South Africa [2026]
- 11 minutes ago
- 10 min read
We ventured to the Western Cape for a friends' wedding in wine country. Rather than trying to force including a safari, we stuck to the Garden Route for our (about a) week and half trip. The landscapes were all-around stunning, the food was affordable, and the driving (left side of the road) was quite manageable. The wedding was not only beautiful, but the details were thoughtful, and the quiet moments were equally memorable. We enjoyed every minute of this hiking, celebrating, museum-ing, and general exploring adventure.
What We Did
Pre-trip Notes
Car Rental & Driving: Honestly one of the best at-the-counter experiences we've had. The car we had had a bit of difficulty going up hills (literally floored it), but if you rent a car better equipped for this, you'll have no problem. Roads in South Africa are generally pretty wide, which is much friendly for those of us who drive on the right side of the road. Also, we found that slower drivers (even at high speeds) pull over in the shoulder to allow others to pass. It works surprisingly well, but be super careful because people walking in the shoulder can be quite common.
Luggage Storage: We've used Radical Storage in the past with no issue, but our experience in Cape Town was very poor. The spot was well-rated, but the owner was never there for the drop off and pick up. We interfaced with the convenience store owner (not our Radical Storage contact; the place had at least 4 business in the same store), and he acted like he had no idea this other guy ever looked after luggage. We ended up talking with the Radical Storage contact on the phone, and we had no other options for the day, so we decided to have faith and not have it ruin the day (it ended up being fine). It was a huge headache, and we'll definitely think twice about using Radical Storage in the future. That said, in Cape Town there is Bag Drop, which offers a similar service and runs like a Swiss watch. You can utilize a drop box (for pickup later) or have someone pick up your luggage and take it to the airport for you. We were super impressed - HIGHLY recommend.
Shark Cage Diving (Marine Dynamics): We had this booked, but the seas ended up being too choppy. And, we weren't able to make the make-up date/time. So, we received a refund no problem. This company is touted as the most environmentally-friendly experience in the region.
Flights: We took the KLM Amsterdam route to Cape Town, which was uneventful. However, we took the Delta flight via Atlanta on the way home which was an absolute mess. Due to the long-range nature of the flight, when one of the pilots (two pilots, two co-pilots) got sick, we had to make an emergency stop in Puerto Rico. This itself was not an issue (we only hoped he/she was okay). The issue was the absolute chaos/mishandling of the situation that ensued post-communication that we were changing course. The toilets didn't work below 16,000', so we were told to use them before landing. After only a few minutes of telling us this, the flight attendants then told us to sit down so they could quickly serve us breakfast instead. While we understood they were doing their best, using the finicky bathrooms was more important. Then, there was the picking up our bags, exiting the airport, USDA inspections, re-booking, and re-checking bags that was (without going into boring detail) again chaotic and poorly communicated on the process. Delta gave us $12 for food (which covers about a bag of chips) and a "We're sorry" email. Overall, it was a very bad experience.
Safety: In Cape Town proper, there are poorer areas that are typically labeled unsafe. Like any city, we generally kept our belongings in our bags, walked during the day, and stayed together. We had no issues.
Cape Town
Cape Point Tour: We did this bus tour that took us to the Old Cape Point Lighthouse, from which we hiked to the Cape of Good Hope. The views were beautiful, and the plan was very well-communicated. From here, we took the bus to Boulders Beach to see the South African penguins. We took our pictures at the beach (super cool), then enjoyed some tasty ice cream on the way back to the bus. It was a full-day tour (~9 am - 5 pm), and we thought it was worth it just so we didn't have to drive.
Table Mountain (Platteklip Gorge to upper Cable Station): While it was foggy this day ("Tablecloth on"), it helped with temperature and cleared a bit by the time we got to the top. The first bit of the trail was well-maintained switchbacks, but the majority of the hiking time was spent on the "Devil's Stairs" during the second half. They're also well-maintained but do take some time to climb! In all, it took us about 2.5 hours to get to the cable car. We really enjoyed it! At the top, we got celebratory beers and enjoyed the view.
Cable Car: We were able to purchase tickets by card at a kiosk, and there was little-to-no line (not the case if you take the car up - we've heard there can be quite a line even early in the morning). It was a nice little ride down!
