa twice as a family of 4.
If you’ve been following me on social media or here on the blog, you would have heard of The Heart of a Woman Project, a women’s mobile photography initiative I started in 2013 at eKhaya eKasi Art & Education Centre in Khayelitsha.
I have visited South Africa ten times; twice with my husband and 2 sons who were 9 & 4 the first time they visited. My father also joined me on three of those trips.
Here are some family travel tips for Cape Town, ideas of things to do with kids and information about doing a safari in South Africa with children.
A view of Table Mountain, Lions Head and Signal Hill on approach to the Cape Town airport.
CAPE TOWN FAMILY TRAVEL TIPS
VISIT KHAYELITSHA
Go on a meaningful tour with Uthando SA to visit development projects in the townships. Uthando is an award-winning fair trade tourism organization doing fantastic work. Your tour directly helps the development projects you visit; you will leave inspired.
Note: You can visit eKhaya eKasi with Uthando. Be sure to request them for your tour with Uthando.
My youngest son was learning Xhosa games at eKhaya eKasi in Khayelitsha. We spent six days at the centre and in the community on our first visit.
SEE AFRICAN PENGUINS IN THE WILD
Go to the lesser-known Boulders Beach in Simonstown where you can get off the path and take the boardwalk down to the beach for the best view of the penguins. Swim or splash in the ocean and have a picnic. Look for Boulders Beach Lodge and Restaurant on Google maps and enter the parking lot on Bellevue Road near the Simonstown Golf Club.
My son taking photos of the penguins at Boulders Beach in Cape Town.
Beach views at Boulders Beach in Cape Town.
DRIVE CHAPMANS PEAK DRIVE & THE CAPE PENINSULA
You can add a drive on the beautiful and winding Chapmans Peak Drive to your Boulders Beach visit. If you have the time, make sure to stop at the lookout points. Make a day of it and visit Cape Point and Cape of Good Hope too, passing smaller coastal towns. You might see ostriches, baboons, and seals. You can take the funicular or hike up to the Cape Point Lighthouse.
For a tour that covers the Chapman’s Peak, the penguins and the Cape Peninsula, check these tours out:
Our family at a lookout point on Chapmans Peak Drive
VISIT MUIZENBERG, KALK BAY & ST. JAMES BEACH
Visit beautiful coastal towns in the False Bay area of Cape Town. Plan a beach day or two or three in Muizenberg. Watch the surfers or go to the nearby waterslides or mini golf (seasonal). There is a playground at the main beach at Surfer’s Corner and plenty of restaurants. Have a falafel at Yoffi’s, go to the Friday Night Market at Blue Bird Garage, have brunch and fresh pastries at Knead Bakery.
Be sure to visit the smaller and less busy St. James Beach, they have the infamous colourful beach huts (change rooms) too and a great tidal pool for swimming. Take a walk around Kalk Bay, visit the independent shops and galleries, have fish ‘n chips at Kalky’s, grab brunch with a view at Bootlegger’s and dinner at Satori’s.
Note: If you prefer to self-drive, you can easily add a visit to Kalk Bay, St. James and Muizenberg with your penguins/Chapmans Peak/Cape Peninsula trip depending on how much time you want to spend at each place. It will take a full day if you do it all. I highly recommend spending a few nights in Muizenberg if you have 4-5 days in Cape Town. It’s a world away yet close enough to the CBD and great fun for the whole family.
The view from our Airbnb in Muizenberg
Father and son at the tidal pool at St. James Beach in Cape Town.
WATCH A DUCK PARADE AT VERGENOEGD WINE ESTATE
Because ducks, over 1000 ducks! I was surprised to find out how family-friendly a winery could be. I had no idea. Adults can enjoy a great meal and wine tasting while children play on the grounds and have a picnic. Vergenoegd offers child minding. You can come back together for the duck parade. Read Visiting Family Friendly Vergenoegd Wine Estate in Stellenbosch, South Africa
My boys enjoying a picnic at Vergenoegd Wine Estate in Stellenbosch, South Africa.
Sunset Views
Catch the sunset from Signal Hill and a view of Robben Island, it’s free and it’s my favourite spot to see the sun dip into the ocean. Bring a picnic. At certain times of the year, the City Sightseeing bus can take you there, otherwise order an Uber or drive yourself.
