HOSTEL LIST

SOUTH AFRICA

Drakensberg – Sani Lodge

Durban – Hippo Hide/Happy Hippo

Cape Town – The Backpackers and Long Street Inn

Joburg – Diamond Diggers

HOSTEL LIST

SWAZILAND

Manzini – The Cowshed

Ezulwini – Lidwala Backpackers

HOSTEL LIST

MOZAMBIQUE

Tofo – Fatima’s Nest (Heard better things about Bamboozi)

Maputo – Fatimas (Base Backpackers)

HOSTEL LIST

ZIMBABWE

Victoria Falls – Shoestring Backpackers

Harare – Small World Backpackers

HOSTEL LIST

ZAMBIA

Livingstone – Jollyboys

HOSTEL LIST

SENEGAL

St. Louis – Pelican/ L Atlentide

GHANA

Accra – Salvation Army
Cape Coast – Oasis

TANZANIA

Dar Es Salaam – Holiday Hotel

Arusha – Arusha Backpackers

Moshi – Moshi Backpackers

LONG STREET BACKPACKERS

We decided to stay on Long Street for our last weekend so that we’d be a little closer to downtown. We saw an amazing exhibit at the South African National Gallery and the District Six Museum. All in all an amazing end to an amazing journey.

CAPE OF GOOD HOPE

We then headed on a tour of the peninsula. We were nearly blown off of our bikes heading to the Cape of Good Hope, but we were rewarded after with a visit to the penguins. Unfortunately, I now know that penguins mating is not reminiscent of Happy Feet.

CAPE OF GOOD HOPE AND SIMON’S TOWN

We then headed to Cape Town’s wine country, Stellenbosch and Franschoek. We mountain biked to our first winery and then luckily caught a ride to the next two. Our guide was fantastic and a wealth of information. His wife is a social anthropologist, and it was clear he took an interest in her work and in South African history. An amazing combination

TABLE MOUNTAIN

Dacia and woke up on our third day and hiked to and up Table Mountain. Even though it was not nearly as painful as I had expected, I still couldn’t believe the guy who passed us and then proceeded to turn right around to head back down. Barefoot.

CAPE TOWN

After our second to last long bus ride, we finally arrived in Cape Town. We decided to stay in CT for a week and we hit the ground running. Our second night in Cape Town we hiked up the Lions Head to watch the sunset and then the full moon rise. We had amazing company and made it up and down without incident, even if I was shaking after the vertical ascent on a ladder. Luckily I wasn’t the only one.

COFFEE BAY

Back in Durban we ended up meeting some awesome Americans and were entertained by Wade and the guy almost falling out of his stool. We explored the city, made it rain once again at the Victoria Street Market, and marveled at Durban’s amazing public transport. Then we headed to Coffee Bay (Buffalo!) to enjoy some time along the Garden Coast. We lucked out and ran into some past travel buddies: Ben, who we met in Tofo and Christian who we met in the Drakensberg Mts. The weather didn't work in our favor, but it was still a fun time and we did get in a hike to the Holl In The Wall, even if we couldn't swim through it. The tab system, was dangerous, but definitely a great place to stop on the way to Cape Town!

LESOTHO

We completed the pink hike and celebrated the Slovenian holiday on 11/11 before getting on some horses to head to Lesotho for a few nights. On our way back we stopped at the highest pub in Africa.

SOUTH AFRICA - DRAKENSBERG MTS

The public transportation from Maputo to Durban was surprisingly easy. Unfortunately the weather wasn’t as easy so we spent our first day in South Africa heading to the mall to enjoy heavenly fountain sodas and getting a new phone charger. From Durban we went up to the Drakensberg Mountains. We stayed near the Sani Pass which leads up to Lesotho.

Whereas it had rained in Durban and along the coast, it had snowed in the mountains. Thanks to our amazing travel luck, the sun came out just as we were heading up there. Unfortunately it was still cold even with the rays, so we had to stop and stock up on fleeces.