For as long as I can remember one of my main items on my bucket list was heading to Africa and going on a Safari. So, when my mom declared that she wanted to take a break from vacationing in Europe and wanted to go on a safari, I knew we were in for an adventure.
We knew that in order to make my parents comfortable with a trip so outside of their comfort zone, and if we’re honest, a Safari was outside of ours as well, we would need to join a tour group (yup, I said it). If you know Matt at all, you know that “tour group” is a dirty word to him. There is nothing he hates more than being herded around with a large group of people and being told what to do and where to do it. But this Gate 1 eight day tour for less than $2500 including airfare was just too good for even us to pass up. As a compromise, we went a few days early, so that Matthew could do a little of his own thing before being herded into a group setting.
We went to South Africa in late June of 2017 – Sorry, this post is a little delayed, but I’ve been getting requests for what we did in Cape Town. So…. here we go!
Don’t miss…
Test Kitchen –Cape Town – Dinner – Test Kitchen is in the Woodstock neighborhood of Cape Town in the Old Biscuit Mill, it is basically Williamsburg, Brooklyn 15 years ago before it became full of hipsters. This is the most amazing restaurant experience that I have ever had in my life. We had 8:30pm dinner reservations and they only allow you into the restaurant at your exact reservation time. When we entered we were escorted over to a dark room with low bar seats. There you were treated to two complimentary cocktails and ticket around the world on a culinary adventure.
We were given a map of the world ……ceviche from Peru, fois gras “candy” with gold on it from Scotland, and pork cracklings in a cheddar beer froth that I will never forget to name a few.
Then, when we were done with our cocktails, we rang a bell and went through a door into the “light” room. There we were greeted with a 10 course tasting menu with wine pairings.
Matt and I shared two different wine pairings the Gourmand and the Iconic – in order to maximize our wines that we would try. My dad was super excited because they curated a beer pairing for him, which was just a dream. We didn’t order it, but I thought that it was really cool that they had a tea pairing menu as well for people that don’t drink. The pairings they did with these drinks and the food were exactly what Somms around the world dream to create. They were the perfect pairings of fat and acidity, smoke and mirrors (literally) and above all else balance. It did not disappoint. There is a reason that this place is one of the 50 best restaurants in the world.
At the end of the night a big, bronze, brandy cart rolled over to our table. At that very moment the song from Netflix Chef’s Table was playing in the background. It was one of those unforgettable moments, well at least for my mom and me. Matt greedily accepted the brandy, hearing the song playing and my dad was more interested in what beer the people that work in the kitchen drink than accepting a glass of complimentary brandy. We closed the restaurant down that night, talking our waiter Dowd’s ear off and loving every moment of this night we continue to talk about over a year later.
Chef’s Warehouse – Cape Town – Lunch – We enjoyed an 8 course tasting lunch at the Chef’s Warehouse. The exciting thing about this place is that the food changes everyday! This is a cozy little restaurant in the heart of Cape Town. They have a few outdoor tables and on a gorgeous late July day, it was the perfect setting for our lunch. They have a cute kitchen store with books inside. They don’t take reservations at the Chef’s Warehouse, but they do have a little, and I mean little (hope you’re not tall, because these ceilings are low) bar next door called, “No Reservations.” No Reservations is the perfect place to get a wine and relax while you wait for your table to become available at Chef’s Warehouse.
Boulders beach – Simon’s Town –Animal Watching – This was seriously one of the highlights of the trip and one of the coolest thing that I have seen in life. It is about an hour drive from downtown Cape Town to Boulder beach (we took an uber and the driver stayed to bring us back). Upon arriving, you pay a small fee to the national parks department to enter and then walk down a large boardwalk surrounded by sand and brush. Immediately, we started to see little penguin heads popping out from the sand only a few feet away from us. As we continued to walk down the path the beach stretched out with hundreds of tiny, teetering African Penguins. We could have watched these little guys splash and bob in the water for hours.
