This year's vacation found 20 of us in Capetown, Johannesburg, Pretoria and Entabeni Safari Conservancy. The flight was South Africa Airways which departed from Dulles International Airport, Washington, DC. I do not recommend South Africa Airways. The aircraft was old and uncomfortable. The meals were substandard. There were poor movie selections and no Wifi. My group of 4 paid for our seats early so we could sit beside each other. The airlines messed up on one of our member's seat and gave it to one of their frequent fliers. The one positive on this flight was they had an over-sized lavatory. I hate those little small restrooms you usually have on most flights. Let's talk about the passengers. OMG, very rude and lots and lots of small children. This one little boy who was maybe 6 or 7 was all over me kicking his legs into my hip all night as he slept sprawled across his mom and ME. This flight was 10 hours from DC to Dakar where we stopped to fuel, clean the plane and pickup more passengers. We had to stay on the plane while about 8-10 housekeepers and Security descended on the plane to clean, vacuum and inspect. I have never encountered anything like this in my life. They were vacuuming around us, sweeping, cleaning the seat compartments and replacing blankets. We had to remove our bags from the overhead compartments.
The flight to South Africa was very disappointing BUT once there, everything was amazing. We had planned excursions to Table Mountain, a winery, the penguins, Botanical gardens, Robbin Island and a Capetown tour. We had a little time to explore on our own. I called Uber and went to Mt. Nelson Hotel for afternoon tea and crumpets. It was a very elegant affair. Our hotel accommodations were above average. We stayed at Protea Breakwater Lodge by Marriott. This facility was formerly a prison. They have made excellent use of the space. The food was magnificent. The facility is very clean but small.
We took a motor coach to the airport to fly back to Johannesburg where another motor coach was waiting for us to take us to the mountains where we stayed for our four safaris. Another phenomenal experience. Our Ranger, Fanie was wonderful. He is very knowledgeable, patient, professional and funny. The meals were outstanding too. The return flight was better than the going one. I could go on and on about the experiences and our Safaris but instead, I will share a few pictures.!
Ooops...These are pictures from the Mt. Nelson Tea. My Safari pictures are on my cell.