Travel
ONE CONTINENT, THREE
COUNTRIES, AN AMAZING HOLIDAY:
SOUTH AFRICA, ZAMBIA AND BOTSWANA
D
o you have the travel bug?
Is travel one of the main
reasons for you, leaving your
home, to teach in the Middle
East? If yes, then, we have something
in common. Seven years ago, my
husband and I, packed up our lives in
London to take up positions in Abu
Dhabi. We wanted a change and
most of all, we wanted to travel. Since
moving here, we have travelled to Asia,
Africa, The Caribbean, The United
States of America, Canada and all over
the Middle East. In 2012 our family of
two became a family of four, with the
birth of our twins, but that did not slow
us down on the travel front, it just made
our party bigger.
This summer (2017) we took the trip of
a lifetime to Southern Africa. Touring
this part of the world had been a dream
of ours for as long as I can remember.
In July we boarded a flight from
Dubai to Cape Town. Summer in this
hemisphere is winter in the southern
hemisphere, but it is not the winter you
may be used to, the sun was still shining
and we enjoyed average temperatures
of approximately 15-20 Degrees
Celsius daily. I found the cooler
temperature refreshing, as summers
in the Middle East are unbearably
hot. Once in Cape Town we checked
into our luxurious studio apartment
(Bloomberg Apartments) on Camps
Bay overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.
Camps Bay is a traveller's dream. There
are trendy clubs, bars and restaurants,
all within walking distance and if you
want a quieter family friendly vibe, the
seaside and lovely promenade, is right
outside your door step.
After a day of rest, we started our tour
of cape town in earnest. We hopped
on to the open top bus tour right there
in camps Bay and it took us all around
Cape Town, with the ability to hop on
and off at the various attractions, it
was perfect for travelling with small
children. We visited the wine lands,
the botanical gardens, and of course
we hopped off and took the cable car
to the top of the world famous Table
Mountain. A top tip, make sure to have
lunch before going to the top, as the
restaurant there is very expensive, we
spent what seemed like the equivalent
of a week’s salary on lunch. Ok maybe
I am exaggerating, but at least you will
have more restaurant options in the
city. The unique flora and fauna, with
the accompanying views from the top
of Table Mountain, is definitely worth
the trip.
The following day we headed out
early to the V&A water front, one of
Cape Town’s most well known tourist
spots, to board the ferry to Robben
Island. The ferries depart from the
Nelson Mandela Gateway at the V &
A Waterfront. The tour takes 3.5 hours
including the ferry trip to and from the
Island (Depending on the boat used
as they have different travel times).
The visit to Robben Island, especially
being able to see the actual prison cell
in which Nelson Mandela was being
held, was just so poignant for me. I
am a massive fan of Nelson Mandela
and I was so humbled to be able to
talk to one of the tour guides, who was
actually a prisoner there, at the same
time as Nelson Mandela. I am not sure
what the Robben Island tour meant
to my four year olds, but in time I will
be able to show them the photos and
videos, and I hope they will appreciate
having been there.