jenniferhen's VirtualTourist Home Page

Hello all!!
Wow, I have been on the road for just about 5 months now and have visited 14 countries! I can not wait to update all the pages with fabulous pictures but first things first...visiting with the family and getting back to dare I say...Work!! But I can tell you this much, South Africa is my new favorite spot...unbelievable!

I tried to stop myself from going nuts with the picture taking but I lost...these animals are just too amazing!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Mar 06 2004
If you go: Africa finds a place in tourism's sun








Photos submitted
Sunset in a game preserve? Nope, just something to see on private land after travellers instantly befriended by local residents.
By Jennifer Henry
Special to the Advocate
This year, South Africa will celebrate 10 years of democracy and this post-apartheid country is opening its doors to visitors from around the world. Those who visit will discover a diverse land with landscapes that vary from snow-capped mountains to broad dry savannahs that are home to a remarkably wide array of wildlife. Its people, cultures and history provide a fascinating mix of experiences for a traveller who is seeking a unique travel experience in a country that has been off limits for too long.
Recently, Jennifer Henry and fiance Graeme Ball of Red Deer visited South Africa and the nearby countries of Mozambique and Swaziland as part of a five-month backpacking trip across Europe and Africa. They had very little information about these countries prior to adding them at the spur of the moment to their backpacking itinerary. They were pleasantly surprised with the many adventures they experienced.
"The only information we had to take with us was a Lonely Planet book that talked of all the dangers we would face in South Africa and the promise from a good German friend that this destination would capture our hearts," said Henry.
As they travelled in the country, they began to settle in. "As we began our journey up to the northeast side of South Africa, I soon began to feel at ease," explained Henry. "The roads reminded me of home, the food that I had tasted was top-notch and I need not tell everyone that South African wines are among the finest in the world."
They began their journey by visiting the Hoedspruit area, better known as Big Five country, just south of the Krueger National Park.
The area where Henry stayed was in the Mpumalanga province.
"Activities this area offered were abundant and ranged from hot air ballooning to horseback safaris," described Henry.
"The South African friends we made there were keen on taking us out on safaris as much as we wanted. The vehicles that they took us out on ranged from Land Rovers to the box of a pickup truck. In the first eight days, we saw the Big Five‚ which is featured on their money as rhino, African buffalo, elephant, lion and leopard."
"One of my favourite drives was a night drive‚ when we did not see any wildlife. I liked it because we were able to stop and shut the Land Rover off and lay on the ground to take in one of the nicest night skies that I have ever seen," described Henry. "We never paid for one safari drive in this area as the people we met immediately took us in as friends, not as tourists. We were treated to elephants roaming by the hut we stayed in daily!
"The people who we met were eager to share their homes and love for the land with anyone who was willing to come along for the ride. We soon realized that the best way to make the most of our time in this vast country was to rent a car," said Henry. "We took the car into Krueger National Park on the same day we picked it up. In this 19,000-square-km park we found that you could get quite close to the wildlife. The well-marked tarred paths meant that self-driving was the sensible and economical way to explore."

With the rental car, the pair decided to heed the advice of some locals and visit the beaches of nearby Mozambique.
"We had heard that a nice trip from the north of South Africa is to go into Mozambique, as the beaches are said to rival the Caribbean. We took the advice and headed for the most chaotic border I have ever seen. After many hours and many dollars spent, we were off," said Henry. "Outside of the border, the scenery changed immediately. The housing was grass-like huts, the people were carrying everything along the sides of the roads and sometimes even on their heads. In all of this poverty and simplicity, we managed to find what we deemed as the only photo radar gun in all of Mozambique.
"After paying our ticket along the side of the road, we hit the potholes. Now we did our best to hit the smaller ones but the roads were almost impassable to our two-wheel-drive car at times. We visited the stunning beach areas of Xai-Xai and Praia do Bilene. These beaches delivered pristine beauty, isolation and, most of all, no other tourists.
"Mozambique is not for everyone but if you can appreciate solitude, undeveloped beaches and that your money is helping an underprivileged country, this is for you."
After returning to South Africa, the pair decided to check out another little-known country, Swaziland. "This country was small, but packed a big punch," said Henry.
"We stayed in some very affordable backpackers (Africa's version of a hostel). This country had wonderful crafts, amazing scenery and one of our favourite game reserves, the Hlane Royal National Park. We stayed in an amazing private hut right beside a waterhole. This hut had no electricity but offered a baby rhino, elephants, cheetahs, giraffes, hippopotamus, leopard and the main attraction, a pride of lions.
"We continued on to the Kwazulu Natal region to stay in a backpacker called Isinkwe Backpackers Lodge. This was probably one of the cheapest and nicest budget accommodations that we had ever seen.
"For less than $20 a night we stayed in our private 'rustic hut' and had full access to a kitchen, braai area (South African version of a barbecue), bar, hammocks and a pool.
"They also include a free three-km night walk that we took advantage of," described Henry.
"Next we went to the much talked about Zulu cultural village and drove ourselves through the Hluhluwe/Umfolozi Game Reserves. This game reserve was well laid out and not nearly as busy as the Krueger park, but had all the same wildlife viewing opportunities.
"The most depressing thing about this part of Africa is that even in four weeks, you will not see everything that it has to offer. Out of the 22 countries that I have visited in my life, I vowed I would never say that I had a favourite, but I cannot say that any longer," said Henry.
"South Africa has so much to offer and asks nothing in return. In this country, you will not feel like a tourist - the people welcome you into their homes and are eager to share their gem of a country with you."
l South Africa offered much cheaper lodging, food and activities than Europe.
l English is widely understood and spoken, even though South Africa has a whopping 11 official languages.
l It is always cheaper to book a car rental ahead of time from your home country than to wait until you are in South Africa.
l If your stay involves a night in one of the many national parks, book well in advance to avoid disappointment.
l One major note to this type of trip is that this is a high-risk area for malaria. Purchasing malaria tablets from a local pharmacist makes sure that they are reliable and will save you money.
l Henry's advice to travellers: "My advice to anyone who is going to make this journey is try to not plan the trip down to a detail. With the generous nature of the people and the ever-changing landscape, the dynamics of your journey will undoubtedly change daily."