Our coach ride to Kruger had us take a break at a Rest Stop which boasted an incredible Zoo, with Ostrich, Rhinos, and many other 4-legged beasties!

Leaving Johannesburg, the coach ride to Kruger was really interesting, as it took us through villages of all sizes and gave us a glimpse at life outside the big cities

Our first day of safari! An early rise and breakfast, and we're off in an open 4WD into the Park! We managed to see the "Big 5" on the first day. We also managed to get rather drenched, but it only lasted for about an hour and we soon dried out.

Day 2, and a different (much more experienced) guide. The day was even better, as we stalked leopards and Rhinos! The weather was perfect (not too hot) and we had a fantastic day, encountering Giraffe and Elephants (really!) close up and another Lion with a kill. Dani was fascinated by the Dung Beetles - which were very cool!

Our first Safari done, we flew an internal South African Flight with SAFAir to Capetown. Plane was bit small, with only one Steward, but the service and flight was excellent! The local airport we flew out of was small, but modern and nice. First impressions of Capetown from th eAirport was that the infrastructure was quite good, and Table Mountain is a spectacular backdrop for the city!

Our first day in Capetown our Guide took us out in a minibus to explore the Beach Area (very nice - wish our hotel was there!), showed us a bit of the historic parts of Capetown, took us to the top of a small mountain where people were para-gliding back down into the city, before leaving us to explore around our hotel. We ended up walking into the Harbour where there was a Red Bull Birdman Rally event running, with thousands of spectators. Food halls were abundant, we had a great afternoon.

Day 2 in Capetown was all about Wineries! We partook of some wine-tasting at some absolutely beautiful Estates to the east of Capetown. The weather was glorious for us too. Very relaxing day!

Our final day in Capetown was a trip to Cape Peninsula including Cape Point and Boulders Beach. We visited the Cape of Good Hope, which was a truly awe-inspiring experience. On our way back to Cape Town, we stopped at Boulders Beach to visit the penguin colony where we got up close to the African penguins.

From Capetown we flew (Another small plane) to Zimbabwe. We stayed near Victoria Falls, at the amazing A'Zambezi River Lodge. The Lodge was perched right on the banks of the Zambese River, and we usually ate with wild animals like Hippos and Warthogs for company!

From our base at the brilliant A'Zambezi River Lodge we drove (well, bussed) to Victoria Falls for the day. The falls are amazing! We were there in the dry season, can only imagine what they are like when the water is in full flood!

After visiting Victoria Falls, we were treated to an amazing sunset cruise along the Zambesi RIver. There were cruise boats everywhere, and the banks are lined with lodges and cabins - it's big business here, and they do it well. We saw Hippos, Elephpants, Crocodiles and an assortment of wildlife, whilst snacking and drinking - what a life!

Our last day before leaving Zimbabwe was spent on a couple of hours drive into Botswana for our final day of safari in Chobe Park. The drive was very eventful, with incredible amount of wildlife wandering right up to the road - including a face to face encounter with a Lion - just amazing!

Chobe was probably the best of the Safari days. We visited at the end of the dry season, so the Zambesi River was low, and animals were out looking for water. The scenery was absolutely stunning, and we saw an incredible assortment of animals. The day included another river boat experience - this time in a small tin boat. The first one broke down just as the skies opened up to drench us, but a replacement boat was soon found and we ventured back out into the storm to play chasey with a herd of hippos! The ride back to Zimbabwe was amazing too, with a small traffic jam created by a pair of massive elephants taking over the road! Just an amazing day!

We arrived a day early for our tour, and were very fortunate in making some amazing new friends (Aya and Oumaima) who graciously spent the afternoon and evening showing us around Casablanca! We got to experience a delicious Snail Soup :) and visited the wonderful Medina (or Old Town) - the first of many in Morocco. We also walked past the famous Rick's Cafe, where scenes from the movie "Casablanca" were shot.

Our first stop on the tour was the imposing Hassan II Mosque. Opened in 1993, and second only in size to the great mosque at Mecca, the huge building is part on land and part on sea; in one area water can even be seen through a glass floor. The mosque can accommodate 25,000 worshippers and the main roof is retractable to create an open courtyard. It's one of the only religious sites open to non-Muslims.

After the Mosque we left Casablanca and drove to Rabat, the capital of Morocco, where we wandered around the fabulous markets for a couple of hours. It rained.