Visit Table Mountain for a sunset and city view. Be sure to check the current conditions as it may be too windy at the top and it will close early.
Sunset from Signal Hill in Cape Town
Tip: Drive past the entrance of Table Mountain to as far as the road goes for this daytime view.
FAMILY-FRIENDLY SAFARI IN THE GREATER KRUGER NATIONAL PARK IN SOUTH AFRICA
There is an overwhelming number of places to choose from for a safari in South Africa. Not all are created equal and are family-friendly. Some lodges welcome children 6 years of age and older while other lodges require children to be 12 years of age and older. I chose Naledi Game Lodges for our family safari as I had been there a few times and enjoyed the intimate atmosphere and South African family-owned safari lodge. My sons were 4 and 9 years old at the time and were welcome on all the game drives.
Naledi is an award-winning luxury lodge, but you may be surprised at how reasonably priced it is. We stayed at the Naledi Enkoveni lodge which is no longer a part of Naledi Lodges. At the time of our family visits, I hadn’t stayed at Bush Camp. I have since stayed at both lodges and they have a 2-bedroom suite which is perfect for families.
What I love about a safari in a private reserve:
You get the knowledge and keen eyes of the guides and trackers
Someone else does the driving so you can enjoy the scenery and take photos
You often get a closer look at the wildlife as you can go off-road to follow the sound of the cracking branches by the elephants or follow the lion pride as they look for their next meal.
The drives are 3 hours each but you stop for drinks, snacks and a bathroom break, bush style. My boys fell asleep for a short nap on every game drive (early mornings) but didn’t miss any of the action.
Cons:
Have to share the vehicle with others which may mean that you have to go where everyone wants to go. Though we lucked out and had it to ourselves).
Tip: If you visit Naledi Game Lodges, make sure to visit Rosie’s hide while there, it overlooks a waterhole. Enjoy the sounds of the bush and see what comes by for a drink. Check out the 24-hour webcams streaming from Naledi at Rosie’s or from Naledi Enkoveni.
In search of wild animals with Naledi Game Lodges. Happy to have shared this special place and these moments with those dearest to me.
Rest stop in the bush on safari with Naledi
Two yellow-billed hornbills in silhouette against the Drakensberg Mountains
Father and son in the infinity pool at Naledi Enkoveni in South Africa
SELF-DRIVE KRUGER NATIONAL PARK WITH THE FAMILY
What I love about self-driving Kruger National Park:
You can drive as little or as long as you like and take breaks (in designated areas) or return to your rest camp if you’re staying in the park.
You can be on the search for wildlife from gate open to gate close (10-12 hour days).
An incredible diversity of landscapes and wildlife
An air-conditioned car on hot summer days if you need it
Snacks and drinks in the car
You can stay at different rest camps in Kruger Park
You can stay at a sighting as long as you want
Can be more affordable
Cons:
Not as relaxing as being driven, guided and pampered
Don’t get as close to the animals unless they come to the road (I’ve had some incredible sightings including lion and elephant road blocks, the best kind).
Rest camps and rest stops may be further apart
Youngest son spotting wildlife on a self-drive through Kruger National park
Wild Dog on the hunt in Kruger Park shot on iPod by my oldest son
Long days on self-drives in Kruger Park
South Africa Travel Tips:
Spend 1-2 nights on the Panorama route to enjoy God’s Window and Blyde River Canyon on the way to Limpopo.
Stay at Tsanana Log Cabins at the Africa Silks Farm near Graskop in Mpumalanga. It’s a great place for families on the Panorama route and you can take a tour.
Have pannekoek (pancakes) at Harrie’s Pancakes in Graskop
Visit the Giant Baobab tree also known as the Glencoe Baobab near Hoedspruit. It is said that the tree is over 2000 years old. There is a small restaurant on the property, they also serve wonderful pannekoek.
There are many ways to experience a safari in South Africa with your family if you prefer not to drive yourself.
