First time trip to South Africa

[dandanthewatchman]

So to celebrate a special wedding anniversary we are going to South Africa in November for couple of weeks. First timers and looking forward. Itinerary is:-
4 nights Cape Town
Pick up a car as we leave Cape Town and head on the Garden Route.
2 nights in Stellenboch
1 night Oudtshoorn
2 nights in Plenttenerg Bay
1 nights St Francis Bay
3 nights private game reserve (everything there is planned)
So looking for ideas of what to do, what trips are worth doing and restaurant recommendations. We like great scenery, decent wine, fish restaurants. All ideas gratefully received


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[noTAGlove]

Done RSA twice with the family and absolutely loved it. Best family holidays ever.

Also been by myself through work, and twenty years ago did a long weekend to Cape Town with the wife in BA First Class paid for entirely with Avios and an Amex 241 voucher. Absolutely love the place even if it can be a tad sketchy if you venture off the tourist path (no need to).

Three things stand out apart from the usual suspect tourist spots in and around Cape Town and Stellenbosch which is well documented in the guide books.

Lookout Deck Plettenburg Bay (no finer views for a steak lunch and vino), Robberg Nature Reserve near Plett (also 5 full stars on Tripadvisor - we absolutely loved it) and Tsitsitkamma National Park. Too many places to mention.

If you were to do one thing in Cape Town (after Table Mountain) I’d recommend Kirstenbosch gardens.

Photos stolen form the tintersphere in that order.

[tiny73]

Also done it twice, got engaged on safari there and then went down to Cape Town and spent two weeks down on the garden route. Second time we started in Cape Town had a couple of days in the wine lands and then did more of the garden route. Tips if I may be so bold:

Avoid stellenbosch, try Franscoek instead (spelling is off, doing this on my phone). It’s a smaller, more intimate town and also has the wine team where you can go between vineyards without driving. The vineyards will depend on your taste but I can recommend rickety bridge.

If you go around sept time you will see loads of pods of whales along the coast, need to be careful driving as you find yourself watching them rather than the road.

We based ourselves on Fish Hoek first time round and it was ideal for most things. Cape point was good, but cold in September. Boulder beach for the penguins is amazing too.

[Toddy]

Haven't been since 2005 but I'll second Boulders Beach, and maybe a bit touristy, but Table Mountain is well worth a trip. Also did a helicopter ride over Cape Town/Sea which was excellent. Seen a pod of Wales which was a bonus.

[Gerald Genta]

I did a 3 week tour of South Africa back in 2006 and about 2 weeks of the trip were spent along the garden route. Other than the usual destinations already mentioned one place that really sticks out in my memory was Knysna, often referred to as the jewel of the garden route.

[tiny73]

Haven't been since 2005 but I'll second Boulders Beach, and maybe a bit touristy, but Table Mountain is well worth a trip. Also did a helicopter ride over Cape Town/Sea which was excellent. Seen a pod of Wales which was a bonus.

if you do table mountain try the Platterklip Gorge ascent if you want something a bit less used and away from the masses? Don’t be fooled by the weather at the foot though, we ascended in shorts and t’s and wondered why everyone was coming down in full wet weather gear. The 5m visibility in the clouds soon explained it all…

[Hood]

Been 3 times to Cape down
Twice were 9 day golf trips with pals back in the day and other was 2019 5 day trip for my 50th.

Robben Island trip is good as is trip up Table mountain.
Also did the great white cage diving but not sure the early start and drive down is worth it tbh.
Did 3 vineyard trips and a standout was the Ken Forrest( The Gypsy and FMC are two of his most famous wines) place in Stellenbosch-met the great man himself.
So many great restaurants but the standout was La Colombe in Constantia which was out this world good.
Cod Father in Camps Bay is great for less formal.
Apart from that sundowners in Camps Bay is hard to beat.
My favourite place Cape Town so have a great time.

[BillN]

we have been going for a few years - Feb/Mar

Get a car if you are staying in Cape Town as you will need one to explore - extend your rental - Rental Cars are cheap - starting at around £12 a day

If you are staying in Cape Town a drive south to The Table Mountain National Park, (well south of Table Mountain, in fact nowhere near), to Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope, (one on the Atlantic side and the other on the Indian Ocean side) - you can easily spend half a day plus in the Reserve - entrance fee expensive by SA standards but in my opinion well worth a visit. On the way down drive through Camps Bay and take the Chapmans Peak drive which is an experience

Hout Bay is also worth a stop off....... good restaurant near the beach on the south side for lunch - not expensive - Dunes Beach Restaurants & Bar

Oudtshoorn - is not particularly inspiring but if you are feeling brave, the Swartberg Pass is worth a drive - unmade roads - but we have always been OK in a "normal" car - take your time and it's enjoyable and Prince Albert is at the other end for lunch.

Also the Outeniqua Transport Museum in George do a railway trip along the coast in the "Outeniqua Power Van" which again is really worth the experience

We spend most of our time in Knysna - If you do visit Knysna which is 30 mins west of Plet - Freshline Fisheries is a good place to eat - cheap as chips and a good experience, but you need to book - on the left as you drive down to Thesen Island - if you go once you will certainly go again!!