Next up was a drive through the countryside to the Blue City - Chefchouen. Where it rained. Then it rained some more. When it stopped raining it started again. But an amazing place nonetheless! There are amazing views over the mountains, and the building are all blue with white tonings - very picturesque! As we walked around we were joined by a number of friendly local dogs, who fiercely guarded us against other dogs :)

After the amazing Chefchouen, we headed off to drier climes, and Fes! There was much to see along the way.

Another thing we learned about Morocco is that there are lots of Roman ruins dotted around. Volubis is supposedly one of the best preserved, and was really interesting. We also had a great Moroccon lunch before we left.

Arriving in Fes, we headed for the heights for spectacular views of the city, and some touristy stuff!

Next we visited a Mosaics factory, where they showed us the end to end process of producing beautiful mosaics. The process they showed us was a traditional one, which was all by hand, but many of the items for sale in their shop were actually mass produced.

Like every other city in Morocco, Fes has it's Medina (or Old Town) - and it's a brilliant one! We spent most of the day wandering around looking at things and people.

Leather is one of Moroccos major exports, and the factory we visited encompassed the whole process, from curing and colouring the hides to manufacturing handbags, jackets and other goods. The hides are cured in Urine - and the stench is unbelievable! And it wasn't even a hot day! I don't know how the workers can stand it.

Inside the Medina was a large building which housed a Museum of tradition agricultural tools and weapons.

Another major export is Silk, for Kaftans and sheets etc..

We left the incredible city of Fes and made our way to Merzouga, and the Sahara Desert. Several stops along the way made the day interesting.

Our residence in Merzouga was the phenomenal Hotel Nomad Palace, which sits on the edge of the Sahara Desert

Our first adventure in Merzouga was a visit to a tourist experience run by locals, who played traditional music, danced with us, and made us a local version of Pizzas, which were delicious!

Our next visit was to what would usually be one of my favourites - a car museum! This was not good though - full of four-wheel-drives and other off-road vehicles. Not the stuff that MY dreams are made of, for sure :)

Our next night was spent in a Desert Camp, which was a bit rubbish, really.. We had a camel ride to the camp, an experience never to be repeated, hopefully. I don't think the camels knew what they were signing on for, and they sure didn't seem to enjoy it. We looked pretty cool in Bedouin gear though, I thought :)

The region is reknowned for high quality and numerous fossils, so many local businesses have sprung up to cater for the tourists. We were taken to one where they proces the fossils and produce momentos and even furniture from them. Pretty cool.

On our way out of the Sahara we stopped at a roadside site which was one of the outlets for a (no longer used) underground water canal and irrigation system. Built about seven hundred years ago, it is a marvel of construction which brough water from the distant mountains into the desert.

Next stop was a leisurely walk through a cool Gorge, where maniacs where climbing sheer orange limestone walls without ropes or safety gear. Vendors of scarves and souvenirs lined one side of the road alongside the gorge, and the whole experience was very pleasant.

After another coach trip we arrived in the Dades Valley, where we walked through the local countryside with a very knowledgeable guide. The weather was glorious, the pace was very manageable, and everyone enjoyed themselves. After the walk our guide took us to lunch at his family home - another delicious Moroccan styled meal!

We stayed the night at the Kasbah Tizzarouine Dades, which would have been a traditional Moroccan Fortress housing a large family and their retainers. This one has been converted into a Hotel with Moroccan styling but modern facilities. Very comfortable.

The Kasbah Amridil was next on our list. It has been preserved in a traditional way, with lots of exhibits of old household and farm tools. Some very clever engineering, particularly working with wood.

Next we left the Dades Valley and set off on the fabled Road of a Thousand Kasbahs. Our first stop was the majestic oasis of Skoura, home to several privately owned kasbahs. We passed through the city of Aït Benhaddou which is one of Morocco's most iconic sites, its grand kasbah one of the most beautiful in Morocco and the fortified village a fine example of clay architecture. The town has a long list of film and TV credits, including Lawrence of Arabia, Game of Thrones and Gladiator.

The magnificent Bahia Palace was built in 1866 for a former slave who rose to power within the government. It was expanded by subsequent owners over the years.

The Medina in Marakech was one of the most colourful, busy and dynamic we saw. We had a great local coffee experience and met many locals!

We spent half of the day driving to Essaouira, a town built around a port and now more of a holiday resort. As usual there was a fantastic Medina, and we loved the whole place!

Our final stop before returning to Casblanca and flying out was Essaouira, which we loved! We enjoyed a meal of fresh caught fish which was cooked in front of us, and explored the old port, which has a cacophony of colours and smells!