South Africa - September 2014

[brissleboy]

Just booked a couple of First tickets to Cape Town next September with some Avios/2-4-1 voucher, now need some help with itinerary:

Arrive early morning on Friday 29 Aug, depart evening Tuesday 2 Sep, would have loved longer but grandparents can't keep the kids forever! That gives us roughly 4 whole days (Fri, Sat, Sun, Mon) as need to be back in CPT on the Tuesday to fly home. So, we want to drive the Garden Route, drink some wine, try and see some whales, etc, can anyone offer a rough plan?

All help would be greatly appreciated!

[Puggit]

You can do the GR or CT, but not both in such a short time so it's time to decide!

CT - Robben Island, book in advance! The V&A waterfront and shopping, along with acquarium is good too.
Boulders Beach for the penguins
Cape of Good Hope - not really worth it unless you want to say you've been. It's not even the most southerly point. Beware of baboons - do not leave your windows open!!!
Drive along Chapmans Peak - one of THE roads in the world.
Visit Hout Bay and Camps Bay
Table Mountain, of course - this will dictate your other days as you have to go up when ever it's clear.
Century City/Canal Walk. Absolutely massive shopping centre.
Blouberg for the views across the bay of Table Mountain (and amazing sunsets)

Further afield:
Stellenbosch to Franschhoek for the jaw-dropping scenery, wine visits and lunch at a winery.

Garden Route places worth a visit nearer to CT: Start at Bettys Bay and pass Hermanus to Gaansbai for the shark diving

[brissleboy]

Puggit said:

You can do the GR or CT, but not both in such a short time so it's time to decide!

CT - Robben Island, book in advance! The V&A waterfront and shopping, along with acquarium is good too.
Boulders Beach for the penguins
Cape of Good Hope - not really worth it unless you want to say you've been. It's not even the most southerly point. Beware of baboons - do not leave your windows open!!!
Drive along Chapmans Peak - one of THE roads in the world.
Visit Hout Bay and Camps Bay
Table Mountain, of course - this will dictate your other days as you have to go up when ever it's clear.
Century City/Canal Walk. Absolutely massive shopping centre.
Blouberg for the views across the bay of Table Mountain (and amazing sunsets)

Further afield:
Stellenbosch to Franschhoek for the jaw-dropping scenery, wine visits and lunch at a winery.

Garden Route places worth a visit nearer to CT: Start at Bettys Bay and pass Hermanus to Gaansbai for the shark diving

This is awesome, thanks! I realised after I posted that getting all the way along to Mossel Bay and beyond is just not realistic so that idea has now been binned and we'll leave that for another time, maybe coincide it with a safari when the kids are older.

Would love to spend a day driving out to the wine region and having lunch/tasting - feasible?
Another (long) day down to Hermanus and Gaansbai - again, feasible in a day? That's almost half the time done already...
Can explore V&A Waterfront in the evenings I guess, maybe the day we arrive to just chill out
How much time to do the Chapmans Peak Drive, Boulders Beach, Hout and Camps Bay, looks like they can all be done easily on one drive?
Obviously Table Mountain
Is Robben Island really worth doing as I imagine that would take a fair chunk of time, appreciate the historic nature of the place

Thanks mate

[Jasper3.0]

IMHO Robben Island is not worth the effort. You are rushed round in a tour group and on and off a bus. You do not have the time to let the significance of the place sink in.

[Rouleur]

brissleboy said:

Would love to spend a day driving out to the wine region and having lunch/tasting - feasible?
Another (long) day down to Hermanus and Gaansbai - again, feasible in a day? That's almost half the time done already...
Can explore V&A Waterfront in the evenings I guess, maybe the day we arrive to just chill out
How much time to do the Chapmans Peak Drive, Boulders Beach, Hout and Camps Bay, looks like they can all be done easily on one drive?
Obviously Table Mountain

I'd leave it at that if I were you, any more and you'd be running round too much. IMO the Waterfront is nice but not all that great in the grand scheme of things.

I can recommend spending some time in Constantia, it's not far out of CT and a lovely area. Try this place for a meal http://www.constantia-uitsig.com/pages/restaurants...

[gl20]

We also did 241 avios first to CT (for our honeymoon). excellent avios 'value' given flight times, duration, etc. one thought on whale watching is skip Hermanus and try De kelders instead. Way more sightings and more secluded. Only one boat licenced to take tourists out in the bay so may need to book early. There again the whales come within a few meters of the water's edge. Cam recommend whale song lodge

[brissleboy]

So, we're only a few weeks away from our trip to Cape Town now, been frantically researching what to do, where to go, places to eat, etc. Plan is as follows:

Fri 29 Aug: Arrive 09.55, transfer to hotel, weather depending do Table Mountain and V&A Waterfront, dinner at hotel that night
Sat 30 Aug: Hire car early and drive to Franschhoek, explore town and do a vineyard tour - any recommendations for this? Dinner already booked.
Sun 31 Aug: Drive from Franschhoek to Hermanus to try and see some whales, follow the R43 and R44 back to Cape Town. No dinner booked for that night, any recommendations?
Mon 1 Sep: Head towards Boulders Beach down through Constantia (lunch planned at Steenberg), not sure if we'll make it as far as Cape Point, then head back up to Cape Town via Hout Bay, Camps Bay & Chapmans Peak. Dinner booked for this night.
Tues 2 Sep: Nothing planned as yet, we fly just before 7pm, any suggestions?

