How is my South Africa Flash Pack tour over already? This one really flew by! I left you half-way through so let me pick it up there. After our lovely stay in wine country we hopped on the bus and our trusty driver, Tauriq, zipped us off to our next destination on “the Garden Route” (this is the name of the 200 mile stretch of land we traveled along on southern-western coast of South Africa.) The Garden Route is known for being especially beautiful with lush vegetation as well as numerous picturesque lagoons and lakes (less water in these during the drought, though). 
We stopped a few times during the drive to snap photos at various look-outs and made one very important stop, at an establishment called Ronnie’s Sex shop. 
This place is really a find, and as you can see, in the middle of nowhere. As lore would have it, Ronnie had just a regular little shop/bar and one night his friend got drunk and decided to play a prank on good ol’ Ronster… a prank that involved a can of red paint. And… business boomed after that! It reminds me of that time when some of my classmates repelled off the roof of my high school to remove some choice letters from the the side of the building… transforming Beverly High School into Beer High School. Unlike Ronnie’s, unfortunately we weren’t able to get t-shirts to reflect the new name. 
We got to meet Ronnie and he was exactly as one might expect the sole proprietor of Ronnie’s sex shop to be, drinking a beer in the middle of the bar area that has people’s bras, underwear and t-shirts hanging from the ceiling and walls. Cheers to Ronnie and his business acumen… and moving on.
We arrived at our beautiful accommodations in Oudtshoorn just as a spectacular sunrise was starting and we enjoyed it with glasses of more delicious South African wine. 
The next morning was an early bell to go observe meerkats waking up in their natural environment. I’ll be honest (as I always am- for the good or bad) that I didn’t think I knew what a meerkat was before this trip… but then was reminded of Timon from the Lion King. It was super cool to see the little critters emerge out of their burrows one by one as the sun rose and interact with each other, while scanning for danger and marking their territories for the day. 
As an aside, they sleep in different burrows every night so the “meerkat guy” (who narrated the experience and was quite the character) has a team of people who run around the savannah every day figuring out where the little cuties are burrowing that night. Here’s Meerkat Dundy in action: 
We then moved on to our next adventure… swimming with the seals. I admit I was a smidge skeptical of this activity- for two reasons. One is that I didn’t think of seals as particular friendly mammals who necessarily want me swimming with them. I wondered if this would be forced like an exhibit at Sea World. The second reason is the more obvious one- the potential for seals as shark bait. I put both of these concerns out of my head, however, in true Teha’s Travels style, and tried to go into the activity with an open mind and positive attitude. And… I loved it! We took a speed boat way out to an area where there are “rafts” of seals (that’s what you call a group of seals- who knew?!). We then plunged in (literally) in our snorkeling gear. I admit I had a minor freak-out at first, as seals were everywhere- swimming underneath me, next to me, etc. I quickly calmed down, though, as I learned that they are actually very friendly and playful (think Flipper, but a seal) and we had a blast swimming amongst them!
And, I swear that one approached me to give me a high-five with his fin! 
After some beach time, we moved on to our accommodations for the next three nights- a beautiful spot called Hog Hollow. My roommate, the Fabulous Claudia from Toronto, and I were surprised and thrilled to wake-up the next morning with some monkey friends greeting us- like a wake-up call! 
We the headed to the beach for a surfing lesson that we were all very excited for and did not disappoint. 
This was my third time surfing and I was glad I loved it as much as the first two times… although I am slightly confused that in the three lessons I’ve had I’ve been taught three different ways to stand up on the board. Maybe different countries differ on their approaches? Next time I’m just going to freestyle it, I’ve decided. It was lucky for us that our guide, Jamie, is also a professional photographer in her spare time and took photos from the shore. She even made it look like I knew what I was doing! 
Our post-surfing lunch was a traditional South African “braai” (pronounced bry) which is basically a delicious outdoor BBQ. We enjoyed a delectable sampling of sausages, chicken, grilled veggies and salads. I was told by the braai-guy that in a “real braii” it’s all red meats and chicken is the salad, but we were quite happy with our menu (especially the vegetarian in our group.) 
The next day was one I’d been nervously anticipating for much of the trip, or at least since I’d agreed to participate in an optional activity… bungee jumping 600 feet off of a bridge (at a place where its claim to fame is being “the world’s highest bungee bridge jump.”) Yup, it’s pretty freakin’ high.
