Johannesburg, South Africa

I traveled to South Africa recently with the deluxe tour company, Swain Tours. They planned a seamless trip, with timely meet and greet services upon arrival and pleasant, knowledgeable guides throughout. My itinerary included Johannesburg, a safari and Cape Town. I stayed at my favorite hotel in Jo'burg, The Westcliff. Beautiful accommodations, excellent service and delicious food are hallmarks of this resort-like hotel in the city.

I enjoyed a new tour offered called "Walking with the Lions". I must admit to being skeptical when first hearing of the tour. I do not support activities that exploit animals, or animal interactions that exist solely for the purpose of entertaining tourists. This was not the case at Cullinan. The farm we visited, run by Colin McCrae and his family, is working toward the conservation and re-population of the African lion. I was surprised to hear of the dramatic decline in numbers of lions, from a quarter million to only 20,000 left in the wild. Through his program, visitors are allowed unprecedented access to these beautiful creatures. The goal of his breeding program is to have a genetically diverse group of cats, and to create conditions where the lions' instincts will take over so they will be able to be released into the wild. You are only allowed to walk with lions under one year of age. I felt very safe, with many handlers accompanying us on the walk. My favorite part of the day was when we were able to hold and feed 3 week old baby lions! They were so cuddly and cute - it was an amazing experience!