I adore safari days. Early mornings, coffee in the bush, the anticipation of sightings, the thrill of the search, dreamy sundowners, and the glow of animal eyes on a night drive. Nothing beats it! However, a well-rounded trip to...
I adore safari days. Early mornings, coffee in the bush, the anticipation of sightings, the thrill of the search, dreamy sundowners, and the glow of animal eyes on a night drive. Nothing beats it!
However, a well-rounded trip to Africa usually includes more than just safari! We love to incorporate your special interests into your safari vacation to deepen your experience and enjoyment.
These sorts of options are especially abundant in South Africa. Whether you want to balance your safari days with other adventures or if you want to skip safari altogether, there is something in South Africa for every personality.
FOR FOODIES
Cape Town is considered South Africa’s culinary capital and is home to some of the world’s best restaurants — featuring eclectic chef-driven menus and modern interpretations of traditional South African staples. In Cape Town, you’ll also find trendy food markets, inventive food trucks, an intense coffee culture, a hopping craft beer community, plus niche tours and activities enough to keep any foodie entertained (and well-fed) for days on end.
For our clients who are foodies, we partner with the leading food tour company in Cape Town to offer customized walking tours that will introduce them to the city through its food. We also assist in making reservations at some of our favorite restaurants to ensure each day is filled with delectable experiences.
FOR HISTORY BUFFS
The history of Apartheid is easily visible in South Africa, whether that’s experienced during a trip from Cape Town to Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela and other political prisoners were jailed during that time period, or at the moving and impactful Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg or a tuk tuk tour through the nearby Soweto Township.
For significantly older history, head to The Cradle of Humankind, one of the richest hominid fossil sites in the world. The site’s Maropeng Visitor Centre (located just about an hour from Johannesburg) offers an interactive, self-guided tour that tells humanity’s fascinating origin story. A tour of the Sterkfontein Caves provides insight into the site where some of the oldest known hominid fossils were unearthed.
FOR OENOPHILES
The Cape Winelands is a legendary wine region just outside of Cape Town. For the casual wine-lover, a day trip exploring the Winelands can be enough, but for true oenophiles, there is plenty more to explore — the regions of Constantia, Stellenbosch, Franschhoek, and Paarl are home more than 400 wineries!
Beyond sheer numbers of wineries to visit and wines to taste, there are also a variety of ways for clients to explore the stunningly beautiful region. Try a horseback wine tour, a mountain biking adventure, hop aboard the wine tram, explore on a self-guided tour, or try a Scoottour — a family-friendly excursion on all-terrain scooters.
The region is also known worldwide as an exceptional foodie destination, with the contemporary French flair of La Colombe, the creative seasonal menus at Delaire Graff, and the modern South African cuisine at Overture as just a few examples.
FOR OCEAN LOVERS
The ocean is a huge part of life in much of South Africa. With beautiful beaches lining the coastline and watersports being tremendously popular, if you love the ocean, there is a good chance you’ll find the perfect spot to relax and enjoy in South Africa. Here, everything from snorkeling with seals and paddleboarding with penguins to shark cage diving and sea kayaking are easily accessible. For more about how to enjoy the oceans in Africa, check out our blog post about our favorite ocean adventures!
FOR ART AND ARCHITECTURE LOVERS
Whether you have a love of traditional art and architecture or you’re looking for something a bit more modern, South Africa has it!
The Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa combines modern art with a fascinating location — the lower floors of the Grain Silo Complex, which also houses the stunning Silo Hotel. On the other end of the spectrum, you can find ancient rock art in South Africa, dating from thousands of years ago, in the Drakensberg Mountains, Cape Cederberg, and in the Karoo.
In terms of architecture, you’ll find Cape Dutch architecture very much present in the Western Cape, and you’ll also find examples of traditional Xhosa and Zulu architecture. Architecture and design tours, customized to your interests, are easily scheduled in Cape Town and surrounding regions so you can explore your interests in detail!
FOR OUTDOOR ENTHUSIASTS
There is no limit to the number of options available for those who like a little bit of adrenaline in their outdoor adventures. A few have been touched on above — surfing, biking, paddleboarding — but there are also numerous hikes of all difficulty levels, walks through the canopy at Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, helicopter flights, abseiling, gorgeous rides in a motorcycle sidecar, kitesurfing, kayaking, horseback riding, boat cruising, fishing, and just about anything else you can think of. If you have an outdoor hobby, we can arrange for you to experience it during your trip!
Like I said before, safari is wonderful, but it’s also great to balance out your safari days with other activities. Fortunately, South Africa has an abundance of options for every interest and activity level, and we love finding the perfect experiences to help round out your trips! Just click the button below to tell us about the trip you’d like to plan!
The post Beyond Safari in South Africa appeared first on Hills of Africa.