(I have never liked Cape Town + traffic can be crazy ............. get out into the "country")

[crazyp]

Literally just back last week from SA for my honeymoon. Some great advice already, but thought I'd chime in. This was our agenda -

3 nights private game reserve north of Joburg (was a 3.5 hour drive) - superb experience (welgevonden reserve).
3 nights in Cape Town - great advice already. The only thing I'd add is go to FYN restaurant for an amazing dining experience.

We then did the garden route - going via the coast first and coming back in land (and experiencing some amazing passes)

2 nights in Hermanus - whale watching and wine country - BUT lots of issues with roads due to the rain, so watch our for the route to vineyards. Recc for a vineyard is Creation.
2 nights Kysna - you have to done one LONG day drive along the route IMO, we did it here. Stopped off a few wineries and lunch on the way to break it down. Some nice stuff in and around Kysna, including boating, but overall we weren't huge fans.
2 nights J-bay - Tsitsikamma and Elephant Sanctuary along the way is a MUST. We also did the bungee jump if you're feeling brave!!! J-bay we liked, lots of water stuff to do including surfing.
2 night Oudsthoorn - the caves are great, really impressive. We didn't do the pass to Prince Albert, ran out of time, but it looks amazing!
Back to Stellenbosch via Route 62 - amazing, amazing drive this. And then Stellenbosch, so much to do, but again we couldn't do Franschoek due to the rain sadly.

Incredible and memorable trip for us, no right answer and so much to do, so have fun!

[BillN]

Electricity Cuts, (comically called "Load Shedding" in SA) - You will get these 3 or 4 times a day - they are planned and have been going on for a few years and I don't think things will get better for years to come

Escom, the power company are inefficient to use a kind word and cannot produce enough electricity for the country

Most places that you will stay at will have what they call an "inverter" - a big battery which is charged when the electricity is on and provides low level power, (to lights and similar but NOT to kettle and cooker) - this trips in when Escom cut the power

Anyway - practically - buy yourself a SA 3 pin plug and stick a UK extension on the end of it with 2 or 3 sockets - just a short cable one is all that's needed - then you will be able to charge your phone and computers easily - (or an UK to SA adapter and taken extension with you)

There is an Escom app, (EskomSePush) that you can download to your phone and this gives details of cuts per area - (you have to know which "area" you are in - it will change as you move around)

when you are driving along the garden route, basically the N2, there are sections when there is no mobile signal, (although it may look as if there is)

Buying a mobile SIM for local calls in SA is very cheap - - £20 usually buy us enough for 2 months and we have never used all the minutes - so if you can take a spare mobile

Taking extra motor insurance to cover the "excess" which you get with every car rental is usually cheaper in the UK than when offered to you by the car hire firm in SA.

I always have a paper map of the western cape in the car

you will probably get done for speeding - lots of slow speed traps - you usually find that the car hire company deducts the fine from your credit card account a couple of months later

[DavidL]

We did Port Elizabeth to CT a few years back.
This place was good if you like animals
https://www.cango.co.za/ in Oudtshoorn

also we like Hermanus and Simonstown. They are quite touristy I suppose but weren't overbearing.

Wine and food were cheap (don't know if that's still the case) and as you are driving there seemd little concern about drink driving over there so be aware.
Also you will find the townships just appear out of nowhere and suddenly there are loads of people all over the road. We were advised to never stop but if need be go straight to a police station in the event of an incident. Fortunately nothing happened.
No one walks, even around the towns.

We struggled with Stellenbosch as there seemed to be no signs at all for the various attractions. You seemed to have to know where you were going!
Speir was a good vinyard to visit but again a tourist attraction not a vinyard for wine buffs.

It was an interesting 3 weeks and the food and wine was great but we did feel a little on edge although nothing of any concern happened.

[dandanthewatchman]

Some really great ideas so far. We do pick up a hire car the last day we are in CT and start the garden route. Looking forward to sitting down this weekend and working out some plans and bookings


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[Chalet]

I live in Cape Town, some really sound advice from the posts above.

If you get a chance the kayak and paragliding at Seapoint are breathtaking. If you are planning to go to Robben Island book and you will need your id (passport).

I’d consider having a car for the time you are in CT. Uber is great and cheap if you don’t want to.

[dandanthewatchman]

A few days in and have taken up some of the advice and ideas in this thread so thank you.

Will feedback on more detail after the trip but lunch today here was absolutely sublime and one of the most beautiful places I have ever been to (and I spend a lot of time in the Lake District). https://www.delaire.co.za/

Someone mentioned Codfather and we went there and it was great. All the CT restaurants we went to at the V&A area were good and extremely good value Willoughbys and Der Anker especially.

I know we seeing it through tourist tinted glasses but everyone friendly, staff all polite and knowledgable


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[gerrudd]

A few days in and have taken up some of the advice and ideas in this thread so thank you.

Will feedback on more detail after the trip but lunch today here was absolutely sublime and one of the most beautiful places I have ever been to (and I spend a lot of time in the Lake District). https://www.delaire.co.za/

Someone mentioned Codfather and we went there and it was great. All the CT restaurants we went to at the V&A area were good and extremely good value Willoughbys and Der Anker especially.

I know we seeing it through tourist tinted glasses but everyone friendly, staff all polite and knowledgable


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Der Anker brings back memories. Last time I was there was 15 years ago. I had a great night but I was so jet lagged (flight from NY) I could barely remember it the next morning.