Last December was my fifth time visiting South Africa and unlike the first four times, this one was special because my whole family tagged along. Husband. Two children. Me. Our pet dog and our potted Peace Lilly Plant, Maria, although the dog and Maria the plant had to be turned back at the airport. Something to do with their passports being invalid but that’s not the point of this blog. After the hassle that comes with last-minute packing because I am that person, I managed to drag the whole family to the airport and after a few hours of flying, we landed in the beautiful Cape Town, or the Rainbow Nation if you prefer.
I would love to regale you with every little detail of our trip but since we do not have the whole day here, allow me to jump to the highlights.
Authentic Cape Town Power
To soak in the rich history of Cape Town, our awesome Tour Guide that Densey Travel linked us with, drove us through the parliament building, slave lodge and the Castle of Good Hope (The oldest surviving colonial building in South Africa).
We then proceeded to another historical journey within the city, this time to learn about the Bo-Kaap and its people. We then moved up the cobblestoned hills to the Malay Quarter and marvelled at the ice-cream colours of the quaint Bo-Kaap Homes, a colourful suburb dating back to the 1700s.
The rest of the trip took us to the V&A Waterfront, Cape Town Stadium, Sea Point, Clifton and Camps Bay as we made our way to the most famous sightseeing spot, Table Mountain, where we had a chance to admire the view of Capetown from the summit.
Peninsular Tour
Whoever said Capetown has the best Exclusive beaches in the world was right. This tour took us to the exquisite stretch of coastline known as Millionaire’s Paradise, stretching from Clifton to Camps Bay to the exclusive Hamlet of Llandudno beach, towards the charming working harbour of Hout Bay. We drove through the legendary breathtaking ocean views and the cliff of Table Mountain National Park.
We started our Journey back to Capetown after lunch with a stopover at the historic naval port of Simon’s Town and the endearing penguin colony at Boulder’s Beach. Getting close to the Penguins and learning about them was one of the best highlights of this tour
Winelands Tour
As a wine lover, I needed to have a day dedicated to the grapevine, so visiting the Winelands was a must. This a place with heavenly scenery, beautifully designed houses and history so rich it should feature in Forbs. We visited the exquisite little town of Franschhoek and then proceeded to Helshoogte Mountain Pass to meet the charming university town of Stellenbosch on the other side.
We then finally went for the wine cellar tour and tasting, visiting the farm to learn about various grapes, the planting process, the harvesting and finally the transformation from grape to goblet. With all that knowledge, we got to the most important part of the tour, in my opinion, the wine tasting. I might have done more than just tasting, so I don’t remember the drive back to the city and don’t ask me why.
Walk to Freedom
The walk to freedom was one of the last tours we took. It brought us sad memories, yes, but it also filled us with great appreciation of how far South Africa and Africa as a whole have come. We visited the Slave Lodge and City Hall to view Mandela’s Statue, which stands at the same place he stood and gave his first speech after he was released from prison.
Later that afternoon, we visited Robben Island and it was such a surreal experience being in a place that’s emotive to the South African people, a place that reminds them, and us, of the suffering they had to go through during their darker times. Here you will hear stories that will break your heart, but you will also hear stories of triumph.
Our six-day tour came to an end and it was time to head over to Victoria Falls, but as we left we carried the good memories and the history lessons and, for me, the tasty wine flavour.