Before traveling to S. Africa I had images of walking out of the airport and being bombarded by heat, chaos, and all sorts of car services wanting to give me a ride, and so I played it safe and paid a little extra to arrange a pick-up from the Clico Boutique Hotel, where I would be staying.
I was met inside the airport by a man with a big smile holding a sign with my first name on it. It was a relief to not have to worry about my ride after a 15-hour flight. All in all, I felt safe, except for when he wasn't paying attention and almost went up the down escalator with my bag in tow. "Ummmm ... What are you doing?" I asked loudly before he actually stepped on. One could say that made me a bit apprehensive to get into a car with him with the steering wheel on the right side of the car and the driving lanes on the opposite side of the highway. But at that point, what was I going to do. I had to trust that I was in good hands.
Clico boutique hotel
Clico Boutique Hotel is located in Johannesburg in Rosebank. It was a sweet hotel, and I felt very much at home and welcome there as I ran up and down the stairs to my room. June is wintertime in S. Africa, and it was chilly. All my fears of feeling lonely subsided. I was so very happy to head to the hotel's restaurant, Sec, alone with my book and eat a delicious "Hug in a Bowl", a 30-hour-cooked salmon broth with caviar eggs made by Chef Damian. As I sipped my chilled white wine and read my book amidst a bustle of hip people, I took comfort in the hot broth, the taste perfectly balanced and just salty enough. The caviar eggs were large, bursting with flavor, and added a fun pop to the meal.
My room at the Clico Hotel was comfortable and spacious. The bed, cozy, and the bathroom was a nice size with instant hot water and good pressure from the shower head, as well as a tub for soaking. I was so content writing in the room with the balcony doors open and the sun streaming in. Had I felt like shopping, the Clico Hotel was within walking distance to the shopping center, and Ubers were readily available, but I didn't come to S. Africa to shop in a mall, and I was quite content just hanging out at the hotel and adjusting to the time change.
In the morning, I enjoyed a typical South African buffet breakfast with eggs, sausage, and dried fruit in a sunny room by a real working fireplace, so cozy! I then found a lounge chair in the sun and spent a glorious day reading by the pool while waiting for Axel to meet me from Zimbabwe, making the most of the tranquil environment.
The warmth and friendliness of the staff, particularly Peggy and Henry, made my stay even more enjoyable. They didn't make me feel bad when I set the alarm off for the safe in the room within seconds of arriving; but quickly and efficiently came up and opened up the safe.
The following night brought an unexpected treasure: Kanji Ramen next door, where steaming bowls of gluten-free ramen delivered comfort and spice in equal measure.
When Axel arrived he took a long, hot shower, as he always seems to need after being gone from home for any length of time. Everybody loved having a young, fresh face at the hotel, and Henry would lean into me with a smile and a nudge when he would see Axel and me together as if to be in cahoots with me as Axel's mom. He also went above and beyond for Axel and me, making sure we were safe getting into the Uber when we went to The Four Seasons to watch the sunset.
Four Seasons Hotel The Westcliff in Johannesburg was spectacular. With the dollar so strong, we almost could have afforded to stay there, but a cocktail on the deck was good enough as we absorbed the S. African winter sunset over fields of trees, S. African geese flying above us. The drive up in a golf cart to the resort on top of a hill was in itself beautiful. With Axel drinking his Toucan Sam and me with my Dirty Martini, he caught me up on his stay in Zimbabwe teaching me his favorite Shona expression he learned from the artists he studied under. The traditional greeting involves a clap after the handshake. The first person claps twice while saying, “Makadii,” 'How are you? ' and Axel loves the reply, "Makadiini wo," which means, I'm well if you're well.
Four Seasons Hotel The Westcliff is the home of Johannesburg’s most outstanding vistas, and its terraces are the city’s best vantage point from which to take in sweeping views of early summer’s explosion of vivid purple jacaranda blooms. SOURCE
Ubuntu Luxury Villa
The next day, Axel and I flew to Hoedspruit from Johannesburg. I had requested mountain biking from Evan Dunstone of Nala Africa, who had planned my itinerary for me. He had us stay for two nights at Ubuntu Luxury Villa in Bushveld, on the Hoedspruit Wildlife Estate, with free-roaming wildlife, before driving to our ultimate destination at the Umkumbe Lodge, which would be a three-and-a-half-hour drive to Kruger National Park.
