Holiday of a Lifetime, by Julia Gower - UK

My husband & I have just returned from South Africa fulfilling my wildest dream! I am 54 years’ old, and have had MS for 33 years but it is only during the last 6 years that the condition has advanced to secondary progressive, affecting my walking. I walk with the aid of two crutches, using a wheelchair at times.

For a long time I had wanted to go to South Africa but thought that such an idea was impossible, that is until I found the tour operator – Epic Enabled and what a find! Epic Enabled (http://www.epic-enabled.com/) is a company aimed at people with mobility problems. Therefore, at the beginning of October my husband and I set out on our African adventure!

We flew to Johannesburg and from there went in a specially adapted truck to the Kruger National Park for a week. The truck has a hydraulic lift making it easy access on and off and wheelchairs could be secured to the floor with straps. Our group comprised of a Yorkshire girl (MS) and her mother, a New Zealand girl (MS), a Swedish girl (MS), a Dutch man (MS) and his wife another Dutch man who had a stroke and his wife.  We stayed in three different camps in the Park and in one Private Camp. The accommodation was good comprising of bungalows each with a walk-in shower. We went on day and evening drives and saw so many animals (very close at times), even managing the Big Five one evening.

Following the safari we went to Cape Town where we stayed a few days, visiting Robben Island which was rather sobering, Cape Point, the Penguin colony, Table Mountain and the Winelands. Then for the remaining five days we travelled along the beautiful Garden Route, spending some time whale watching en-route to the first camp. The dense, indigenous vegetation was quite spectacular. During our stay on the Garden Route we managed to visit an Ostrich farm and an Elephant sanctuary where one can walk or wheel “hand in trunk” ! For the last two nights we stayed on the coast’s edge and to see and hear 20ft waves crashing just a few metres from our cabin was truly amazing and a lovely end to our South African adventure. 

We did have a wonderful holiday and I say to everyone reading this that it is possible to go on a Safari even if you have mobility problems.

Julia & Andy Gower, UK

Happy New Year

Christmas Festive Season 2010 is over, New Year and 2011 has arrived!! HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Hopefully everyone has had a Happy Festive time and now it is time to embrace the New Year. 

Epic Guest House has been & is still a hive of lovely people and activity. It has been so gratifying to have a wide range of different people staying with us – the Jeftha family from Gaborone in Botswana – Daphne & Basil and Liza and her great, young son Matthew.
Gerald and Monica from the UK, Gerald originally from Zambia and Scots descent with Monica from Chile, but lived many years in London.
Then Karen & Rory with their 2 gorgeous little daughters, from Scotland but now living in Paarl, SA.
Cordi & his 2 beautiful Girls, and Heather all from Johannesburg,SA. The Peters family managed to get themselves to Cape Town, having been held up by the abominable snow & bad weather in Europe with Brussels airport totally closed! Happily they did get here after all.

By the middle of January 2011, the year-end holiday visitors will be back in their usual lives, hopefully refreshed after being in gentle Noordhoek at Epic Guest House.

Epic Enabled is preparing for our 1^st Kruger & Cape Highlights tour of 2011 – Alfie took a break after a busy and hard year, of touring and building and creating the wonderful guest house with Sabine.  

While there have been devastating floods and snow in Europe, UK and Australia, South Africa is HOT !!!!!  a mere 35 degrees in Cape Town yesterday, so the holiday makers are whooping it up at the beaches.

Have a great 2011 !!!!