I was SOOOO nervous for this but something in me knew I’d regret it if I didn’t do it. Throughout the trip me and my fellow jumpers (Christina, Courtney and Hannah) had been referring to future activities on the trip as “pre-bungee” and “post-bungee,” implying that we may not be around to enjoy the latter with the group (they may have been joking with this but part of me wasn’t). Here’s our before pic:
Nevertheless we signed our lives away (literally) and made the long trek out to the bridge. There was some signage on the trail that made me laugh….this warning seemed like the least of my concerns at that moment. 
I went last and was so impressed watching my friends make the plunge and especially as each was pullyed back up to the bridge with huge smiles on their faces saying they wanted to do it again. I assumed they were putting on a happy face for me. Here’s the jump prep, where I’m clearly trying not to look behind the guy I’m talking to: 
Courtney had a Go-Pro that we were all able to use and the video of my jump pretty much says it all!
https://tehastravels.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/img_7813.trim_.movAnd, yes, I would also totally do it again. 
We then swung by an elephant sanctuary where we got to interact with and feed the majestic animals who we’d be seeing a lot of in their natural habitats in the days to come. 
Here’s Claudia and I inspecting their brushing:
And this is a male elephant, believe it or not 😂
That night kicked off a trifecta of birthday celebrations for our group… how lucky we had not one but THREE birthdays to celebrate, and in a row! Jacy was our first birthday queen, followed by Julie and Hannah. So many excuses to eat cake and we even discovered a shooter called the “birthday cake shot” that we taught various bartenders to make (it was only fair that each of the birthday girls should have them on their special day). Here are the lovely ladies we celebrated: 
We were off “on safari” the next day, which is something I’ve always wanted to do. Our destination was the Addo Elephant Park where we stayed at an amazing safari lodge called the Kuzuko Lodge. The way the safari thing works (this was news to me) is that you stay in a game reserve that is fenced in with electric fences, at a lodge (that is fenced in within the reserve) and you go out on three hour guided “game drives” two times a day (in pretty rad safari vehicles). 
The game drives take place early in the morning and around dusk as those are the times the animals are most likely to be out and about (they smartly lay low during the hottest time of day.) It was SUCH a cool experience! 
It felt surreal to be observing elephants, lions, ostrich, giraffes, buffalo, etc. in their natural environments (don’t worry, photos below) and I enjoyed learning more about them from the very knowledgeable guides. And I had a LOT to learn. This was evident when I decided to use the lodge business center to create “Safari Bingo” cards for some friendly safari competition. There were nine squares on the template so I included the “Big 5” of African safaris (elephant, lion, leopard, rhino, buffalo) and tossed in four more animals. The safari ranger loved the idea of the game (they may keep doing it!) but was quite amused to see I’d included a tiger as one of the animals. Whoopsie… guess they don’t exactly exist in the wild on the African continent. I feel like maybe I knew this but forgot? Alas, the next game drive I had revised cards to distribute (the ranger was kindly my Bingo consultant this time) and Hannah, the birthday girl that day, was the victor! 
We were told we were lucky to see a lot of lion activity on our game drives and even got to see them just after having made two “kills” of large prey… the circle of life, indeed. 
It was fascinating to watch the animals interact with each other and the various dynamics between different species and even within the same species (the “dominant” male lion, Sylvester, for example, clearly ruled the lion roost. I totally get where the King of the Jungle title comes from.) 
It was also interesting to learn about the survival instincts of different species and see them in action. It occurred to me how much time and energy human beings spend fighting our own instincts and how much easier life would be if we were able to trust our guts more. Noted. 
After two exciting days of safari-ing we bade farewell to our many four-legged friend and headed back to civilization for (sniff, sniff) our final night together in the beach town of Port Elizabeth. The group had become so tight during our two week adventure that it would not be a lie to say many tears were shed during our good-byes (don’t worry friends, I won’t name names… too many to name.) 
To give you an idea of how amazing and diverse this group was- there were two guys on the trip, and they really could not have been more different. Matt hales from Birmingham, England and is self-employed as a farmer. Neerav is of Indian descent and works in the finance industry in NYC. Yet they share the commonality of being two of the nicest and funniest guys I’ve met, and they quickly became best buds. Actually, pretty much the whole group became best buds! 