Any comments would be greatly appreciated, too much, not enough, etc, etc.

Cheers!

[Puggit]

Cape Point really isn't all that, apart from the lethal baboons

It's not even the southernmost point...

[brissleboy]

Puggit said:

Cape Point really isn't all that, apart from the lethal baboons

It's not even the southernmost point...

We'll probably give it a miss then... rest of itinerary look reasonable?

[Puggit]

brissleboy said:

We'll probably give it a miss then... rest of itinerary look reasonable?

Maybe spend the final day shopping at http://www.canalwalk.co.za/home.html

[Stephanie Plum]

I'd stay longer in Franschhoek I think if it were me. Also have you mentioned Kalk Bay? That might be nice on the Tuesday. If you missed out on whales while at Hermanus you'll get a good opportunity there.

[TEKNOPUG]

brissleboy said:

So, we're only a few weeks away from our trip to Cape Town now, been frantically researching what to do, where to go, places to eat, etc. Plan is as follows:

Fri 29 Aug: Arrive 09.55, transfer to hotel, weather depending do Table Mountain and V&A Waterfront, dinner at hotel that night
Sat 30 Aug: Hire car early and drive to Franschhoek, explore town and do a vineyard tour - any recommendations for this? Dinner already booked.
Sun 31 Aug: Drive from Franschhoek to Hermanus to try and see some whales, follow the R43 and R44 back to Cape Town. No dinner booked for that night, any recommendations?
Mon 1 Sep: Head towards Boulders Beach down through Constantia (lunch planned at Steenberg), not sure if we'll make it as far as Cape Point, then head back up to Cape Town via Hout Bay, Camps Bay & Chapmans Peak. Dinner booked for this night.
Tues 2 Sep: Nothing planned as yet, we fly just before 7pm, any suggestions?

Any comments would be greatly appreciated, too much, not enough, etc, etc.

Cheers!

V&A waterfront is nothing special - you can lunch at the Cape Grace though.

Table Mountain totally dependant upon the weather, as you say.

I'd avoid spending time in Cape Town where possible. I'd do a day in Constantia (lunch at Constantia Uitsig). You can drive the whole Cape (from the waterfront to Cape Point and back up past Kalk Bay) in an afternoon.

I'd spend a couple of days in Franchoek personally, but I just go for the wine & hospitality - can't help you with whales I'm afraid.

If you are stuck for something to do in the evening in Cape Town, they sometimes show outdoor filsm at Kirstenbosch Gardens.

[SunsetZed]

gl20 said:

one thought on whale watching is skip Hermanus and try De kelders instead.

This, De Kelders is great.

At the V&A dinner at the Table Bay is also excellent.

The itinerary looks good and definitely do Table Mountain straight away if the weather permits. I reckon that you'll have time to get down to Cape Point if you leave early, sounds like others were less keen but I liked it down there with the young ostriches and the whales. Managed to avoid the baboons as well!

Driving's great in SA, just an FYI though the police hide with speed cameras (e.g. sit in parked unmarked cars, behind bushes etc.). You'll only get a measly fine though or charge from your hire car company and you do get a lovely souvenir photo, allegedly

[brissleboy]

Thanks for all the tips and advice chaps, really appreciate it!

Booked a car last night, £60 for 4 days, can't really grumble at that! One thing, do we need a satnav or are the roads well signposted? I'll be driving, not the wife

Any recommendations for vineyards to visit in Franschhoek or are they more or less the same?

[TEKNOPUG]

brissleboy said:

Any recommendations for vineyards to visit in Franschhoek or are they more or less the same?

That depends, based on the quality of the wine or the scenery. Will you be drinking? Is someone going to be driving or will you both be drinking?

On the way, I suggest you stop at Rustenberg (stunning farm in the Cape Dutch style), which is on the Franschhoek side of Stellenbosch. Rainbow's End is also on the road out of 'bosch to 'chhoek.

In Franschhoek itself, the places I like are; Maison, Moreson (good for lunch), La Bri, Rickety Bridge and Cape Chamonix (super cheap wine). That's mainly based on the quality of wine. You could also go to Anthonij Ruper/L'Omarins, which has a classic car museum. You might want to invest in a copy of Platter's Saffa Wine bible, either here or at the airport.

There is a "wine train" in Franschhoek that will take you round a lot of the farms (it's mostly a tractor pulling a trailer) if you are both drinking. That's probably easiest. You'll be in a group though and it will probably be busy but it's the easiest way of doing it and it might be more fun if there is just the two of you. Bare in mind that if you travel on your own, it's more flexible but you may run into a wine train just arriving, so may have to wait a little until it clears. Alternatively, they also do horse-back tours of the farm. Which can be fun (or awful) depending on how much you have drunk! Fortunately the horses know the way but do tend to speed up after the last farm as they know it's time to go home....

