Exploring African shore lines: From Cape to Cairo

I’ve been fortunate enough to have had the opportunity to experience various shorelines across the many beautiful beaches and bays in Africa. From Cape to Cairo, I’ve learnt that no 2 beachfronts are the same. Whether it’s the water current or the colour and texture of the beach sand, the character and the feel of the experience has always been different. And as difficult as it was, I’ve given my best shot in giving you a taste of my adventures and hopefully, these will give you a good idea of what you can expect when visiting any of these places yourself.

1. Durban, South Africa

One of the most wonderful things I love about Durban beaches is the warm ocean water. It’s not surprising considering the humid, warm conditions throughout most of the year. Durban is a typical coastal city in that way. I also love how.easily accessible most, if not all, of the beaches in Durban are. It’s the unusual thing about Durban in that it’s seen as a big city but getting around it suggests it’s really not that big. The beach experiences are significantly different from one end of Durban to another. And by saying ‘Durban’ I’m literally ‘rounding it off’ because Ballito is a different town and so is Umhlanga. Ballito is still fairly uncrowded with very few people heading in that direction over weekends or public holidays, although I was thoroughly shocked by the masses that showed up on one particular new year’s day. My husband and I had spent a few days there and we had been spending time on the beach for 4 consecutive days and at no point over those days would we find more than 4 other people on that stretch of the beach. So, what happended on new year’s day was totally unexpected. The beach was so packed we simply chose to spend time in the hotel pool, overlooking the ocean. The very next day, the beach was back to how it was before – empty! Ballito beach, like all the other beaches in and around Durban, experiences heavy currents from time to time and it’s always wise to tread carefully when spending time by the ocean.

Durban beaches are generally clean and well looked after. Durban North beach is probably the busiest of them all, with lots of traders along the promenade, clubs and restaurants as well as strings of hotels and apartment blocks. When on Durban’s North coast, don’t miss the opportunity to try out the local delicacy – The Bunny Chow! I’m convinced the best tasting ones are found on this coast. If you’re into crowds then this part of Durban’s coastline has the right kind of energy for you but if you’re looking to be in a quieter place then head out to Ballito.



2. Cape Town South Africa

From Clifton beach to Camps Bay, the water in the ocean is consistently cold! So cold that even dipping your toes in feels like torture. As if that’s not bad enough, the current is always so strong, you can’t quite relax in the water. You’ll need to be vigilant at all times. So, swimming in the ocean in these parts of the Cape will not be the highlight of your visit. Instead, the highlight will be soaking up the sun on the white sandy beaches or grabbing a tasty lunch at one of the many restaurants lining the beachfront. I’ve tried out a few and most have become my favorite spots whenever I visit Cape Town. My biggest highlight has to be the sunset. I’m convinced the sunsets in Camps Bay are the best in the world! The way the sun appears to dip gently into the ocean as it changes colour from a bright yellow to a deep orange, it’s simply mesmerising! I realised I’m probably not the only person who’s totally taken by this experience because on one of the afternoons that my husband and I hung out at one of the restaurants there, just about everyone took out their mobile phones to capture this beautiful image that I’ve just described. It happens at a particular moment and then goes by so quickly.

When the water is too cold, just soak up the sun

3. Jeffreys Bay, South Africa

My first and last visit to Jeffrey’s Bay was in 2010 when my husband and I spent a few days there for our second wedding anniversary. I don’t remember how we even got to the decision of visiting Jeffrey’s Bay because I know for a fact that it never really was on my radar and I doubt on my husband’s either. Jeffreys Bay is a very small town with a very small community. It’s a very old town and you can tell just from the structural features of its hotels and restaurants. Its rustic features make it a very unique place. The community is so small I’m pretty sure everyone who lives there knows their neighbour. We stayed in a small boutique hotel, which was styled quite beautifully and made a perfect venue for weddings. On our second day there, we went out to spend some time on the beach but we were not prepared for what we were about to experience. A sand storm! It was a warm, sunny day and our sense was that this would translate into a beautiful beach experience but boy, were we wrong! The sand storm came from nowhere and as we were walking along the beach, trying to find a perfect spot to soak up the sun, we could hardly keep our eyes or mouths open because the sand was blowing all over. I could feel it striking my legs like a thousand pins all at once and basically, we got put off really quickly we decided to give up the idea we had in mind. We spent the remainder of our time there indoors, between our hotel and the seafood restaurants in the area. And just like that, we had no desire to return. It was that bad. Perhaps, we were just unlucky but something tells me, sand storms are a regular feature there. Jeffreys Bay is afterall a close neighbour of PE (Port Elizabeth), which is also known as the windy city. So, by virtue of proximity, it shouldn’t be surprising that Jeffreys Bay gets uncomfortably windy too.