Fly to the Nelspruit area (airport code MQP, saves a 4-5 hour drive each way) and arrange a multi-day private safari to Kruger National Park with my friend, South African tour guide, Mornay of Tours-de-Mornay. or for a private safari experience with Tours-de-Mornay. Stay at Berg en Dal, Pretorioskop, Lower Sabie, or Skukuza. If your time is limited, you could make a 1-night and 2-day trip to Kruger work.
Book a safari in a private game reserve. Fly to the Hoedspruit/Eastgate airport (airport code HDS) in the Greater Kruger National Park area, for the Sabi Sands, Timbavati, Kapama, Klasserie, Manyeleti, and Balule Nature Reserve safari lodges. Have the lodge arrange a transfer service for you. I recommend Toro Yaka in Balule, Elephant Plains or Nkorho in Sabi Sands, Shindzela in Timbavati or Buffelshoek in Manyeleti.
Arrange a transfer service (Ashton tours or Tours-de-Mornay) from Johannesburg or Nelspruit ]to Kruger National Park. Book your game drives, and walking safaris with Kruger National Park.
In August 2014, Toronto Travel Massive, a community I’ve been a part of since May 2013, celebrated its 4th anniversary. It was an India inspired event with Intrepid Travel and India Tourism as co-sponsors. Intrepid Travel gave away a 15-day tour and I was the lucky winner! I journeyed my way through India with an iPhone in hand and have compiled my 20 favourite iPhone photos.
In February 2015, I went to India for the first time and travelled through Madya Pradesh and Uttah Pradesh on the Unforgettable India tour
Some of my favourite iPhone photos from the trip:
An auto rickshaw and a street ‘barber shop’ in New Delhi, India.
Fellow ‘Intrepid’ travellers enjoy fresh vegetable juice in Old Delhi, India.
In the kitchen of a Sikh temple in Old Delhi, India where 10, 000 meals are prepared daily and offered to anyone that visits, for free.
Street Art on the wall of a ghat in Varanasi, India.
Sunrise on Ganga (Ganges River) in Varanasi, India.
A flower and candle ceremony as the sun sets on the Ganges River in Varanasi, India.
Camping overnight by the Ganges River after ‘sailing’ for 4.5 hours.
Waiting at a waterhole in Bandhavgarh National Park hoping to catch a glimpse of a Bengal tiger or leopard.
A 19th century temple in Khajuraho, India, though most of the Western temples of Khajuraho are 1000 years old.
1000 year old temple in Khajuraho, India. Some depict carvings from the Kama Sutra.
An auto rickshaw drives through the Second Old Gate in Orchha, India. Took this shot through the window of the auto rickshaw that I was in.
The Raj Mahal Palace in Orchha, India
TARAgram: Tribal women make recycled paper products in Orchha, India.
A cow wanders through a market in Chanderi, India
This 15th century Badal Mahal Darwaza gate stands in Chanderi. It is said to have been built as a triumphant gate.
A view of the open court of the15th century Jama Masjid mosque in Chanderi, India. The foundation for this mosque, still in operation today, was laid in 1251. There are many monuments in Chanderi. We enjoyed a 2 hour walk through the town.
A clothesline in Chanderi, India. Enjoyed a 2 hour walk through this off the beaten path town.
A man passes through a doorway at Agra Fort in Agra, India.
First glimpse of the Taj Mahal in Agra, India.
An unusually rainy day in March at the Taj Mahal in Agra, India. Photo taken March 2015.
It was a last minute decision to Visit Florida over March Break. Orlando is landlocked but within a reasonable driving distance to either coast. We chose to visit the Gulf of Mexico side for a Day Trip to Clearwater from Orlando, Florida because of the warm calm waters of the Gulf.
March Break (middle of March) is a notoriously busy time to visit Florida as many families from Ontario and other parts of Canada venture south in search of warmer temperatures, sunny skies and family fun.
Orlando wasn’t our first choice, but due to the last-minute decision, it was the best place to go in terms of a quick trip and costs.
My sons at 4.5 & 5 weeks old in 2010, our 1st family visit to Florida.
Our plan for the 5 days/nights was to enjoy as much swimming as possible and to go on a day trip to Clearwater. The goal was to visit Winter, the dolphin made famous in the movies Dolphin Tale and Dolphin Tale 2 at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium (CMA). We based ourselves in the Orlando area because we were still able to find a house with a swimming pool last minute on Homeaway.
