Best Trip Ever to Cape Town, South Africa
Best Trip Ever to Cape Town, South Africa
I waited patiently for 2 years to visit the Mother City – Cape Town, South Africa! This trip was a long time coming and so excited to immerse myself in the destination Cape Town! The day finally arrived, and I was on my way to Cape Town, flying one of my favorite airlines Qatar Airways. This means I will connect at one of the world’s best airports – Doha. After a short layover, compared to my last trip through this airport, I was on my way to Cape Town. A trip of this length required a little upgrade, so I upgrade to a Business Class seat as I was spending close to 25 hours flying and layover to get to Cape Town from Miami. I often mixed work when touring a new destination – so my first 3 days deviated to a 3 days workshop and conference at the World Travel Market ( WTM Africa), an annual event for coveted travel advisors looking to establish and enhance their travel business to destination Africa. The event was fulfilling and rewarding as I met so many new suppliers to help my clients plan the best trip ever to South Africa.
I met one and one with new suppliers showcasing their private game reserves in the Kruger National Park; villas and boutique hotels along the Garden Route; the best vendors for touring the Serengeti in Tanzania and Kenya and the best time and spots to see the Great Migration. To be a true African expert means many visits to the destination. This is my second time in South Africa ( different regions); I will be visiting many more times to become your true expert. This trip is devoted to the destination Cape Town and my trip allowed me to immerse myself in all things to do and see in Cape Town. After the 3 days of networking, it was time to delve into touring Cape Town and its surrounding
My first day started with a private guided tour of The Cape Peninsula and the Cape of Good Hope. Our driver was not only a guide but a great photographer and captured our journey along the route extremely well. This tour was approximately 8 hours long so a full day in and out of the car as we drove along the coast with multiple stops along the way.
On this tour, we visit the Cape Point Nature Reserve with its rich diversity of animal and plant life and the tip of the peninsula has some of the most stunning views surrounded by rugged rocks and sheer cliffs towering more than 200 meters/650 feet above the sea, I have ever seen. We love our little feather friends, and a stop at Boulders Beach is a must on our itinerary along the Cape. Boulders Beach, a sheltered beach made up of several inlets sandwiched between granite boulders and the home to the African penguins. As you approach Boulder Beach from the main road, you can spot penguin crossing signs everywhere!
The following days were spent touring some of the best wineries in the region – Delaire Graffe and Spiers Wineries in the Stellenbosch region. Both wineries exceeded my expectation and more! Let’s say I came home with 7 bottles of wine from both wineries. The iconic attraction in Cape Town and the newest 7 wonders of the world is Table Mountain. No matter where you are in the city of Cape Town, you will see the views of Table Mountain that cradles the city no matter where you are. This iconic wonder should be booked while in the destination as the weather determines if you will be able to enjoy this attraction or not. If it is too windy or raining, the attraction is close as you will need to climb in the cable car that circulates 360 degrees as you go up the mountain.
This is definitely not to be missed on your trip to Cape Town. I was fascinated by these iconic wonders as I took a helicopter tour over the Mother City with the most spectacular views from above Table Mountain and if that was not enough, many catamaran boat tours are leaving from the V & A Waterfront highlighting the views of Table Mountain as it encapsulates the city. There is a history behind every destination you visit and Cape Town has its history of Apartheid. So yes, I took the ferry to the UNESCO World Heritage site – Robben Island, where the former South African President, Nelson Mandela was imprisoned before the fall of Apartheid. This tour is led by past prisoners telling their stories firsthand of what happened on Robben Island when they were imprisoned on Robben Island.
I will always say, a trip to South Africa must include a trip to see the Safari Big 5. The Big 5 includes the Elephant, Lion, Leopard, Rhino, and the Buffalo – the first time I did my private Game Drive, I saw all the nig 5 on the same day! This is not typical ( guess it was my lucky day). Being on the continent of Africa, there are so many places to see the Big 5 and it also depends on the experience you are looking for – as you can have this experience on a 4 and 5-star level! On this trip, my leopard friend was hiding on all my game drives. I did get to experience the Cheetah run at one of my game safari’s not popular at most game drive safaris – a sight to behold.
I could go on and on about my Cape Town immersion as it was one of my best trips ever!
To Book your Cape Town experience, email Andrea Williams at andrea@exquisitevacation.com