SOUTH AFRICA
TRAVEL
25.01.2015
IT’S ALL HERE 16 pages of Africa’s most captivating country
A ROUX AWAKENING
Michel Roux takes a foodie tour of the Cape Winelands | p4
SAFARI SPLENDOUR
On the trail of South Africa’s best wildlife experiences | p10 IN ASSOCIATION WITH
GENERATION GAME
From canopy tours to junior ranger experiences, keeping the kids entertained is child’s play | p6
SOUTH AFRICA
Dazzled by the Rainbow Nation
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Jake Russell picks out some highlights from South Africa’s endless attractions
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Pretoria
Johannesburg 7
Durban
100 miles
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igger than Spain and France combined, the Rainbow Nation is the most diverse country on the African continent. From the hipster hordes of Bree Street, in Cape Town, to the elephant herds of the Kruger National Park, South Africa — like a Xhosa boxer — punches way above its weight. Come for the safaris, by all means; nowhere conjures luxury out of the bush like South Africa. But come, too, for the fabulous beaches, the world-class surf, the superb wines and culinary concoctions, and the fascinating culture of a country that, two decades after the end of apartheid, has succeeded in establishing a fresh new identity. The truth isn’t black and white: South African society comprises nine distinct African tribal groups, as well as whites, Asians and coloureds. More black South Africans speak Afrikaans than whites. From the shopping malls, boutique hotels and skyscrapers of the city centres to the furthest reaches of the endless coastline, there is an infectious optimism and a belief that life is getting better for everyone, with former no-go areas such as Soweto and the Cape Flats morphing into fashionable tourist attractions. Exploring South Africa is easy and safe. Everyone speaks English, they drive on the left, and the 3G coverage — as a measure of infrastructural standards — is probably better than on your home street. Above all, South Africa offers extraordinary value for money to the traveller, whether you’re coming to tick off the big five in the Kruger, ride the big waves in Durban or take that big road trip through the vineyards and seaside towns of the Garden Route. With the rand falling an astonishing 65% against sterling in the past four years, a bottle of the magnificent Grangehurst 2006 costs just £20. Petrol is 70p a litre. A four-hour guided game drive in the Kruger costs £15, and a night’s B&B in a boutique seaside guesthouse such as the gorgeous Southern Cross Beach House, in Plettenberg Bay, is about £60. What are you waiting for?
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Cape Town 2
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Port Elizabeth
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CAPE TOWN The Mother City to tourists, and Slaapstad (Sleepy Town) to Afrikaners, Cape Town sometimes feels as if it belongs in southern California. It has the hip restaurants, the beach bunnies, the craft beers and the dudetastic laid-backness of a SoCal resort, but it also has Table Mountain, which looms over the city like Africa’s front doorstep. And for all its self-satisfied hipness, it’s impossible not to love the place. Should you move here permanently? Could you make it work? Uncork another bottle of Klein Constantia sauvignon blanc under the stars at Camps Bay, and discuss.
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GARDEN ROUTE Named for the lush vegetation of the Tsitsikamma Mountains, the Garden Route covers the 150 miles from Heidelberg, east of Cape Town, to Storms River, in the Eastern Cape. Yes, you could drive it in one day, but that’s not the point: the idea is to take your time on this, one of the world’s most beautiful and benign road trips. You’ll see the retro-chic Mossel Bay, the fynbos of the Wilderness National Park, the oyster-shucking lagoon town of Knysna, the glamorous beaches of Plettenberg Bay and the surfers’ paradise of Jeffreys Bay. But the big question is, should you drive west to east or east to west? We prefer the latter, because driving on the left means you get the best ocean views.
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WINELANDS There are 19 official routes through the vineyards of the Western Cape, but the most popular concentrate on the 360-odd wineries in the StellenboschFranschhoek-Paarl triangle. Gain the maximum enjoyment from a multi-day, multi-bottle Winelands itinerary by letting someone else take the wheel; driver-guides cost about £15 an hour if using your own rental car. And be sure to spend at least a night in the foodie haven of Franschhoek — see page 4 for Michel Roux’s foodie tour.
