South Africa 2014

I think I must have been too excited and had to post updates about penguins and my favorite market before I ever said that I have been in South Africa for two weeks! Katie had Spring Break and I had too much time saved up at work so we decided to leave the cold winter weather for summertime and views like this that were summoning us across the equator.

We made the long 17 hour flight to Johannesburg to visit Nicola in Johannesburg, go on safari, roam through Stollenbosch, swim with sharks, and lazily lay on the beaches of Cape Town. A word of warning before you make this trek: Cape Town will capture your soul. It is a bustling, bohemian, surf town with the casual vibes of a ocean city and the pull of a popular cityscape.

Pull up delta.com and use your points to leave ASAP. 

 

There are endless amounts of activities to do here and down the surrounding coast and I will most likely ramble for many posts about my favorite places to go and things to do, but these are the experiences you can't miss and the BEST ways to maximize your stay:

1. BAZ Bus 
If you are willing to travel around a bit and are open to traveling as I do, bouncing from one hostel to the next, making best friends every night, and traveling on the cheap - check out BAZ Bus. I wish someone had mentioned this before we went but it is on the agenda for my next trip to South Africa. The bus is a Hop On/Hop Off traveler bus that you can purchase 7 or 14 day tickets and travel the eastern cape - starting and ending in Cape Town in the south and Kruger in the North. This is the best and cheapest way to experience everything off the "tourist route" and it includes discount hostel stays along the way.

2. Safari 
You're in Africa. Go on a safari, see the BIG 5, and take beautiful pictures.

Try not to get too close.

If you are near Johannesburg on your way into or out of South Africa, make the trip to Kruger.  If you don't have a car, catch City Bug from the OR Tambo Airport to Nelspruit. If you have a booking at Kruger they will pick you up from here and take you into the park. Stay a few nights to enjoy the park if your schedule allows.

 

If you travel the coast by Baz Bus or after renting a car, stop at Addo Elephant Park. Just search their hashtag on Instagram if you are unaware of your love of elephants. Plus, the stay is $145 for three nights, not including park fees.

The best outside of Cape Town is Aquila - this is a game reserve and not a safari as you may be imagining so make sure you book accordingly. Day safaris will run you around $225 but you will see the Big 5 and it does NOT include transportation from/to Cape Town.

3. Stay in Camps Bay 
Green Point is also nice, close to the V&A waterfront, and easy to grab a cab to Lion's Head or up to the vineyards. However, Camps Bay is your beach paradise, a quick walk to beautiful beaches and the best spot if you want bars and nightspots as part of your stay. The views here are unreal and you can rent out a house or apartment on the cheap through AirBNB. Book early if you are going in the summer months, Camps Bay is small and these places fill up fast!

4. Dinners/Drinks/Stops along the Way
 Go to Mzoli's in the Gugulethu township for a real South African braai (BBQ) and dancing. Grab dinner on Long Street at Mama Africa, sit in the room with the nightly band, buy their CD, and split the Wild Game Grill with the table. 



 Feast on crocodile, springbok, ostrich, kudu with a side of pap, an authentic South African polenta like dish.Grab sundowners at Cafe Caprice in Camps Bay, enjoy the sunset and stay until closing or head over to Long Street to enjoy local breweries on the rooftop bar at Grand Daddy Hotel.

5. Hit the markets- and leave lots of room in your suitcase
Shop at Greenmarket square for all your African trinkets, drums, and more jewelry than you care to admit you bought. It is located off Long Street - you can't miss it. Go right before closing at 5pm when everyone is ready to make a deal and go home. We went back three times.

Do they tourist thing and make it over to the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront. This place is a mall on the wharf but our favorite spot was Market on the Wharf of endless food pop-ups, juice bars, and treats.

And please do not forget to go to Old Biscuit Mill on Saturday morning!

6. Get on your feet!
Hike the 3 hour, one-way trek up Table Mountain (one of the new 7 Natural Wonders of the World), bring your sundowners and snacks for the sunset, and catch the last tram back at 8pm. Be careful though, if the tablecloth (clouds) descend on the mountain, they will shut the tram and you will be hiking back - possible in the dark!

 

With views like this, it is worth the risk. If you are in need of an extra thrill, take a trip up Table Mountain and then take a leap of faith - try paragliding or abseiling off the top for the best views of Cape Town. You will never regret an Abseil trip!

But then there's Lion's Head. Hike this. Hike it twice but know it isn't for the faint of heart. The 45 minute one way trek is a climb. You will use chains, ladders, and throw yourself up boulders to make it to the top.

 

It is worth every step and scratch along the way. The climb is empowering and the views as you sit and dangle hundreds of feet above the ocean are breathtaking.

Just remember your flashlight for the climb down. This in the dark isn't for the clumsy.

 

 7. Stollenbosch and Constantia

 

Oh, wine routes of South Africa. Stay a night in Stollenbosch if you are able and grab Vine Hopper, a Hop On/Hop Off that shuttles you between vineyards throughout the day at your own schedule. Or take a transfer from Cape Town and tour through the region with Bikes n' Wine (because what is better then wine and bikes?) or Wine Flies (or both!). This place is unreal and South African wine is the best I have had in the world - and I can be a wine snob.

Head to Constantia to visit Groot Constantia, the oldest vineyard in the country, buy a bottle of wine and then head to Kirstenbosch, the largest botanical gardens in the Southern Hemisphere to attend one of their Sunday night concerts during the summer.

8. Sharks
The top activity to do in South Africa? Your trip will not be complete without Great Whites! These tours will take you to Gansbaai, provide your wetsuits, and get you up close to one of the most beautiful and terrifying creatures on Earth. The water in Cape Town is colder in the summer because of the ice melting in Antarctica (crazy right!?) but will provide for the best visibility in the water. Brave the chill and jump in!

Cape Town is a dream and there are countless more reasons it is #1 travel destination for 2014. We have already began planning our trip back for December.

Summer, you can't get away from me....