4. Portuguese island, Mozambique

I can’t recall the specific period in my life when I became aware of the concept of cruise ships but from the time it happened, I knew I wanted to experience it for myself. When I met my husband, I learnt that he had the same wish too. And so, when we finally decided to do a cruise, we wasted no time in exploring the options available and booking ourselves on our first island hopping cruise. Our first destination was Mozambique and we would cruise through Inhambane and the Portuguese island over 4 days. The 2 islands have so much in common I’m even having trouble distinguishing which activities happened at which island and so I’m just reporting it as if it all happened on the same island. What I can tell you, first and foremost, is that we had an absolute blast on the cruise ship itself, with never-ending entertainment. The weather was glorious throughout and both islands delivered beyond our expectation.
What I loved the most was the calm ocean water. For me to be able to float in the ocean is quite an achievement and this was something I got to enjoy at both islands. However, the heat was unbearable and made it impossible to walk barefoot on the beach because the sand itself felt like burning coals! The ocean water is a beautiful turquoise colour and crystal clear. Luckily, there was a huge shaded area where we could escape the sun every now and then. It was under the same thatched shade that we got some refreshments as well. Infact, there was a beach braai at 1 of the islands, which came as part of the package. They had a DJ playing some music and it was a full day of fun! Just to paint a picture of how much we enjoyed this trip, we did it again not just once but twice! So in total, we’ve done 3 cruise trips to the beautiful Mozambiquen islands.



5. Flic en Flac, Mauritius

Mauritius, officially the Republic of Mauritius, is an island in the Indian Ocean about 2,000 kilometres off the southeast coast of Africa. When you land at the small airport, you may notice a small board that reads ‘Welcome to paradise’. This message might not quite click in your mind until you’ve driven out of the airport area to any of the coasts. It is then that you’ll realise you’ve really arrived in a little paradise. This was the first time I had visited a new country and didn’t complain about the idea of staying in one spot for an entire day.
We stayed in a beautiful area called Flic en Flac. It seemed like a busy but uncrowded part of the island. We were at one of the hotels along the beachfront and the first thing we did after grabbing a quick lunch at the hotel was to take a walk along the beach, right across the road from where we were staying. It must have been early afternoon and the sun was still blazing. There were a number of people on this beach but it was a comfortable crowd. The beauty of this place had already struck me. From the time we were approaching the airport and our aircraft was slowly descending to land, I could already see the clear, turquoise water surrounding the island. It was the first African island I had been to and I fell instantly inlove.

We spent some time on the beach until the sun started to set. I still have pictures from this moment, which will always be a reminder of the incredible beauty of this place. For some reason, I had underestimated the influence of Indian culture in this country. Mauritius is a multiethnic society, drawn from Indian, African, Chinese and European (mostly French) origin. The Creole language, which is French-based with some additional influences, is spoken by the majority of the population as a native language. English is taught in schools and is widely spoken in most Mauritian communities.

The Mauritian cuisine has a great Indian influence, which worked out in my favour because I’m a huge fan of Indian cuisine. I don’t think it’s possible to eat a boring dish here. Even the simplest of dishes is full of flavor.
Our days here were all about exploring the different beaches in the areas surrounding our base, Flic en Flac. We spent one of the days in Le Morne and I think this area made the biggest impression on me. Not only was it the most beautiful beach I had seen but it was also in what seemed like an elite part of the island, with lots of beautiful beach homes. I think it was here that my dream for a holiday home in Mauritius was ignited. To this day, I still dream of owning a holiday home in this part of the island. I can just imagine it!

