A couple of years ago, my husband James and I jetted off to South Africa on our megamoon. Circumstances meant this was 15 months after our big day so we were far from newlyweds, but we had to save up for what we planned on being the trip of a lifetime. We must have captured the honeymoon spirit though, as tourists and locals alike congratulated us on our recent nuptials.

Cape Town

In Cape Town we took in the incredible views from Table Mountain (wishing we had more time to visit Robben Island) and dropped by Camps Bay. We used the city as a base to visit Boulder’s Beach (the home of a huge penguin colony) and the Cape of Good Hope (where our peaceful stroll on a deserted beach was disturbed by a prowling baboon strutting his stuff on the sands). One place I wouldn’t rush to visit again was the V&A Waterfront shopping and entertainment centre but possibly that’s because we only had a brief tour and I wasn’t too impressed with what I saw.
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The Winelands

From Cape Town we journeyed into the Winelands to the charming town of Tulbagh and watched our two friends marry in the most majestic setting beneath a backdrop of the mountains. After the wedding we went to Franschoek and Stellenbosch, enjoying copious amounts of Chenin Blanc and spending one rather fabulous afternoon riding horseback through the Franschoek vineyards.

We then drove to the Garden Route breaking up the drive from the Winelands with a stop in Oudtshoorn. We joined the tourists with a trip to a cheetah reserve (where I got up close and personal with a cub) and then spent the afternoon in the Cango Caves, finally ending the day in Knysna.

The Garden Route

Then it was time to relax, spending a couple of days lazing on the beaches at Wilderness and Plettenberg Bay and sailing catamarans on the tranquil lagoon, and evenings dining at Treetop Lodge. After a tough (!) couple of days we made a whistle stop tour to Tsitsikamma National Park (home of the Storms River Suspension Bridge).

Safari

Two weeks of sunshine basking and the most ridiculous amount of tasty food and drink later, we ended the trip with our first ever safari and were lucky enough to see all of the Big Five at Shamwari Game Reserve.
Overall we found South Africa to be a safe country. We were extremely careful the entire time we were there, heeding the advice of friends who’d previously visited the country. By sticking to tourist routes we didn’t encounter any scary moments.

Quite simply it was a trip of epic proportions and I can’t imagine that any other holiday could ever match up!

We’re looking forward to sharing more of our Far Flung Favourites with you very soon. In the meantime, are you planning any long haul holidays? I’m absolutely desperate to go back to SA, so if you have any other suggestions I’d love to hear.

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{My Favourites}
  • Favourite Town | Franschhoek. Though Stellenbosch is viewed as the hipper place to stay, we loved Franschoek’s laid-back vibe, delicious food and friendly people.
  • Favourite Hotel | Maison Chablis in Franschhoek & Derwent House in Cape Town
  • Favourite Restaurant | Tokara on the outskirts of Stellenbosch. Check the sunset time and book a table by the window. Seeing the sun going down over the vineyard is stunning.
  • Favourite Memory | On our final game drive we were lucky enough to end up on a private tour. Driving up to the edge of a plain to see two lionesses lazing in the morning light will stay with me till the day I die.

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