Cape Town, The Garden Route & Eastern Cape Safari
We started off our trip by flying British Airways Business class which was amazing - the service, food and standard of the planes was spot on. Before going on the trip I was a little reluctant if I would like South Africa especially Cape Town only by what you hear and read, but I completely loved the place. I stayed in the Victoria and Alfred Hotel in Cape Town which was right on the waterfront. There are a few different areas to stay in Cape Town - the waterfront, centre of town and also Camps Bay. I would say that all the locations are great in their own way as nothing’s that far from each other. I would recommend staying in Camps Bay when the weather is better so you can really enjoy the beachfront location. I had the opportunity to visit a lot of the hotels in the different areas my firm favourites were the Taj, One & Only and The Bay Hotel Camps Bay. There are some fab trips that I did when staying in Cape Town which included Table Mountain, Cape Point and the Cape Peninsula tour all I would highly recommend as you see some amazing scenery, penguins and beautiful views.
After my visit to Cape Town, I then went on to the vineyards staying in both Stellenbosch and Franschhoek, both different but lovely. Stellenbosch is a university town so has a lot more going on bustling with shops, restaurants and pubs. Franschhoek reminded me of a little French town as it had a lovely market and a few beautiful, little houses. The hotels you stay in are like little bed and breakfasts some with pools some are too small to have them, but the main reason you are here is mainly for the vineyards and amazing wine tasting (which by the way was superb).
We then started our way down the Garden Route which is a lovely easy drive with of course the most amazing views. You can drive the Garden Route in a day if you like with nice little stop-offs or choose to stay over a few nights over the length of time, which we chose to do. My first stop was in Knysna which is in the heart of the garden route with a lovely little town and beautiful beach scenery, we drove through quite a few of the towns without actually staying the night as it was so easy to do. Finishing off our stay in the amazing Eastern Cape where I was lucky enough to stay in two lodges the Kariega Game Reserve as well as Shamwari Private Game Reserve. Both were so special in their own way if you want the more intimate honeymoon feel then with Kariega you can't go wrong – it has 24 log chalets, five of which have a private pool. All drinks and food are included here, plus the two game drives a day morning and afternoon. Shamwari is very well known not only in Africa but around the world for its stunning surroundings and five-star accommodation, this was fabulous for big groups and families wanting that little bit extra luxury. Again the drink and food is included along with the two game drives a day.
From my safari experience I can honestly say it was one of the most amazing times in my life, being lucky enough to see the big 5. I must also say that the early morning viewing along with the afternoon safari can be very tiring and I do believe that 4-5 nights is enough to really enjoy it unless you are travelling around and not in one lodge.
You will not be disappointed if you choose South Africa for a holiday, honeymoon or special holiday - this place is a trip of a lifetime. Be sure to contact me and I can explore all options to make sure I book you the trip you have been waiting for!
