African Safari - 2026
Friday 17 October'26 - Johannesburg (South Africa)/Sydney [the 18th is further down this page]
At this point, I should reiterate that the blog is done for me to be able to go back to and remember the many and vast experiences I have had. Not just on this trip but all the others that sit under the Archived Trips Homepage, so I apologise if the text is annoying BUT it isn't to me. 😎
Last day in Africa and on the whole, a hugely amazing experience. The number of animals seen in their native habitat, many within only a metre or so, exceeded even my wildest expectations. To get to see the "Big 5", up close, is something that is now firmly etched into my memory. As the Qantas flight home (QF64 - direct to Sydney) is not scheduled to depart until 1845, a late check-out was arranged courtesy of Rene. This allowed for a leisurely bag pack and lunch at the hotel before heading off. Boarded on time and OZ, here I come...
Saturday 18 October'26 - Sydney/Canberra
A strong tail wind saw us pickup a few hours on the way home, with the flight being just over 11 hours, some 4.5 hours less than on the way there. This allowed us to grab an earlier connection to Canberra, meaning home sweet home was entered at a little before 1830, nearly 4 hours than expected. Then became the onerous task of unpacking, sorting washing and generally unwinding. All in all, a great holiday but I'm glad I did it now rather than wait a few more years. The days were long and dusty. The "ride" on the safari's was the equivalent of many roller coaster rides BUT, was really, really worth it. A huge thank you to Rene for her suggesting the itinerary, which we got through Bestway Tours (a Canadian company). Yes, a little more costly than ones we had seen advertised in OZ, but it was great. The agent we dealt with Keira, could not be faulted, we visited 7 national parks in total, had very good accommodation and the tour company, Predator Tours (and the guides), were fantastic.
I'm a very happy man!!!