All About Our Trip to South Africa and Zambia

The trip of a lifetime takes a ton of planning before the fun gets underway. I’m so excited to share all about our family adventure in South Africa and Zambia including itineraries, accommodations, excursions, and of course, food!

The Experience of a Lifetime

Traveling with our family to southern Africa has always been on our bucket list and we are so grateful we could make it happen. Being able to travel across the world as a family and to experience other countries is something we do not take for granted.

The kids did amazing the entire trip! They were so enthusiastic and immersed themselves into every adventure that we did. And they were so very thankful to us all throughout the trip for all that we did and saw. Experiencing a trip like this with the excitement and appreciation that our kids had was what made it even more incredible for Brandon and me.

Weeks after being home, they are still talking about the highlights of the trip and reminiscing on all the magical moments we got to experience while in Africa. Hopefully, we all get to go back at some point in our lives, but if we don’t, we can all agree it was the trip of a lifetime!

Planning a Family Trip to Southern Africa

We started planning this trip almost two years in advance. In April 2017, Brandon and I went to South Africa for a work trip and to visit our friends who live in Johannesburg. We didn’t go on a true safari or into the bush while we were there, so we were eager to go back and take the kids with us to really experience it all.

Ask a Travel Expert

So that we wouldn’t miss a thing, we used the services of a safari travel expert to help plan the lodging, safaris, adventures and regional travel portions of the trip. We relied on Cardo Kleberg from Geographic Group and he did such an amazing job helping us plan the perfect trip for us.

Our safari planner helped us find lodges that would accommodate us all together (most safari lodges/camps only have room for 2-4 people per lodge and we wanted to all be together). Because cuisine is very important to us when we travel, he found lodges for us that were known for great food. He also helped us find accommodations and adventures that were kid-friendly and once-in-a-lifetime experiences.

Cardo booked all of our regional flights within South Africa and to Zimbabwe with a transport on to Zambia along with road transportation to and from the safari lodges.

It was so helpful to have an expert plan this portion of the trip as there are so many details and logistics to consider. We were so thankful for his guidance and expertise!

Travel Overview

• Dallas (DFW) to Doha, Qatar, then to Johannesburg on Qatar Airways. In total, this was 23 hours of flight time on the way there. We had a 9-hour layover in Doha so we went out into the city to explore and eat two dinners. 😉
• Flight from Johannesburg, South Africa to Hoedspruit and then van from airport to Tintswalo Safari Lodge in the Manyeleti Game Reserve of Kruger National Park
• 3-hour Road Trip from Tintswalo Game Reserve to Lion Sands Game Reserve in the Sabi Sand Game Reserve of Kruger National Park with stops at:
  • Blyde River Canyon – 3^rd largest canyon in the world. It was so big and stunning!
  • Bourke’s Luck Potholes – very cool! A quick visit but one of nature’s natural wonders that’s unbelievable to comprehend how it was created and has evolved over time.
• Flight from Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport to Zimbabwe International Airport and then a van transfer across the Zimbabwe border into Zambia to check into Tongabezi Lodge
• Flight from Livingstone Airport to Cape Town, South Africa, where we rented a large passenger van to get around the Cape Town area with our friends.
• Flight from Cape Town to Johannesburg, South Africa.
• Johannesburg to Doha, Qatar (2-hour layover) then to Dallas/Fort Worth on Qatar Airways. This was 25 hours of flight time on the way home because of the headwinds.

Accommodations Overview

The staff at all three lodges were amazing! They went above and beyond to help make our experience as enjoyable as possible. We really enjoyed getting to know everyone and appreciated the expertise they brought to our experience.

• Johannesburg – stayed with our dear friends from business school for one night on the front end of the trip and another night on the back end of the trip.
• 1^st Safari Lodge – stayed at Tintswalo Manor House which is part of Tintswalo Safari Lodge in the Manyeleti Game Reserve of Kruger National Park for 3 nights
• 2^nd Safari Lodge – Lion Sands Game Reserve in Hi’nkwenu Residence in Kruger National Park for 2 nights
• Zambia – Tongabezi Lodge – Tangala House near Livingstone for 3 nights
• Cape Town – rented a VRBO in the Camps Bay area which is a suburb of Cape Town for 4 nights
• Johannesburg – stayed with our friends again before flying back to Dallas

