Top 5 Reasons to visit South Africa
1. Wine South Africa has some amazing wines from multiple regions including Stellenbosch, Robertson Wine Valley & Hemel-en-Aarde all of which produce amazing wines both red white & sparkling! If you want a really memorable experience stay on a wine farm. I highly recommend L’Avenir Lodge & Eikendal Lodge. Both are located in Stellenbosch on working wine farms and they make great wines. L’Avenir Lodge overlooks the lovely wine valley & Eikendal lodge is right in the midst of the vineyards used to make its wine. Both are very charming with great service and easy accessibility to the many wineries of Stellenbosch. Be sure to taste their wines as well. The beauty of staying at them is you don’t have to drive anywhere after you’re done with your tastings.
L’Avenir Lodge
Sunset at Eikendal Lodge
2. Animals the ability to see lions, giraffes, elephants springboks, cheetahs, leopards, water bufffalos, rhinos & hippos on safari is very cool and something everyone should experience at least once in their life. Goondwana Game Reserve in Western Cape just a 4 hour drive from Cape Town has luxurious unique accommodations with breathtaking views and the chance to see the Big 5 and many other animals on game drives. If you visit South Africa during Oct & Nov you can see whales off the coast in Hermanus. Otherwise year round South Africa has penguins on the land based penguin colonies of Boulders Beach and Stony Point allowing you to get up close to see the penguins.
3. Scenery the beauty of Table Mountain, the beaches, the Cape of Good Hope, the bushlands, the coastlines & the winelands are breathtaking and spectacular providing something for everyone.
View of Table Mountain from the V&A Waterfront
Hermanus at Sunset
Franshhoek Cape Winelands
4. Food South Africa is a blend of many cultures resulting in some unique and tasty foods that run the gamut from fish and chips, to mincemeat, samosas, gatsbies to high end culinary delights prepared with ostrich, springbok & kudu. For a top notch dinner goto Dash restaurant in the Queen Victoria Hotel on the waterfront in Cape Town. The dishes are innovative very tasty and beautifully presented. Babel Restaurant at Babylonstoren Winery in Franshhoek serves an unforgettable lunch that is a true feast and the winery and grounds are a delightful place to visit. Be sure to try the wines as well but plan ahead for lunch as you must book a table at Babel 2 months in advance. Another fun experience is the food & wine pairing at Creation Wines in Hemel-en-Aarde a marvelous way to spend an afternoon. Finally for a brunch to remember goto the Tintswalo Atlantic where you can sit on a balcony overlooking the Atlantic Ocean and have a huge feast of amazing food in a spectacular setting.
Springbok Dash Restaurant
Yellow Salad Babel Restaurant
Food Pairing Creation Wines
5. Hope South Africa liberated itself from apartheid electing Nelson Mandella President in 1994 a mere 20 years ago. While there still is a long way to go, it is amazing to see the changes taking place as the country evolves and learns how to provide opportunities for many who were kept down for a very long time. If you have the opportunity, go on a township tour, and if you do it in Cape Town be sure to eat at Mzoli’s a butchery & braai owned and run by people living in Gugulethu township where it is located with delicious BBQ seasoned with amazing herbs and spices.
Gugulethu township
Mzoli’s Place Butcher & Braai
For more information and to make bookings goto:
L’Avenir Lodge www.lavenirestate.co.za
Eikendal Lodge www.eikendallodge.co.za
Gondwana Game Reserve www.gondwanagr.co.za.
Dash Restaurant at The Queen Victoria Hotel www.newmarkhotels.com/dining/dash-restaurant-bar
Babel Restaurant at Babylonstoren http://www.babylonstoren.com/babel_restaurant
Creation Wines http://www.creationwines.com/
Tintswalo Atlantic http://www.tintswalo.com/atlantic/
Mzoli’s Place http://www.capetown.travel/attractions/entry/mzolis_place