Fortunately by the end of the trip I’d managed to nail down some short-term plans for after the tour (you may recall at the outset of the trip I had none… and no return ticket). Luckily of my new tour friends, Katy, had planned an add-on trip to see a few more sites in and around South Africa and she kindly agreed when I invited myself to join her. Then our tour guide, Jamie, has a birthday camping trip near Cape Town planned with a bunch of her friends, that I also invited myself to join. Phew, things to do! And I do realize I’m lucky they were both too polite to say no to me. Stay tuned for safari phase 2, up next!
I immediately got a really good vibe from Cape Town and was glad the tour was starting with three more nights in the city before moving onward.
That night we headed to the Camps Bay area for dinner by the beach to catch the first of several amazing sunsets we’d be seeing together. 
[Side note: you may have caught wind about the water crisis South Africa is currently facing. The situation is no bueno. The country has been having a drought since 2015 and water levels are critically low. It’s a huge problem and many water restrictions are in place across the country, with plans to turn OFF the water in Cape Town in a few months! This is called “Day Zero” and will disable the ordinary water supplies to more than a million homes. It’s a sad and scary situation- nobody here is disputing Al Gore’s stance on climate change.] 
Ok, back to the tour! The next day we started off with a spin through some picturesque Cape Town sites, including the Bo-Kaap, a predominantly Muslim neighborhood which was created by emancipated slaves in the 18th century and is known for its brightly painted houses. 
Next… it was up Table mountain, the aptly named mountain overlooking the city and the key contributor to the aforementioned stunning views. 
We were all looking forward to hiking the mountain but due to high winds, we had to take the cable car up instead. I learned that the weather is unpredictable and can be extreme in South Africa– and the winds are no joke. It’s one reason that almost as many people have died climbing Table mountain as Mount Everest (yes, I fact-checked this.) I didn’t really believe the magnitude of the wind until experiencing it myself at points over the next two days- at one point I honestly thought a woman’s stroller was going to blow away! Jamie said South Africans are used to it though and don’t need to grab onto trees like I did at one point, soon after taking this sunset selfie. 
Despite not being able to hike up the mountain, we had more than our fair share of excitement as we embarked on a rappelling adventure (South Africans use the British English term “abseiling.”) I’d never been rappelling before and was a little nervous but I loved it! I will say that despite loving it, while doing it my nervousness turned into full-on fear that lasted for most of the experience. Good fear, though! I always love an adrenaline rush. 
And, we did get in a mini-hike, making our way up the rocks back to the top after our rappel. 
Afterwards, we all said we’d do it again as we thought it would be less scary the second time (although none of us are sure that it actually would be.) And it was easy for us to say that as we knew there was no time to actually do it!
We had ocean paddle boarding on the docket that morning and with the wind being strong in some areas we wondered how choppy the sea would be. The conditions we had are best described as Class II rapids, maybe Class III in areas. This is only a minor exaggeration. Thankfully the paddle board guides realized that sending us out on boards would be more like surfing than paddle boarding so they adjusted the plan. Instead of individual paddle boards we used huge, group paddle boards and had a kind of whitewater rafting experience, which was a blast. 
I can’t remember the last time I laughed as hard as I did during this activity, especially when trying to stand-up on the board and trying to avoid falling into the chilly, choppy water. It. was. hilarious. 
And, there is definitely a chance the tourists on the beach thought we were refugees as we paddled by. 
We did all manage to stand-up at the same time- which is a minor miracle -and our adventure ended with a race between the two boats (my team won but no I’m not all competitive.) The victors: 
Afterwards, we got a closer look at the penguins on the shore that we had seen from our rafts (I mean paddle boards.) They are cute little things and it’s really cool to watch them swim- as they torpedo underwater like missiles, and then do this cute wing-flapping thing to dry off when they get out. 
And the coolest part is that it’s the female penguins out frolicking in the water while it’s the male’s job to sit on the egg on the shore! No doubt penguin dudes complain incessantly about this arrangement. 
After a delicious seafood lunch by the sea we headed onward to the Cape of Good Hope, which is the most southern point of Western Africa. It was beautiful (and windy, as you can tell from the pics) and we even had some baboon and ostrich sightings on the way. 
