Last Updated on April 29, 2021
After three weeks in South Africa, it was safe to say that we were absolutely in love with it. It is quite hard to put into words all of the reasons why South Africa was amazing, but here are some of the reasons why:
- The landscapes in South Africa are incredible. We were able to witness the Karoo, Tsitsikamma, the Indian and the Atlantic ocean and the Garden Route. We couldn’t help but to exclaim “WOW” over and over as we drove through the Garden Route or stood staring at the stunning view of God’s Window. Find your best deal on cheap tickets and experience the beauty South Africa has to offer!
- People are a lot more laid-back and the lifestyle isn’t as hectic as it is here in Vancouver.
- There are so many options for wildlife: on land, in the sea and in the air.
- With the above said, we loved how we could interact with and get to know so much more about so many different animals.
- The bush – It is absolutely amazing to view animals in their natural habitat. Our safari in Kruger National Park was spectacular.
- Kruger National Park is amazing.
- The outdoor lifestyle – there are always so many active options outdoors within South Africa’s natural beauty.
- You can find the most interesting little towns and there is so much culture.
- Some people living with such challenges has really developed South Africa’s character and gives South Africans and visitors a true appreciation for the simple things in life; what we would normally take for granted.
- South African slang such as lekker really grew on us, as did referring to something cool or beautiful as stunning. Stunning has really caught on with Debbie.
- Street lights are called “robots”.
- The sound of nature in the evening while falling asleep.
- People pull over and drive in the shoulder to let you pass them if you are going faster. We found a lot of bigger trucks just drove on the shoulder to keep traffic flowing well.
- There is almost an unwritten rule that as long as you aren’t going too fast or causing problems for other drivers, you can go just about whatever speed you see fit.
- We heard that if the police do pull you over for any reason, you can bribe your way out of it. Even so, we thankfully were not pulled over.
- When people pass each other, they put on their hazard lights to let the other person know they appreciate it. At first we did not know what to think and then we started noticing a pattern, which led us to start saying thank you while we were driving, too.The ‘hazard light flash’ is also used as an apology if you do something stupid, like cut off another driver.
- We met so many people that were very passionate about being South African and passionate about their history. It was inspiring.
- South Africa can seriously go through all seasons in one day. This means that there never really is a fully horrible day if there is ‘bad’ weather.
- The level of hospitality was superb. We felt like we were treated very well.
Is there anything we didn’t like?
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- Taxis – They pull over whenever they want, wherever they want with little, if any, notice.
- Construction – Each time we ran into construction it included a large delay because of the way they keep traffic ‘flowing’ during construction. It was different than North American methods.
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Why do you love South Africa?
all of that so nice.
Nice pics. I have so much family in Joburg and still haven’t made it to SA. Hopefully soon!
My time in SA was limited to Joburg and Cape Town. The former didn’t wow me but the Cape region blew me away. We drove all around the region and the landscapes were fantastic.
We totally agree. The Cape region was incredible. Breath-taking!