Our 5 night stay on the island was not short of incredible moments. We had a private tour guide who took us around to a few different places on the island. We also ventured out to Port Louis on our own. We spotted a few cruise ships out at the harbor which made us think back to our own cruise adventures. We spent an afternoon in the city, even grabbed a lunch, but the beachfront was really where we wanted to spend all our days.
The weather got surprisingly ugly on our last day. I was devastated that not only were we not able to fly out but, for safety reasons, we were also cautioned to stay indoors for the rest of the day and the night. Well, there was no official instruction but my husband believed it would be in our best interest to take heed of the warnings. One thing I’ll tell you about me is that I am unable to be in a new country and simply stay in a hotel room. This day was no exception. I just couldn’t do it despite the circumstances. So, I convinced my husband to go out to another hotel for dinner. I think the right word is ‘coerced’. I don’t think I gave him a choice. We took a cab out to 1 of the 5 star hotels in Flic en Flac. In the storm. The hotel was only about a 10-minute drive away from ours. We arrived at the hotel and found a place inside their restaurant to have dinner. I was happy we were at least experiencing a new spot but even I started to get nervous about the storm. At some point my husband protested. Straight after dinner, we made our way back to the hotel and stayed there for the rest of the evening. Luckily, the typhoon didn’t cause any damage other than a few trees in our streets being blown away but we were finally able to make our flight back home the next day.

From this experience, I learned that it is crucially important to understand the weather conditions of the place you are visiting. Yes, the weather forecast may not always be 100% accurate but things like typhoons happen around the same time, every year, and would therefore be easier to predict. In our story, the typhoon afforded us an extra day in paradise even though we couldn’t exactly enjoy it beyond what we had already done. Another lesson learnt was the importance of travel insurance because this was infact the first time in all our international travels that we didn’t take out travel insurance and also the first time that we ended up needing it. So, we had to pay in extra from our own pocket because there was no insurance to claim from. We’ve never made the same mistake again. Don’t let that happen to you. However, if I ever had to choose a place I’d want to be stuck in, it would be Mauritius, without a doubt! Paradise.

 

Days spent on the beautiful island of Mauritius

6. Alexandria, Egypt

The first time I got to see the Mediterranean ocean was in this great city of Egypt, Alexandria. Alexandria is Egypt’s second largest city, following Cairo. It derives its name from its founder, Alexander The Great. Alexandria is very different from Cairo in many ways. Being a coastal city, it has a different kind of vibrancy about it. Cairo is right in the desert, which means you don’t see as much of the natural beauty as you would in Alexandria. Further to that, the lifestyle is also quite different. I took a day trip from Cairo to Alexandria, which was about 2.5 hours long and from the moment the car made its approach to the city, the air felt different. The city’s climate is also hugely influenced by the Mediterranean ocean, which moderates its temperatures. I visited around the end of January, which tends to be the coldest month but from my recollection, it wasn’t bad at all.

Just like the rest of the country, Alexandria carries a rich history and I experienced a lot of it walking through the Great Library of Alexandria. Having spent only a day in this beautiful city, I didn’t really have much time to explore the beaches but the time I spent at the Citadel of Quaitbay (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citadel_of_Qaitbay) was quite educational. The Citadel was erected on the exact site of the famous Lighthouse of Alexandria, which was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. I learnt a lot about the history and how this particular city became a hideout for the Egyptians and how they used to hide from their opponents behind the walls built along the coast.. I got to stand behind these walls and that alone was an incredible experience. The ocean itself seemed quite calm on the day that I was there but I understand it can also be a source of really violent storms during the rainy seasons. It was hard to believe as I was admiring the beauty on the day. It seemed so peaceful and so beautiful.
I also got to taste some really wonderful seafood at a nearby seafood restaurant recommended by a local. One could tell from just a single meal that they enjoy the freshest seafood by virtue of being right by the ocean. I’ve already visited Egypt twice but I wouldn’t mind a third visit just to spend a bit more time in Alexandria and other places of significance in Egyptian history.