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WILD COAST Stretching for about 200 miles from East London to Port Edward, the Wild Coast revels in its inaccessibility. Here, where Nelson Mandela’s Transkei homelands meet the Indian Ocean, you’ll find vast beaches, empty surf breaks and a barely tamed shoreline inhabited by Xhosa farmers, barefoot hippies and sun-bleached dreamers. Accommodation is likely to be rustic, organic and solar-powered. If you’re looking for a wi-fi signal, you’ve come to the wrong place. See page 14 for Allan Lamb’s guide to the wider Eastern Cape.
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FYNBOS The Cape Floral Region, extending from Vanrhynsdorp, north of Cape Town, to Grahamstown, in the Eastern Cape, is one of the most densely concentrated biological hotspots on Earth, with more than 9,000 floral species occurring in a narrow crescent of some 2,000 square miles — that’s 20% of all the plant species in Africa in less than 0.5% of the landmass. It follows, therefore, that this Unesco-protected floral region is rather colourful, especially in September and October, when it explodes into blossom. See our guide on page 12.
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GAUTENG PROVINCE Home to both Johannesburg and Pretoria, Gauteng is throwing off its reputation as a gold-digging troublemaker and emerging as South Africa’s most culturally exciting destination. You must acknowledge the past, visiting the Voortrekker Monument, in Tshwane, the Kromdraai Gold Mine and the chilling Apartheid Museum, in Ormonde, but you should also embrace the present with a trip to Newtown, Jozi’s multicoloured creative hub, and a night out in a Soweto shebeen. And you can’t miss Sandton, Africa’s richest square mile.
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DRAKENSBERG This is where South Africa comes to play. Named after dragons by the Boer settlers, the 600-mile mountain range is known as uKhahlamba, or the Barrier of Spears, by the Zulus — and you can see their point. As you gaze at the vertical 10,000ft walls of the Amphitheatre, on the northeast border of Lesotho, the Drakensberg seems impregnable. Push on, though, along dizzyingly precipitous roads, and you’ll find a primeval world of granite tablelands, enchanting waterfalls and emerald rainforest populated by tanned thrill-mongers who will invite you to raft, glide, hike or bike your way out.
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KRUGER South Africa’s biggest national park is five hours northeast of Johannesburg and almost exactly the size of Wales. This magnificent reserve costs just £15 a day to visit, and is bordered to the south and the west by private game reserves including Sabi Sands, Manyeleti and Timbavati, where safaris can cost up to £600 a night. The southeast of the park, watered by the Sabie and Crocodile rivers, has the highest concentration of game — and, consequently, tourists — so the better bet is to head north to the central grasslands. Follow the Timbavati River to its confluence with the Olifants River, where you’ll see all the species without the spectators. For a guide to the best spots for game-viewing in the Kruger and elsewhere, see page 10.
25.01.2015 / 3 Getty Images; Africa Travel
Put yourself in the hands of the experts For the traveller, South Africa is a country overflowing with riches. Its scale and sheer diversity of attractions are enticing, but can also be bewildering. That’s where a specialist tour operator can come into its own. Africa Travel has unparalleled knowledge of the country and an aggregate of more than 250 years’ experience among its staff. Its team has travelled extensively throughout Africa, so recommendations are always based on personal experience. The company offers unbiased, practical advice tailored to the client’s needs, not its own. It has an extensive product range showcasing the very best that South Africa has to offer, from safari lodges and country-house hotels to guesthouses, private villas, luxury trains and five-star hotels. Africa Travel offers a price guarantee on any like-for-like itinerary and, through an unrivalled network of contacts on the ground, can often gain access to the unobtainable or fully booked. It also has its own staff and offices in Cape Town, enabling it to provide 24-hour local emergency assistance cover, and is committed to undertaking regular site
inspections of its product range to ensure it is offering accurate, up-to-date advice. The operator is a Preferred Partner of British Airways and an appointed agent of all the leading carriers to Africa, with its
30-plus years in business allowing it to negotiate the keenest rates.