I love to connect with nature and wildlife and support initiatives that help them, learn about things that are more unique to a destination and visit lesser known and unusual attractions. I was able to connect with Leroy of Visit St. Petersburg Clearwaterwhooffered some great ideas for our day trip to Clearwater:
We had hoped to visit Caladesi Island State Parkas recommended by Leroy, but we had a late start and spent so much time at Clearwater Marine Aquarium. We booked the sunset trip on Captain Memo’s Pirate Cruise as a surprise for our boys so it didn’t leave us enough time for a beach trip. Caladesi looks stunning with its white sandy beaches, shelling and nature. We will have to return.
I was thrilled to find out about the non profit Clearwater Marine Aquarium and their mission of rescue, rehab, and release. Unfortunately, some of the marine life such as dolphins like Winter and some sea turtles are too injured or lack the skills to survive and cannot return to the wild. In this case, I believe CMA is a perfect home to care for them as they are also a working animal hospital. You might even have the opportunity to see the professionals at work in the surgical suite in the lower part of the aquarium.
Winter is a female dolphin that was injured by a crab trap line when she was just a few months old. She unfortunately lost 2 vertebrae and had to have her tail amputated. She learned a new way of swimming and has a prosthetic tail that she wears at times. She is an inspiration to many.
Winter of Dolphin Tale & Dolphin Tale 2
My boys enjoyed seeing Winter and other dolphins Hope and Nicholas as well as sea turtles, otters, nurse sharks and stingrays. CMA boasts an impressive list of rescue and releases. It is certainly not your regular large aquarium filled with colourful fish and marine life and we like it that way! We admire the work being done at CMA by the caring team of staff and volunteers. It was an educational and inspiring afternoon.
I believe this is Stubby, a green sea turtle with a buoyancy disorder.
After spending a few hours at CMA we drove to the Clearwater Marina for the pirate cruise as we weren’t sure about traffic. We arrived early so we picked up a quick dinner to go, drove around the area, ate dinner by the beach and did a little shopping.
With an hour to go, I checked in and picked up a parking pass at the Pirate cruise kiosk for the marina as the pass extends past the 2 hour limit on the coin meters, the pass is $3. The popular Pier 60 and Clearwater Beach are across the street and many shops including Ron Jon Surf Shop are nearby. It was only after checking in that my sons learned that we were going on a pirate cruise.
We boarded Captain Memo’s pirate ship and the boys were immediately outfitted with a pirate hat and wooden gun. As we stepped on board we were shown to the bar area where we were offered a complimentary drink right away – water, soda, beer and wine and could return for refills throughout the night. Shortly after leaving the dock, the children were whisked off to the lower part of the ship.
Little did we know that the wooden pistol was actually a water gun until all the kids appeared again with smiles on their faces from ear to ear and the water guns pointed at us. They could barely contain their laughter and excitement, a ship-wide water fight ensued.
The pirates were fantastic at entertaining the children for the whole cruise with stories, a treasure hunt, games, face painting and a dance party. We got to sit back and enjoy the cruise, beverages and scenery. My youngest son’s birthday was only a few days after the cruise so he was given a special birthday button and the pirates sang Happy Birthday to him and the others who also celebrated their birthdays.
The sunset on the Gulf of Mexico was stunning and the cruise was full of smiles not only on the faces of the kids, but the adults too. We had a truly wonderful day and night in Clearwater.
Until next time,
Andrea… and my wandering iPhone
While I learned about these activities through Visit St Petersburg Clearwater, tickets were paid for by us and opinions are entirely my own.
Varanasi is said to be the holiest city in India for the Hinduism and Jain religions. It is situated on the banks of the Ganga (Ganges). Every night priests perform the Aarti ceremony otherwise known as Agni Pooja (worship to fire) at the Dasashwamedh ghat (main ghat). We watched some of the ceremonies from the boat we took a Ganges boat ride on.
In February 2015 I had the opportunity to join the Unforgettable India tour with Intrepid Travel. Varanasi was our first stop on the tour and it took us through large cities like Delhi, Agra and Varanasi and smaller cities like Khajuraho, Orchha and Chanderi in 2 states, Madya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.
