Cape Town Calling: My 54th Country and the Road to Another Safari!

After less than four years, I'm back on the African continent, ticking off countries 54, 55, and 56!

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The Journey: Day 1

Two days ago, I left my Midtown Manhattan office and began my journey. I hopped on the Long Island Railroad to Jamaica station, transferring to the JFK AirTrain. The whole commute was around 45 minutes and cost about $15 – a stark contrast to the over an hour and $100+ an Uber would have cost. The Long Island Railroad Extension into Grand Central Station is fantastic. Although nothing beats a direct train from Manhattan to the airport, but that's a dream for another day.

After grabbing dinner and a cocktail in the Chase Sapphire Lounge (which has officially surpassed the Amex Centurion Lounge as my favorite, thanks to its waiter service - great for people with physical disabilities!), I settled in for a day of flying. My journey took me on Delta to Amsterdam for an ~8-hour flight, followed by a quick stopover, and then a ~12-hour KLM flight to the southern tip of Africa: Cape Town. I swung through the KLM lounge during my 90 minute layover and found out there was a discounted offer for Premium Comfort on the next leg of my trip, so I decided to treat myself. The 38" seat pitch and extra shoulder room was exactly what I needed to snag a solid 5-6 hours of shut-eye.

Upon landing in Cape Town, I was through passport control and had my bag in hand within 15 minutes – lightning fast! My friend Bianca, who lives here, had advised me to be sure to take an Uber to my accommodation. Initially, I thought, "Of course, that's what I'd do anyway." But after stepping out of customs and being approached by at least 25 people offering rides, her advice made perfect sense. While I encounter this at many airports, it can be intimidating and it's always good to have a plan before you walk through the doors from baggage claim to the outside world.

I arrived at my Airbnb, a studio apartment at the Cape Royale in Greenpoint, which is right near the V&E Waterfront, around 10:15 PM, took one of the most needed showers of my life, and promptly crashed around midnight! I had wanted to visit Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 18 years, but the museum is closed for renovations ahead of the upcoming G20. I woke up a few times, but since the museum was closed and I was working New York hours, I didn't rush to get up until around 11:00 AM.

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Remote Work: Day 2

After a solid day of remote work which started at 2PM local time, all I really managed to explore of this vibrant city was a dash to the grocery store and an ATM run. In a hilariously ironic twist, my first proper meal here was a gigantic "Amasi Flapjack Stacks" with two fried eggs and thick-cut bacon, accompanied by a Double Shot Espresso Milkshake with Peanut Butter at Jason Bakery (at 12 PM, mind you—jet lag is very real!). This was followed by a wagyu smash burger at Hudsons: The Burger Joint… a NYC-themed burger bar. Yes, you read that right. I flew all the way to South Africa to eat at a place that reminds me of home. You can't make this stuff up!

The food here is incredibly reasonably priced compared to NYC. That colossal breakfast was about $8, and the wagyu burger was $6. I also stopped by the grocery store and picked up two bottles of water, orange juice, mango juice, a liter of milk, and some malted milk balls for a grand total of $10.

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Officially on Vacation!

Now, it's official though. About an hour ago, I put on my out-of-office message and logged out of my work profile. I am officially on vacation, and the real adventure kicks off tomorrow! I'm so excited to be reuniting with Bianca, my friend from a Contiki trip we did in 2016 that took us through Sweden, Finland, Russia, Belarus, and Poland. She and her husband have planned a fantastic day for us, including a visit to a vineyard with amazing views. I can already taste the Merlot!

This trip, however, is leading up to something even more exhilarating: Contiki's Cape to Delta Safari, a 15-day tour that will take me to South Africa, Zambia, and Botswana. I'll visit three world-renowned areas for wildlife: Kruger National Park, Chobe National Park, and the Okavango Delta, as well as one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World, Victoria Falls!

I was actually looking at prices for this trip as I was leaving East Africa four years ago, so to finally be here is incredibly exciting. There's just something about the thrill of a safari—it's like watching your own curated version of National Geographic, and you never know what's going to happen. For example, on my last safari, I vividly remember seeing a leopard jump out of a tree and fight a cheetah for a dinner it had just killed for its family. It was truly out of this world. It's even better doing it with a group of like-minded travelers. This is my eighth Contiki trip, which is a tour group for budget travelers aged 18-35. As I'm about to turn 35, this is likely my last one, so I am going out in style!

So, get ready for more tales from the road (and the bush!). I'll be sharing all the highlights along the way, so stay tuned for this epic adventure of a lifetime!