Unforgettable South African Journeys with the Leopard Team
Once a month for the next few months, you’ll hear from the vibrant women who make up the Leopard team, about their favourite holiday experiences in Africa. I hope that you’ll get to know the team a bit better through these personal accounts and also appreciate their passion for Africa and its diversity. Each Leopardess has her special interests and we draw on each of these to help plan absolutely detailed and tailor-made trips to Africa for our clients.
– Diana
Here’s Elise’s account of a few of her travel highlights in South Africa.
When Diana asked me to write about my favourite African travel memory, it was tricky to narrow it down to one experience. As a result, I’ve summarised some highlights of one of my favourite African destinations. My own country, South Africa.
Perhaps you know parts of South Africa well, or perhaps you’ve never visited. However much, or little, of this – the southernmost part of our large and beautiful continent – you’ve experienced, I hope my adventures will inspire you to explore and enjoy more of this vibrant and diverse country.
My favourite South African safari experience
For travellers from outside the continent, the desire to see a muscular lion – with jaws that can rival a steel gin trap and a mane that would make even Jennifer Aniston’s hairstylist jealous – comes as no surprise. Depictions of lions in literature and art date back thousands of years, across cultures. The oldest cave paintings of lions, painted between 13,000 and 30,000 BC, were discovered in the Chauvet Cave and Lascaux in France’s Ardèche region and lions are depicted on vases in Iran, excavated near Lake Urmia, around 2,600 BC.
Although I’ve had the privilege of numerous lion sightings on safari and know why the lion is regarded as the king of the beasts, my favourite big cat has always been the leopard. This has nothing to do with the Leopard brand, but it is a happy coincidence. My appreciation for these elusive creatures, with lithe bodies and a distinctive coat, began with a school project on leopards I did when I was 11.
This brings me to my favourite safari experience. It took place in the Sabi Sand Private Game Reserve, which shares unfenced borders with the world-renowned Kruger National Park. The area is known for its leopard sightings and although sightings are never guaranteed, it’s where I saw my first leopard.
When we encountered the large male he was lying in a clearing below a tree, having scoffed the best part of an impala. The remainder of his dinner was wedged in a fork between branches above. He was panting heavily from the effort of it all – and probably from how hard his digestive system was working. After a few minutes, he got up and sauntered past our vehicle – a whisker’s breadth away. Then almost effortlessly, he hoisted his recently expanded frame up the tree trunk and back to his kill. The memory of watching him as night fell, with the nocturnal sounds of the bush filling our ears, is something I’ll always cherish.
My favourite South African seaside experiences
I’m an ocean lover. To me there’s nothing more relaxing than the sound of lapping waves, the smell of salt in the air and a view over the seemingly endlessly blue. My dad passed his love of the seaside on to me. We enjoyed family holidays along South Africa’s coastline, as well as in Greece, however, it’s in South Africa that my love of the ocean was born and continues to this day.
As a child, we’d escape the Cape’s winters and visit KwaZulu-Natal and the northern parts of South Africa’s Wild Coast on holiday where we could enjoy the subtropical warmth of the air and mild temperature of the ocean. In summer, we’d head to Cape Town’s Clifton Fourth Beach. Here, I learned to love the icy yet refreshing water amid cries from hawkers selling ice cream and cool drinks, shouting, ‘water for your daughter,’ ‘ice to make you nice,’ and ‘a lolly to keep you jolly.’
This love of family time at the sea has been passed on to my daughters and we continue to explore South Africa’s coastline together, particularly in and around Cape Town. No matter how long I’ve lived here, there always seems to be a new cove or tidal pool waiting to be discovered. We’ve visited Instagrammable destinations further afield on the Cape West Coast too, like Port Owen’s marina or Kraalbaai, in the West Coast National Park. On a recent trip with my husband along the Garden Route, we spent time kayaking through Thesen Island’s waterways, in Knysna. Another first.
However, my most thrilling African marine experience has to be freediving the Sardine Run off the coast of Port St Johns, in the Eastern Cape.
While slipping off the side of an inflatable rubber duck into the middle of the ocean heaving with marine life is not everyone’s cup of tea, it was mine. I’ve been fortunate enough to do so on more than one occasion, swimming with super pods of dolphins that stream by in what seems like a perpetual parade. We also had close encounters with humpback whales and watched from beneath the water in wonder as Cape gannets dropped from the sky to dive bomb tightly corralled bait balls of sardines.
If you prefer shallow calm water free of large predators, South Africa has more than its fair share of these. For instance, the famous penguin beach, Boulders, which was recently voted the second best beach in the world in the BeachAtlas Golden Beach Award 2024, is one of my favourite too and is certainly worth a visit. – Elise (Travel Journalist, Content Strategist & Copywriter)
There are so many reasons to explore the wonders of South Africa – from its pristine beaches to being surrounded by nature in the bush.
Discover vibrant cities and explore Winelands that boast world-class wines and cuisine. Immerse yourself in cultural experiences where you can meet people who practise ancient traditions passed down through generations, or take a cooking class to learn how to make local dishes. There are also exquisite lodges and hotels where you can soak up the scenery and experience the very best service.
We’d love to help you experience the finest that Africa has to offer by sharing our local knowledge and helping you craft the perfect tailor-made itinerary.
Happy travelling,
The Leopard Team