1,000 Places to See Before You Die

by Patricia Schultz

  Beauty and the Beasts

  GREATER KRUGER PARK AREA

  Mpumalanga, South Africa

  Some of South Africa’s best game-viewing can be found in the expanse of land west of Kruger National Park. Sharing an unfenced border with the enormous park, these collectively owned and managed private reserves and concessions are home to a remarkable variety of wildlife but don’t get the human traffic that typically follows it, so you’ll very likely never share the surrounding terrain with more than one or two other jeeps in the course of each exhilarating drive. The animals are not tame, but they are accustomed to the sight of vehicles and let them approach fairly close. Rangers and trackers are educated and entertaining, with a wealth of experience and a passion for the bush. They will drive you through various habitats and ecosystems, from rolling hills to open grasslands and thick forests. Around every turn in the dirt road a surprise awaits: slinking leopards, cheetahs, endangered African wild dogs, and magnificent black and white rhinos, not to mention 500 species of birds, thriving prides of lions, and scores of zebras, buffalo, hippos, giraffes, and elephants (13,000 of them!).

  Nearly as staggering is the unabashed luxury of the splendor-in-the-bush accommodations at the exalted trio of lodges here, the Londolozi, Royal Malewane, and Singita. Of Londolozi’s five camps, the finest are the three Granite Private Suites, directly on the banks of the Sand River and accommodating just six privileged guests altogether. Royal Malewane, with its eight thatched suites, each with a private infinity swimming pool, boasts a Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Blazon, a plaque given by the legendary Parisian gastronomic society to recognize an exemplary level of cuisine. Singita’s four luxurious lodges, each with its own distinctive identity, have reinterpreted the concept of the permanent safari camp—they all feature a spa and stylish suites with private pools. Down-to-earth budgets will be just as happy at the privately owned Kapama Karula, a riverside lodge hosting just 14 guests in tents and chalets with excellent guides and under-the-stars dinners.

  All the Big Five game animals can be found at Kruger, with elephants being the easiest to spot.

  WHERE: Nelspruit and nearby Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport service the Kruger National Park area, 221 miles/346 km east of Johannesburg; small airstrips at some properties receive scheduled flights and charters from Johannesburg. LONDOLOZI: Tel 27/11-280-6655; www.londolozi.com. Cost: from $1,000 per person, all-inclusive. ROYAL MALEWANE: Tel 27/15-793-0150; www.royalmalewane.com. Cost: from $1,550 per person, all-inclusive. SINGITA: Tel 27/21-683-3424; www.singita.com. Cost: from $1,700 per person, all-inclusive. KAPAMA KARULA: Tel 27/12-368-0600; www.kapama.co.za. Cost: $320 per person, all-inclusive. BEST TIME: Mar–Oct for cooler, drier weather.

  The Golden Age of Train Travel, Past and Present

  ROVOS RAIL AND THE BLUE TRAIN

  South Africa

  Tiny planes transport safarigoers from park to park bestowing bird’s-eye views of the vast landscapes in between. For those with time to slow down, a rail journey permits entry to a world not many see, and in South Africa, you have two exemplary choices. The Rovos Rail, which features some cars that date to the late 1800s, is a throwback to the glory days of steam travel, when sleeper coaches and carriages were built with ornately carved embellishments and serviced by tuxedoed porters. The Blue Train is all contemporary luxury and efficiency, like a slender and sleek hotel kitted out with lacquer, leather, and African prints. Both roll along from Cape Town northeast to Johannesburg and Pretoria, a journey of nearly 1,000 miles across the starkly beautiful plains of the Great Karoo and the canyons of the Highveld in the center of South Africa.

  Rovos Rail offers a number of itineraries that can be mixed and matched according to time and budget. The 25-hour Cape Town to Knysna round-trip, for example, chuffs through the fabled Hottentots Holland Mountains, taking in the lake district and the dramatic coastline. Three times a year, Rovos offers a 14-day odyssey from Cape Town to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, with stops at Victoria Falls (see p. 435), Kruger Park (see p. 421), and Zambia’s Chishimba Falls. Exceptionally large suites are outfitted with queen-size beds and private bathrooms. Dressing for dinner on the aptly named Pride of Africa is only fitting when a meal of Cape rock lobster, paired with any of South Africa’s finest wines, awaits.

  The Blue Train first took to the rails in 1946. As stylish and comfortable as the original trains were, passengers will appreciate their new generation of sophisticated railcars, introduced in the late 1990s. Private bathrooms are decked out with marble vanities and walls; suites include full entertainment centers, while meals feature local wines in crystal glassware and dishes that will satisfy the most discriminating palates. The journeys on Blue Train are faster than those on Rovos and are limited to overnight jaunts between Cape Town and Pretoria, just north of Johannesburg (and with transfers available to Durban and Kruger).

