Winter Break in 50 Snaps: Zimbabwe, Botswana & Cape Town

We began winter break with a few days exploring Victoria Falls and ended with five days in Cape Town. The time in between was spent on a mobile camping (or quasi-camping) safari in Botswana. Loved it all. The fifty photos that follow give a pretty good overview of we did and what we saw over two and a half weeks. Click on any image for a closer view.

From our lodge in Zimbabwe, the view of the gorge downriver from Victoria Falls:

Morning stroll around Victoria Falls:

Zip-line across the Zambezi on Liam's 8th birthday:

Jonah's dream! First-ever helicopter flight, over Victoria Falls:

After three nights in Zimbabwe, we crossed into Botswana where we spent the next three nights quasi-camping near Chobe National Park. 

Liam reads with a view of the watering hole and its visitors:

A toad on the chess board masquerading as a pawn:

Heading into the wilderness:

Over five nights at three different campsites, we heard elephants trumpeting, fell asleep during one incredible thunderstorm, enjoyed the southern hemisphere "upside down" view of the constellations and milky way, and spotted impala and elephants from the latrine.

Liam got a package of stick-on mustaches for his birthday. First morning at camp:

Boat ride on the Chobe river:

So. Many. Elephants.

A sighting of the seldom seen "painted dog":

Leopard in a tree at sunset:

Last campsite:

Heading out of the park to the airport, two male lions were lying just beside the road as if they knew they were the last animals to check off our list before leaving.

Our wonderful camp and safari guides, BK and Tsiamo, who answered no fewer than eighteen million questions during our time together:

We arrived in Cape Town New Year's Eve, grubby and very excited to be back in our most favorite city ever. When we checked in around 10:00pm, we were happy to open a bottle of wine and throw in a load of laundry to ring in 2015. The nice surprise was the view of the city's fireworks display from our balcony:

Liam's favorite thing about the apartment? This "Yeti" blanket:

While in Cape Town, we met up with friends from Delhi, hiked to the top of Table Mountain, had lunch at a great Mexican restaurant, and spent an afternoon at the beach - and that was all in the same day! How cool is that?!?

The Art of the Brick exhibit happened to be going on at the V&A Waterfront:

We were on the first boat of the day to Robben Island:

Mandela's prison cell:

Look what we found at the snack shop on Robben Island - a fridge full of Liam:

Looking back at Cape Town:

Late afternoon walk around Cape Town's colorful Bo Kaap neighborhood:

We had a very early start (5:45am) for the hike up Table Mountain:

At the top!

Enjoying the views on the cable car ride down:

The beach in Camps Bay (the water was freezing!):

Last day of vacation; we relaxed while riding on the upper level of the Hop-On Hop-Off Bus. Totally fun.

Hopped off for lunch in Hout Bay:

Hope to own a view like this in Cape Town someday!