Safety: We'd heard some areas could be dicey, but we encountered not even a whiff of mischief. Perhaps the poor weather helped, but we've heard the trail also matters. There was someone (official) watching the cars at the trailhead, but always leave belongings out of site as a general rule. Also, be aware of your surroundings in the unlikely event something does happen while you're hiking.
Protea Flower Top of Table Mountain stairs
District Six Museum: We opted for the self-guided tour, but if museums aren't much your jam you may want to do the guided tour. It's an older, small museum, but there's LOTS to read/learn about the districting and forced relocation during apartheid.
MOCAA: While we would have normally gone for the natural history museum, we had several friends at the wedding suggest this museum. It did not disappoint. The place is situated inside of a silo and flows impressively well. We saw so many different media by different African artists. We loved it.
Bo-Kaap: A super colorful, 19-century Muslim neighborhood. We didn't go into the museum, but we did wander the colorful streets and bought some art from a local shop. While in the area, we were warned about safety, but we had no problems.
District Six Museum Bo-Kaap neighborhood MOCAA Museum
Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden: Highly recommended by the bride, and it was stunning! The gardens were much larger than we expected, so spend more time here if you can.
Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden
Franschhoek
Mont Rochelle Nature Reserve (Uitkyk Trail): We wanted to do a moderate hike the morning before the wedding, and we really loved this one. It's an out-and-back route that had so many wonderful things to offer. From interesting plants to dramatic views...we're really glad we found this trail.
Side note: During our visit, there was lots of roadworks (even on our way to Wilderness), which reduced a handful of stretches of two-way road down to one lane. We were never stopped for more than 15 minutes, so it didn't hinder is much.
La Roche Estate: The wedding venue. Absolutely breathtaking!
Swellendam
Marloth Nature Reserve (Koloniesbos Trail): Since our cage diving didn't pan out, we decided to do a little hike near our Airbnb. We didn't do the whole trail (ran out of time), but it was a nice one with good views over the town. There's even a fun (rope-optional) stream crossing!
Bontebok National Park: We had thought this would be a "quick" visit...it really requires a bit more time. After walking a short trail and driving/getting lost on the big loop, we were convinced we wouldn't see a bontebok, then...BAM. A bontebok ran right in front of our car. That was pretty cool.
Route 62
Ronnie's Sex Shop: We told our host in Swellendam that we were heading to Oudtshorn. He INSISTED we do three things along Route 62 (similar to Route 66 in the US), and Ronnie's was one of them. The story goes that Ronnie's shop (not actually a sex shop) sign fell victim to a friend's can of paint which led it to become the "photo op" for which it's famous. It's a fun drink stop that's gained notoriety through the years.
Oudtshorn
Cango Caves: We did the 90-minute Adventure Tour so we could see more of the overall cave system. Overall, the spelunking was fun, and some of the stalagmites/stalactites were spectacular! We didn't find it strenuous at all but were a bit concerned by how many of the other spelunkers were consistently out of breath. There are some tight squeezes and slippery surfaces, but it was a very mild tour. One lady even wore sandals. We did, however, learn of the lady who got stuck in 2007, which caused her whole group to get stuck for 11+ hours. The learning here was to only do the tour if you're "trim" and listen to the guide lol. We'd also advise against taking a "nice" (e.g. DSLR) camera. With the tight squeezes and crawling, you can't take it along with you for some of the tour.
Mossel Bay --> Wilderness --> Plettenberg Bay
Robberg Nature Reserve (Robberg Hiking Trail): Our Wilderness host highly recommended we go east to hike rather than only sticking to Wilderness. We're so glad we listened. This well-manicured loop is filled with epic views, seals, shore walking, and beautiful foliage the whole way. There is a cafe at the trail head, as well as a toilet, which was a nice bonus!
Robberg Nature Reserve (Robberg Hiking Trail) Robberg Nature Reserve (Robberg Hiking Trail) Robberg Nature Reserve (Robberg Hiking Trail)
Garden Route National Park (Half-Collared Kingfisher Trail): This was an out-and-back that has two options: the "Red + Green" (moderate) route or the "Green only" (easy) route. After paying the park fee, one of the attendants let us know there were some boys bothering folks along the route (begging mostly). She told us to ignore them and that rangers were on their way to find them. We never saw them but stayed vigilant just in case. We didn't see any kingfishers, but we had some fun views of the stream, as well as the rewarding view of the waterfall at the turnaround. The "Red" part of the route is a regular dirt-type trail, with a good chunk of the "Green" trail being a boardwalk. There were quite a few mosquitoes, but overall it was a nice afternoon hike to round out the day that included both stone hopping and self-pull pontoon stream crossings.