Quaitbay Citadel in Alexandria

7. Zanzibar, Tanzania

Zanzibar island in Tanzania is about the sixth girls' trip I've done overall and the second international girls' trip. I traveled with the same friends who were with me on the trip to Namibia the previous year. Namibia was my first trip with these particular friends and we enjoyed it so much we decided we will make these trips an annual thing and that's how Zanzibar happened. Namibia and Zanzibar happened with very little effort. From deciding where to go right up to actually taking on the trips. I don't recall how Zanzibar became our next choice of destination after Namibia but I know it was a unanimous decision. Again, our travel plans progressed without much effort. We even had my two sisters join us near the tail-end of our plans. We ended up as a group of five. We had the most amazing time. Two of us were turning forty in a couple of months and we basically turned Zanzibar into a big, week-long celebration. We had surprise birthday dinners, fun bikini photo shoots on the beach. We were such a vibrant bunch other hotel guests were enquiring through the hotel staff about our profiles - who we were, what line of profession we were in, which country we were from etc.? We would dress up for every single dinner. The most amusing incident was when one of the guys at the pool bar came by and said 'the people at that table wanted me to ask if you ladies are in the modeling business'. I decided to have fun with that question (LOL). I said 'Yes, we are!' I introduced myself and 1 of the ladies as the models, my sister as the agent and I forgot what roles the other 2 ladies were portraying that night.

We landed in Zanzibar around midday after a short albeit uncomfortable flight from Dar es Salaam (because the aircraft is really tiny). The heat was already making us wish for the pool. The drive from the airport to our hotel was one of the most fascinating. When you visit an island like Zanzibar, it's more than likely you will have only been exposed to pictures of perfection. You only get to see the clear, blue ocean and pristine beaches with white sand but much like Mauritius, you will first have to drive past poverty-stricken areas before you get to that much-publicised perfection. You will see anything from locals who've set up businesses on the side of the road to run down mud houses/shacks. That drive will have you feeling a tad guilty about your trip but you also get to appreciate what you have. Our driver made us all feel uncomfortable because he was driving so fast and yet there were small kids on the side of the road, some crossing haphazardly. My friend tried to tell him to slow down but he would do it temporarily only to revert to his original speed. We accepted our fate and decided not to allow this seemingly negligent behaviour to spoil our arrival. So, we focused on the music that was playing in the car at that time. Music we could sing along to. Once we changed our focus, the drive became less painful.

We were filled with excitement and expectation and after some time on the road, the views were starting to look a lot more promising. The vegetation was suddenly looking a lot greener and richer. There were fewer houses on the side of the road. We were clearly now heading into a different part of the island. The air started to feel a lot more humid. Everything just looked a lot crisper in colour and texture. Shortly, we arrived at our home for the next 6 days. This was the picture of perfection we had been anticipating and counting down to for a while.
We were welcomed by the very friendly staff of Dream of Zanzibar. We waited at the reception area to be shuttled to our respective suites. Three of us were staying in a private villa and my two sisters shared a junior suite. Checking into our villa was like a dream! The villa opened up to a private pool with a beautiful view of the ocean past a few coconut trees. We felt right at home. This is where most of the mornings started and where the nocturnal activities ended. If the walls of that villa could talk!

After checking in and getting settled in our respective suites, we explored around the property and also took a leisurely walk along the beach. The crystal clear, turquoise water will make you feel like you’re living inside a dream. It is pure perfection. The white sands complete the picture so beautifully, making it look like something out of a magazine.
I have videos somewhere of the time we went into the ocean during low tide. This is a funny and scary event. We had met some locals on the beach who enticed us with the idea of experiencing the low tide. What they meant was not only to see the low tide from the beachfront but to actually go deep into the ocean when the water levels were low. The water practically only went up to the knee or even lower after walking about 500 meters in. What they didn't prepare us for was the fact that the water will start rising to its original level within a certain period of time. So, while we were still fascinated by all the marine life we discovered during this expedition - I even held a star fish in my hand - we started to notice the water rising up. Only three of us went on this adventure. The other two ladies were up to whatever they were up to.
Before long, the water was getting to my hips. In panic mode, we wanted to rush back but guess what, it was only a matter of seconds before the water rose up to my waist. I'm the tallest. So, you can imagine how the other two ladies were feeling at this point. None of us are swimmers, let alone swimming in the ocean! I was already seeing the headlines back home. Yikes! 'Okay, calm down. No one is going to drown'. That's the conversation I started having with myself. The actual conversation with my friend and my sister was much more humorous because we simply couldn't contain our trauma from what was happening. The guys had accompanied us into the ocean, three of them. There I started thinking 'this was their plan all along. There must be some kind of agenda'. I started to play out scenarios in my mind. Luckily for us, none of those guys understood our home language (Sepedi) so we could discuss them without them knowing. When I say the conversations we had amongst ourselves were humorous, it's because we were asking ourselves how we could have possibly been so gullible! They tricked us but we were failing to understand what it was they stood to gain or what they were planning to do for that matter. The fact of the matter is, they were familiar with this scenario and they weren’t at all phased by the rising water level. Their confidence would soon become something of comfort for us and so we each held on to one of them, as a way of protecting ourselves from what looked like eminent danger.