  WHERE: Board in either Cape Town or Pretoria. ROVOS RAIL: Tel 27/12-315-8242; www.rovos.com. Cost: 3-day journey between Cape Town and Pretoria from $2,600. BLUE TRAIN: Tel 27/12-334-8459; www.bluetrain.co.za. Cost: 2-day journey between Cape Town and Pretoria from $1,600. BEST TIMES: Oct–Mar if paired with a winelands tour; Apr–Sep if paired with a safari.

  An Oenophile’s Odyssey

  THE CAPE WINELANDS

  Western Cape, South Africa

  A wine safari combines two of South Africa’s greatest treasures: the bounty of the spectacular Cape wine region and its excellent regional cuisine—an exotic mix of Dutch, French, British, Portuguese, German, and Malay influences. Within easy reach of Cape Town (see p. 414), both major wine estates and the small, sophisticated towns of Stellenbosch, Paarl, and Franschhoek (and to a lesser degree Robertson and McGregor) have roots dating back to Dutch and French Huguenot settlement in the mid-1600s. Gracious Cape Dutch homesteads are set against the granite-peaked Drakenstein mountains, forests, and rolling vineyards that produce a range of varietals, most notably cabernet sauvignon and pinotage among the reds and sauvignon blanc and chenin blanc among the whites.

  Franschhoek (“French corner” in Afrikaans) is the gourmet capital of South Africa, and it alone boasts more than 40 wineries as well as two memorable boutique hotels. Le Quartier Français, a charming, self-contained minivillage tucked away in the quaint downtown is celebrated for its dining. La Residence boasts a 30-acre farm and vineyard, along with 11 extravagant suites opening onto wide verandas and views of the nearby mountain range. If you’re staying elsewhere, treat yourself to lunch or dinner, a theatrical, candlelit event. North of Franschhoek, in Paarl, Grande Roche is a restored 18th-century homestead renowned for its service, its sophisticated suites, and Bosman’s, its casually elegant dining room, whose wine list is often lauded as one of the best in South Africa.

  The country’s first vineyards were planted in Constantia, the smart suburb just 20 minutes south of Cape Town. Groot Constantia, the oldest wine estate in the country, was originally owned by the first governor of the Dutch Colony here in the 17th century. Buitenverwachting, whose tongue-twisting name is Old Dutch for “beyond expectations,” is another well-known Constantia wine estate and restaurant. Cellars-Hohenort, a historic country hotel and restaurant nestled against the forested eastern slopes of Table Mountain, occupies the 18th-century cellars of the former Cape governor’s wine estate as well as a triple-gabled manor house.

  In the 19th century, Groot Constantia supplied wines to Napoleon and the king of the Netherlands.

  WHERE: Franschhoek is 50 miles/80 km east of Cape Town. VISITOR INFO: www.wine.co.za. LE QUARTIER FRANÇAIS: Tel 27/21-876-2151; www.lequartier.co.za. Cost: rooms from $420 (off-peak), from $680 (peak); dinner with fixed menu at the Tasting Room $90. LA RESIDENCE: Tel 27/21-876-4100; www.la residence.co.za. Cost: from $635 per person.GRANDE ROCHE: Tel 27/41-407-1000; www.granderoche.com. Cost: from $310 (off-peak), from $440 (peak); dinner with tasting menu at Bosman’s $90.GROOT CONSTANTIA: Tel 27/21-794-5128; www.grootconstantia.co.za. BUITENVERWACHTING: Tel 27/21-794-3522; www.buitenverwachtin
g.co.za. Cost: dinner $60. CELLARS-HOHENORT: Tel 27/21-7942137; www.cellars-hohenort.com. Cost: from $340 (off-peak), from $600 (peak). BEST TIMES: Sep–May for warmer, drier weather; the weekend closest to Jul 14 for Bastille Day celebrations in Franschhoek.

  Africa’s Southernmost Coast

  THE GARDEN ROUTE

  Western Cape, South Africa

  This 130-mile stretch that begins east of Cape Town and runs along Africa’s southernmost tip is a coastal terrain of lakes, mountains, forests, and golden beaches. Indian Ocean waters just offshore are full too—of penguins, dolphins, and migrating whales that have traveled here to breed and calve. Beautiful year-round, the area is positively glorious between July and October, when an unequaled diversity of wildflowers, supported by a unique combination of soil and climate, bursts into bloom and gives full meaning to the drive’s name: “The Garden Route.” See it by hiking any of the hundreds of miles of trails or on leisurely drives through forests and parkland.

