Eight luxury nights of food and wine heaven in South Africa
The luxurious 8 night Foodie focused itinerary is ideal for those wanting to experience the diversity of South Africa’s rich culinary heritage, while soaking up the iconic sights.
N.B. This itinerary is a guide only. You can add time and places to this and upgrade, reduce, or change travel and accommodation with us to make this a truly personal journey. Just click ‘enquire’, submit your own personal itinerary request at the end, or simply phone us.
PHONE: 01202 030443, or just click ‘enquire’
Highlights include the oldest wine growing region in South Africa; cultural walking tours to discover its diverse cuisine; Cape point and the meeting of Two Oceans; boutique wine estates in Franschhoek and Stellenbosch wine valleys and serenity in the Cederberg with exceptional dining.
Provisional Itinerary: Cape Town – Franschhoek – Cederberg
(with optional extension to see the Big Five in the Sabi Sands Reserve)
Day 1: Cape Town
Welcome to Cape Town! You will be met at the door of your aircraft with your name on a paging board and assisted through immigration, baggage collection and customs. You will then be shown to your awaiting transfer vehicle for your drop off at Cellars-Hohenort.
The lovely Cellars-Hohenort is positioned within acres of exquisite gardens in Cape Town’s historical Constantia Valley. Overlooking a vineyard, and with panoramic views of Table Mountain, the beautifully restored house offers history and contemporary elegance. 49 individually decorated rooms and suites afford charming luxury and superior comfort, most opening out onto the exquisite gardens, or featuring Peninsula views. High tea and sundowners are served in the bar and lounge, and three award-winning restaurants present superb meals in style. A spa, boutique and salon cater to those looking for relaxation, while the pool, gardens and tennis court provide outdoor spaces to play, or unwind in the sun. If a creative mood strikes, make use of the easels and paint, or take a bike ride around this gorgeous suburb.
• 49 classic rooms, suites or villa
• Beautiful garden setting in Constantia
• Vineyard and mountain views
• Spa, pool, tennis court & painting
• Excellent cuisine
Overnight: Cellars Hohenort Hotel
Meal Basis: Breakfast
Day 2: Cape Town – Cape Town Eats
So much about a country and a culture is expressed through its food. In South Africa much of the cuisine is home-based and to get a taste you really need to search hard. This tour aims to combine the history of the country and city through exploring the back streets to find the tastes that represent all of our rainbow nation. Today we walk the streets of Cape Town and experience its history, its people and its culinary delights. En route we stop to taste a mixture of traditional food, South African street food and we visit some artisanal foodie and coffee shops. This is the way to enjoy a real taste of the Cape!
We sample some of the following items:
African Soul food: pap, samp & beans, a meat stew and vetkoek Falooda – a traditional Muslim Rose Milkshake.
A Koesister – which is a traditional Cape Malay spicy doughnut “dhaltjies”/chilli bites and a Cape samosa.
A gourmet bunny chow to get a little taste of Indian Cuisine.
Coffee from one of the micro artisan coffee roasters in the city (we can try at a couple of them if we have coffee-holics on tour!)
Artisan Chocolate made from pure unroasted cocoa beans and combined only with sugar – suitable for vegans!
Babotie pies – this is a modern take on the traditional Babotie dish which both the Cape Malay group and white Afrikaner group refer to as their traditional dish.
Milk Tart – traditionally Cape Malay and Afrikaans in its heritage.
Visit Atlas Spices – the main spice shop where the Cape Malay community shop. Here you will have the opportunity to buy spices and to taste Meebos – a local sweet made from dried apricots.
Boerewors – a traditional South Africa sausage traditionally cooked on a Braai (BBQ) (time dependent!)
Includes: City entrance fees, food tasting and transfers from local Cape Town hotels to and from venue
Dinner – Gourmand 8 Course Tasting Menu at The Greenhouse, Cellars
Greenhouse is the flagship restaurant of The Collection by Liz McGrath, and a celebration of local flavours fashioned into an exquisite experience by the genius of the culinary team working here.
Overnight: Cellars Hohenort Hotel
Meal Basis: Breakfast, lunch during the eats tour, Gourmand Dinner at The Greenhouse Restaurant
(Note this dinner may be moved to another evening if there is no availability at time of booking)
Day 3: Cape Town – The Peninsula
Today you embark on a full day tour of the Cape Peninsula. Take in the beaches of Clifton and Camps Bay, before crossing over to Hout Bay, where you may choose to join an optional boat cruise to Seal Island. From here you drive to the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve via Chapman’s Peak, one of the world’s most breathtaking coastal drives, where you will board a funicular (optional and for your own account) to get to the top of the Peninsula to witness the symbolic meeting of the Indian and Atlantic Oceans and enjoy spectacular views over False Bay. Continue to Simonstown, the naval base, and visit the African Penguin breeding colony at Boulders Beach. Then stop at the world-renowned Kirstenbosch Gardens before returning to your hotel for overnight.