District Six Museum- Cape Town – Museum – My parents and I went on a tour of the districts and made a stop at the District Six museum. Housed in an old Methodist church, this museum is full of recreated homes, pictures, artifacts and real life stories of what happened during the apartheid of the 1960’s and 1970’s and the impact that it left. I really wished that I had done more reading and research on South Africa prior to taking this trip.
aMadoda Braai and Restaurant – Cape Town – Dinner – For a local experience, go to a braai (a local barbecue spot). aMadoda has since closed, but you can find similar restaurants (to use the term loosely) all around Cape Town. This is a no frills eating experience where you eat with your hands (sorry Dad) and there were no vegetables in sight (sorry Mom). We went on a Friday night and the music was pumping from a DJ booth and locals dancing, singing and just having a good time. We had our meat cooked by the braai professionals, but the locals seemed to enjoy cooking their own meat on big open grills. We sat at a large table and made some new friends from Zimbabwe while we drank local beers and ate steaks and sausages.
Origin – Cape Town – Coffee & Breakfast – We are constantly on the hunt for a breakfast spot that can not only get the coffee right, but also has a well rounded breakfast. This place nailed it! Any place where you have shakshuka and an avacado smash on the menu and also have quality single origin coffee & espresso is a win in our book.
Mulderbosch – Stellenbosch – Winery – One of Matt’s friends is in the South African wine business, and we were lucky enough to spend our morning in Stellenbosch, with the very talented winemaker of Mulderbosch, Adam Mason. I always have a bottle of their rose on standby for drinking on our terrace all summer long. It’s the best! But Adam also shared with us some other projects that he is working on like their Raised by Wolves label and lucky for us they sell it at our wine shop around the corner from our apartment, Winfield Flynn. Woohoo! They have a gorgeous shaded patio overlooking the vineyards and amazing gourmet pizzas to munch on at lunchtime. Make sure to book ahead.
Kleinood Wineries – Stellenbosch – Winery – This vineyard is open by appointment only, but it is definitely worth stopping by this absolutely breathtaking estate. Their wine label is called Tamboerskloof and the estate is filled with outdoor art and gardens as well as the obvious, vineyards. They make some great wines and olive oils here and was well worth the visit.
Glenelly Estates – Stellenbosch – Winery – This had the most contemporary tasting room of any of the vineyards we visited in South Africa. I remember walking up a large flight of stairs to a modern glass filled room overlooking the vineyards and it was just stunning. We sat out on their extensive patio taking in the sunset and their delicious wine tasting. The good news is that they also sell Glenelly Estates wines around the in New York at Winfield Flynn.
Mabula Game Lodge – Limpopo Province – Lodging & Animal Watching – We had to fly to Johannesburg in order to make our way to the game lodge (2 and a half hour drive from Jo-berg).
Upon arriving for our Safari, we were hoping to see some giraffes, zebras, and maybe a rhino or two. We went into it having low expectations on the big game front and thought we would be lucky to see one of the infamous “Big Five” that everyone talks so much about. Just as a refresher, because I knew I needed one… the big five includes: lions, leopards, buffalo, African elephants, and rhinoceros. We were lucky enough to see four out of the five up close and personal. The leopard was the only one of the big five that hid from us. Along with those, we saw giraffes, warthogs, and zebras and some of the most beautiful birds that I have ever seen in my life. These birds were just gorgeous and were as colorful as a rainbow. Seeing them made me see understand the draw of bird watching.
It was mind blowing how close we were able to get to all of these wild animals and the most surprising was how close we got to the lions. They were so strong, muscular, and fierce and only yards away from where we were sitting.
We went on two early morning game drives with stops for coffee, snacks and snuggling under the blankets before dawn. In the afternoon, we would head out again and have wine/beer and snacks. Every time we went out it was a new adventure.
Every time we went out it was a new adventure the sunrises and sunsets were like nothing we had ever seen before. The red-est reds, most orange oranges and deepest purples you have ever seen in a sunset before.
Horseback Riding – Mabula Lodge – Animal Watching – On our free morning at the lodge the four of us went on a tour of the safari on horseback. We all had a little bit of nervous energy about riding in the wild, mainly because it had been years since we had all ridden. Well, as they say, you just got to get back on the horse. They seemed to pair our horses with our personalities. In true from, Matt got the wild one, my dad got the one that is named after a beer, my mom had a horse name Carlos who didn’t want to listen to anything she said and mine was nervous. They hit the nail on the head.