The villa owners, Anouk and Dennis, were the perfect hosts for making sure we knew everything about the villa and the surrounding area. For a small extra fee, they met us at the airport, helped us secure our rental car, and then Anouk hopped into our car while Dennis led the way back to the property, providing a lively tour of the area as we followed.
Upon arrival, we were greeted by a sweet little barn owl perched on a tree branch, peering into our room—a charming welcome visitor. What made the sighting even more special was how excited Anouk was to see it, showing their love for nature and animals.
Our three-bedroom villa was more than a mother and her artistic son required, but it was fun for us to stay in such a well-appointed place in a real neighborhood where we could adjust to the time change. Since there are no lions, only leopards, in the estate, one can ride mountain bikes throughout and visit the watering holes created to attract the animals.
Their villa is clearly a source of pride, and it was easy to see why as they showed us around. They are much more than vacation rental managers; they are also talented photographers with a sense of design. Their stunning wildlife images adorned the walls, showcasing their work. This happy, loving-power couple has drawn on their extensive tourism experience to create the perfect space to connect with nature.
In the fridge, we found a bottle of local South African wine, and on the counter, another local product, a box of delicious Amarula Fudge with Amarula Cream Liquor which featured Jabulani, the elephant we were soon to meet at the Elephant Moments orphanage. Their attention to comfort and conservation-focused efforts and products was a welcome touch, from soft and comfortable linens to coffee and even a frother for milk!
On our first evening, we took out the bikes we had rented from Anouk and Dennis, conveniently located right at the villa, and explored the bike paths in the estate as the sunset. When we reached a dam, we were disappointed to not see any wildlife, but as we started to leave, I caught sight of a giraffe's head and his sweet horns. I took a double take because his head was upside down. What the??? I backed up slowly to look more closely, and there in the reflection of the water was the giraffe's head. I looked up to be gifted with the sight of two giraffes standing magnificently. As our jaws dropped open in awe, a family rode by on their bikes, not even seeing the giraffes. Perhaps for them giraffes are like how deer are to us, a dime a dozen, which is what we heard while on safari about lions. I guess we tend to get accustomed to everything that we see consistently.
Call us crazy, but we also went horseback riding on the estate. Although Jessica, our guide, couldn't have been more adorable in her youthfulness and magnetic personality, as well as her comfort with the horses, the comfort level ended there.
It was incredibly windy the day we went, and my horse, who Jessica described as an Angel, seemed a bit devilish to me, jumping up when spooked and kicking Axel's horse. It didn't help that we overheard two of the young women working at the outfitting place talking about a woman who had to be flighted out due to toppling over the horse's head after it unexpectedly jerked its head down. TMI. Upon reflection, riding in a place where a "cute" family of Wart Hogs was running around, along with other wild animals, was not so smart. If the horses were spooked by the wind, what would happen if they ran into a wild boar?
At one point, we came to a standstill with a woman walking two huge white dogs in front of us and mountain bikers ascending behind us. Yelling rudely for us to get out of their way, Angel reacted and turned nervously, ready to take off into the thick, thorny bush. Knowing myself, I had had a little mental talk before heading out, reminding myself that I was a calm person who loved animals, and if my horse were to act up, I would remain calm and take control. So when Angel started to act up, I held the reins tight and imagined myself as the sheriff in town, which is what I did when my boys were all teenagers, and I took control. I knew that I had to use just the right amount of force or get tossed. "Whoaaaaa," I said, gripping my legs as hard as I could and tightening up on the reins. Somehow I managed to calm her down and we resumed as if nothing had happened. I took some incredibly long breaths to slow my fast-beating heart but was so focused on staying in the saddle that I didn't dare look back at Axel to make sure he was okay, lest my horse try to take off again.
When we got off the horse, Jessica asked if we wanted to feed our horse a carrot. "Ahhhh, no thanks," we said, hightailing it to our car. "Well, I hope you'll come back," she called after us with a smile. "Yeah, No. That won't be happening." Laughing she commented on how she loved my frankness, which actually was a trait that I found all over S. Africa. There was no bullshit with the people we met, and they said things straight up. I appreciated that, and I had no desire to fake our discomfort with the entire morning. For the record, the stables were clean, and the horses appeared to be well-fed and happy; all I am saying is that I wouldn't recommend horseback riding in Africa if you are not comfortable on a horse.