Extras included: Picnic Lunch at Cape Point Vineyards
It is here in Noordhoek where the close proximity to the Atlantic Ocean provides cool breezes to nurture a terroir that is ideal for the cultivation of World Class Sauvignon Blanc wines. The Cape Point Vineyard is located in a unique setting with 360 degree views of mountains, fynbos, vineyards, and glorious sunsets over the Atlantic Ocean. Enjoy a picnic lunch set out on the lawns overlooking the Atlantic coastline.
Overnight: Cellars Hohenort Hotel
Meal Basis: Breakfast, lunch at Cape Point vineyards
Day 4: Cape Town – at leisure
Spend the day at leisure, enjoying all Cape Town has to offer.
Scenically beautiful, Cape Town is a compelling mix of trendy modern and old-world elegance. Glamorous hotels, world-class dining and stunning vistas merge seamlessly with dynamic student suburbs and vibrant nightlife. Malay and African heritage is evident in the cuisine, traditions and entertainment while the architecture reveals a strong Dutch, German and English flavour and style. Contemporary art is proudly displayed in a variety of galleries and modern boutique hotels, and wine bars and brandy tasting lounges will appeal to the fashionable set. For the well-heeled the finest in opera, ballet, drama and music can be appreciated in style.
A short boat cruise to Robben Island, just over 7 km’s from Cape Town harbour, you can experience a sense of hopelessness inside the prison cell where South Africa’s most beloved legend, Nelson Mandela spent 27 years hard labour. It is difficult to imagine how anyone could rise above the horror of incarceration to become arguably the most iconic and compassionate leader of our era.
An exciting trip up Table Mountain in a cable car provides panoramic views over the ‘Mother City’ and other attractions include the Cultural History Museum, the Castle of Good Hope and the world-renowned Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens. Greenmarket Square’s local crafts markets and the Bo-Kaap’s colourful Cape Malay buildings add a sense of authenticity to your trip, and Long Street’s vibrant restaurants, bars and clubs come alive after dark. Perhaps wander around the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront, a working harbour and hub of entertainment and shopping opportunities.
Overnight: Cellars Hohenort (or similar)
Meal Basis: Breakfast
Day 5: Cape Town/Winelands – Chocolate, Cheese & Olives
This morning, you will be collected from your hotel for a full day tour of the Winelands. This tailor-made tour by your resident wine expert is designed for the visitor who would like to experience and taste some of the other delectable delights that are also on offer in the winelands area in addition to some of the fantastic wines. The tour is geared not only for the tasting but for the educational value as well as learning about each product that you are introduced to. Your day can include Paarl, with its imposing Afrikaans Language Monument and of course the Franschhoek Valley, including exceptional estates such as Haute Cabriere, Moreson, La Motte and Grande Provence. You will delight in cheese tasting, chocolate tasting, olives and olive oil tastings and enjoy a lunch at one of the top restaurants or estates (lunch to be settled directly but wine tastings included).
Drop off at Babylonstoren for check in and overnight.
Almost mythical in its beauty, Babylonstoren is a working wine and fruit farm in the glorious Drakenstein Valley of the Winelands. Lovely white-washed Cape Dutch buildings form the exteriors, while the interiors showcase a combination of heritage and modern living. 12 guest cottages and a Manor House provide luxurious comfort, and the peace that comes from wholesome farm living. A true Eden, 8 acres of formal gardens and irrigation waterways, yield over 300 edible plants. This seasonal produce is used in the exquisite meals presented by the hotel’s top restaurants, Babel and The Green House. Wander through the grounds, along the secluded oak-shaded paths, letting your soul soak up the tranquillity of this incredible location, or feel rejuvenated at the spa, gym and pool.
• 12 contemporary cottages & 1 Manor House
• Beautiful working wine & fruit farm
• Extensive formal gardens supplies produce to hotel
• Restaurants using fresh home-grown ingredients
• Historic Cape-Dutch property
• Garden walks, spa, gym & pool
Overnight: Babylonstoren in a 1 Bedroom Suite
Meal Basis: Breakfast, 3 wine tastings, Dinner at Babylonstoren
Day 6: Winelands – Stellenbosch Foodie Walk & Franschhoek Farms
Today we head into the Winelands to South Africa’s 2nd oldest town, Stellenbosch. It was Simon van der Stel who was the first settler to spot the opportunities offered by the lush area between the two branches of the Eerste Rivier for the Cape colony, setting up camp here while on a tour of inspection in 1679. The fertile valley was soon settled on by farmers who planted the region’s first vines a few short years later.