We concluded our stay in Cape Town with a trip to Robben Island, which holds the historic prison where Nelson Mandela was held captive for 27 years. We toured the island and jail facility, led by a guide who had been imprisoned there himself for five years. It can’t be fun for the guide to have to relive his experiences everyday but he gamely answered questions from the group, including someone who wanted to know why he didn’t try to escape. I mean… really?? This person was not part of my group, obvs. 
It was interesting to learn more about the prison and the people who had been held captive there for years at a time (with no indication of if or when they would be released). Their living conditions: 
The jailers thought they were being smart by separating the regular joe prisoners from the political leader prisoners but they ended up creating a situation where the leaders had years to plan for the fall of the apartheid, even drafting a constitution (haha, joke’s on you… that strategy backfired!) While touring the prison, the recentness of the fall of the apartheid really struck me and it was crazy to think that Robben Island was still a working prison until 1996. Despite the rawness of apartheid, so far I have found South Africans to be very open and willing to talk about it as a part of their history. They aren’t wanting to brush it under the rug and seem to genuinely want people to know the truth. 
That afternoon we took another stunning coastal drive to the beautiful wine country town of Stellenboschun (fun fact- there are more than 4,000 vineyards in South Africa.) Stellenbosch is a charming university town and we made ourselves right at home, enjoying a sampling of the delicious local wines at an outdoor cafe. The next day we hiked through the hillsides of the neighboring town of Franschhoek, spotting a few baboons along the way and learning about the unique vegetation that grows there from our hiking guide, Tayne (Wayne with a “T” he explained to us Americans.) 
The region actually has one of the most diverse samplings of plants in the world, including South Africa’s national flower, the king protea. 
Of course after our hike we had to re-hydrate and what better place than a local winery? 
At Grande Provence we took in the picturesque views, enjoyed a wine tasting (complete with a “nougat” pairing) and had a most delish picnic lunch. This is my kind of picnic! 
And, of course we’re trying to do our part to help with the water crisis. 
Needless to say, so far it’s been a phenomenal trip with a phenomenal group of people! I can’t believe it’s almost halfway over. That reminds me- I guess I should figure out where I’m headed after this… I never did work out the details of that “land exit.” Oh well! Staying in the country longer would definitely not be the worse thing….
Moving on-ish…the mystery flight out of El Nido (that was only a mystery to me) took us to beautiful Bohol. Bryan Not-Adams had the not-so-easy task of herding our group of 13 through the airport…but we made it and were greeted with adorable little monkey necklaces. 
We were taken to our home for the next three nights, a 
And here’s our first glimpse of our latest slice of the paradise pie that this country is. 
That night we enjoyed more fresh seafood at one of the many restaurants on the beachfront that our hotel overlooks. Since it was the night before Easter the beach was packed with revelers and we even got a fireworks display (which Bryan took complete credit for arranging). I hadn’t realized that the Philippines is 80% Catholic, so obviously Easter and everything around it is a huge deal and we saw many festive celebrations throughout the week. 
The next day (Easter Sunday) we were off on our next adventure- exploring the “Chocolate Hills” that Bohol is known for. I’m used to chocolate on Easter but this was even better! The Chocolate Hills are scattered throughout a 20-square mile area and are these cone shaped mini-mountains (100 to 400 feet tall) that are apparently a geological anomaly. They are a luscious green color in the rainy season but brown in the dry season (when the grass dies and the mud that forms them is exposed), hence their name. We started our exploration of said hills with an aerial view from a viewing area. 
Once we had our bearings, we got down and dirty with our hills exploration, cruising through them on ATV’s.
This was a BLAST and we all finished absolutely covered in “chocolate” (I wish!).
Part way through our journey we stopped to hike up one of the hills and take in more views. 
We also saw many interesting sites along the way, such as this Easter dinner prep.
Some minor excitement when Fi’s ATV stalled while cruising through some water but our guides troubleshooted quickly and we were on our way. 