l For more information, visit
africatravel.co.uk or call 020 7843 3583
Travelling to South Africa with British Airways British Airways is rapidly incorporating its new state-of-the-art Airbus A380 aircraft into its long-haul fleet, and Johannesburg was among the first destinations chosen for this aircraft to serve. Starting operations to South Africa last year, the A380 can carry 469 passengers in four classes of travel, with the First cabin boasting a design that provides increased privacy and personal space. The Club World and World Traveller cabins are split between the main deck and the upper deck, with seats upstairs tending to be the most popular, as there are two fewer per row in World Traveller compared with downstairs.
World Traveller Plus is on the upper deck. Unlike on British Airways’ other aircraft, the configuration in this cabin is 2-3-2, offering more couples the opportunity to sit together in privacy. The A380 operates as the first evening departure in both directions of the twice-daily service between Heathrow and Johannesburg. This is in addition to the twice-daily British Airways service between Heathrow and Cape Town (which is reduced to nine times a week in the UK summer months), and the airline’s domestic services between Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban and Port Elizabeth.
One of British Airways’ new A380s
SOUTH AFRICA 4 / FOOD AND DRINK
Taste of the Winelands The superstar chef Michel Roux takes a foodie tour of Cape Town and the surrounding region, and finds plenty to whet his appetite
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he lamb’s heart and beetroot starter looked good, smelled bloody good and tasted even better. A bit rustic, but the kind of dish I like: it didn’t have too many ingredients, wasn’t trying to impress, and was cooked as well as my mother would have done it. What a way to start a four-hour marathon lunch at No 6 Restaurant, on the Welbedacht wine estate, in Wellington (mains from £4.30; wellington.co.za). Owned by Schalk Burger and sons, the famous rugby-playing family — the walls are lined with photos of illustrious Springboks — the restaurant looks over the vineyards and a lake. The wine flowed so freely that when I went on tiptoes for a rugby man hug with Schalk on the way out, I was wobbling a bit. Having visited South Africa four or five times in the past 30 years, I expected hearty (excuse the pun) food with excellent wine, served in ravishing landscapes. But a week on a triangular gourmet route between Cape Town, Wellington and Franschhoek showed me that the cuisine has evolved. Plates zooming out of kitchens are sophisticated and exciting, and the produce is superb. But unlike those in Australia, the portions are still big, and the prices low. With large servings, you need space to work off the calories. My wife and I had 380 hectares of it at our first stop, Grand Dédale, in Wellington. This Cape Dutch manor house at the end of a dirt track was surrounded by fields bursting with vines on the point of flowering. The landscape always looked as if rain had
The eland and wild pig had a subtle flavour, not too gamey, and they were perfectly carved by moi
La Residence, just outside Franschhoek, and one of its opulent suites, bottom. Below, Grand Dédale manor house. Michel raved about the tomato soup, right, in Franschhoek
just fallen, when everything is clearer and colours are more defined. From the seven bedrooms, we saw horses grazing and birds aplenty, and on the hiking trails, we felt a sensation of wildness. It was evident on the plate at dinner, too, when we tried lightly smoked ostrich and drank a 15-year-old red from the owner’s private reserve. But the star was at breakfast, when the young chef cooked me a spinach and feta egg-white omelette. I’m fussy about eggs, but this was so good, I asked for the same the next day. We had more wild food the next night. Really wild food — eland, wild pig and lamb chops rolled in a simple marinade of olive oil and herbs, cooked on the braai by Tom Turner, a conservationist at the Bontebok Ridge Reserve, an hour outside Cape Town. Earlier in the day, he’d taken us to see wildebeest, duiker, grysbok and a crowned lapwing with two chicks, and to hear the cry of the African fish eagle. He put as much care into his braai as he does into the land. The meat was beautifully cooked, with a subtle flavour, not too gamey, and perfectly carved by moi. I found few vestiges of that simplicity at the Test Kitchen, the British-born chef Luke Dale-Roberts’s restaurant in Cape Town, which last year snuck into the top 50 restaurants in the world, at No 48. There was harmony, though, in the movements of his brigade in the open kitchen,which spans a wall in the industrial dining room. Each chef was
