Last fall we (John Shaw, Diane Brosious, and Susan Payne) were talking about taking a trip to Africa for a safari. We contacted various travel groups to get some ideas of what to see and the cost. Not long after we started the search we heard about Joxilox, a nude travel provider in South Africa, from our nude travel provider Castaways Travel, The Woodlands, Texas. John contacted them and we started planning. Our trip was for 22 days. Joxilox basically made the tour to fit our desires. Our trip included six game drives, two animal sanctuaries, four nudist/naturist resorts, and more. It was full board and we were responsible for beverages.
We flew into Johannesburg and were met at the airport by Athol (Lofty) Lutge and Amanda Foster, the owners of Joxilox. After a 90-minute drive we arrived at Sun Eden Naturist Park. We stayed in the Pixie Palace, a 2-bedroom/2-bath house with an amazing thatched roof. This was basically our home base for the next three weeks. We would stay there between travels to other areas. Lofty and/or Amanda accompanied us to all of the places we visited.
At breakfast the first morning we met our fellow travelers, couples from Australia, England, and Sweden. Our group of nine would be together for the first two weeks of our adventure. We were instructed to pack a small bag with enough clothes for three days. After breakfast we drove to Lauma Aurora, a naturist camping area. While driving we saw giraffes along the road and couldn't figure out why they didn't slow down for us to photograph them. Lauma Aurora was rustic and very welcoming. We had individual cabins. There were 12 cabins so they could accommodate up to 24 people. There was a small pool with a lounging area and a wonderful fire pit where we met in the evenings. The owners did all the cooking for us. You ate what was prepared. The challenge for the owners is load sharing. There is a period every day when the government of South Africa turns off the electricity for hours at a time. Breakfast and dinner times were scheduled around this and we were all given flashlights when darkness fell. On the second day we lounged around the campground and had a braii (barbecue) for dinner. The owners were a wonderful, friendly couple and the food was great.
Up and traveling again after breakfast. On our way to Kiepersolkloof Sun Village we stopped at an elephant sanctuary and stopped for lunch at an old railroad depot restaurant. Kiepersolkloof is a beautiful park operated as a co-op. We had a cabin with two bedrooms. There are cabins, but most of the visitors arrive in caravans (campers). The members cooked meals for us. Again, it was local food. Susan went for a hike on the property, Di sunbathed at the pool, and John rested.
We returned to Sun Eden for the weekend. It has a nice restaurant where we ate our meals, a lovely swimming pool, and beautiful grounds with wild animals roaming. There was a special Valentine's Dinner on Saturday night and a dance. They generally have a dance twice a month.
Off and traveling again. This time to Bird of Paradise Naturist Resort. Again the owners cooked for us. We had local food including milva for dessert. While there we took a riverboat ride for lunch. The owners arranged it so you could be nude on the boat. They supplied sarongs for the trip to the river. This place had beautiful landscaping, a small pool, excellent food, and comfortable rooms. They are building more rooms and have a caravan area. We spent two nights here and then returned to Sun Eden with stops at a Cultural Center and African market.
