I was lucky enough to host a small travel agent fam trip to Cape Town, Winelands and then onto an Eastern Cape Game Reserve. We work very closely with all the hotels and lodges, so it was a real pleasure to experience some of them (The Commodore Hotel, The Twelve Apostles Hotel & Spa, Le Franschhoek Hotel & Spa, Kariega Game Reserve – The Homestead Lodge) for myself – as well as sample a few of the amazing excursions on offer.
Most holiday makers would visit these areas on a first time trip, but even second and third time visitors to South Africa would always discover something new and exciting – from the high quality accommodation, first class food and wine, numerous safari opportunities, and the incredible hospitality of the South Africans whether you visit a shop, restaurant or hotel. The weather although changeable is fantastic during winter or summer months and there is always something to do even if it’s a rainy day!
We were lucky enough to go during peak season in December at the height of the summer season. The weather was stunning on our first day with blue skies and bright sunshine, but the weather can be changeable during this time and sadly due to the weather on our 2nd day we were unable to do the planned sea kayaking in Cape Town. This is another must do if the weather permits.
There is a good choice of airlines flying daily to Cape Town and we flew on KLM outbound from London via Amsterdam, which is also a great option if travelling from a regional airport such as Manchester, Edinburgh or Aberdeen. It was a day flight via Amsterdam Schiphol Airport to Cape Town. The flight service was great, the flight crew were very friendly and the food was nice. On the inbound we flew with Air France via Paris Charles De Gaulle on an evening flight. Both connections via Amsterdam and Paris were very easy and stress free. Our domestic flight was with BA/Comair from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth and then from Port Elizabeth to Johannesburg.
Our first day was very exciting as we hired Harley Davidson’s to collect us from our 1st wine tasting at Constantia Glen. It was such a fun experience driving from wine farm to wine farm for our wine tasting sessions. We finished with an exhilarating ride along the coast to Table Mountain! It was an absolute highlight for everyone and I would highly recommend this activity. At Table Mountain we got the cable car up where we enjoyed a glass of bubbles and the glorious view of Cape Town. The other highlight was the safari at Kariega Game Lodge. With some of the group having never experienced a safari before, they were all blown away with seeing giraffes, elephants, rhino and various antelopes at such a close proximity. They loved and learned so much about the flora, fauna and wildlife from our knowledgeable Kariega safari guide.
This itinerary was a perfect mix and duration for an intro to South Africa as a destination and why you would travel to this amazing country. If you’d like to see more highlights, watch my little video clip below.
UK & Ireland