Three hundred odd years on, the valley boasts more private cellars than any other Western Cape region (with over 100 open to the public) and the country’s oldest wine route. But there’s more to Stellenbosch than wineries. This leafy student town is home to some of the country’s top restaurants and award-winning producers.
Here you will join your culinary guide as she leads you through the historic heart of Stellenbosch. You’ll have a chance to sample some traditional cape food and wine (like biltong, Bobotie, koeksisters and melktert) while meeting a host of colourful characters en-route! You’ll enjoy a heritage lunch platter at the oldest hotel in the country and visit the oldest shop in town.
We then continue onward over the scenic Helshoogte Pass, to Franschhoek, founded by French Huguenots over 350 years ago, and widely regarded as the culinary capital of South Africa. Its beautiful setting and café lined streets will charm you. We stop at several renowned wine estates to sample some of their award winning wines before heading back to Cape Town.
Overnight: Babylonstoren in a 1 Bedroom Suite
Meal Basis: Breakfast, lunch during foodie walk, wine tasting
Day 7: Winelands/Cederberg
Today we transfer from Babylonstoren out to the beautiful Cederberg.
Three hundred km north of Cape Town lies the Cederberg, a 160 000 hectare wilderness area of dramatic views, spectacular rock formations and preserved natural wilderness. Named for its endemic Clanwilliam Cedars, the region encompasses rugged mountain terrain, plunging ravines and waterfalls, and nature reserves with San Rock Art. Charming towns offer art galleries, wine cellars and historic sites such as the Clanwilliam Museum and the Moravian Mission Station of Wupperthal. Traveling along a good network of roads you come across mountains which cut into clear skies, remote floral paradises and arid regions of rock and striking landscape. Primeval sandstone and shale rock formations, the Wolfberg Cracks, Wolfberg Arch, Maltese Cross and Stadsaal Caves, can be viewed while in the Cedarberg. The San and Khoi people, the oldest inhabitants of the Cederberg have left their 8000 year old legacy painted on the rock walls. The animal scenes depicted, reveal religious symbolism, providing a fascinating archaeological and sociological glimpse into the past.
The Cederberg Wilderness Area and Bushmanskloof Wilderness are home to a diversity of bird and plant life and the region is inhabited by Cape Mountain Zebra, Bontebok, Aardwolf, Cape Mountain Leopard, numerous buck species and the smaller predators such as wildcats and foxes.
The Cederberg offers active travellers a wide range of hiking, mountaineering, canoeing and swimming opportunities, while citrus valleys, rooibos plantations and private wine cellars add a touch of glamour to your visit.
Check in at the Bushman’s Kloof Main Lodge.
Bushman’s Kloof, situated in the foothills of the Cederberg Mountains, is an exclusive private wilderness reserve and wellness retreat. Vast and ruggedly beautiful, this semi-desert eco reserve is both malaria and predator free and boasts sites of exceptional Bushman rock art. 16 individually designed rooms and suites offer luxurious accommodation and private terraces with views over rough-hewn landscape and beautiful gardens. The Homestead, with its old world charm and elegance, has 2 stylish lounges and fireplaces, a bar, award-winning wine cellar, library and spacious restaurant. Savour al fresco lunches on the terrace, or soak in the heated outdoor pool. Perhaps have a gym work-out or enjoy a regenerating couples spa treatment in the river gazebo.
• 16 luxury rooms & suites
• Terraces with landscape views
• Malaria-free ecological reserve
• San Rock Art
• Heated outdoor pool
Overnight: Bushmans Kloof Main Lodge in a luxury room
Meal Basis: Full English breakfast, a la carte light lunch, afternoon high tea, a la carte dinner and all lodge activities. (Lunch is not included on day of arrival and day of departure)
Day 8: Cederberg
Spend the day at leisure, enjoying all Bushmans Kloof has to offer.
Overnight Bushmans Kloof Main Lodge in a luxury room
Meal Basis: Full English breakfast, a la carte light lunch, afternoon high tea, a la carte dinner and all lodge activities.
Day 9: Cederberg/Cape Town
Transfer back by road to the Cape Town International Airport, for the end of your tour.
