The Cape - South Africa

Cape Town is a popular route with many airlines, South African Airways, British Airways, Emirates, Virgin, Qatar etc so you should not have any problem getting a direct flight from where you intend to travel from.

There is an abundance of accommodation to choose from in Cape Town, ranging from small family run bed and breakfasts to large hotels. It is advised to book these well in advance especially over Christmas and New Year, when the area is a very popular holiday destination.

I would recommend a 3 night minimum stay in Cape Town to be able to take in all that there is on offer. Most hotels are able to arrange day trips for you and there are some good private tour companies if you do not want to be part of a large group. A visit to Table Mountain is a must, a tour of Robben Island [where Nelson Mandela was held in prison for more than 17 years] is highly recommended and a full days Peninsula tour is great fun for exploring and seeing the famous penguins on Boulders Beach. You will also have the chance of seeing Southern Right Whales between July and November.

No trip to the Cape is complete without a trip in The Winelands region. This is only a 45 minute drive from Cape Town [the roads are in excellent condition throughout the Cape and most tourists self drive] so can be arranged as a day trip but I would advise a 2 night stay to really make the most of the breathtaking scenery and the all the delicious wine! Franschhoek is a popular place to stay, there are many delicious restaurants here as well as boutique style shops. Wine tours on horse back are highly recommended.

If you are interested in Bushman art [or even if you are not, you will be having visited this place] then Bushman's Kloof in the Cederberg Mountains is a highly recommended place to stay. It is approximately a three hour drive from the winelands and once you arrive you will not want to leave. The guides leave you mesmerised by the rock art that they have found in the area and they bring the art to life through story telling and their knowledge and passion for the history of the area. The food is out of this world, the best orange juice I have ever tasted! During August and September the area becomes a sea of colour as the flowers come into bloom covering the vast plains.

Hermanus can be visited from Cape Town and The Winelands along the scenic coastline. It is one of the world's most outstanding land based whale watching destinations. It is a small town compared to Cape Town but from July to November it is one of the best places to see the Southern Right Whales as they enter Walker Bay to mate and calve. From Hermanus you can also visit the Harold Porter or Fernkloof Nature Reserves which are rich in fynbos which is indigenous to South Africa. You can also go cage diving with Great White sharks if you are feeling adventurous.

Plettenberg Bay is situated along the famous Garden Route [this is described as the route incorporating all the charming towns along the coast from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth]. This is wonderful location for a family to visit with children, young through to teenagers as there is such a variety of activities on offer. You can Bungey Jump, visit Monkey world and with the beach close by you can go for long walks and have picnics.

From Port Elizabeth it is a one hour drive to Addo National Park which has a huge population of elephant. The added bonus of Addo is that it is malaria free so a great location for families with young children. There are some wonderful lodges in this area, River Bend, Gorah Elephant Camp to name a few. It is very easy to drive to and adds to the excitement of the trip if you see an elephant from your vehicle.

There is an airport at Port Elizabeth where you can drop your hire car and fly to Johannesburg for your international flight home.
This itinerary is a combination of my favourite areas that I have cherry picked from a very diverse and exciting area in South Africa.