We’re taking you on a bucket list adventure to Africa! This is Part 1 of our epic 14-day guided tour through South Africa and Eswatini (Swaziland)—an unforgettable trip filled with wildlife safaris, vibrant cities, coastal adventures, and hilarious “TIA” (This Is Africa) moments.

In this episode, we explore Cape Town’s famous Table Mountain, visit adorable penguins at Boulders Beach, go on a game drive in search of Africa’s Big 5, and cruise past hippos and crocodiles on the St. Lucia Estuary. Plus, we share real-deal travel tips about currency, malaria pills, what to expect from the bathrooms, and why you should never skip Africa.

This is just Part 1—our adventure continues next week as we head to Zimbabwe, Zambia, and more!

Places We Went on This Trip:

• Cape Town
• Durban
• St. Lucia Estuary
• Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Game Reserve
• Eswatini (Swaziland)

Highlights in Cape Town Include:

• Going to the top of Table Mountain via cable car for epic views of Cape Town
• Cape Peninsula exploration of Hout Bay, Cape of Good Hope, and visiting the penguin colony at Boulder Beach
• Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens
• Visiting the Victoria & Albert Waterfront (VA Waterfront) for harbor views, shops and restaurants
• Taking a day trip to Gansbaai to go cage diving with Great White Sharks in "Shark Alley"

Highlights in Durban & St. Lucia

• Sunset Game Cruise on St. Lucia Estuary spotting Nile Crocodiles, Hippos and other wildlife
• Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Game Reserve Safari where we saw 4 out of 5 of the African "Big Five", including tons of rhinos, elephants, lions and cape buffalo.

We experienced Africa on a guided tour, and all our hotels were included. However, if you plan to visit South Africa and this region on your own, to make your travel planning easier, we have included a link for hotels on Expedia here.

To further help you plan, be sure to check out additional activities, tours and things to do via ⁠Viator⁠ in ⁠Cape Town and the surrounding region.

If you're looking for a flight deals to South Africa, or anywhere else, we recommend signing up for ⁠⁠Thrifty Traveler Premium⁠ ⁠to get daily flight deals (points & cash) emailed directly to you! Use our promo code TS10 to get $10 off your first year subscription.

Since this is an international trip, make sure you can stay connected and access internet and data on the cheap with Airalo. Airalo is an E-Sim instant download that allows you to avoid the high costs of accessing internet and data with your home country cell provider while traveling internationally.

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