Cape Town, South Africa

Life is an adventure. Let’s go!

Garden Route and Karoo road trip.

I’d always dreamed of Africa. So when the big five-oh-my-how-did-this-happen came knocking on my door, I knew I had to jump at the chance to check it off my bucket list. This was going to be a once-in-a-lifetime adventure with wildlife, wine, wilderness, and waves.

The first no-brainer was the flight. Expecting multiple connections and long layovers to get me anywhere remotely exciting, I was delighted to find direct daily flights from DC, NY, and Atlanta to choose from. You can board, enjoy dinner and a movie, fly through the night, and wake up for the afternoon in Cape Town. That’s pretty civilized for a 16-hour straight shot.

Not just a family road trip, a milestone birthday, and fulfilling a safari dream, this trip was also a reunion of old friends—a band of Saffers, Brits, Kiwis, and Auzzies I knew from Dubai when I lived and worked there back in the day. It was a big ask to get everyone together, but with many of them already living in South Africa, it was the perfect destination to come together and braai, and braai some more.

With so many things to do and see, I have to thank my friends at the Tribal Tourist Travel Agency for their amazing insight and an awesome itinerary to make the most of our twelve days on the road. The absolute star was the WhatsApp group chat, which kept us on the right track with much humor and animated conversation, offering recommendations along the way and a plan for contingencies when they happened. This proved to be invaluable with sudden road closures and crazy weather en route to the airport on our departure day. They afforded us the same attention to detail as they would for clients headed out on their tailor-made luxury African adventures. If you want to know the difference between national parks, private game reserves, game lodges, or the many different safari tours out there, these are the guys to ask so you’ll know exactly the wildlife experience you are signing up for.

Cape Town and Cape Penninsular

I’m a believer that an airport’s arrivals and immigration experience is a good indication of what to expect from a country you are visiting. Landing in South Africa, people were genuinely welcoming and courteous every step of the way. Getting from the plane and checking into our hotel was seamless, we found ourselves at dinner with a glorious sunset view in no time. The ‘Mother City’ as Cape Town is fondly known, is a melting pot of different cultures, creative districts, and the buzzing Waterfront filled with world-class shopping, dining, and entertainment. Wow. What a way to start and acclimatize on this adventure!

We took in the sights on the red bus city tour, and of course we did Table Mountain. We visited the suburbs of Constantia with its vineyards and old Dutch colonial houses and enjoyed a braai with friends. We explored the charming fishing village of Kalk Bay with its cool bohemian vibe. And an old friend took us on a ‘surf tour’ to check out all the local surf spots and famous breaks in the area, as well as find the penguins of Boulders Beach and do the day trip down to Cape Point to climb the lighthouse, and see where the world’s two oceans meet.

Hermanus and Garden Route

The Western Cape’s scenery is breathtaking. Majestic mountainscapes, lush valleys, stunning beaches, and a mild Mediterranean climate support the unique Cape Fynbos shrubland, represented by the thistle-like Protea, the national flower of South Africa. The Garden Route (N4 highway) is a 190-mile (300km) coastal journey that begins in Mossel Bay and ends at Storms River to the east. The road takes you through epic scenery, a series of wide bays, headlands, and charming towns, with many nature spots, wild baboons, and points of interest along the way.

First we stopped in Hermanus, a seaside town famous for its whale watching. Our plans were to have a whale of a time, enjoy local restaurants, and explore the local art scene. It helps to have big-hearted friends that run the Spirit of Hermanus Distillery and the Folke & Goode craft brewery and who are also big foodies at that, and Lucky Friday, a graffiti, digital and mixed media artist in our motley crew. All aboard and ready for a magical mystery road trip to Wilderness we go!

When they said we were going to Wilderness, I was under the impression it was ‘the wilderness,’ some outback wild place far off the beaten path. This is why it is fun sometimes to not read every travel guide when you go and let someone else take the lead on your adventure. Wildness was not wild. Maybe we were a little wild at times. Wilderness was, in fact, very green and beautiful with lakes, beaches, hills with view points, and plenty of nature trails and watersports for the outdoor enthusiast. Fabulous cafes, farm-to-table restaurants, local artisan cheeses, and oysters. A place where we connected with nature, slowed down, and enjoyed each other’s company.

Jerffreys Bay and Route 62

We then took a detour further East to follow and find the ‘Endless Summer’, chill out, and catch a few waves in Jeffreys Bay.

On our return journey, we traveled partly on Route 62, the world’s longest wine route at 520 miles (850km). The road takes you through the dramatic mountain passes, the dry desert-like Karoo with succulents and prickle bush, roadside ostrich farms, rich farmlands, citrus groves, and vineyards. There are plenty of stunning views, winding roads, farm shops, quirky stops, and watering holes to keep you refreshed along the way.

Notes

Photo credit: Marlin Clark