Podcast conversation with Lylie Moolman.

“We are going on safari!” Just saying that creates a lot of excitement! And if you’ve always wanted to go on safari, now is a great time to begin thinking about it.

Lylie and I had a fun and helpful conversation about safaris in general and specific to South Africa. We started with… I want to go on safari, where do I begin?

Questions to ask yourself:

  1. Who is going – adults, families, young/old kids, multigenerational?
  2. What type of wildlife do I want to see?
  3. What type of game drives? (ex: driving, walking, biking, boat)
  4. How active do I want to be?
  5. What types of on-property activities/options do I want? (ex: pool, fitness center, cultural, conservation/sustainability, photography, hide, yoga, kids camp, started)
  6. What type of feel/style do I like? (contemporary vs traditional canvas lodge, tented vs mobile vs stationary vs villa, size)
  7. What level of luxury do I want?

We focused on private concessions near Kruger National Park and touched on the difference between a game drive within a national park and on a private concession.

Some of the favorite lodges near Kruger NP we talked about:

  • Dulini
  • Lion Sands
  • Singita

We touched on other regions: Madikwe, Pilanesburg and Welgevonden.

Before/after a safari:

We talked about ideas for places to combine before or after a safari:

CapeTown Experiences

  • Visit Bo Kaap
  • Hike Table Mountain
  • Visit Cape Peninsula – see the penguins at Boulder’s Beach
  • Helis
  • SUP
  • Food tours
  • Kelp foraging
  • Diving with great white sharks
  • Motorcycle tours
  • Visit Robben Island – Nelson Mandela
  • VNA waterfront – walk

Favorite Hotels – so many good ones!

Winelands – Stellenbosch, Franschhoek and Paarl Activities:

  • Wine tasting
  • Food tours
  • Picnics
  • Biking

Hiking Favorite Hotels:

Johannesburg Activities

  • Visit Apartheid Museum
  • Markets

Favorite Hotels

Takeaway tips:

  • There are areas in South Africa that you need to take Malaria pills to visit and others where you don’t. If you are going with smaller children – make sure to share that concern with your advisor.
  • The summer time in Cape Town (December to March) doesn’t exactly match up with the dry season on safari. So, there are pros and cons to any time of year.
  • Consider the size of the lodge where you will be staying. Larger lodges often have groups staying in them, which often changes the dynamic.
  • Lylie strongly recommends the Netflix documentary My Octopus Teacher, I can’t wait to watch it.

Extraordinary Experiences for
Adventurous Families

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