South Africa A Vietnamese tourist's family spent more than 200 million VND to have the opportunity to drive 21 days along the coast of South Africa, admiring wild animals.
The family of Mr. Vu Minh Tra (37 years old) and Ms. Tran Hai Yen (36 years old) and their two children living in Hanoi have visited several countries in Asia, Europe, America and Australia. From May 31 to June 20, they took a road trip to South Africa, to fulfill their wish to visit the 5th continent in 2023 and to let their children see animals in the wild, not in zoos.
Yen's family went to Hluhluwe National Park to see wildlife.
South Africa is the 25th largest country in the world, with borders stretching along the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. "My husband and I researched, read articles, watched videos, and travel blogs about South Africa more thoroughly than any other place we've been to, with information about security and safety being a top priority," Yen said. She chose South Africa partly because it is the most developed country in Africa, making it convenient for traveling with children.
From Noi Bai airport, they flew to Johannesburg, the largest city in South Africa, then rented a car to drive through the cities of Piet Retief, Hluhluwe, Durban, Addo, Plettenberg, Mossel Bay, De Hoop, Gansbaai and stopped in Cape Town, the legislative capital (South Africa has three capitals, in addition to Cape Town there is also Pretoria). is the administrative capital and Bloemfontein is the judicial capital). They mainly visit national parks, zoos, museums.
After 21 days in South Africa, Ms. Yen believes that "nowhere else in the world can you find such a different experience". Previously, in the US or Australia, she went to places where whales often appear but had never seen one. "In De Hoop Nature Reserve in Western Province, just sitting on the beach, you can admire hundreds of whales swimming in front of you, popping up to spray water or swishing like on TV", she said.
At Boulders Beach, they witnessed thousands of South African penguins "waddling". They thought penguins were only found in Antarctica, but now they could see them walking at distances of just a meter or two.
The most interesting experience was the "big 5 safari" (5 large animals) hunting trip including lions, leopards, elephants, rhinos, buffaloes in Hluhluwe National Park. They encountered a herd of more than 30 African elephants passing right in front of the car. "They were big but not aggressive, and my family sat in the car, a little nervous but more excited," said Ms. Yen.
In addition, Yen's family also went to see dolphins in Mossal Bay or observed "hippos diving like submarines" in Lake St Lucia. They also did not miss the opportunity to "jump from the Atlantic Ocean to the Indian Ocean" at Agulhas. This is a cape in the Western Cape province of South Africa and the southernmost point of Africa, marking the starting point of the dividing line between the Indian Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean.
They also experienced living with a Zulu villager's family on the mountain top with dishes such as burgers, pizza, lobster at cheaper prices than in Vietnam.
On the way from Johannesburg to Cape Town, Yen’s family passed through many types of terrain and vegetation. From vast fields of burnt grass, vast savanna fields, long and deep blue coastlines to majestic mountains. Therefore, despite the long journey, the two children did not feel bored, constantly admiring the scenery along the way.
Yen’s family also had a special meeting with her son’s English teacher at school in Vietnam. The teacher is from South Africa and returned to her hometown in Cape Town for the summer. They talked for a while about their experiences during the trip before returning to Vietnam.
South Africa is located in the southern hemisphere, so June is winter, with temperatures ranging from 5-17 degrees Celsius. The weather is dry and not as cold as Hanoi's winter, but the temperature difference between day and night is quite large. According to Ms. Yen, this is a good time to go on safari (watch wild animals), it is not sunny or hot, but it rains occasionally and you cannot swim in the sea.
The cost of the trip was 225 million VND, equivalent to the family's previous trips. Of which, the cost of round-trip airfare for 4 people was about 113 million VND, the hotel was about 30 million VND. Car rental was 17.5 million VND, food was 21.5 million VND, the rest was for sightseeing and tours, 16.6 million VND. "Room and food costs in South Africa are quite reasonable, some places are cheaper than Vietnam. About 1.5 - 2 million VND can rent a two-bedroom apartment with full amenities," said Ms. Yen.
According to Yen and her husband, the indispensable items when traveling to South Africa are spare batteries and power outlets. Power outages are common in South Africa. Once, Yen's family had to carry their suitcases up 12 floors to a hotel in Durban because the elevator was not working. South Africa uses three-pronged plugs, so you need to bring a universal travel adapter to convert.
The South Africa road trip, which had been planned for more than two years, helped fulfill Yen's family's dream of visiting five continents. After each trip, not only the children but also the couple themselves were able to broaden their horizons with scenes they had seen for the first time in their lives. "Knowledge and experience are never enough, and of course my family will not stop in South Africa. My husband and I hope to spend time with our children to witness many beautiful things in this world," Yen said.
Quynh Mai
Photo courtesy of NVCC
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