Doha, Qatar

• On our way to South Africa, we had a 9-hour layover in Doha. Brandon and I wanted to show the kids around Doha so we ventured out into the city for some late-night dinners and exploring.
• Even though it was super-hot (114 degrees F at 8PM), we made the best of it! We enjoyed some Yemani soft bread and Chicken Mandy (spiced chicken stew with seasoned yellow rice) from Bandar Aden Restaurant which were delicious!
• Then we walked around the Souq Waqif area and found a Turkish ice cream stand. What a fun experience! The man serving the ice cream puts on a show and plays tricks on you as he’s scooping the ice cream with this super long ice cream scoop. It was so fun and entertaining! The ice cream is amazing too, and was just what we needed to cool off.
• We walked all around, did a little shopping. Brookie even rode a camel! Then we enjoyed our second dinner (a Georgian feast!) in Doha at Al Terrace Georgian Restaurant before heading back to the airport to shower all the sweat off and catch our flight to Johannesburg.

Tintswalo Safari Lodge and Lion Sands Game Reserve in Kruger National Park, South Africa

We did game drives from both  Tintswalo Manor House which is part of Tintswalo Safari Lodge in the Manyeleti Game Reserve of Kruger National Park and Lion Sands Game Reserve which is part of the Sabi Sand Nature Reserve, the oldest private nature reserve in South Africa, and is also in Kruger National Park.

Before our first Game Drive, we were quickly corrected that they are called Game Drives NOT Safaris! If you say you’re going out on a safari, the locals will chuckle and know you’re a newbie!

You’re out in “the bush” when you’re referring to the area you’re driving around in and looking for animals on the game drive in the national park.

Each game drive truck had a driver and then a tracker that would sit on a seat connected to the front of the truck. The driver would navigate and follow the trackers lead as we drove around looking for animals. They made us feel so comfortable, educated, excited, entertained and most importantly, safe!

Wondering what to wear on a safari to South Africa? Check out my guide, Africa: How to Prepare and Pack. You can also browse my Africa Safari Amazon List and my Africa Safari LTK Collection for links to everything we packed.

Victoria Falls, Zambia

During our time in Zambia, we stayed in Tongabezi Lodge – Tangala House near Livingstone and enjoyed some of the most exhilarating experiences:

• Victoria Falls (the largest water fall in the world!): Pictures don’t do these falls justice. They are huge and powerful and the most wonderous sight! We walked along the path in front of it, we rode a helicopter above and below it, we were on a boat at the top of it, and we even walked out and set in the roaring water at the very top edge of it.
• Victoria Falls Helicopter Ride: We took a 22-minute helicopter ride to see Victoria Falls from overhead and go down into the mighty gorges beneath the falls. What an awesome experience! Seeing the falls from overhead confirmed just how massive they are and how much water is powering down them. And then we literally swooped right down into the gorges and flew right over the roaring water curving side to side between the walls.
• Victoria Falls Angels Pool: We didn’t quite grasp the magnitude of this experience when we first signed up to do it. We thought we’d just being sitting in a protected pool at the top of the falls. Little did we know we’d be walking out to the very edge of the falls to sit and lay looking out right over the edge. We were living on the edge with this experience for sure! The boys went first and were so brave and loved every moment of it. Brookie wasn’t quite big enough to go all the way to the edge, but they let her get pretty close. It was finally my turn and as nervous as I was, I told myself to soak it all in because it was truly a once in a lifetime experience. The views were so incredible that I almost cried. Being right there at the edge with two rainbows right in front of me looking out over the edge to where all the water was going and down the falls to see all that water powerfully falling over, was just magical. We were all on an exhilaration high after this adventure!
• Zambezi River Excursions: We had a private boat at our lodge that they would take us out on whenever we wanted. We loved going out on the river to see the crocodiles and hippos and watch the stunning sunsets. Our lodge also surprised us with a picnic lunch in the middle of the Zambezi River on a tiny island. We thought we were going on a boat ride to the main lodge for lunch, but they suddenly stopped at this tiny island in the middle of the river where our chef and team had prepared the most delicious lunch with a table looking out on the river. We set and ate and sipped and enjoyed the views for hours. It was lovely!

Another highlight was going on a family bike ride on the rocky roads around the lodge area and into a local village.

We loved visiting Simoonga Village. We toured around and met some local community members and connected with them while the kids all played together. It was a very special afternoon for all of us!

Last time Brandon and I were in Zambia, we spent some time at the Tongabezi Trust School which is an incredible school program supporting underprivileged children in Southern Zambia. We have kept up with the school and I actually got to meet the mother of one of the students I bonded with back in 2017 when we were in the village to get an update on her and how well she is doing now that she has graduated from the school. 

One evening, our lodge surprised us with a performance by a local tribe where we got to learn about their culture through dance, music and ceremonial traditions.

