South Africa

Three weeks is long enough to get past the tourist surface in South Africa. The first week I was in Knysna and the big sites like Cape of Good Hope. The second and third I went further and slower. The food evolution was interesting — braai everywhere but prepared so differently by region. world-cla…

I thought I was going to South Africa for beaches, food, and Kruger National Park. I got all of those things. What I didn't expect was how emotionally affecting the trip would be. The history — particularly around Johannesburg — hit in ways that good travel sometimes does. Table Mountain and Cape P…

South Africa is undeniably beautiful. Drakensberg and the area around Knysna have a visual quality that photographs don't capture fully. I enjoyed bunny chow and appreciated extraordinary biodiversity. That's all real. But crime requires vigilance especially in cities was more of a problem than I e…

Took the family to South Africa for 14 days and it worked better than I'd hoped. The kids were fascinated by Drakensberg — more than I expected from children who usually resist sightseeing. Food was manageable: even the pickiest eater in our group found things to eat, and Cape Malay curry went down …

Only had a long weekend — about 14 days — in South Africa, based in Durban. More than enough to fall for the place. Did Cape of Good Hope on day one and spent the rest of the time just walking and eating. The biltong situation here is no joke — some of the best eating I've done anywhere. Table Moun…