singing from the same hymn sheet, their unity orchestrated by Luke, and the meal was full of flair and creativity. My favourite dishes were beetroot, amasi (fermented milk resembling yoghurt) and trout, a “blinissoise” — chilled blini crème with barbecued langoustine — and a lemon egg dessert (mains from £8; thetestkitchen.co.za). The Table Bay Hotel is a grand five-star overlooking the V&A Waterfront, and something of a Cape Town landmark. Opened in 1997 by Nelson Mandela, it has 329 rooms offering either sea or mountain views, and a host of bars and restaurants, including Camissa Brasserie — named after the Khoisan word for Cape Town. After a night there, I met Luke at the “Neighbourgoods” market at the Old Biscuit Mill, in the city’s once industrial Woodstock district (neighbourgoodsmarket.co.za). It’s a Saturday market where farmers and artisan producers gather in a skylit brick warehouse. The stalls were teeming with spring vegetables and baby salads; I was impressed with the first asparagus and beans, but not as impressed as I was with the helicopter ride over Cape Town. From the air, you can see how the landscape moves from simple fields to sublime beachfront houses. What a contrast when we arrived in Franschhoek. With buildings like doll’s houses, it could be a village in France or Italy. It’s delightful, as are the antiques shops and gardens in bloom. Just outside town was La Residence, one of the most
25.01.2015 / 5 beautiful places I’ve stayed in. It was a serious comfort zone, with more chandeliers per square foot than Murano, impressive art and a gatecrasher peacock occasionally visible from our private terrace, but heard squawking from sun-up to sundown. It didn’t matter. We had mountain views and glorious food: artichokes, miniature lamb and coriander samosas, and perfectly seared kingklip, a firm, white deepwater fish with a delicate flavour. We found an exceptional pinot noir and a rare but excellent vin tranquille, or champagne without the bubbles, at Haute Cabrière, the home of Pierre Jourdan (cabriere.co.za). We also visited the state-of-the-art cellar at Anthonij Rupert Wine Estate, a dream of design and efficiency that would make Bordeaux winemakers weep with envy. Other highlights include a stud farm where the horses live better lives than most of us, a garden with not a flower out of place, and a motor museum with 300 vintage cars. There I spotted a Formula One car driven by my friend Jody Scheckter, who won the championship in 1979 and now owns Laverstoke Park, one of Britain’s best organic farms. We drank more sparkling wine on the terrace at La Motte vineyard, and ate at the Pierneef à La Motte restaurant (mains from £7; la-motte.com). After all the meat, I needed vegetables — the “textures of cauliflower” dish was just the thing, with roasted florets, roasted olive crumble, sultanas and cauliflower cream. We also tried curry-scented seafood — moreish slivers of slow-cooked octopus, grilled squid and mussels, inspired by a 16th-century Dutch recipe.
Getty Images, Rex Features
As waves crashed and whales shot spray, I ate wild mussels collected only an hour before
Creature comforts at the Table Bay Hotel. Below, the wine flows freely at No 6 Restaurant, in Wellington
The next meal took us on a drive to Hermanus, travelling through the Hottentots Holland Nature Reserve, where the rock formations, flowers and palette of greens were hypnotic. At Birkenhead House, the sun streamed through the dining-room windows and waves crashed on the rocks. I ate wild mussels, collected only an hour before they were cooked. Life doesn’t get much better (set menu from £19; birkenheadhouse.com). Over the next few days, wine tastings followed the new Elim wine route, in the coastal region near Cape Agulhas, the actual southern tip of Africa (gansbaai.com). After six days of restaurants, eating was almost a punishment, so it was with some reluctance that we arrived for dinner on the last evening at Foliage, in Franschhoek (mains from £6.50; foliage.co.za). The restaurant has a small art gallery attached, with wood and bronze works by local artists. I bought a gorgeous piece before settling at my table, thinking: “Not again.” Then they served me a simple bowl of tomato soup, bursting with flavour and spiced with a touch of cumin. It was explosive. I could have eaten two bowls. That’s the pleasure of South African food.
