2014southernafrica.blogspot.com Website Review

A 3 month self drive safari trip through South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho and Swaziland. After completing the 68-day trip to Southern Africa, drove through 5 countries ( South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho and Swaziland ), in a small 2WD sedan, it was a real eye opening experience for me. That was my first ever trip to the Continent, and it did not start well, in fact, almost deadly.  With the near death experience of being mugged in the center of Johannesburg, strangled to immediate unconsciousness by three thugs, I was on the verge of leaving for the But somehow, I gathered the shattered confidence, and decided to continue.. thereward was extraordinary. The rest of the trip was, by any measure, against my experience with similar road trips across other continents, a very unforgettable and On the outset, I must admit, like many people, I was uninformed about this part of the World, not expecting the experience detailed in all the posts, after Johannesburg that was, to be completely so positive. It is not surprising to be face-to-face with so many wild lives, so many precious moments, even the camera had not been doing justice, at least not me anyway. Nowhere in the World that I have been to so far, prepared me for the emotional experience, stalked by lions in the middle of the night, seeing elephants playing in mud and waterholes, the casual and swaying elegance of giraffes etc., all are impossible to repeat in any other continent, in a wild context. All these are unique to Africa. However, the major surprises, are the people and the cleanliness of the environment. I encountered many young, friendly, witty and intelligent staff and managers servicing my needs, in both black and white races, and their professional attitude and quality of services, are at least equal to similar establishments in other countries. All the facilities, tourism as well as general, are of good standards, certainly very functional, clean and safe.  Chaos are