Alec, Sarah, Hannah, Phoebe, and Elizabeth spent their Christmas holiday in Botswana and South Africa. Follow along to hear all about their “unreal” trip.

*Phoebe, Hannah, and Elizabeth on safari in Botswana*

You had never been on safari before, what was that like?

It was unreal. You just can’t explain it to someone who hasn’t been there. Alec had been on safari before but for the rest of us, it was our first time. It was truly magical.

Tell us about Zarafa Camp.

The camp was incredible. It’s so hard to imagine how you’re in the middle of nowhere, eating the best food you’ve ever eaten in your life, drinking your favorite wine — the attention to detail is unbelievable. I think the chef there could easily have his own restaurant in New York City. I wanted to take him home with us.

Donald, our guide, took really good care of us. We would say things like “Donald, we haven’t seen any elephants today.” Then we’d turn a corner, and like magic, elephants. He was also really patient and had a keen sense of what was going to happen next. We were able to see two leopards together (apparently very rare), a wildebeest giving birth, and a lioness pouncing on her prey, all because of Donald’s patience.

We also loved the size of the camp. It felt like we were the only ones there. It was a really intimate experience. The highlight was sitting on our deck, out by the pool, and watching a herd of elephants walk by. They must have been 15 feet away.

So after Botswana, you switched gears and headed to Cape Town. What was that like?

We arrived in Cape Town on Christmas Day. We had dinner at Kloof Street House. The food was excellent and the atmosphere was so festive. It was perfect. We stayed at Cape View Clifton, which we loved. The location was perfect.

Hiking Table Mountain was a highlight. At first our guide wasn’t so sure if we wanted to hike, but we insisted that this was what we came to Cape Town for. It was such a memorable experience.

And finally, the Winelands! Tell us about the wine experience.

First of all, La Cle was unreal. It was perfect for our family. Ending our trip in the winelands was perfect. It was a really nice way to wind down after all of our activities on safari and in Cape Town. It was a beautiful place to relax, drink great wine, eat great food, and sort of take in the atmosphere. One day we just sat by the pool, read books, and went for a bike ride. It was exactly what we needed.

Our lunch and wine pairings at Chefs Warehouse was a highlight. I think that was our favorite restaurant of the entire trip — such a cool vibe. Protege was also really really good.