After an action-packed and wonderful time in Europe and some time at home in the U.S., we entered a new continent: Africa!  We were very excited to start traveling to a new continent but knew that the culture and way of doing things would differ from Europe.  And it definitely has been different in many ways.  We landed in Johannesburg, South Africa and stayed a few nights to shake off the jet lag, and then moved south to Cape Town and the south coast.

Franschhoek Wine Country

When we landed in Cape Town, we quickly picked up a car (NOTE: they drive on the left side of the road with the driver’s seat on the right) and made the trip to the famous Stellenbosch Wine Country which is northeast of Cape Town.  We stayed in Franschhoek since it is a smaller town than Stellenbosch but it still offers great access to the region, including a tram station for the wine tram. For the wine lovers out there, you may already know that South Africa actually has quite a presence in the wine scene.  The southern tip of South Africa provides many different environments for good grape growing.  Some parts are tropical and others are arid.  While we enjoy a glass of wine, we don’t claim to be experts on wine. This only encouraged us to explore the region and try our share of wine.

Vineyards We Visited

The cool part of staying in Franschhoek (or towns in the area) is that many of the vineyards or wineries are based around experiencing their properties.  Some of them have art galleries, motor museums, or play places for children.  There is even one place that has a Cheetah reserve onsite.  And they actually have a network of wine trams & buses that have routes to different vineyards.  There are eight different lines that take you to different vineyards and pick you up to take you to the next one and so on.  We didn’t utilize this however since we had rented our own car.  If you are interested, the details of the wine tram are here.

Fairview

We wasted no time in getting our first winery experience in the Franschhoek region.  Right on the drive from the airport, we stopped at Fairview.  Their property is beautiful with lots of plants and a large number of tastings, etc.  Britta had already booked us the Masters Tasting that pairs 8 wines with 8 different cheeses.  It was absolutely delicious!  It was a great introduction to the region.

Vrede En Lust

This is the only vineyard that we visited where we actually left with a bottle to share later.  After trying their wines, we were really impressed with the flavor.  The property is beautiful and has a great view of the mountains shielding the valley from the Atlantic Ocean.

Atlas Swift

Atlas Swift is self-proclaimed to be the Chardonnay capital of Franschhoek.  We were lucky enough to be able to lounge in their outside garden area and it was really delightful.  The wines from Atlas Swift are actually made from grapes all over the Western Cape of South Africa.  Each Chardonnay has a personality based on the different climates in which the grapes thrive.  It was really interesting to be able to literally taste the difference in the climates.

La Bri

This vineyard was unique in that they had different types of pairings you could do with their wines.  Britta did a wine and chocolate pairing and I did a wine and biltong tasting (NOTE: Biltong is basically like a jerky or dried meat made from different types of meat.  It is very common in Africa.).  The pairings were fun and the wine was very enjoyable.

The Garden Route

The southern tip of South Africa has coasts of both the Atlantic and Indian Oceans.  The drive along the coast is called the Garden Route and has lots of places to stop and enjoy.  There are a couple of nature reserves and national parks which highlight the natural beauty of the plants, wildlife, and water.  We stayed in Knysna and took our car to some great hiking areas to see the sights.

Tsisikamma National Park

The Tsisikamma National Park is at one of the furthest points east on the Garden Route.  It bumps right up to the Indian Ocean.  They have a hiking path that goes out to a suspension bridge that goes over a channel in from the ocean.  The waves crash along the rock-filled shores as whales puff in the near distance.  The water creates a nice little breeze that compensates for the hot sunshine.  It is a lovely walk with several sets of wooden stairs to go up and down out to the suspension bridge.  The walk itself is worth it with some calming tree cover and little trickling waterfalls.  The height you reach along the coastline bluffs give you a good viewing spot for the whales.  The cherry on top is seeing the water and little channel from the fairly low suspension bridge.  It was a beautiful day and a wonderful walk with great views.

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Robberg Nature Reserve

A little further west and closer to Knysna is the GORGEOUS Robberg Nature Reserve.  Sitting on a peninsula on one of the southernmost spots in South Africa is a reserve so diverse and picturesque.  Since the peninsula itself is fairly narrow (see below), you can see a lot of the plants, geology, and wildlife packed in along the hiking trails.  You have quite a few options which can be quite challenging with the climbing stair work required.