It surprises you when you least expect it. Next time I will stay longer. It will give me more time to talk to the kind and welcoming people, more time to explore the spectacular landscape —and more time to digest.
in Franschhoek, has doubles from £195, B&B. At the Table Bay Hotel, in Cape Town, doubles start at £170, B&B. All of these properties can be booked through Africa Travel (020 7843 3583, africatravel.co.uk).
l Michel Roux was speaking to
PACKAGE
Alessia Horwich. He travelled as a guest of Africa Travel
HOTELS
The Grand Dédale, in Wellington, has doubles from £82, B&B. La Residence,
Africa Travel has a seven-night gourmet holiday in the Cape, staying at the Table Bay Hotel, La Residence and the Grand Dédale, from £1,825pp, B&B. The price includes British Airways flights and Budget car hire.
Grape escapes: get away from it all in the heart of wine country GRANDE ROCHE HOTEL, PAARL
OUDE WERF HOTEL, STELLENBOSCH
A celebrated landmark in the heart of the beautiful Winelands town of Paarl, this elegant manor house, now a five-star hotel, dates from the 18th century. Like many of the Cape Dutch houses of the period, it has been declared a national monument. Its suites are spread over landscaped gardens in the midst of a working wine farm, and share space with an award-winning restaurant and bistro, two swimming pools, tennis courts, a wellness centre and a wedding chapel. From £75pp a night, B&B
Built on the site of the country’s first church in the wine “capital”, Stellenbosch, South Africa’s oldest hotel has been welcoming guests since 1802. The Oude Werf has recently undergone a large-scale renovation, which has brought it firmly into the 21st century. Modern meets vintage throughout, with Georgian-style grandeur and elegance complemented by contemporary design, immaculate gardens and a swimming pool. The town’s numerous attractions — museums, galleries — are all just a short stroll away. From £50pp a night, B&B
HAWKSMOOR HOUSE, STELLENBOSCH A meticulously restored Cape Dutch country retreat, Hawksmoor House sits amid vineyards on a working farm near Stellenbosch. The peaceful setting and extraordinary views are complemented by extensive gardens, a pool, a library and a choice of accommodation in four converted buildings that once housed farm workers and the machinery they used. Alfresco breakfasts are the norm, and afternoon tea and cake is an added bonus. From £50pp a night, B&B
MONT ROCHELLE, FRANSCHHOEK
Re-engineered and recently reopened, the Mont Rochelle is Richard Branson’s first foray into the wine region. High above the village, on a working wine estate, it offers some of the
THE LAST WORD FRANSCHHOEK
Manor from heaven The Grande Roche, in Paarl, set amid lush winelands. Left, Mont Rochelle, in Franschhoek
finest views in the area, as well as a fine-dining restaurant, a wine cellar with a tasting room, a heated pool, a wellness centre and a gym. At the equestrian centre, guests can saddle up for wine-tasting excursions on horseback. From £80pp a night, B&B
A Cape Dutch-style villa set in charming gardens, with an inviting pool, The Last Word is neatly tucked away, but just a short walk from Franschhoek’s main street, where you’ll find gourmet eateries and top-end boutiques. Elegantly restored, with just 10 rooms — two of which have private pools — the hotel has a reputation for attentive service and is perfect for those wanting to wine and dine, but not drive. From £95pp a night, B&B
l All of the above can be booked with
Africa Travel, which offers a best-price guarantee on any like-for-like itinerary (020 7843 3583, africatravel.co.uk)
SOUTH AFRICA 6 / FA M I LY T R AV E L
Family travel expert William Gray on why he can’t get enough of child-friendly South Africa, and his pick of the best spots for kids
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he weather definitely has something to do with it — Durban averages 320 days of sunshine a year. And the direct, jet-lag-free flights (11 hours from the UK to Johannesburg) are more than bearable with kids. The fact that you can go on safari without worrying about malaria also puts many parents at ease, while the weak rand takes some of the strain off family holiday budgets for Brits. But if I had to pinpoint what makes the Rainbow Nation such a great place for kids, it would be its incredible choice. Our twins were just four when we first took them to Cape Town. On day one, they conquered Table Mountain, paddled with wild penguins at Boulders Beach, ran through the sprinklers at Kirstenbosch Gardens and ate fish and chips at Camps Bay. It’s this mixture of familiar and fantastic that works so well for families on holiday in South Africa. We’ve explored the remote and spectacular landscapes of the Karoo and Namaqualand, but checked in at cosy B&Bs each night. On another trip, we drove north from Johannesburg, combining a safari in malaria-free Madikwe with good old theme-park fun at Sun City. South Africans tend to holiday at home, so it’s perhaps not surprising that the country is well geared up for family travel — whether you’re planning a self-drive tour linking cheap campsites, an all-inclusive safari or a self-catering beach break. Boredom is not an option. Wildlife, culture and adventure flow effortlessly into South African holiday itineraries. The challenge is what to leave out. Here are eight of our favourite things to do and places to go for families.
