I was so excited that I could hardly sit still. We were headed to Addo Elephant National Park. The park is close to Port Elizabeth and near our completed Otter Trail hike.This would be our first African game park with the Big Five. I read many reviews and I hoped that my expectations weren’t too high. Addo is not as well known as other South African parks. It is smaller and less crowded than Kruger National Park, but just as beautiful. There are 19 national parks in South Afr

We had just finished our first day’s hike on the Otter Trail, one of South Africa’s premier hikes. Judging by the scenery on the first day, I could easily see why the trail is rated as one of the best in the world. I could hardly wait to see what the remaining four days would bring. I have to admit I didn’t sleep very well that first night. This is unusual for me. Usually, when I am immersed in nature, I sleep better than I do at a five star resort. Apparently, our first day

I have been reading blog posts for weeks preparing for our hike on South Africa’s famous Otter Trail. One of the most frightening things that I learned were about baboons that can be found along the trail. I worried myself sick over baboons for the past two weeks. Having seen seen a baboons canine teeth, I think that they are scarier than a lion! The baboons have learned to associate backpacks with food. They will steal backpacks that are left unattended, and sometimes will a