It is totally worth the time and effort.  You start on the north side of the peninsula regardless of which path you choose.  You start high above a bay of pristine water and light waves turning the sand shores white.  We even saw a shark swimming back and forth along the coast looking for seals!

The shark may not have seen them, but we were able to see hundreds of seals off the shore and along the rock walls of the northern shore of the peninsula.  The barking can be heard from a distance and with the water being so clear you can see them swimming and playing close to the coast.

As you walk along the rocky, and sometimes boarded, walking path you may hear or come across the resident baboons.  We saw a couple of them taking advantage of high points on the red-tinted rock formations and boarded walkways.  They are so curious and give the peninsula some larger land animals to add to the checklist of things to see.

The landscape along the walking path is somewhat arid or dry with rocks of many colors.  The plant life thrives in the ocean tropics and creates plenty of shade for the variety of lizards and birds.  There is also a small valley about halfway into the peninsula where a large amount of sandy beach-like landscape can be seen.  The breeze easily becomes wind through this tunnel and the view out to the little island off the south end of the peninsula is well framed.

The south side of the peninsula has a deep sandy beach spilling out into the small island which you can walk out to.  The path along the southern side has crashing waves from the ocean and a more rocky path to walk along and climb on.  It makes for a beautiful variety as you reach the end of the path where you started.

Knysna Lodge

Knysna is like a tropical paradise with a quiet bay and views out to the ocean.  It is a happening town with lots of places to eat and coffee shops for a morning pick-me-up.  We decided to grab a once-in-a-lifetime place to stay up in the hills above the city.  This “treehouse” is an absolutely beautiful property with lots of trees, animals, and views.  The Knysna Lodge Glamping Cabin 1 is perfect for two couples (4 people) or maybe a small family.  It worked great for the two of us as well.  They have a wood-fired hot tub looking over Knysna and the bay beyond.  Tasha is an AMAZING host and having the opportunity to relax here after a long day of hiking was just so lovely.

Things to Know Before You Go

Power Grid

Unfortunately, South Africa has been plagued with power grid problems for a while now.  All of South Africa is currently dealing with widespread planned power outages – load shedding.  They work in stages based on how much relief the grid needs and the time of the year.  As the stage number increases, so does the length and frequency of outages planned.  The planned outages can be seen here based on where you are in South Africa.  They can change as frequently as daily.  

While many businesses and/or homes have stand-by generators to keep power up in their establishments, some don’t have this luxury.  Most of the places we stayed at in South Africa did not have generators and relied on battery powered lights or candles to help with lighting.  Many times wifi was offline completely during the outages.  During load shedding, stop lights would be out of service, turning busy intersections into 4 way stops and requiring traffic police to help with the load.  Some outages could last up to four hours or more and up almost 9 hours in total daily.  It’s important to know if you are expecting to have air conditioning or heat and different times of the year and whether you rely on wifi extensively.  It also may be important if you plan to drive or travel during these outages.

Safety

Many travelers I know are concerned about safety and rightfully so.  South Africa has been hit really hard by the Covid-19 pandemic.  They are also only a few decades from the abolition of apartheid.  From our experience and with the advice of the U.S. State Department, South Africa is a tough one to visit right now.  Travelers who have not experienced much travel should really dig into researching South Africa before going.  There are definitely a lot of issues with crime as poverty plagues much of the country.  Carjackings are common in broad daylight for instance.  Some areas of the roads are signed to advise you not to stop or pick up hitchhikers.  It is quite common to see people out on the highway waving money in the air to catch a ride.  It is an unwritten practice to run red-lights (slowly) at dark in urban areas like Johannesburg or Cape Town as a way to keep from being a target for carjacking.  The streets in many neighborhoods of those same urban areas are not safe to walk by yourself or at all due to the potential of muggings.

This is not to scare you, it is meant to advise you of the type of travel you might be subject to if you go to South Africa during the coming years.  With the proper planning and advice by your country’s government, it can still be enjoyable.  But, you need to be more vigilant and aware of increased risks.  The country is beautiful; the people we met were friendly and kind.  There is a lot that South Africa has to offer, but it comes with risks and potentially some uncomfortable situations.  Overall, South Africa is a great place with lots to see as long as you make sure to research where you go and with whom you travel with.

Recap

Next Up!

• Botswana

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