"Exploring South Africa: Travel Tips for Your Next Adventure"

Key Points

• Cape Town is REALLY windy! (Ladies, be mindful when packing short, flowy dresses, etc) Most restaurants provide blankets, which is nice, but pack a sweater if you get cold easily! Also, be mindful of weather when planning to go to Table Mountain. (Decreased visibility or strong winds shutting down the cable cars is not uncommon).

• There are power outages in South Africa almost daily, if not multiple times a day. It has something to do with their energy system and seemed like a sensitive topic when asked about it. The cute place we stayed in Cape Town had a lantern for us when the power would randomly go out. I recommend bringing a portable charger in case you need a charge. You won’t have issues at certain places that pay extra for their own generators (like the private safaris), but it’s common to have that experience in Cape Town, even at some restaurants.  

• If you love food and are willing to pay the price for an INCREDIBLE dining experience, book a reservation with FYN. You won’t be disappointed!!

• Cape Peninsula is SO worth doing! Rent a car and drive the peninsula to see the cute penguins and other incredible spots. (If you have time, hang out at one of the beaches close to Boulder’s Beach to potentially see the penguins up close and personal)

• Baboons are dangerous, regardless of their size. Especially around Cape Town, where they are used to being fed by humans, they can become very aggressive.

• If you can afford it, I 100% recommend staying at the private game reserves. I HIGHLY recommend staying at two different lodges on two different game reserves for a change of scenery (and animal sightings). Tintswalo will forever be my favorite place I’ve ever stayed in. From the planning process before the trip to the personalized care when we arrived, they surpassed my expectations and created the “wow” factor for our first safari. All the private safaris are amazing, and I don’t think you can go wrong with any of them!

• We felt safe the entire time we were in South Africa! We only had one run-in when this younger woman asked us for money in Cape Town. When we refused and kept walking, she attempted to pick-pocket. I called her out for it, and she left us alone. Other than this one incident, we had no other issues. I would recommend being vigilant like you would traveling in any other country.  

• Be mindful of what season you are traveling in! The rainy season for Kruger NP is November-April. When it rains, you are less likely to see African wildlife. I recommend researching the specific area and weather when planning your trip. The South African Seasons are:  

• Summer: December-February

• Autumn: March-May 

• Winter:  June-August

• Spring: September-November

  
  

Below are links to some of my favorite restaurants, activities, vendors, and lodging.

Cape Town Restaurants:

• FYN: Fine dining restaurant that puts emphasis on the “experience” of dining. (Recommend making a reservation)

• Kloof Street House: Great atmosphere & great food (gets very busy, recommend making a reservation)

• Silo Hotel Rooftop Bar: Good place to go for happy hour (no reservation needed but always a good idea if you want to guarantee a good spot)

• V&A Waterfront: Area where we walked around by the water, tons of restaurants and bars to choose from. I recommend spending some time just walking around this area, you can’t go wrong with any of the food options here. 

Activities:

• Paragliding: Purchasing the pictures afterwards is totally worth it!

• Cage Diving: (Note this company is not in Cape Town, it is about  a 2 hour drive south. Transportation from your hotel is included in the price).

• Franschhoek Wine Tram Tour: Many lines to choose from, we did the orange line. Recommend hiring a care service to drive you to the station or take an uber. Don’t drink and drive:)

• Table Mountain Cable Car: We purchased tickets when we arrived for the ride down only since we hiked at sunset. Be cautious of purchasing too early because the Cable cars are affected by weather, especially the wind.

Lodging (ALL MY FAVORITES! HIGHLY RECOMMEND STAYING AT EACH PLACE)

• La Grenadine Cape Town: Wonderful little bed and breakfast with quaint rooms, a great breakfast, and very friendly service. Great bang for your buck! $

• Tintswalo (Located in Manyeleti): HIGHLY recommend this lodge! Their attention to detail and dedication to making every part of the experience magical is exactly why this is my favorite lodge. Definitely worth the price $$$$

• Ulusaba (Located in Sabi Sands): Another great experience at a private safari lodge. Choose from a few unique lodging options: Safari Lodge, Cliff Lodge, and Rock Lodge. Perks with each location, specifically the safari lodge that has a watering hole that you can visit during your downtime! $$$$

Other Vendors:

• Blacklane Car Service: We used this company to book transportation to wine tram (then ushered back)

• Hertz Car Rentals: We've used Hertz all over the world and have never had any issues.. yet ;)