In Namibia and South Africa

In May 2015, I traveled with Overseas Adventure Travel, or OAT (Cambridge, MA; 800/955-1925, www.oattravel.com), to Namibia, with side trips to Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe and Chobe National Park in Botswana. It was an interesting itinerary, and Namibia is a worthwhile travel destination. I rounded out my African stay with 10 days on my own in South Africa.

In Windhoek, Namibia, I highly recommend the NICE restaurant & bar (Mozart St., Windhoek, Namibia; phone +264 61 30 0710, www.nice.com.na), where our OAT group ate dinner.

The food and service at NICE, the Namibia Institute of Culinary Education, were wonderful. The menu included all kinds of game and fish plus pasta and salads. Main-course dishes were in the $10-$15 range, with appetizers and salads $5-$8 and desserts each $5-$6.

I asked the manager some questions about the programs there and he showed me around the facility, including the gardens where many of the vegetables and herbs are grown. 

The ladies’ room is not to be missed.

• In Johannesburg, South Africa, I was fortunate to stay at Rockridge Manor (134 Smit St., Fairland, Johannesburg, South Africa; phone +27 [0] 11 678 1125, www.rockridgemanor.co.za), a guest house located in the suburb of Fairland. 

Brenda Strong, the hostess, was generous, welcoming and very helpful in arranging tours and drivers for us as well as preparing light dinners after our busy days of touring.

Rockridge Manor had mostly repeat-business customers who stayed on weekdays. At those times, conversation during breakfast around the communal table was lively. I stayed there twice, the second time on a weekend, when I had the house to myself. 

Rooms cost ZAR800-ZAR900 (near $66-$75), including a breakfast buffet and eggs cooked to order.

• During my stay, I used the services of a wonderful tour guide, Alfred Mthembu, who owns Stallion Tours & Transfers (Johannesburg; phone +27 82 972 4030, www.stalliontours.co.za). 

Alfred took two of us all around Johannesburg, including to Soweto, the Constitutional Court (built around the ruins of former prisons used while the country was being born) and the Apartheid Museum, which is absolutely not to be missed. He charged us ZAR950 apiece for seven hours of touring, including admission to the museums.

I also arranged with him to visit the Lesedi Cultural Village the day of my departure, since my flight wasn’t until evening. For ZAR1,400 his son picked me up at the guest house, took me to the village for a 3-hour visit and then drove me to the airport.

Lesedi Cultural Village is well worth the time and a perfect way to spend a departure day.

BETTY SEROW

Tallahassee, FL