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wildlife

Elephant Crossing, Kruger National Park in South Africa

elephant crossing the road

Elephant crossing.

A common scene in Kruger National Park in South Africa. Kruger is one of Africa’s largest game reserves at nearly 2 million hectares in size. It is 360 kilometres from North to south and 65 kilometres from east to west and extends into 2 provinces, Mpumalanga and Limpopo. It is home to diverse landscapes from the plains where the cheetah roam, to rocks and bushes where the leopard hide. You can self-drive from sunrise up to sunset. It is one of my favourite places in the world.

A Close Encounter with Orcas in British Columbia

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.

 

OrcaSpyhop
Spyhop!

 

Shortly after the spyhop, some of the orcas started poking their head out of the water as if they were checking us out.

 

Checking us out. - Victoria, British Columbia
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.

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An orca shows us a belly roll.

 

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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.

OrcasPorpoise
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.

Two orcas in the water near British Columbia with Race Rock in the background.
Orcas with Race Rocks in the background, about 17km from Victoria, British Columbia.

 

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We saw humpback whales too, we think we saw 2 different ones. Humpback whale tail.

 

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A humpback whale tail against a British Columbia sunset.

 

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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.

Until next time,

Andrea… and my wandering iPhone

 

 

Tips for Family Travel to South Africa and Photos

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.

SOUTH AFRICA SAFARI TOUR FOR FAMILIES

  • Book this tour from Johannesburg if your time is limited – full-day safari from Johannesburg to Pilanesberg Nature Reserve
  • Go to Sun City for a night or two with my Johannesburg-based friend, Ishmael of Afrotours, and visit Pilanesberg.
  • Book a full-day safari from Johannesburg to Kruger National Park (a super long day, but ideal if you have minimal time).
  • Fly to the Nelspruit area (airport code MQP, saves a 4-5 hour drive each way) and arrange a half-day, full-day, or 3-day safari in Kruger National Park with a private tour company. 
  • 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.

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Family Travel: A Day Trip to Clearwater from Orlando, Florida

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 visit to Florida.
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 Clearwater who offered some great ideas for our day trip to Clearwater:

We had hoped to visit Caladesi Island State Park as 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.

Clearwater Marine 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
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.
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.

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.

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Dyl

pirate boys

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.

sunset on the gulf of mexico

pirate cruise 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. 

Video: The Elusive Bottlenose Dolphins of the Ganges (Ganga) River

In February 2015 I went on the Unforgettable India tour with Intrepid Travel. I won the tour at the 4th anniversary of Toronto Travel Massive, a travel community I’ve been a part of since May 2013. Part of the tour took us on a 2 hour drive from Varanasi where our group climbed into boats and “set sail” down river for a leisurely and calming 4.5 hours to where we would camp for the night.

When we awoke in the morning we saw the elusive bottlenose dolphins of the Ganges River. I had no idea there were dolphins in the Ganges so it was a wonderful surprise. We climbed into the boats once more and as we rowed to our departure point we saw several more of the dolphins. Here is our closest encounter with them.