The Western Cape and Garden Route – among South Africa’s best destinations – in some ways resemble the perfect red blend, like the many produced in the Cape Winelands. For bouquet, read the sheer loveliness of this region, and the diversity of its landscapes; for mouthfeel, the luxury accommodation; and then swirl in all the amazing activity options.
Tours of some of the most illustrious estates in the Cape Winelands – and the opportunity to taste their stellar creations – are sublime. In this region, the ocean feels as though it’s always close by, and you’ll find that it shapes much of the best Western Cape and Garden Route escapes.
It’s definitely worth going on a fynbos safari, to learn more about the incredibly rich botanical biodiversity found here. If you’re more into fauna than flora, a visit to Hermanus or Gansbaai gives you the chance to try and spot all of the Marine Big Five, which range in size from the African penguin all the way up to the southern right whale.
Back on dry land, enjoy encounters with the elephant of Addo – conservation efforts here have been so successful that you almost forget these creatures are listed as vulnerable.
Indeed, the riches of the Western Cape have attracted humans for millennia… Some of the earliest inhabitants left rock-art paintings at Bushmans Kloof, that can still be seen today – there’s no better proof that the Western Cape was special than knowing that it inspired such creativity.
Wine, whales and the song of the gulls – there’s so much to enjoy here!
