Day 18: A Day at the Zoo (Kwantu Game Reserve)

Today, we find ourselves in Gqeberha (former Port Elizabeth), a city cherished by German football fans for hosting the German national team during the 2010 World Cup. It’s also home to the Volkswagen plant that produces the popular Polo model. With only a brief stop from 6:00 AM to 4:00 PM, we decided to make the most of our time by joining a tour to a local wildlife attraction. Some passengers referred to it as a safari, which added to the excitement.

VW Polos waiting for transport over the ocean

After a 90-minute bus ride, we arrived at the Kwantu Game Reserve—a 6,000-hectare expanse of wilderness filled with free-roaming animals. We hopped onto a 10-passenger jeep and set off to explore the area. The reserve features vast grasslands dotted with bushes and occasional trees, creating an ideal habitat for various wildlife.

Springboks and gnu living in harmony

Male springbok

Wildebeest or gnu

A male rhino ready to charge at the intruders

Strong muscles
Family life in the reserve

Suddenly a head rises out of the trees

Munching leaves while posing as photo model

Attention: zebras crossing!

A beauty enjoying the attention from 10 observers

Shy hippo raising the eyebrows out of the water
left of the birds

A newly born springbok around 1 hour old

The lions were faster: late inhabitants of the reserve

We couldn't see lions and elephants but we were told they exist.

As we drove through the terrain, we encountered several animals (details can be seen in the attached photos). Most were either grazing on grass (the grazers) or munching on leaves (the browsers). Watching them roam freely was both entertaining and surreal. Unlike traditional zoos with enclosures, this felt like a living, breathing ecosystem where we moved between different groups of animals. The experience, however, still felt slightly like a large open-air zoo.

***

The jeep ride lasted two hours, taking us across rugged terrain, before returning us to the bus. Feeling a bit weary from the bumpy ride, many of us dozed off as the bus made its way back to the port.

Later that evening, at 7:00 PM, our ship set sail for Mauritius. However, an hour into the journey, we had to return to the harbor to assist a passenger facing a medical emergency. On a cruise ship, such events rarely disrupt the rhythm of life onboard. For us, it simply meant indulging in another glass of wine. The incident brought back memories of a time when a plane I was on had to return to Munich due to technical issues—a situation that definitely raised my heart rate until we were safely back on the ground. 

Logbook

Position: 31°30.60' S, 34°32,58' E
Between Port Elizabeth and Mauritius
Timezone: GMT+3

Speed: 39km/h. Wind: 38km/h. Heading: 70°
Time to next port: 2 days

Risk of sea sickness: NONE
Risk of hallucinations: NONE



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