  The charming town of Knysna has a cliff-fringed harbor replete with sailboats, a colorful community of artists, and plenty of well-heeled vacationers. Sample the area’s renowned oysters during its event-packed July oyster festival, when you can stop by the Knysna Oyster Company’s alfresco tasting tavern, one of dozens of participating restaurants, to slurp down some of the bivalves with garnishes from caviar to mango and a chaser of a cold Mitchell’s, the local ale. Follow walking trails out along the coast to view the Heads, rock sentinels at the mouth of the lagoon. On a gorgeous sweep of beach lies the Plettenberg, the coastline’s most exclusive hotel, with a box-seat view of the wild and rugged headland and a half-moon bay. Come at least for lunch on the open terrace, and whale-watch while you dine.

  Although not officially part of the Garden Route, visit the coastal city of Hermanus for more whale-spotting. Or head out in the direction of nearby Dyer Island (a breeding colony for African penguins and Cape fur seals), where shark diving (safely ensconced within specially made cages) provides unparalleled thrills. On the south end of whale-rich Walker Bay, check into the hilltop Grootbos Lodge set amid a multitude of flowering shrubs in a private nature reserve; or, on the north end, the smartly styled Birkenhead House; perched on the rocky Hermanus Cliffs. The famous Otter Trail in Tsitsikamma National Park is a 5-day trek through jaw-dropping scenery; half-mile trails descend from the park’s visitor’s center for those with less time or stamina.

  WHERE: The Garden Route runs from Mossel Bay, 237 miles/382 km east of Cape Town, to Storms River mouth, 359 miles/578 km east of Cape Town. KNYSNA OYSTER COMPANY: Tel 27/44-382-6941. Cost: lunch $15. PLETTENBERG HOTEL: Tel 27/44-533-2030; www.plettenberg.com. Cost: from $340 (off-peak), from $610 (peak); lunch $25. GROOTBOS LODGE: Tel 27/28-384-8053; www.grootbos.com. Cost: from $215 (off-peak), from $550 (peak) per person, all-inclusive. BIRKENHEAD HOUSE: Tel 27/15-793-0150; www.birkenheadhouse.com. Cost: from $375 (off-peak), from $410 (peak) per person, inclusive. BEST TIMES: Jun–Oct for wildflowers and whales; early Jul for Knysna Oyster Festival; late Sep for Hermanus Whale Festival.

  The Continent’s Highest Peak

  MOUNT KILIMANJARO

  Kilimanjaro National Park, Tanzania

  “Wide as all the world, great, high, and unbelievably white in the sun,” wrote Ernest Hemingway in his famous short story “The Snows of Kilimanjaro.” As global warming has caused temperatures to creep up, those snows have been melting, but even now, few mountains rival Kilimanjaro—Swahili for “mountain of greatness”; at 19,340 feet, it dwarfs all of Africa’s other peaks. The 9-day, 25-mile round-trip trek to the dormant volcano’s oddly flat top, ascending by way of the remote, seldom-used Shira Plateau, has several advantages over the more popular, five-day Marangu Trail, or “tourist route.” Besides avoiding hordes of trekkers, the longer route allows a few days to get acclimated to the altitude. Elevation is the biggest and most underestimated obstacle; one-third of Marangu trekkers never make it past Gillman’s Point, 600 feet below the summit, unable to adjust to the low level of oxygen—approximately half of what humans normally breathe at sea level. Other than this ability to cope with the altitude, no technical skills, equipment, or previous experience is needed, though the grade is gentle but deceptive: going pole pole (“slowly slowly” in Swahili) is the key, and the ascent must be undertaken with an organized group. A battalion of porters bolts ahead to pitch tents at spectacular sites and set up camp by the time everyone straggles in. At the summit, your lightheadedness might be the altitude, or it might simply be a response to the satisfaction of accomplishing an epic climb and the thrill of seeing the sun rise over the plains of Tanzania and Kenya more than 3 miles below you.

  About 25,000 people set out to climb Mount Kilimanjaro each year, but it is estimated that only about half of them make it to the top.

  WHERE: Arusha is 168 miles/270 km south of Nairobi. HOW: U.S.-based Mountain Madness offers 12-day Shira route trips. Tel 800-328-5925 or 206-937-8389; www.mountainmadness.com. Cost: from $4,975 all-inclusive. Originates in Arusha. BEST TIMES: Sep–Oct and Dec–Jan for clearer, warmer, and drier days on the mountain, but also biggest crowds.