This is how I imagine the picture looked from a distance: Three young men and three women walking hand-in-hand, making their way across the ocean. but the reality was, at this point the water was up to my chest. It would be much scarier talking about the level of water in relation to the other two ladies but the plot twist in this story is that those guys had no malicious intent at all. They wanted to show us the beauty of the ocean. They wanted to show us the creatures that live in the ocean. The ones that you won't see unless you go scuba diving because they live deep in the ocean. We saw all of that. We even held some of those amazing creatures in our very own hands. We took lots of pictures but the memories of how this experience felt are etched in our minds forever. We explored a few other beachfronts in and around the area in the days to follow and none of those experiences were as dramatic as the one I’ve just shared. One thing they had in common was the white sand and the clear turquoise ocean water. A sight to behold.

We sealed our Tanzanian experience with a sunset cruise on a dhow boat. We had a tour guide with us. He had taken us around Stone Town and a few other places of interest on the island. This cruise was another beautiful experience as we had the opportunity to see the beauty of the island from a different vantage point. Watching the sun set was a very soothing experience, especially since it was accompanied by the relaxing musical performance by a small local band that came along on the cruise. I couldn't have thought of a better way to end our girls trip!

Views from the sunset cruise on the dhow boat

8. Walvis Bay, Namibia

My first visit to Namibia was with my friends and we loved it so much. The trip itself happened by chance. From a casual conversation, we found ourselves booking our flights to Windhoek, Namibia, where we stayed with a friend who lives there. She basically helped put our itinerary together. Getting a local to do an itinerary for any trip is the best thing you can do and we were fortunate to have her join us on the entire trip. From Windhoek, our second stop was at a resort in Etosha national park, which is in Northwestern Namibia. It was a long drive there but pleasant nonetheless.
We spent 2 days at an amazing resort in Etosha and then moved on to Walvis Bay via Swakopmund. This is where we discovered the ultimate beauty of Namibia. From the ocean, to the sand dunes, our hearts were captivated right away. We were booked at a hotel right on the bay but because we arrived in the middle of the day, we stopped at a few places along the coast to take in the beauty of the place. We took a walk along the promenade and the pier to have a good feel of the ocean breeze and to take in the views from a little further into the ocean. I remember it was quite warm but windy. One of my friends couldn’t stop expressing her amazement at the beauty of the place and I understood why..We later went on to check into our hotel. A beautiful property with stunning, intimate gardens to compliment it. We were booked into 2 rooms, each of us sharing and both rooms had a perfect view of the bay which was awesome. Straight after check-in we left our bags in our rooms so we could get acquainted with our lovely surroundings. We later went to freshen up for a night out. We went to the seafood restaurant that was just a few meters from our hotel. It was a lovely evening and we enjoyed the seafood there. There was a bit of a chill outside but they served the freshest and tastiest prawns that would warm any heart. This is one of the greatest advantages of any coastal city – fresh seafood!

We must have visited here at a quiet time of the year because it seemed like we were the only guests at the hotel and there was no one hanging around the bay area. The great thing about this is that we had the freedom to use the shared spaces for as long as we wanted. On our second day, we took a drive around the suburbs in Walvis Bay and along the way we came across a flock of flamingos! What a beautiful sight it was and of course, we took lots of pictures with the flamingos. Some say a trip to Namibia would not be complete until you spend some time in the company of these feathered beauties and I’m so grateful that my friends and I got to experience this special moment together. So, for me, the sand dunes in the desert along with the flamingos are what make this part of Namibia unique. But that’s not all! Salt harvesting is another big thing that we got to experience along the bay. Salt is basically harvested through evaporation of ocean water, leaving patches of actual salt on the ground. Imagine heaps of salt along the shore. This was an amazing thing to see. Almost as amazing as our entire Namibian experience! We met a few locals in Walvis Bay, had some interesting chats, took some contacts and we left the next morning with tons of special memories to take with us.

The grin you have when you're in the company of flamingos in their natural habitat