More Than A Holiday - My South African Story

The Table Mountain

Seven years ago, I made the decision to travel to Cape Town, South Africa. The main reason for this trip was my daughter Shraddha's marriage to Karan who worked and lived in the vibrant city. However, shortly after her move, the Covid-19 pandemic hit, disrupting our plans and putting a hold on our visit to Cape Town until life returned to normal.

Being a wild life enthusiast with a visit to Masai Mara in 2013, visiting Kruger National Park was an added attraction.

We did plan to go there this year and by now Karan had been transferred to Bloemfontein by his company. So aside from Cape Town and Kruger, Bloemfontein also got added to the itinerary.

This trip was planned and executed by three people essentially: our elder daughter Swasti, who stays at Bangkok and who joined us for this holiday, along with Shraddha and Karan. They engaged a local Johannesburg based travel agent and our trip to Cape Town, Knysna, Bloemfontein, and Kruger National Park was thus finalised.

We spent fifteen days travelling to some of the recommended and iconic places that included:

·       Cape Town City Tour

·       Table Mountain

·       V & A Waterfront

·       Huguenot tunnel

·       Atlantic Seaboard

·       Hout Bay

·       Chapman’s Peak Drive

·       Cape of Good Hope

·       Cape Point

·       Boulders Beach Penguin Colony

·       Stellenbosch, Franschhoek, and Paarl wine regions and wine tasting

·       Garden Route, Pezula Nature Reserve, Mossel Bay

·       Knysna Waterfront

·       John Benn Cruise

·       Tour of Oudtshoorn – Cango Caves, Wildlife Ranch, Ostrich Farm

·       Bloemfontein – a small town that houses the Supreme Court of South Africa

·       And three days at Kruger with two half days and one full day game drive

Some of these places are considered to be wonders of the world like the table mountain and the Cango caves.

But the reason that I write this is not be give you a laundry list of what South Africa offers in terms of tourist spots.

The reason I write this story is to tell you about the people of this country and its infrastructure. These two aspects of this country have left a lasting impression on me.

I do need to make a disclaimer here: A Fifteen-day travel through some parts of a country as large as South Africa does not qualify me to comment on the entire country. Therefore, these are just my observations of what I witnessed first hand during these fifteen days.

People are warm and welcoming and the infrastructure is pretty much world class.

Our guide Mish who handled our Cape Town and Knysna sojourn was a qualified guide and an expert chauffeur. He was knowledgeable and spoke fluent English. And most importantly, he had great attitude. We spent about 6/7 days in his company and we found that he would think of the smallest of things that would go in making our visit enjoyable and safe. For example, my wife had a bit of a challenge in climbing on to his van because of high ground clearance. Mish realized this and one of the first things he did after he picked us up was to go to a shop and pick up a low stool that would provide an easy step up. We reimbursed this cost to him of course but the gesture is what came as a real pleasant surprise.

We had Trevor who drove us from Johannesburg Airport to the resort near Kruger and Stephan who drove us in his open safari vehicle into Kruger for two successive days. Trevor drove us back to the Johannesburg airport from where we came home.

Like Mish, both Trevor and Stephan displayed exemplary courtesy and were obviously well trained at their job.

We discovered that there is a two-year course in before you qualify as a guide. The course teaches you to become either a wild life guide or a city guide. You can take both courses too. Both Mish and Stephan had undergone these courses.

The same attitude towards tourists is displayed by all those whom we came across: the waiters at restaurants small and big, receptionists at serviced apartments and resorts, sales people at shops: we came across a number of ordinary everyday people and consistently found them to be courteous and helpful. And they are also courteous to one another.

Let me give you an example.

While driving from Johannesburg airport to Kruger, there was a general power shutdown in the city of Johannesburg. As a result, even the traffic signals switched off. Our vehicle driven by Trevor came to a stop at the white line at the traffic signal. Similarly, all the other three lanes also came to a stop and the drivers of the first vehicles in each line looked at each other and signalled. One line began to move and once 5/6 cars had moved on, that line stopped. The next line then started and the next after that. We of course moved on, but I am sure that each one managed to cross this four-way signal without creating a pile-up at the centre.

Throughout our fifteen-day sojourn, we never heard a car honking. Not once. We did not hear raised voices anywhere – whether in malls, resorts, restaurants, hotels, on the road or in the central business district areas. People are polite. And they love to sing and dance. It was evident at malls or pubs.

At all the tourist spots, there are no touts hovering around to sell you guide services, and beggars are noticeably absent, even though the sharp income disparity is evident as you drive through the city. Slums are visible and unmistakable reminders of poverty. The poor live on very modest means, often surviving on a simple meal of mealie pap—a maize-based porridge that serves as a staple food.

Yet everyone goes to school and are taught English – one more reason that makes them accessible to tourists from across the world.

Law and order cannot be taken for granted. At some places even on highways we found signs that said “Crime prone area. Be careful”.  We were told that criminals wait here to ambush passing cars by throwing eggs on the windscreen. It is advisable not to rent self-drive vehicles specially when driving long distances. We had chauffeur driven cars for us throughout our stay.

One thing that really stayed with me was how orderly the traffic was. We didn’t spot a single traffic cop during our entire time on the roads, yet everyone seemed to know exactly what to do — stopping where they should, giving way, never honking. It all felt so calm and effortless. When I asked about it, someone told me that cases of drunk driving are almost unheard of because people simply don’t want to get into trouble with the law. I found that fascinating — a quiet sense of responsibility guiding everyone, rather than the fear of being caught.

The infrastructure in terms of roads in really world class. Smooth well-maintained roads – whether highways or inside the city – is the norm. We did not find a single pothole on any road; not even inside Kruger!!

Potable water is available on tap. This came as a big surprise to us coming from India. Yet in hotels, resorts, apartments one does not need to buy bottled water.

Apartheid seems to be a thing of the past. We found people of all colours working together everywhere.

South Africa may not be a developed country just yet — it still has some distance to cover before it stands alongside the world’s most advanced nations. But what truly sets it apart, and what keeps tourists coming back, are its people. They’re the heart and soul of the country. Even if many don’t have access to fancy colleges or professional schools, they carry a natural intelligence and an easy charm that instantly makes you feel at home. They may not have much in terms of material wealth, but they’re rich in warmth, kindness, and hospitality.

Spend a few days here, and you’ll realize it’s not just the landscapes or wildlife that make South Africa special — it’s the people who welcome you with open arms and bright smiles.

South Africa is a country waiting to be recognised at the world stage.