Cape Town, South Africa

Our friends from Johannesburg met us in Cape Town for 5 days. It was such a special week getting to catch up with each other, let our kids all bond, and experience all that the beautiful Cape Town region has to offer. We rented an amazing VRBO in the Camps Bay area which is a suburb of Cape Town. It overlooked the ocean and made for some stunning sunset viewings.

We started each morning with a light breakfast at the house and then ventured out to a different bakery to get some treats and coffee. Such a sweet way to start each day! Here are the bakeries we enjoyed: 

• Okja Café  – all of the pastries here are vegan and the must-try pastries were the almond croissant and cinnamon roll. I couldn’t believe they were vegan!
• Chardonney Deli – the must-try pastry was the scone with fresh whipped cream and jam. So yummy!!
• Jason Bakery – the must-try pastries were the bacon and cheese croissant, chocolate almond croissant and blueberry muffin. Very tasty!

After our morning bakery stop, we would explore around Cape Town. Here are some of the fun places we went:

• V&A Waterfront – On the water with lots of shopping, dining, boats, entertainment and play areas for the kids.
• Boulders Penguin Beach – A nice walk on the boardwalk to view the penguins up close in their natural habitat and then we walked down to one of the beaches nearby where the kids braved the cold water and swam and jumped off some big rocks into the ocean.
• Babylonstoren: This winery was magical! More than a traditional winery for sure. It had the most beautiful farm and gardens that you could walk through and interact with. It also had museums about wine, farming and gardening, along with quaint shops filled with local specialties, produce, pastries, ice cream, and novelties. It was pouring rain when we first got there, but it finally let up and we truly enjoyed our day there. We were able to dine at Babel within Babylonstoren which was such a memorable meal. Everything was local and so fresh and flavorful. The chef and farmer would stop by our table to check on us as we enjoyed as many of the featured dishes as we could. We’re eager to go back to this winery and stay at one of the on-site cottages!
• Table Mountain: We actually stayed on part of Table Mountain. We had planned to hike it or take the cableway up it one day, but it was overcast each day we were there so it wouldn’t have been worth it.
• Cape of Good Hope: The weather was too overcast for us to go here this time, but Brandon and I visited here in 2017 and really enjoyed the views and hiking to the peak to see where the two oceans meet.

Once of the fun highlights of our exploring in Cape Town was when the boys discovered my cookbooks at Exclusive Books V&A Waterfront! We couldn’t believe it! I didn’t even know my cookbooks were sold in South Africa, but apparently, they are available in several locations. So cool! I signed the copies they had on hand so whomever buys them will have a signed copy. It made everyone so happy, especially me! 

Dining:

• Den Anker Belgian Restaurant, V&A Waterfront – we had a lovely lunch on the pier right next to the window overlooking the water and even saw some seals in the water right outside. We had a leisurely lunch of mussels, pommes frites, cheese croquettes, salads and champagne for us adults. The kids menu was perfect and they each got a sugar cookie they could color on with edible markers to entertain them a bit while we parents took our time.
• PIER Restaurant – we adults ventured out one night without the kids for a fun and delicious evening on the town. Our meal at PIER Restaurant was a culinary adventure. Each course was served so beautifully and tasted amazing! It was like being at the theater the way they presented each course and how each dish had a story. Highlights of our dining experience were the “under the sea” appetizer course with a variety of gorgeous seafood small bites, the bread course which was a fresh baked loaf of bread with a variety of butters and spreads to dip it in, the “margarita” palate cleanser which took us up to the kitchen counter area for tequila shots and frozen lime chasers, and the cheese cart which stopped by our table and built an awesome cheese course for us to enjoy before dessert. A fabulous meal and dining experience we will remember forever. Our hearts and bellies were certainly full!
• MORO Gelato in Stellenbosch – we stopped by this adorable gelato shop on our way from Babylonstoren back to Cape Town and it was so good! So creamy and rich in flavor. Loved the nostalgic feel of this gelato shop. They were so confident in their flavors that they didn’t even give samples which we Americans are not used to. 😉
• Time Out Market – we ate lunch here our last day in Cape Town and it was so good! It’s an elevated food hall with lots of great local restaurant and chef concepts all in one place.

I hope this answers all of your questions and gives you a glimpse into a once-in-a-lifetime adventure in South Africa and Zambia. To see more behind the scenes from our trip, check out my Instagram Story Highlights (Africa 1, Africa 2, Africa 3) for lots of fun videos, pictures and location links I shared while we were there.

xoxo,