🇿🇦 Our South Africa Road Trip
Three weeks of safaris, wide-open landscapes, encounters and history, from the Panorama Route to Kruger, then from Addo to Cape Town, with a two-day break at Victoria Falls.
Our South Africa road trip in video
Before going through the itinerary step by step, here is a short overview of our three weeks in South Africa, including our two-day break at Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe.
Why South Africa?
An elephant crossing the track just ten metres from our 4×4. Complete silence, apart from the wind moving through the tall grass. That was the image we had in mind long before setting foot in South Africa, and it was what started the whole trip.
We love nature and wanted to see wild animals living freely, not behind zoo glass. Elephants, rhinos, giraffes and lions in the bush: that was the starting point of the trip.
While planning the route, we discovered a country far broader than our original safari idea: mountains, canyons, coastline, big cities, vineyards, scenic roads and a history that became more and more important as the journey unfolded.
- Seeing animals in their natural environment
- Experiencing different types of safari
- Discovering very varied landscapes
- Understanding the country’s history better
Our itinerary on the map
Our route forms a large loop, with Johannesburg as our entry and exit point, a first section in the north-east, a break in Zimbabwe, then a second loop from Cape Town towards Addo and the Garden Route.
Johannesburg, Dullstroom, Panorama Route, Blyde River Canyon, Kruger
Two days at Victoria Falls
Montagu, Addo, Garden Route, Hermanus, the Cape Peninsula and Cape Town
Three weeks, and choices to make
Three weeks in southern Africa, including two days in Zimbabwe. The schedule was busy. That is how we like to travel: a lot of preparation beforehand, then adjustments on the ground depending on the weather, encounters and unexpected events.
Some places deserved an extra day or two. But with limited time and such a large country, choices had to be made. We were not trying to tick boxes; we wanted to make the most of the experiences that really mattered to us.
Safety: the rules we set ourselves
After three weeks, our view was far more nuanced than before departure. Precautions still matter, but they are not what dominate our memories. What stayed with us most were the encounters, conversations and the welcome we received throughout the trip.
What we really felt on the ground
We originally travelled for the wildlife. But as the kilometres passed, the country’s history, culture and contrasts became much more important.
Our final day in Johannesburg, between Soweto and the Apartheid Museum, gave the trip another dimension. It put several conversations and observations from the previous three weeks into perspective.
We do not claim to understand South Africa after one trip. We simply share what we saw, experienced and felt, always separating our personal experience from documented facts.
- Unforgettable safaris
- An incredible variety of landscapes
- Meaningful human encounters
- A desire to understand the country better
What budget for 3 weeks in South Africa?
To make this budget genuinely useful, we reviewed our bookings and known expenses, then reconstructed the few items for which we no longer had the exact receipt. For this UK version, the main budget is shown in US dollars, while original local currencies are kept as secondary information where useful.
All episodes from this road trip
To follow the journey step by step, the 30 episodes are grouped below by major areas.
What we remember most about South Africa
We had travelled for the animals. We came home with unforgettable safari memories, but also with a desire to understand South Africa better, its history, its contrasts and the richness of its landscapes.