Our Epic Three Weeks In South Africa - Part One

This holiday has been two years in the planning, and it did not disappoint! Check in with Qatar at Manchester airport was super quick and we had two very good flights over to Cape Town. We started with 5 nights in a stunning two bedroomed apartment in Camps Bay. It is circa 15 minutes by taxi from Cape Town. The area has a really laid-back beach vibe with lots of beachside bars and restaurants, (and some fabulous villas/houses) so was perfect for us to have some chill time whilst still being able to enjoy all Cape Town has to offer. We all loved the hop on hop off bus tour that we jumped on in Camps Bay which took us along the coast from Camps Bay to Clifton, Bantry Bay and Sea Point. All are beautiful seaside towns with stunning villas and so easy to combine city and beach. We then headed into Cape Town and spent time exploring the main city centre as well as heading up Table Mountain. There were no queues for the cable cars and we even got a table in the restaurant at the top straight away! Table Mountain is now classed as one of the New 7 Wonders Of Nature. It is the first time I have ever seen a Dassie which live on the rocks up the mountain and at the top. I personally think they’re very cute! One thing to be aware of is that there is daily “load shedding” in South Africa and this is where all electricity is turned off for an hour or two; so a torch is handy. The restaurants and hotels tend to have generators but we were caught out on the first night and it gets very dark. The blackout times change daily and you can view them online. We quickly learnt to adapt our day around them and it did not cause any problems. One thing we did get told before was that the food in South Africa is excellent and so are the prices. We took advantage of this and highly recommend Aubergine to anyone heading to Cape Town soon. Michelin quality without the price tags! If you love seafood, anywhere on the coast offers the most amazing platters. The Victoria & Alfred Waterfront is a lot bigger than I expected and we had a chilled afternoon there. It is full of bars, shops and restaurants and is so clean! Food and drink value is also amazing. It was also good to see so many of the hotels I have recommended to my clients are ideal for turning left into the city or right to the Waterfront. We also had a great touristy experience at the African Drumming night. We all found our rhythm and I recommend everyone does it as you will enjoy a really fun night with food from all over Africa.

Another first for me is shark diving! It has to be one of the best things I have ever experienced! We encountered "swim bys" by 7 sharks (most on multiple occasions) including the Sevengill shark and Copper shark. I have so many videos and pictures. Another AWESOME ethical experience ran by a company who work closely with the conservation organisations! We also saw a full pod of dolphins a bucket list experience ticked off. Especially for my children. I was not planning on going in so am very proud that I did as I will have always regretted it! Boulders Bay is the traditional place most visitors go to see the penguins, but we headed down the coast to Betty’s Bay visiting Stoney Point where there is a nature reserve and a thriving penguin colony. It was so quiet and we were able to walk with the penguins! Another wonderful experience. Many had babies and were happy in their nests. We also saw more Dassie’s, which are now a firm favourite of my youngest. We took the coastal route back to Camps Bay stopping at Gordon's Bay for a late lunch. This coastal drive is stunning and I highly recommend that anyone visiting this part of the world does it!

We then headed off to the Winelands which are only circa 1 hour from Cape Town and stayed on the Boschendal Estate. It is in Groot Drakenstein which is between the regions of Stellenbosch and Franschhoek. The estate dates back to 1685 and it is one of the largest farms left in South Africa. It is absolutely stunning set over 2000 ha and has stayed true to its roots as a farm. The wine, food and service is 5* all the way and everyone is so friendly. They employ over 600 people and when lockdown happened and all the staff were sent home (as they had to) the estate paid every single one full wages!! If you are not staying here it is also an option to visit if you are doing the wine tram from Groot Drakenstein. This is the route that takes in some of the older, historic Estates. We loved our wine tasting! It is very family friendly with a bike “pump track” and adventure playground. They also offer children’s experiences that they go off to do, whilst the adults enjoy the wine tasting. The boys did South African survival skills which they loved, and my husband and I enjoyed the wine tasting!

We also went on a fabulous horse ride around the estate and a 10km bike ride. The scenery is just beautiful.

We finished off with dining Al Fresco cooking our own steaks bought from the farm shop on the fire pit outside of our lodge.

We reluctantly left Boschendal and had a quick visit to Stellenbosch and a coffee stop in Franschhoek. Stellenbosch has a lively centre full of great shopping, bars and restaurants. Franschhoek has a more relaxed feel with pavement cafés, boutique shops and lovely restaurants. I had a favourite but my recommendation would be tailored to you and what you enjoy as both have so much to offer. We then headed off to stop number 3. This was designed to be somewhere to break up our journey as we head towards our safari but once we saw Schoone Oordt in Swellendam we knew it would be a fantastic house to stay in and the family who run it could not have been more welcoming. The owner’s parents’ are even from Halifax which was a complete surprise and Huddersfield is named on the very old Grandfather clock that sits in reception! The scenery on our drive here was again stunning and my pictures will never do it justice. We moved on from a blissful night at Schoone Oordt to Oudtshoorn, travelling 3 hours along the famous route 62. Once again the drive was so easy and the scenery stunning. We spotted baboons and lots of ostrich on the way. The boys voted for a visit to the Cango Caves rather than an ostrich farm and we were not disappointed.

Another tip if you are driving longer distances is to keep an eye on your fuel and be aware of toilet breaks. There can be a very long distance between service areas!