Simone took a trip to South Africa in the summer of 2022. Highlights of the trip included a visit to Capetown and nearby areas and the Gondwana Game Reserve. Listen to the podcast below to learn more!

Cape Town is one of South Africa’s three capital cities, serving as the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. It is the legislative capital of the country, the oldest city in the country, and the second largest (after Johannesburg). The city is known for its harbour, for its natural setting in the Cape Floristic Region, and for landmarks such as Table Mountain and Cape Point. In 2014, Cape Town was named the best place in the world to visit by both The New York Times and The Daily Telegraph.

The city has a long coastline on the Atlantic Ocean, which includes False Bay. The Table Mountain National Park is within the city boundaries and there are several other nature reserves and marine protected areas within and adjacent to the city, protecting the diverse terrestrial and marine natural environment.

Gondwana Game Reserve is a game reserve situated near the town of Mossel Bay in the Western Cape of South Africa. It is the first authentic free-roaming Big Five Reserve in the Western Cape. Gondwana has re-introduced endangered species like the Cape mountain zebra and south-central black rhinoceros and has a high diversity of antelope species such as eland, gemsbok, red hartebeest, bontebok, and springbok.