Departure Day for South Africa

The day has arrived!

We’re all packed and ready for our noon pickup to LAX. Packing for this trip was interesting—we had to prepare for warm weather in South Africa and cooler weather during our Mediterranean segment. We also pack a bit differently for cruises, since we like to wear slightly nicer clothes onboard. And of course, toiletries for a two-month trip really add up! We’ll replenish some items once we arrive in Barcelona.

We’re especially glad to be flying Business Class with Emirates, which allows two checked bags each at a very generous 32 kilos (70.5 lbs) per bag. We’ll definitely be making full use of that allowance! This will also be our first time flying with Emirates. We watched several YouTube videos about their new Airbus A380 we’ll be flying to Dubai, and the Business Class setup looks amazing! 

We can’t wait to try out the lounge at the rear of the upper deck—that should definitely help break up the 16-hour flight.

After a 3.5-hour layover in Dubai, we’ll continue on to Johannesburg. Unfortunately, the second leg will be on a 777 rather than an A380, but at least it’s “only” an 8.5-hour flight. We arrive at 5:30 a.m. and have a room waiting at the City Lodge Hotel right at OR Tambo International Airport. We booked the previous night so we can head straight to bed. Later that afternoon, our friends will join us at the hotel, and we’ll all spend the night there together.

The following morning, we’ll pick up our rental van and we’ll set off for Kruger National Park—a four-hour drive. The adventure begins!