Being on a horseback safari gives a completely different vantage point of the amazing landscape around us. We were able to get a few feet away from the giraffes, warthogs, and even the rhinos (this was a little to close for comfort for me). I will never forget the moment when the rhinos started to charge at my mom’s lazy horse Carlos and she started to give him a speech about how even though everyone thinks he’s lazy, she believed in him, oy!
If you have time/ are in the neighborhood….
Robben Island – Cape Town – Sightseeing – Heading to Robben Island was a highlight for many of our friends who have previously visited South Africa. However, most of them came to South Africa during their summer, when the water is flat and the sun is out. We however, took the ferry over to this island in huge 15 feet swells (they hadn’t been running the boat the two days before) and honestly they probably shouldn’t have been that day either. The boat was rocking so hard that people were fainting and getting sick all over the boat. I also don’t think it helped that we didn’t have the most engaging tour guides. I would say if you have time, check it out…. it’s an important part of history… however, I would definitely check the weather report prior to boarding.
Tribe Coffee – Woodstock – Coffee & Breakfast – In a house that is set back off the road in the trendy Woodstock neighborhood it has a rustic surfer vibe going on inside. They make a mean flat white here and have delicious pastries and breads.
Fairview Vineyards – Suider-Paarl – Winery –This vineyard features the wine label, “Goats Do Roam” a cheeky play on words. We stopped at this vineyard on our tour with my parents and were greeted by a super friendly staff. There we enjoyed tasting 6 different wines and cheese pairings (with both goat and cow cheese). Next time I would stop at this vineyard after lunch, we went right after breakfast and it was a little early to have that much wine and cheese. I know, I know…it’s five o’clock somewhere.
Spier Wine Farm – Stellenbosch – Winery – This winery had beautiful grounds and a farm house modern feel inside of the large tasting room. It almost looked like it was one of Joanna Gaines creations from the show, “Fixer Upper.” It was adorable, and it also had a great gift shop too. This was our last stop on our organized vineyard tour and it ended on a high note with 6 wines paired perfectly with 3 different gourmet chocolates. Our offerings included some of the following: the Signature Pinotage paired with a dark malted cherry chocolate. A vintage Riesling paired with a white cardamom and passion fruit chocolate and a Method Cap Classique paired with a white peppered plum chocolate.
Boschendal – Franschhoek – Winery – Beautiful dutch architecture was everywhere in this stunning vineyard. We took a very informative tour of the entire vineyard before sitting outside and having our wine tasting. This vineyard was closely surrounded by mountains and absolutely lovely company. We sat at a large table outside in the garden with a French couple who made the mistake of telling my dad he looks like a super famous French actor, Fabrice Luchini (big mistake, my dad still hasn’t stopped talking about this).
The V & A Waterfront – Cape Town – Sightseeing – This place is a bit touristy, but if you have a little time I would venture down there for a little bit. I am always a sucker for a beautiful waterfront. It’s a great spot to take a few pictures. The VA waterfront, is like NYC’s South Street Seaport. It has a lot of different local boutiques and a local food hall including local jerky’s (like kudu, similar to antelope and ostrich) and African stews.
Lion’s Head – Cape Town – Hiking – Lion’s Head stands proud 2000 ft high above the coast in between Table Mountain and Signal Hill. This is an hour-and-a-half to two-hour upward spiral to the top of the mountain. The hike was a bit longer for me since Matt neglected to tell me that the last quarter mile of the hike is super strenuous, steep, and you have to use a chain ladder (yes, chain ladder) to get to the top. We made it up in about 2 hours and then probably another 1 and a half hours to get back down again. The views were all worth it in the end, but I won’t pretend there wasn’t any whimpering and evil eyes thrown when I saw that chain ladder hovering over the ocean and the city dangling below me.
Don’t Bother…
Be aware of yourself & your surroundings – We had a little bit of a scare, when my dad’s debit card got stolen and Matt chased after the people onto the hood of the getaway car. I’m not telling you this to scare you. I’m just telling you so that you are aware. It honestly could have happened anywhere. It was just one of those moments where you let your guard down and your instincts kick in. It definitely wouldn’t keep us from going back to South Africa again.
To Sum It All Up….
South Africa is a dream vacation. True paradise for lovers of food, wine, and hiking. If you love animals and unbelievable landscapes this place is for you.