Faber Family Safari5/31/2023
On April 6th Pierre, Margaret, William and Edward embarked on their first family safari – and it was magical! We began our adventure in Cape Town at the iconic Cape Grace Hotel, where we were "welcomed home" by the generous and hospitable staff. The boys were thrilled to see seals sleeping and playing on the docks just outside our window overlooking the busy harbor.
Our first night we enjoyed dinner at Black Sheep where everyone tried beautifully prepared ostrich. After a much-needed sleep, we embarked on a tour of the Cape Winelands with our wonderful guide, Nick. A tour through some historic buildings in Stellenbosch helped set the scene for the vineyard that was to follow. At Waterford Estate we were treated to a private wine tasting in front of the fire, led by an expert vintner. The wines were paired with locally made chocolates – the Shiraz with chili flecked dark chocolate, the Muscat dessert wine with geranium and rose milk chocolate, etc. Following a cellar tour and lunch at another wine estate – Boschendahl – where we enjoyed dining al fresco overlooking the vines, we proceeded to tour historic Cape Dutch buildings, which William has a particular affinity for, and ended at Pierre's cousin's house for a family "braai."
The next day was the Peninsula Tour, which began with a trip up Table Mountain. After enjoying the panoramic views we descended and continued to the Castle (which is really a 17th century fort) where we learned about Cape Town's discovery by Europeans and admired the period art and furnishings. The penguins at Boulders Beach were next – adorable, albeit a little smelly! Lunch was taken at Harbour House – a great local fish restaurant – and then we continued to the beautiful Cape of Good Hope and Cape Point before returning to Cape Town via dramatic Chapman's Peak Drive. We enjoyed dinner outdoors at Kloof Street House.
Upon landing in Maun, Botswana, the following day we were collected and transferred by vehicle to Elephant Havens, where we met and FED the most adorable baby elephants. Classic Africa supports Elephant Havens' efforts to save and re-wild orphaned elephants, and expand local community conservation efforts, and it was wonderful to introduce our family to the fantastic team there.
After lunch where we learned about the eles and the handlers work, we flew by helicopter over the stunning Okavango Delta to Vumbura Plains Camp.
Vumbura was like a garden of eden – waterways interspersed with islands and teeming with game. The boys were amazed to see elephants from the air, along with hippos and herds of zebra and impala. Our suite was spacious, airy and perfect for families. We all very much enjoyed showering outdoors with elephants. The lunches at Vumbura were superb – all the ingredients are sourced from the local village farms and the Delta. The water lily pasta with tomato relish and grilled eggplant was extraordinary. Our guide at Vumbura was Speedy and he was terrific with the kids – especially Edward, with whom he played soccer every day. One particularly vigorous match took place after our mokoro excursion and involved the polers and boatmen. A highlight of our stay was "movie night" in our room where we had dinner and watched "The Gods Must be Crazy" while listening to all the wildlife bustling outside.
After three nights we embarked by light charter aircraft and boat to Selinda Camp. It also enjoys a beautiful landscape – set on the Selinda Spillway, as it enters the Linyanti River. Our first stop from the airstrip was to view a leopard in a tree! The camp itself is magnificent – decorated with oriental rugs, leather furnishings and campaign furniture. Right up Margaret's alley! We stayed in the very spacious suite, which is a self-contained unit with its own chef - all very luxurious. Our guide at Selinda was Master, who also bonded with Edward over soccer. He was a talented tracker and even found two female lions with five young active cubs on our last morning. The cuisine at Selinda was exceptional with a focus on fresh local vegetables and fruits – it quickly because obvious why they have earned Relais & Chateaux status. We even enjoyed breakfast one morning in the bush – on an elegantly set table by a waterhole. During our repast we were unexpectedly visited by a big bull elephant! William took all of this in stride, casually popping behind a termite mound while the enormous pachyderm passed. All in all, the trip was a great success! We were sad to leave Botswana to begin the long journey home, but look forward to the adventures our next family safari might bring.
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