Or extend for a safari experience in the Sabi Sands.
Luxury Cultural Cape Tour
Price guide for travel 06.01 – 20.12.17 – from:
£2,700 per person
(based on two people sharing; exc flights)
The above itinerary is a guide only and can be adjusted to meet your exact requirements (phone us on 01202 030443, click ‘enquire’ or submit your own personal itinerary request at the end)
Some of the Small Print
Includes:
E-Docs
VIP Meet and Greet
8 Night’s Accommodation
Meals as specified
Transfers as specified
Activities as specified
Excludes:
All flights
Any meals not specified
All drinks
Park Fees / Conservation levies not specified
Gratuities
Items of a personal nature
Optional Kruger Extension
Day 9: Cape Town/Kruger
From Cape Town take a flight to Skukuza Airport and transfer to Sabi Sabi Earth Lodge http://www.sabisabi.com/lodges/earthlodge/
Check in and enjoy your first afternoon game drive.
Located in the Sabi Sand Private Game Reserve, Sabi Sabi Earth Lodge is sculpted into the landscape as though a prehistoric part of the environment. Earth lodge is a modern mix of gleaming tiles, recessed lighting and the warm tones of natural fibres. Luxurious African-style décor and the heavy “bunker” themed walls and ceilings create a completely unusual safari vibe: in some ways the property is futuristic and in others, a stone-age cave. 13 glass-fronted suites feature private plunge pools and outdoor patios. Unexpectedly refreshing central areas overlook a waterhole and include a wine cellar, gallery, gym, spa and meditation garden.
• 13 modern suites with bush views
• Private verandahs & plunge pools
• Meditation garden, gym & spa
• Wine cellar & art gallery
• A National Geographic Unique Lodge of the World
Overnight: Sabi Earth Lodge in a Luxury Suite
Meal Basis: Breakfast, lunch, boma dinner, selected house beverages, open vehicle safaris, and environmental awareness walking safaris, and return transfers from the Sabi Sabi Airstrip
Day 10 & 11: Kruger
Spend the day at leisure and on exciting game drives.
As you bump along the park roads, the sun warm upon your face and air dry in the back of your throat, your senses are on high alert. This is the real Africa, cut away from the hectic pace of life, home to Africa’s Big 5. The Kruger is alive, from the nervously twitching herd of impala after a night of predator action, to the wild dog cavorting like domestic pets alongside the road. Marvel as a herd of elephant simply appear from out the bush, then silently vanish back into the landscape.
On the western borders, private reserves such as Sabi Sands and the Timbavati open onto the Kruger, offering an exclusive game experience with the flexibility of night drives and off-road 4 x 4 safaris. Swaying to the movement of an open vehicle while wrapped warmly against the night chills, is an unforgettable experience. The call of a Nightjar darting overhead and the flash of eyes reflected from the bushes brings an entirely different twist to your safari and as you drop your head back and look up – the crisp night skies go on forever.
Overnight Sabi Earth Lodge in a luxury Suite
Meal Basis: Breakfast, lunch, boma dinner, selected house beverages, open vehicle safaris, and environmental awareness walking safaris, and return transfers from the Sabi Sabi Airstrip
Day 12: Kruger/Home
Transfer by road to the Sabi Airstrip where you will board the Federal Air Shuttle flight back into Johannesburg, and connect home.
EXTENSION Package Guide price
Based on 2 people sharing in a double, travel 06.01 – 20.12.17 (exc flights)
£3,000 per person
The above itinerary is a guide only and can be adjusted to meet your exact requirements (phone us on 01202 030443, click ‘enquire’, or submit your own personal itinerary request at the end)
Some of the Small Print
Includes:
Road Transfers from Skukuza Airport to the Lodge
3 nights Sabi Earth Lodge in a luxury suite: Breakfast, lunch, Boma dinner, selected house beverages, open vehicle safaris, and environmental awareness walking safaris; Federal air one way Lodge –JNB
Sabi Sands Gate Fee of R110 per person (subject to change)
Sabi Sands Guest Conservation Contribution of R100 per person per night.
Price as per current conversion rate of pound sterling (£) If variance is more than 3% (plus or minus) at the time of invoicing, we will make adjustments accordingly.
The price is subject to revision if any additional taxes or price increases are introduced by government or suppliers.
Cost is provisional and subject to change depending on the season and hotels confirmed. The exact cost will be confirmed after hotel reservation confirmation.
Hotels proposed in the itinerary/quote may not be available at time of booking, in this event suitable alternative accommodation will be offered.
Request your own itinerary and quote