We rinsed off as much of the mud as we could before heading to our next destination- the Tarsier Sanctuary. So, I’d never heard of a tarsier either, but they are adorable little monkeys who are native to the Philippines. They are so tiny that they could fit in the palm of your hand and they look like little Yodas! They actually have the largest eyes relative to body size of any mammal and their eyes are the same size as their brain (random tarsier factoid). And, because their eyes are so big they can’t rotate them, so instead their neck can turn 180 degrees in each direction! Despite this exorcist-like party trick, tarsiers are sensitive little creatures, and they like their silence and darkness while sleeping (who doesn’t, right?). But apparently, while in captivity, light from camera flashes and noise can make tarsiers commit suicide! We carefully creapt through the sanctuary, pointing and snapping a few flash-less pics of the cute little buggers- hoping they wouldn’t off themselves on our watch. 
Tarsiers are sadly an endangered species with the numbers continuing to plummet. This is because they require a specific habitat with certain vegetation and lots of insects to eat, which is harder and harder to come by. The Philippine Tarsier Foundation runs the sanctuary we visited and looks after about 100 of the adorable little creatures. Needless to say, we all fell in-love.
Back at the resort, we relaxed by the pool and took in a stunning sunset before enjoying another beachfront meal. Life continues to be a struggle!
The next day was a BIG one…my birthday!!! While I wasn’t exactly psyched about this birthday rolling around, I could not have asked for a better one and I want to thank my 13 new, super-awesome friends for making it so special! They even made me card and wrapping paper- using printer paper, colored pencils and staples. So industrious! And, yes, there were presents! Sneaky Fiona even got me a tank top I’d been eyeing at a shop in El Nido, after she’d convinced me not to buy it. 
I spent my birthday morning paddle boarding down the gorgeous Loboc River, that is lined with palm trees and other luscious vegetation. We stopped along the way to use a rope swing and try various challenges presented by our guides. Cristina won the “balancing on one foot contest,” with an extremely impressive 21 seconds! I didn’t trust my phone dry bag to keep my phone dry (learned that lesson in Croatia), so unfortunately there are no photos to prove any of this actually happened. You’ll have to take my word for it!
So, if you’ve followed my blog at all (or if you know me at all) you know that “relaxing” is not exactly my area of expertise (at least in the relaxing-by-not-doing-anything-active kind of way). I actually find more relaxation in movement than sitting still (weird, I know). But, when the day after my birthday was a “free day,” I chose to “relax” at the resort and actually thoroughly enjoyed laying around! Maybe this is a getting older thing?!? I will say, the scenery definitely helped (as did the fact I needed some recovery from the birthday revelry the night before). 
Proof I was “relaxing!” 
Danny, Joe, and Bryan got up early that day and went on a boat trip, which they enjoyed- while they did say it was odd to be on a boat with “other people.” I completely understand how that would be odd, as all of our tours in the Philippines had been private and, quite frankly, it was the lifestyle to which we had become accustomed! They seemed to tough it out okay, though, strangers and all. 
The next day we hopped a flight to a town called Cebu, and stayed at a beach resort on Mactan island. Our final dinner (sniff, sniff) was at a “floating restaurant” and we even had a personal musician, regaling us with acoustic cover songs. I will say it was quite entertaining to watch the group (mostly British) belting out “Country Roads,” in accompaniment to the Filipino musician, as we sat on a floating restaurant in the middle of the South China/West Philippine sea (which sea it is depends who you ask). A perfect ending to a perfect trip!
My personal favorite is the hat’s perfectly timed jumping photo on the beach! 
Meanwhile, I enjoyed the amenities and soaked in every bit of sun that I could. I only had to push a few kids out of the way to get a turn on the water slide! 
When I left, it was just Phil at the resort…the last one of the group. He tried to evoke some sympathy for this circumstance but I didn’t feel bad for him, at all. 
While it was sad to have the trip come to an end, I’m so glad that the our group chat has continued to be active, as we share photos, re-live memories, and even plan for reunions (yes, reunion plans are already in motion!). Bryan Not-Adams even made a two-minute video of the trip (talk about going above and beyond!) You can view it 
We began our adventure in the city of Manila, that we toured via bamboo bikes. How ingenious to find a way to make a bicycle using the country’s natural resources! And I have to say it was actually a much smoother ride than a “normal” non-bamboo bicycle.
