My youngest graduates from Law school next May and takes the bar in July. I told him I would take him anywhere he wanted to go. He chose South Africa to cage dive with Great whites.

I know the numbers are down and odds of seeing one are not good, but we are going. My question is what else would be recommended in Cape Town? We thought about a flight to Victoria Falls or a quick 3 day safari as well

He leaves after 14 days and I will continue on to walk Camino Frances with a 3 day stop in either Seville or Madrid before beginning my pilgrimage. I want to see a bullfight and Seville will be having them next August. Not sure Madrid has them at that time. Looking for guidance for a short stop in Spain.

TIA

I know you're in a cage and all, but that gives me anxiety just thinking about it. The videos would be incredible though!

Cape Town is also close to some of the best wine regions in South Africa Stellenbosch and Franschhoek. You could easily do either as a day trip, or spend a couple nights out there if wine is your thing (La Residence by Royal Portfolio is an incredible property). I don't really plan much time in actual Cape Town for my trips or my clients.

If I were choosing between Victoria Falls and a safari, I'd probably pick the safari. Samara Karoo would be a good option from Cape Town since it's much more convenient than heading all the way northeast toward Kruger. If you're willing to make the extra flight, though, Sabi Sand, Thornybush, and the private reserves around Kruger are where I'd look for the safari experience.

One thing I wasn't quite sure about in your post you mention having 14 days before he leaves, but then mention only 3 days for either the safari or Victoria Falls. If you have the flexibility, I'd give the safari a minimum of 4 nights if you're only doing one reserve. That gives you enough time to really settle into the lodge and get several full days of game drives rather than feeling like you're just passing through.


Sounds like an awesome trip! Feel free to reach out with any questions or if you'd like help with the trip.

For the Spain portion, I'd probably lean Madrid, especially if you're going in August. It's a little cooler than Seville and logistically easier to transition into the Camino Frances from there. Las Ventas also typically has several bullfights in August, so I'd watch the 2027 schedule and see if you can line your 3 days up with one. If you're specifically wanting the Andalusia experience, Seville would be a great choice too, but Madrid makes a lot of sense as a pre-Camino stop.

valvemonkey91 said:

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My youngest graduates from Law school next May and takes the bar in July. I told him I would take him anywhere he wanted to go. He chose South Africa to cage dive with Great whites.

I know the numbers are down and odds of seeing one are not good, but we are going.

TIA

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If diving with whites is the main goal, then I highly suggest looking into Bluff, New Zealand or Neptune Islands in Australia.

Even with no whites, South Africa is great.

Have fun!

the wife just did a portion of the Camino Frances this summer. They started out with a few days in San Sebastian and then Madrid. She said San Sebastian might be her favorite place she's ever been.

# days for Safari is enough if you're just wanting a quick experience. I would probably lean to staying in South Africa (I assume there are operators near Cape Town) - never done a SA safari, just Tanzania and Zim

You could easily do Vic Falls and then have a few days safari in Zim - just requires the extra flights.

If you do decide on Victoria Falls, I'd look at staying somewhere on the Zambezi rather than just staying in Victoria Falls town.

Royal Chundu in Zambia is a really cool option, it's upstream from the Falls on a private stretch of the Zambezi, so you get the river experience, boating, fishing, etc., and can still do Victoria Falls as an excursion.

Another option I'd look at is Mpala Jena, just outside Victoria Falls in Zambezi National Park. It's a small safari camp, so you could combine the Falls with game drives, walking and boating instead of treating Victoria Falls as just a sightseeing stop. Great Plains (I love them!) specifically has it set up as a Victoria Falls + safari experience.

There are a lot of different ways to structure the trip depending on how long you have after the shark diving and appetite for flying.

Just a warning to keep in mind....We were in Cape Town for a week. We called every single morning about cage diving and it was canceled every day due to rough waters, despite glorious weather in/around Cape Town. Not saying that will happen to you, but just a heads up that even getting on a boat isn't guaranteed.

we did our own Safari at Krueger. We just booked accommodations at the camps and drove through on our own. We also booked a few private trips/experiences, which allowed us to get off the paved roads. I have no other safari experience to compare it to, but we saw the Big 5, plus plenty of others including a Cheetah. I was with my buddy who grew up in South Africa and he said it was one of his best experiences. Maybe we got lucky on that one since we were unlucky on great whites.

I went to the bullfights at Las Ventas in Madrid 20 odd years ago and one in barcelona before that, it's a blast. They will have 3 matadors and kill 6 bulls, it is a bloody affair so be warned if you're squeamish.

The expensive seats are in the shade, but there isn't a bad seat in the house. Be sure to get a poster & frame it.