Tastings are about 50zar iirc and it could be anything between 5-9 glasses, often with something sparkling to begin with. If you buy a bottle, the tasting charge is waved. I've never paid to taste.....

[TEKNOPUG]

brissleboy said:

Thanks for all the tips and advice chaps, really appreciate it!

Booked a car last night, £60 for 4 days, can't really grumble at that! One thing, do we need a satnav or are the roads well signposted? I'll be driving, not the wife

The roads are pretty well sign-posted, especially the main ones. Don't know how good the satnavs are - I've only been there with locals driving. Can get a little confusing up in the hills around Constantia as there are lots of little roads but it's not very big and you'll just go round in a circle or very quickly arrive at the sea.

[brissleboy]

TEKNOPUG said:

That depends, based on the quality of the wine or the scenery. Will you be drinking? Is someone going to be driving or will you both be drinking?

On the way, I suggest you stop at Rustenberg (stunning farm in the Cape Dutch style), which is on the Franschhoek side of Stellenbosch. Rainbow's End is also on the road out of 'bosch to 'chhoek.

In Franschhoek itself, the places I like are; Maison, Moreson (good for lunch), La Bri, Rickety Bridge and Cape Chamonix (super cheap wine). That's mainly based on the quality of wine. You could also go to Anthonij Ruper/L'Omarins, which has a classic car museum. You might want to invest in a copy of Platter's Saffa Wine bible, either here or at the airport.

There is a "wine train" in Franschhoek that will take you round a lot of the farms (it's mostly a tractor pulling a trailer) if you are both drinking. That's probably easiest. You'll be in a group though and it will probably be busy but it's the easiest way of doing it and it might be more fun if there is just the two of you. Bare in mind that if you travel on your own, it's more flexible but you may run into a wine train just arriving, so may have to wait a little until it clears. Alternatively, they also do horse-back tours of the farm. Which can be fun (or awful) depending on how much you have drunk! Fortunately the horses know the way but do tend to speed up after the last farm as they know it's time to go home....

Tastings are about 50zar iirc and it could be anything between 5-9 glasses, often with something sparkling to begin with. If you buy a bottle, the tasting charge is waved. I've never paid to taste.....

Teknopug, this is awesome, thank you so much, all the information I need to know here!! We are staying at Le Quartier Francais and have a dinner reservation there in the evening so we'll only need a light lunch somewhere... I think what we'll do is stop at say Rustenberg on the way there (opens at 10am according to their website), get to Franschhoek, have a wander and a quick bite there then jump on the "wine train" for a couple of hours or so... we both like a drink so that keeps everyone happy and as you say, a little bit of company/banter is good for the soul! I'll take a look at the website... 50zar, that's rather cheap isn't it?!!

Thanks again!

[TEKNOPUG]

brissleboy said:

I'll take a look at the website... 50zar, that's rather cheap isn't it?!!

Thanks again!

Different culture though. Locals aren't going to pay more and coming from England, the exchange rate works massively in your favour. Also, a lot of these farms are small, boutique places.

If you take somewhere commercial, like Arabella, you can pick up a bottle from a supermarket here for maybe £8-£10. In SA, it would cost maybe £3. If you consider something like Rustenberg "Peter Barlow" or Rickety Bridge "Paulina Reserve", these are top, top 5 star wines and will cost, say 200zar - £10-12. By the time they get here, with shipping cost and duty, they'll be nearer £30. Supermarkets etc won't stock them because of the price and the limited quantity. So you'll only find them in up-market restaurants and once they have added there profit, you are looking at £60-80-100 bottles of wine.

There are exceptions, such as Ernie Els wines, where Yanks will happily pay £100 for a bottle because "..it's Ernie's wine!" but he has very purposely marketed it at foreign tourists. Wine is also a funny business in that once you have released a wine and priced it, you can't really then hike the price up just because it's popular and people will pay more. So most of the farms are pricing for the local market. Had you gone a couple of years ago, when it was only 10-£, it would look expensive.

So yes, 50zar seems cheap but then if you take away the exchange rate benefit and consider the differences in wages and living costs (my friend bought a brand new Kia Sportage in SA, £60k!) it would be the equivalent of 200zar for tasting, if you were a local.

Exchange Rate is your friend - it's the equivalent of going to the South of France as a millionaire. For example, a day at Newlands to watch SA v Australia in the cricket, in the members stand - £7. At Lord's that would be a £100. 2 large G&T's and 3 beers - change from a tenner.


With regards to Franschhoek, the main street has a lot of good restaurants and art galleries but it's quite touristy and expensive. None of the farms you can really walk to comfortably.

[Puggit]

Definitely take a SatNav, it will help prevent you ending up in the wrong part of town - something you want to avoid!

This is what speed traps look like in SA:

[TEKNOPUG]

Puggit said:

Definitely take a SatNav, it will help prevent you ending up in the wrong part of town - something you want to avoid!

This is what speed traps look like in SA:

Don't go east of the M5 or North of Baden Powell Drive in Cape Town. But you'd have no reason to anyway.