South Africa has it all!
I spent 2 wonderful weeks there from the end of November to mid-December. The weather was magnificent – beautiful blue skies, temperatures in the mid to high 20s and very low humidity meaning we could do lots of sightseeing very comfortably.
We started off in Cape Town arriving early morning from our very comfortable flight with Ethiopian Airlines. The beauty of South Africa is that there is no jetlag as there is only a 2 hour time difference between Cape Town and Ireland. And so, after a couple of hours rest, we took a taxi to Table Mountain and went in the cable car to the top. The weather was so clear and the views were amazing that day.
The Waterfront area in Cape Town is where it all happens. There are lots of bars and restaurants as well as great shopping and it is always buzzing and we spent a great evening there.
The next morning we were up early for the trip to Robben Island. I would definitely recommend having this pre-booked as the boats are very full in high season. The entire tour including the boat to and from the island took about 4 hours and was most informative. The tour was given by former prisoners and we saw the cell where Nelson Mandela was incarcerated.
We took a hop on/hop off bus ticket another day and toured the coast outside Cape Town City. Another ‘must do’ in Cape Town would be the drive to Cape Point taking in the penguin colony at Boulders Beach on the way down and driving back over Chapmans Peak – spectacular day out.
Next stop was Stellenbosch and we did the ‘Bites and Sites’ tour which was highly recommended and after that, we headed off down the Garden Route and our first stop was in Knysna for 3 nights. We went walking in the Garden Route National Park one day and the next, we did a wonderful excursion by boat over to Knysna Heads and the Featherbed Nature Reserve. Once again, we were just enthralled with the scenery.
Then it was time for a bit of relaxation and we headed to Robberg Beach just outside Plettenberg Bay. We were not disappointed – the beach was just amazing and a 40 minute walk along the beach brought you right into Plettenberg Bay. Whilst in that area, we also visited the Tsitsikamma National Park and walked over the suspension bridge over the Storms River.
Our last stop was the safari and we stayed in gorgeous Ukhozi Lodge at the Kariega Private Game Reserve. The view over the plains was magnificent from our private deck and the game drives brought us through more spectacular scenery. The plains were full of wildebeest, zebra, giraffes and impala and we were lucky to meet up with some lion, elephants, rhino and buffalo.
We found the cost of living so reasonable. A two-course meal with wine and a few beers would cost €20-€25 per person. In fact, we went to a ‘bring your own beer/wine’ in Knysna where the fresh fish is barbecued and served with gorgeous salads. We both had giant size prawns with some hake and the total bill came to €27.00 for the 2 of us. An Americano coffee cost no more than €1, a bottle of Miller from €1.50 and a glass of wine from €2.50.
Amazing value – amazing holiday! My next stop has to be Kwazulu Natal!