Just booked South Africa - top places to see/do (not safari)

[MeAndMyGhost]

Well, this is very exciting, I've just booked my first trip to South Africa for late March! Just me and DH.

I've been reading through older threads about things to do, places to see but wanted to understand if there were any must do's from people who had visited recently. Main interests are good food, wine, see some sights (Table Mountain & Robben Island are what DH wants to see). I'm open to anything a little bit off the beaten path, but not safari. Will be there for one week. Thank you

Sounds like you’ll be in Cape Town. We did off roading in the sand dunes, which was awesome. We also did a sunset cruise and a fabulous day trip that took us from Cape Town to Boulder’s Beach, with lots of stops along the way.

Oh fantastic! I like the sound of off roading in the dunes and the cruise. Seeing the penguins is one of my must-sees so it sounds like a great way to see both. Thanks for sharing.

It was an amazing holiday - absolutely loved it. We booked the tour through Trip Advisor before we went, the quad biking through Trip Advisor when we were there, and the cruise just in person at the Waterfront.

Good tip on using Trip Advisor, thanks. Glad you had a good time. I'm very excited now

Go and have dinner at a restaurant overlooking the beach in Clifton. Bus tour. Eat lunch on the V&A waterfront. I had a delightful tuna salad and large glass of white for about £4 (though this was 10 years ago).

@MeAndMyGhost Your DH is right about what he wants to see. However the Waterfront area doesn’t feel very unique.

The best things to do are going right down to the Cape. Call into Constanta Vinyard and see the wilder seascape areas and Chapmans Peak. The penguins are always fun.

On another day, do some research and have a drive around the Winelands. Book lunch in a winery but of course the driver cannot drink. Or take a tour. Franschoek is a lovely town. Plenty of beautiful places to visit.

Botanic gardens are beautiful. Franschoek for food & wine. Hermanus for whales. Boulder beach for penguins.

Sorry - should be Constantia - it’s beautiful. Camps Bay Area is fairly upmarket and worth a wander and you could add in Kirstenbosch gardens. Top tip - bar at the Silo Hotel. Look it up!

Cape Town is fantastic - definitely go to Robben Island.
Also, take the time to go into the city centre- I remember the Jewish Musebring really interesting.

Chapman's Peak Drive, which runs between Hout Bay and Noordhoek, is a must for scenic ocean views.

Hermanus for whale watching

Thank you to everyone for your thoughtful tips and insights. I hadn't contemplated whale watching, but definitely want to see the penguins 🐧 on Boulders Beach.

I'm completely overwhelmed on choosing somewhere to stay as it all looks so beautiful (nice problem to have).

Is it common to book and stay in several places and move around, or base yourself in one place? I realise I won't see everything in one trip but would like to maximise my week there.

For a week I would be inclined to book somewhere to use a base, otherwise you'll spend precious time packing, unpacking, checking in and checking out. All the recommendations on this thread are within easy reach of Cape Town.

We loved stellenbosch and spent a couple of nights there. Driving is very easy, just don’t drive at night (people and animals walking at night along road in pitch black, drunk drivers). We loved the botanical gardens in Cape Town, great cafe).

@MeAndMyGhost Whales are not really around in March. They are spring visitors in SA. July to Oct is best. Not March.

Id stay 3-4 nights in Cape Town and then spend time in the Wine area. You only need to move once. Staying on a wine estate or in Franschoek is a great experience and you cut down on travelling back to Cape Town.

Agreed - never drive at night. There’s a few rules for driving in SA and personal safety but common sense really. Always stay in “tourist” areas. Don’t wander off and go DIY in a township.

This place is lovely and right on the front,we always stay here https://www.dolphin-inn.co.za/
Youl have an amazing time in Cape town it's wonderful.

be careful to read up on safety in SA. things we take for granted here, presumably like dont wear flashy jewellery, keep car doors locked, be careful when out and about. Stay in safe areas no “let’s just drive and see where we end up”.

Ah hadn't realised about the whales but that makes sense, thank you!

Thank you - great advice. You can never be too careful <side eyeing DH who never locks cars>

This place looks fantastic, thank you for the recommendation.

We loved this market, just a short walk from the V&A waterfront - go hungry, the food vendors are amazing!
https://www.instagram.com/ozcfarm/

Agree with a pp that Franschhoek is a really lovely town.

Thank you, this looks right up my street.

I'm contemplating staying in Franschoek. Is it a bit touristy or depends on where you stay? Nothing wrong with that, but, something to consider, ie, busy v a bit more quiet. DH would probably veer towards a quieter option.

I really have no idea of scale 😬

We were there in June, so their winter, not high tourist season, and it was absolutely lovely, but I can't attest to what it's like in March. We had gorgeous autumnal weather, with the leaves turning and lots of wood fires. There was nice hiking nearby (we saw lots of baboons), we did a trail ride one day, there's a trolley thing you can take to go to wineries, so no one has to drive. We had dinner at a couple wineries but didn't do the tours. We had an absolutely amazing dinner here
https://eat-oku.co.za/food/

Adding - it's quite a small town.

Thank you! So helpful. I'll look up this restaurant, but the picture alone looks very promising! I heard the pricing in SA is very reasonable, which is a bonus.

Franschoek is a small town, not busy. This is worth a try https://winetram.co.za/hop-on-hop-off/

South Peninsula-Penguins at boulders beach, Cape point nature reserve (can be very windy) and cape point vineyards, Simonstown Bertha's seafood restaurant, Kalk Bay to walk around, small with lots of little restaurants/cafes on the coast (more bohemian)

Constantia wine route, great restaurants and wine farms, hout bay and Chapman peak - beautiful coastal road and scenery. Kirtenbosch botanical gardens

V&a waterfront - shopping, restaurants, seals, harbour. Campsbay strip - beaches restaurants (upmarket)

Winelands (franschhoek/stellenbosch/paarl) plenty of top restaurants and winefarms in beautiful settings, spoilt for choice