Pinnacle Point (Pinnacle Point to Oyster Bay): We'd have loved to hike this whole stretch (essentially Mossel Bay to Pinnacle Point), but we didn't have time. So, we went to this golf course to access part of the trail. Entry was free and the views were surreal. We even saw about five rock hyrax - they're very cute.
Side note: If you have gumby ankles like Ash, wear ankle-supporting footwear (or just be very mindful), as some of the trail goes onto sloped edges of the golf course. Much of the trail is just off off/below the course, but there are a few times you have to walk the edge of the course.
Food
Cape Town
Molten Toffee: Delicious breakfast and where we first learned South Africa "does yogurt right."
Two Oceans Restaurant: We had the option to dine here or do the take-away pizza place on our Cape tour. Since we had lots of time, we opted for the sit down for views and a beer. The food was also quite good!
Time Out Market Cape Town: Ash had been to the Time Out in NYC, and this one proved to be equally awesome. It's like an indoor food truck park but very much still "brick and mortar." There's something for everyone, and there's even really great live music. HIGHLY recommend.
The Ladder: We got this for take-away to eat just before hiking Table Mountain. They weirdly didn't have take-away spoons (we used the bowl lids :P ), but the food was delicious (oats and yogurt).
TANG Asian Luxury Restaurant: The food and drink were good but the service was really slow.
Jason Bakery: Again with the yogurt! The coffee was also great.
Truth Coffee Roasting: This was our snack/lunch stop. The beer, food, and service were all great.
Ferrymans Irish Tavern: One last beer before heading to the airport. Service was quick even though it was packed!
Franschhoek
The Franschhoek Beer Company: This was the "Night Before" the wedding event. The venue is fun and the staff were wonderful. There's also karaoke!
Terbodore Café: DELISH.
The Hussar Grill Franschhoek: This was a late-night visit (ha), but we recall the food and drink were actually pretty good!
Franschhoek Wine Tram: The bride and groom organized this for anyone interested, and it was so fun! The vineyards are gorgeous, and the wines were amazing. Highly recommend checking out the wine countries in South Africa.
yollys: Definitely not a place for dinner. The cheese samples, while good, are super small. It was a fun little stop, though, post-wine tram!
Swellendam
Woodpecker Pizzadeli: The food was good, but the stromboli took forever (lesson learned).
Route 62
Diesel & Crème: This was the top Route 62 activity our host in Swellendam recommended. Incredible milkshakes at a Route 66-like gas station restaurant.
De Krans Wines: The third recommendation from our host. This is one of the bigger vineyards to visit in this particular part wine country (described as "less snobbish"), and we stopped in for some lunch. It was lovely eating/drinking underneath the vines! We also learned that they hang small, clear bags of water with flecks of aluminum in them to attract/kill flies.
Wilderness
The Girls on the Square: Sometimes restaurants with a wide variety of food options can be a big miss, but we both really enjoyed our food here.
Mugg & Bean On The Move Wilderness: We went here twice for early coffee and brekkie (one of the only places open near us). The coffee was good and the muffins were AMAZING.
Mozambik Wilderness: The food was very good and flavorful. The service, however, was very slow. This wasn't on the wait staff but seemed to be a kitchen-related issue. Also, upon getting seated, they were fully booked and had us sit at a sofa-table combo. This was fine, but we would have liked to be reseated once a table opened up as we got bitten by mosquitoes and seating got uncomfortable after a while (which was notable given the long wait for food).
Ilali Restaurant: This place was nice. More expensive than Mozambik, but we stopped here after dinner for dessert and drinks. It was really great.
Rock hyrax! Garden Route National Park (Half-Collared Kingfisher Trail) Baboons! Wine tram/tour in Franschhoek Pinnacle Point
![Seychelles [2024]](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d4f7d7_f396d9aad0b94754abd098eaaba68531~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_980,h_653,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_avif,quality_auto/d4f7d7_f396d9aad0b94754abd098eaaba68531~mv2.jpg)
![Egypt [2022 & 2026]](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d4f7d7_a172fa5d6ba6429f8f8f6221d6ea4c61~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_980,h_654,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_avif,quality_auto/d4f7d7_a172fa5d6ba6429f8f8f6221d6ea4c61~mv2.jpg)
Comments