So, Manila is a city with it’s fair share of baggage in the history department. Essentially the country has been under Spanish, Japanese, and American rule for periods of time and (according to our very awesome guide, Bryan Not-Adams), Filipinos are a hybrid in getting their romance from Spain, their business sense from Japan, and their ambition from America. Not a bad combo at all, in my opinion! I have to say that the amount of American influences in the country have definitely surprised me. Most people speak English, for starters, which is something I had not experienced in my southeast Asian travels yet. When we popped into a big shopping mall to use the ATM, it could have been in any mall in America. They even had a Dunkin Donuts and a Forever 21! (Keep in mind this is the major shopping mall in Manila. Very different from the villages we visited later in the trip).
After the bike tour, we chilled at the hotel pool during the hottest part of the afternoon and then I enjoyed an incredible $10 massage. The deal the hotel offers is actually 2 hours for $1000 pesos (about $20) and there is no option for one hour-. I think I like this “island time” thing! I was certain if I had a 2-hour massage I would succumb to jet lag and fall asleep, so I “split” the time block with one of my new friends, Kristina.
So, we travelled via sea plane to El Nido- a first for me! [Although, in full disclosure, this plane took off from the sea but landed at an airport so I’m not sure it counts as a full sea plane experience? Regardless, it was a cool.] We pretty much sat with the pilot, a friendly Canadian, and it felt a little bit like being in a flight simulator (although thankfully just watching and not flying). Here comes our aircraft:
Preparing to board (some of us are just a smidge nervous)
We made it! Our first meal in El Nido.
We spent that evening in a small beach town and enjoyed a spectacular sunset before our chariot arrived the next morning (our chariot being a boat) that would be taking us to a remote, private island where we would be camping for three days (yes, that’s right, I said private island). On the way there we “island-hopped” (this is a thing), did lots of snorkeling, and had lunch on one of the many isolated white sandy beaches. We arrived at our private island later that afternoon, where we stayed at the one 
Fiona made herself right at home on the private island (yes, I’m trying to say private island as much as I can).
Private island life was a very rustic and very phenomenal experience- the views of the sea, sunsets, and stars were like no other, and the staff could not have done more to go above and beyond and make us feel at home on the island. We were even treated to a concert by the daughter of the chef! 
Speaking of the chef, the food was amazing and they even roasted a pig for us on the second night. The bacon at breakfast the next morning was also delicious. 
After sleeping in mosquito net tents on the beach (at the waters edge under the most star-filled sky) we enjoyed another full day of island hopping and snorkeled for hours among vibrant coral and fish. Life is really tough right now, I know. 
We tried to coordinate a synchronized jump off the boat (we’d seen the passengers on another boat do this and thought it looked cool). Getting into position took some time and once we were all finally ready, Oliver (who was ring leader of the group jump) must have gotten excited and jumped in early. We are just a little dismayed by this premature jump.
Finally, success! Sort of.
I had thought my back was maybe a little pink from all the snorkeling but when I returned to the island, the owner greeted us and immediately offered me aloe for my back. There were no mirrors on the island so asked him to take a picture so I could survey the damage. Ouch. 
Much aloe later, it’s finally faded- that sun can really creep up on you while snorkeling. That night we witnessed another phosphorescent sunset, collectively noticing that the prettiest colors actually came out about 15 minutes after the sun had set. Not sure if this is just a Philippines thing and I’ll have to start paying attention during sunsets elsewhere. With Bryan’s help I also used the time-lapse feature for the first time to capture the sunset. Let me see if I can figure out how to share it…
I had grouper steamed in lemongrass shared some DELISH grilled squid.
The next day we had the option of a free day to relax at the resort or go on a lagoon boat tour- difficult life decisions. I opted for the tour and seven of us had the BEST day crusading around the West Philippines sea, stopping to explore multiple amazing lagoons. Since it was a holiday (Good Friday) the boat traffic was heavier than usual but we still managed to find a secret lagoon, where we were the only ones there for a period of time. Lunch was on THE most secluded beach, which also happened to have THE best snorkeling of the trip so far. And that’s saying a lot! It was a fantastic day and we were all grateful to Bryan for organizing it for us on a free day. Although I think his motivation may have been partially selfish as he seemed to have just as much fun as we did. 
We reunited with the rest of our group for a sunset cocktail (and there was so much for us all to catch up on after not all being together almost a whole day!) I felt kind of guilty telling those who hadn’t come on the lagoon tour how spectacular it was, but they all seemed quite content with their decision (and also looked very relaxed).