Elisha ‘Bax’ Dibakoane: Cape Town’s mountain, sea are hard to beat

Dibakoane is in the top nine Instagrammers in South Africa. He documents his travels to more than 15 000 followers daily. Born in Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga, but now based in Cape Town the avid photographer shared his passion for travelling with us.

First holiday memory?

The Kruger National Park. It was in 1998, during the June school recess. We went on a church trip to the Kruger. It was my first visit to the park, and we saw most of the game except the lion and leopard. The vibe was awesome; I thoroughly enjoyed it with my church mates and childhood friends.

Favourite place in South Africa?

I’m torn between Cape Town and Mpumalanga but will go with Cape Town, the home to one wonder of the world, Table Mountain. I love the outdoor life of hiking, etc. We have the best winelands in the world and I love wine. There are some of the best sunrises and sunsets here and the best coffee shops.

Best holiday?

Honeymoon with my wife in Mpumalanga. We married about two years ago and decided to honeymoon near where I was born. We spent three amazing nights in the honeymoon suite of the five-star Loerie guest house. During the day we saw the breath-taking God’s Windows, Three Rondavels, Berlin Falls, Mac-Mac Falls, Lisbon Falls, Blyde River Canyon and Bourke’s Luck Potholes.

Dibakoane‘s wife Murendwa, strolls through a vineyard in Stellenbosch. Photo: Supplied

My wife who had never done it before absolutely fell in love with the place. It was an awesome time well spent and we plan to visit it again.

What have you learnt from your travels?

Travelling opens your eyes for the better. There are certain things that you can only learn when you get out of your comfort zone and travel abroad. It challenges your perception about people, their lifestyle and the places where they live.

Ideal travelling companion?

My wife. She loves to travel and is very thorough with her planning, and she’s fun to travel with.

Beach bum, culture vulture or adrenalin junkie?

I’m more of an adrenalin junkie than a culture vulture but I also enjoy going to the beach with my wife.

Greatest travel luxury?

I was recently spoilt rotten at the Radisson Blu Hotel Waterfront in Cape Town, with the best views, food and accommodation followed by a superb sunrise helicopter ride.

Holiday reading?

My next trip will be in Eurasia, so I’m reading about that now.

I’m interested in reading some new trends on travel and most interesting is how the millennials travel.

Which place has seduced you?

The Namib Desert. The oldest desert in the world, the landscapes, the dry harsh sands, etc. So many movies were shot there and I can’t get enough of it.

Worst travel experience?

I have to think hard about this. It must have been at a restaurant in the Little Karoo. The food was awful.