Spectacular South Africa
I started in Cape Town and after an overnight flight from London Heathrow, I was out and about discovering this fabulous city. To orientate myself and my fellow traveller (who was on her first visit to South Africa) we took the hop on, hop off bus around the city. It was a great way to get an overview of the city, its location and the different areas such as Camps Bay, Clifton, Green Point. I enjoyed walking around the V&A (Victoria & Alfred) Waterfront area, and especially The Watershed, home to over 150 local craft, art & design stalls.
The following day the weather was a bit iffy (the tablecloth was most definitely on Table Mountain!) which was perfect timing for a visit to Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (Zeitz MOCAA). Housed in a converted Grain Silo building, both the art/exhibitions on display and the building itself are stunning and I loved my visit here. It felt like a window into another culture which is so bright and colourful.
Next I had a packed day and visited the Bo-Kaap area – traditionally home to the Cape Malay community and famous for its brightly coloured buildings; Company’s Garden – the oldest garden in Africa and originally a vegetable patch created by the Dutch East India Company in 1652; The District Six Museum – a fascinating insight into the forced removal of mixed race residents from their homes during the apartheid regime and finally to Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden where I enjoyed the spectacular setting at the foot of Table Mountain with hundreds of proteas and other species.
I also took a day trip around Cape Peninsula. Firstly, Camps Bay, to take photos of the gorgeous view with the Twelve Apostles behind, then to Hout Bay on the west coast and followed by Chapmans Peak Drive along the coast to the Cape of Good Hope (which used to be called the Cape of Storms). Next stop was Cape Point – the most southwestern tip of Africa, followed by lunch in Simon’s Town. Lastly, probably the highlight, a visit to Boulders Beach – home of the African penguin. I loved spending time watching the penguins waddle around, go into the sea and have a snooze on the beach.
I stayed in Cloud Nine Boutique Hotel in Tamboerskloof - a green, leafy suburb with fantastic views of Table Mountain, Signal Hill and Lions Head. It was away from the hustle and bustle of the city centre but with a good range of local restaurants and bars within walking distance.
I left Cape Town and drove east to the Winelands, stopping en route at Boschendal, one of the oldest wine estates located between Stellenbosch and Franschhoek. It has a wine making tradition of more than 330 years and is set in beautiful surroundings. Home for the next two nights was Maison Chablis in Franschhoek. A lovely small house with lots of character, and French influence of course, located in a quiet side street just a few minutes’ walk from the main street and all the cafes, restaurants, galleries and shops.
When in the Winelands, you really need to experience wine which is exactly what I did on the Franschhoek Wine Tram. I booked tickets for the Green Line and stopped off at wine estates at Grand Provence, Rickety Bridge, Mont Rochelle and Holden Manz. You can book different wine tastings, cellar tours, lunch etc and take the tram (or bus) in between the vineyards so no-one has to drive and everyone can enjoy a glass (or two) of wine.
Leaving the Winelands, I drove further east into the Klein Karoo (Little Karoo) along Route 62 and my next stop for two nights was Oudtshoorn, formerly the ostrich capital of the world. The scenery on the drive was stunning – mountain passes, lush green valleys with orchards and bright red soil. Home was De Zeekoe, a lovely guest house farm, just outside of Oudtshoorn with gorgeous views across the surrounding landscape.
From here I visited Cango Caves, the largest show caves in Africa, and joined a one hour heritage tour exploring several different ‘rooms’ dating back some 20 million years old. Ostriches were an important part of the region’s fortune (when demand for their feathers peaked) and I visited the Safari Ostrich Farm for a guided tour to learn more about the largest birds in the world. I also had the opportunity to feed the ostriches. Continuing with the animal theme, I booked to go on a meerkat adventure tour. Up early before sunrise, I joined guide Jody as we learnt more about these small animals. Quietly sitting and observing the family of meerkats as they came out of their burrows to catch the first rays of sunshine was a real privilege.
The final stop of my trip was the seaside town of Plettenberg Bay. On the way I stopped in Knysna, one of the top holiday destinations along the Garden Route. Home for two nights in Plett was Robberg Beach Lodge, and, as the name suggests, it was right on Robberg beach – a massive sweep of golden sand from the town all the way along to Robberg Nature Reserve. I walked along to Lookout beach and enjoyed the sea air, ocean views and a slightly slower pace of life here.
It’s only a 2-hour time difference with the UK meaning there is limited jet lag after the journey. There are plenty of flights into Cape Town and Johannesburg plus a big network of regional flights to reduce driving time once in South Africa. The driving was easy (they drive on the left) and the roads were not busy. I enjoyed lots of delicious food and of course, as you might expect, the wine is excellent. For us Brits the exchange rate is very favourable at the moment which meant that all the activities I did, petrol, accommodation, eating out etc were very good value compared to home.
South Africa is a great combination of cosmopolitan city life and amazing scenery with such a wide variety of activities, from world-class museums, fabulous restaurants and wine, to wildlife encounters of all shapes and sizes plus the most friendly and welcoming people. I would most definitely recommend this country to you all.
If you would like more detailed advice or information about South Africa, please get in touch and I’d be happy to help.