We travel curiously.
High on our curiosity list this year was South Africa because we’ve heard so many wonderful things about this far-away country.
Let us tell you a little bit about our trip.
We arrived in Cape Town, full of excitement and anticipation. In talking with people who have been there, the sentiment was the same - “I want to move there.” or it’s “My favorite city on the planet.”.
They weren’t wrong! We found the city to be charming, safe, easily managed and quite affordable.
We stayed at The Portswood Hotel which is conveniently located on the Victoria and Albert Waterfront. www.legacyhotels.co.za/hotels/portswood-hotel All of Cape Town's roads seem to lead to the V&A as it’s referred to locally. It's the heartbeat of the city that's full of outdoor restaurants, cafes, shops and a huge Ferris Wheel offering a birds eye view of the area.
Things to do in Cape Town:
Hop on - Hop off bus tour. We really enjoyed this tour because, as the name suggests, we were able to hop off - when we saw something that interested us. We spent some time at the base of Table Mountain, but as luck would have it - it was shrouded with clouds and typical wind gusts so we were unable to go to the top via the dangling cable car. Perhaps not for the faint of heart. We hear the view is spectacular and will try it again on our next visit. In addition, we visited the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden and made a stop at Camps Bay Beach where we had lunch at an outdoor cafe overlooking the ocean before hopping back on to further explore the “Mother City”. www.citysightseeing.co.za/en
Trip Monkee Tip - Purchase a money saving, multi-day ticket. It’s a great way to get around. The Red Line gives the most comprehensive overview of the city. Make sure to take the Blue Line to visit the surrounding area and transfer to the Purple Line to visit The Constantia wine region. Check out Groot Constantia Wine Estate. www.grootconstantia.co.za
Cape Town Craft Market - A visit to the V&A Waterfront would not be complete without a visit to what we would call a local's Craft Market full of handcrafted items created by local artisans. We spent much time there looking for that special South African memento. And we found plenty!
Cape of Good Hope - Take a guided tour to The Most South Western Point on The African Continent. Don’t you remember hearing about this in grade school? We certainly do. We boarded a coach at the V&A Waterfront. Our guide was knowledgeable and commented on the many points of interest along the way. One being the hospital where Doctor Christian Barnard performed the world’s first heart transplant in 1967. And another being a colony of endangered African penguins where we could walk amongst them. Yes - penguins in Africa!
Trip Monkee Tip - Sit on the right side of the coach for the best views along the route.
At “The Cape” we climbed the steps to the top of the overlook. It was here that we could look straight down the jagged coast line where the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans meet.
Trip Monkee Tip - Take the funicular to the halfway point for an exciting ride. You may need the saved energy to go the rest of the way.
Trip Monkees that we are, we were pleased to see the many, wild monkeys that roam the parking lot at The Cape. Although we felt a bit of a kinship, we were careful as not to let them grab our snacks right out of our hands. They were successful with other unsuspecting victims.
In addition, we took what was described as a “moderate” hike - straight up and over a peak. The high winds had us leaning into the terrain as we climbed hundreds of feet above the crashing waves below. Quite a hike, but worth every, white knuckled moment. Our reward was a windblown picture marking this famous spot.
Game Safari - Although we have been on a magnificent safari in Kenya, we decided to take a day trip to a game preserve outside of Cape Town. We were picked up at our hotel and driven several hours to what looked like to be the middle of nowhere in the South African desert. Upon arrival at Inverdoorn, we boarded open air Jeeps driven by a friendly guide through the preserve where we were treated to a few animal sightings which included elephants, giraffes and what appeared to be a very old lion sleeping in the shade. I must say, having been on a real safari previously, this day was a bit disappointing. The saving grace of this excursion was the nice lunch served poolside.
Trip Monkee Tip - Spend your time and money elsewhere while visiting Cape Town. A safari in Krueger National Park near Johannesburg is a better option.
The wine and garden region turned out to be the highlight of our trip. Two of the best-known wine regions are Franschhoek and Stellenbosch which are both about an hour’s drive from Cape Town. We opted to visit Franschhoek. Centered around a quaint village packed with boutiques and restaurants, the area with its mountainous back drop is chocked full of gardens and wineries - each vying for a visit.
While in Franschhoek, we stayed at a quaint “Manor House” on the outskirts of town. Nestled amongst vineyards and gardens, Val d’Or Estate offered a quiet and relaxing respite from the busyness of Cape Town. The staff was friendly and accommodating. We had a large comfortable room that opened up to a small terrace and spectacular view of the gardens and surrounding mountains. Breakfast, made up of fresh croissants, jams, eggs, a variety of meats and cheeses and great coffee was included.
The most fun and efficient way to visit the wineries is on the Wine Train. www.winetram.co.za It’s literally a tram that stops at the wineries where tasting is the order of the day.
Trip Monkee Tip - Take the “Purple Line” on The Wine Train and enjoy each of the stops along the way.
Some of our favorites:
Babylonstoren - We thoroughly enjoyed this Domain so much that we came back for dinner at their onsite restaurant - Babel. After a walk through the magnificent gardens, which was a treat unto itself, we settled in for an incredible meal. The unique atmosphere highlighted one of the best meals of our trip. We highly recommend it and suggest making a reservation in advance. www.babylonstoren.com
Trip Monkee Tip - Be sure to check out their fabulous Farm Shop
Boschendal - This is a very large estate that produces very fine wines that can be sampled with lunch as we did underneath a canopy of trees that line the approach to the historic manor home which is meticulously maintained. We recommend a visit to Boschendal as well.
Grande Provence - A Heritage Wine Estate. What an incredible dining “experience” this was! As we walked into the dining room and saw the high back leather chairs and crisp white table linens, we knew we were in for a romantic and special culinary experience. The four-course dinner was paired with a selection of wines from their cellar. The appetizer arrived at our table served on dry ice which created a white fog that enveloped our table top! Intimate dining at its finest, Grande Provence was a perfect place to celebrate our last night in the region.
Trip Monkee Tip - After dinner at Grande Provence, stroll leisurely through the sculpture garden.
If even possible, the only thing that outshone the wine and food, was the incredible scenery enveloping the area. Mountain peaks are carpeted with a criss-cross pattern of vineyards creating an incredible backdrop by which to enjoy our visit. Truly a great way to top off our trip to South Africa. The wine region is a must on any trip to this country.
Getting to Cape Town:
Although we typically extend our travel dollars by flying in Economy Class, due of the length of the flight, we opted for Business Class on South African Airways. I am here to tell you that it made a real difference. We departed Washington, Dulles on our way to Johannesburg with an intermediate stop in Accra, Ghana in West Africa. We would have loved to stop over there for a day or so, but that was not to be. Perhaps on our next visit to the Sub-Continent. After a connection in Joburg, it was on to Cape Town.
The inflight service on SAA was great. The lay-flat bed was very welcomed on what seemed to be a never ending flight. The mattress cover and duvet made for a comfortable night's rest. Kudos to SAA and the crew. They made us feel welcomed and comfortable throughout the journey - in both directions. Find out more about South African’s Business Class here. https://www.flysaa.com
Trip Monkee Tip - save those frequent flyer points and treat yourself to Business or Premium Economy on long haul flights. You’ll be glad you did.
As the old saying goes, “all good things must come to an end”. This was certainly true about our visit to South Africa. One more item on our bucket list checked off. We highly recommend a visit and we are sure you will enjoy the sights, sounds and tastes of South Africa. Thanks for reading about a few of our many experiences and we look forward to telling you about our next adventure.
And as we say here at Trip Monkee - Travel Curiously!
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