Cape Town – South Africa
Nature wise South Africa is such a stunning country and you must go on a safari at least once in your life! And in South Africa you have the advantage that it will be a malaria-free safari. To be so close to nature, it is something a lot of people actually need in their lives. Too much concrete, asphalt and traffic will suffocate your life. Go on a safari and feel connected to nature again.
Though South Africa is beautiful, please be aware of where you are going. The gap between wealthy and poor is very big and unfortunately crime is one of the consequences. It may be beautiful to go off the beaten track, but please be very careful and aware of your surroundings. Stay safe and enjoy your trip to this beautiful country!
Cape Town
The Mother City, as they call it. A fun, vibrant city with plenty of things to see and do. Check out the Rugby Museum, near V&A Mall. The Watershed has unique clothes and souvenirs created by local designers. You can take the cable car up, or if you’re up for it: hike up, Table Mountain on a clear day. On some days the wind and moisture creates a cloud over the mountain, looking like a table cloth. You can also hike up to the mountain called Lion’s Head.
In the city there are lots of great restaurants to choose from.
Maaike: with some friends I went to a sushi restaurant in Cape Town. My friend decided for fun to add all the prices of the items on the menu. The total of the menu was just over $100. The food was delicious, and so cheap!
– Simonstown, South Africa
Explore the Cape Peninsula by driving around it. Along the way you’ll see and do The Chapman’s Peak drive, the penguins at Boulder’s Beach in Simons Town, the cute boutiques in Kalk Bay and the colorful beach huts in Muizenberg.
Near Cape Town are lots of vine yards in the Stellenbosch and Franschhoek region. Why don’t you go on a wine tour and sip a wine (or 20). The advantage of going on a wine tour is that you don’t have to drive back after trying all the tasty wines!
Western Cape
Maaike: I did a great road trip through the Western Cape. Here are some of the highlights you usually won’t get to go to.
Up the west coast you’ll find Saldanha Bay with the West Coast National Park. Go for a drive around this park to spot some wild life and birds. The restaurant in the middle of the park has very tasty and traditional bobotie, a South African speciality. The nearby little fishermen’s town of Paternoster is also picturesque.
Tulbagh is a beautiful town in the middle of vineyards. Take a walk on Church Street and you’ll feel like walking in an outdoor museum. In the nearby fruit valley of Ceres you’ll find lots of fresh fruit in stalls next to the road. A fun thing to do here is ziplining. With a bus you drive up, and with excellent guides you’ll zip back down the valley again.
In the middle of nowhere you drive into Matjiesfontein, a village with only one street. The funny thing about this place is that they have a bus tour going through town. Mind you, it is the shortest bus tour in South Africa! (perhaps even in the world) Get on board of the English double decker, aptly named Futtom Fluffy, and be charmed by your town guide Johnny. And he also entertains people with his singing and piano skills in the local Laird’s Arms pub.
About 100 kms / 60 miles north of Matjiesfontein is a great place in the desert to do stargazing: Sutherland. Before you go here, contact Jurg from Sterland. He has several accommodations throughout the town and does a great stargazing tour at his place. Almost every evening he can show you the night sky. The Sterland tours are very popular, so make sure to book beforehand to avoid disappointment. You can also visit the observatory and S.A.L.T (Southern Africa Large Telescope), but their stargazing tours are nothing compared to Jurg’s.
Prince Albert is charming little oasis in the Karoo desert. For a tasty lunch, stop at the Lazy Lizard, and maybe buy some of the locally produced goods in the adjoined shop. From Prince Albert you can drive past the Meiringspoort waterfalls to Oudtshoorn. Or for a bit more adventurous drive, go via the Swartberg Pass on well kept up gravel roads. In Oudtshoorn you can visit the Cango Caves. We really hope you get tour guide LeeAnn, because she does a beautiful rendition of the South African National Anthem in the cave! At the Cango Ostrich Farm you’ll learn more about ostriches and you can even receive a massage from some of these birds! True story!
Maaike: One late afternoon we ended up in the little no-man’s town called Tweeriviere between two places we wanted to visit. We stayed in Joubertina at Bethany Farm, a fascinating permaculture farm. The owner loves to explain how he turned dry and rocky ground into his oasis of green. And you get to pick your own berries for breakfast!
Nature’s Valley: Big Tree walking trail and Storms River Mouth suspension bridge – Otter Trail very busy, this is small, public part of it
Nature’s Valley (stay at Blue Skies and Butterflies)
Garden Route, Knysna and Plettenberg Bay, Birds of Eden, Monkey Land (go twice in one day)
Great hike on Robberg peninsula. The far end is pretty tricky where you have to climb up rocks.
If you want to surprised your loved one with a special place to stay, book a tree cabin at Teniqua Treetops. Drive north from Sedgfield to Karatara to find this gem hidden between lots of nature. Overlooking valley and mountains, you can enjoy a nice bath or dinner on the outdoor patio. All the cabins are out of sight from one another, perfect for some alone time with your partner.
Eat and drink
Going out for dinner in South Africa is great, it is excellent quality for relatively cheap. The meat is delicious here, so go for a braai (an South African BBQ), try biltong, dried meat, but it tastes so much better than jerky. But no worries if meat isn’t your thing: also for vegetarians and vegans there are great options here.