  Life Among the Chimpanzees

  GREYSTOKE CAMP

  Mahale Mountains National Park, Tanzania

  Just 60 miles south of where Stanley uttered his famous greeting, “Doctor Livingstone, I presume?” on the remote eastern shores of Lake Tanganyika, lies Mahale Mountains National Park, home to the world’s largest known population of wild chimpanzees, mankind’s closest relatives. The 600-square-mile, road-free park remains almost untouched by the outside world, yet on the lake’s sandy shores at the foot of the mountains lies Greystoke Camp, the embodiment of all safari fantasies and a strong candidate for the most beautiful in all of Africa. Six wooden bandas (traditional thatched huts) open onto a soft sand beach, their interiors fashioned from reclaimed dhow timber and decorated with billowing fabric. They are nestled against the forest and surround the imposing dining pavilion that rises two stories high with soaring prowlike wings.

  Within hiking distance is the Mimikire clan of about 60 chimps that became habituated to humans when a group of Japanese researchers began monitoring them in the mid-1960s. Every morning, trackers from the lodge go out early to find the chimps. Then, after breakfast, guides will lead you along the forest paths until you’re surrounded by their calls. You can sit quietly, watching them groom, wrestle, bicker, forage, eat, and nurture their young. Guides explain the well-defined hierarchy in this extended family, marked by complex relationships and histories. You have only one hour to watch them each day. Other guided walks give you a chance to spot colobus monkeys and leopards, as well as the countless birds and butterflies that also call this area home. When you return to the lodge, you might choose to relax until dinner, or perhaps you’d prefer to snorkel, fish, or kayak the impossibly clear waters populated by more than 1,000 species of fish.

  Guides know the name and history of all of the camp’s chimps.

  WHERE: on the shores of Lake Tanganyika, in western Tanzania; accessible via charter from Arusha, plus a boat transfer to camp; www.greystoke-mahale.com. COST: from $1,075 per person per night, all-inclusive, with round-trip charter from Arusha (off-peak), from $1,225 (peak). HOW: U.S.-based Africa Adventure Company offers custom itineraries. Tel 800-882-9453 or 954-491-8877; www.africa-adventure.com. BEST TIME: Trekking can be easier Aug–Oct when chimpanzees are often closer to the bottom of the mountains.

  Africa’s Garden of Eden

  NGORONGORO CRATER

  Tanzania

  The volcanic Ngorongoro Crater, the world’s largest unflooded, intact caldera is considered one of the natural wonders of the world, both for its unique beauty and for the staggering concentration of animals that live there. This natural amphitheater is the Serengeti (see p. 429) in miniature, with wildebeests, zebras, and gazelles roaming from one side of the 12-mile-wide, vegetation-dense crater to the other. Elephants, buffalo, hippos, and dark-maned lions are also plentiful, and Ngorongoro
is possibly the best place on earth to see the rare black rhino. In the middle of the crater is the mirrorlike Lake Magadi, a year-round supply of fresh water that makes this one big spectacular wildlife oasis. Masses of flamingos are not uncommon, while in the marshes and grasslands surrounding the lake, storks, ostriches, and hornbills come and go. And at night, the piercing call of a thick-tailed bush baby will remind you that smaller, more timid creatures make this place their home too.

  The human species is beginning to outnumber the wildlife, but accommodations along the rim of the crater are still limited. Lemala Tented Camp, a seasonal collection of nine luxury tents, is the closest to the crater floor and has a staff with encyclopedic knowledge and a knack for avoiding herds of fellow gazers (they’re always first out in the morning). At an elevation of 7,500 feet, the crater has its share of chilly nights, so many visitors take a pass on Lemala’s canvas tents and instead stay at Ngorongoro Crater Lodge, one of East Africa’s most luxurious hotels. Check into any of the 30 thatched, stilted suites with floor-to-ceiling windows perched at the crater’s edge, ask your butler to draw your bath, and watch from your tub as the sunset’s magic unfolds. Afterward, enjoy a leisurely firelit dinner of pan-African cuisine and Cape wines.

  The world’s black rhinos declined severely in the 20th century due to poaching, but here they live safely, slowly increasing in population.

  WHERE: 120 miles/190 km west of Arusha. LEMALA TENTED CAMP: Tel 255/27-254-8966; www.lemalacamp.com. Cost: from $495 per person, all-inclusive (off-peak), from $595 (peak). When: closed rainy season Apr–May. NGORONGORO CRATER LODGE: Contact &Beyond in South Africa, tel 27/11-809-4314; in the U.S., 888-882-3742; www.andbeyondafrica.com. Cost: from $685 per person, all-inclusive (off-peak), from $1,500 (peak). BEST TIMES: Animal numbers are high year-round, but expect rain in Apr–May; Jul–Aug for cooler, drier weather.