Plettenberg Bay Just over a six-hour drive from Cape Town, Plettenberg Bay is a popular bolthole for city dwellers, particularly during Christmas. You’ll rarely find Plett’s sandy beaches crowded, though. In fact, the only place where locals jostle for space is the seal colony on Robberg Peninsula — one of the highlights of a boat trip with Ocean Adventures (adults £40, children £22; oceanadventures.co.za). Humpback and southern right whales can be seen between July and November, and we spotted large pods of bottlenose dolphins leaping through the curling turquoise breakers that roll onto Plett’s wilder stretches of shore. Children love the exhilarating beach launches on these trips, but if you want something milder, take a gentle cruise on the nearby Keurbooms River drifting through indigenous forest twitching with birds and monkeys (from £8/£4).
Tsitsikamma National Park Another prime spot for nature lovers on the Garden Route, Tsitsikamma National Park is located just to the east of Plettenberg Bay. Covering roughly 50 miles of wave-gnawed coastline, it’s the starting point for the challenging five-day Otter Trail — a world-renowned hike that those with adventurous teenagers will relish (£60pp; sanparks.org). Most families, however, opt for the short boardwalk that weaves through nearly a mile of dense forest to the suspension bridge at Storms River Mouth. You can learn about native plants
Eye pod A group of dolphins at play in Plettenberg Bay. Below left, football with the locals on a township tour in Cape Town
from the interpretation boards along the way. Another great opportunity to get up close with Tsitsikamma’s rampant vegetation is a canopy tour with Stormsriver Adventures (£28pp; stormsriver.com). For kids aged 7 and over, the monkey business takes place 100ft up, in a grove of Outeniqua yellowwoods, and includes 10 zip wires — the longest of which spans 330ft.
Cape Town Try to spend at least three days in and around Cape Town. If it’s a clear day, make a beeline for Table Mountain. The Cableway whisks you to the 3,520ft summit, where trails lead to stupendous views across city, mountain and ocean — although you can expect your children’s attention to be diverted by close encounters with the endearing rock dassies (from £13/£6.50 return; tablemountain. net). Back at sea level, choose
between the Two Oceans Aquarium (£6/£3; aquarium.co.za) and a boat trip to Robben Island (£16/£8; robben-island.org.za), depending on the age of your kids. A must-do for all families is a day touring the Cape Peninsula, the tip of Africa — either on your own, in a rented car, or on a guided tour. Take in the 2,000-strong African penguin colony at Boulders, great hiking and beachcombing at Cape Point, and the breathtaking Chapman’s Peak Drive, ranked as one of the world’s best. Allow at least half a day for a township tour, too. Andulela offers interactive cultural trips on which you can play football with locals, learn how to cook a traditional Malay curry, join an African beading class or take part in a drumming session (from £35pp; andulela.com).
Sun City Of the four hotels at “Africa’s Kingdom of Pleasure” (an easy 2½-hour drive from Johannesburg), the Cabanas is the most relaxed and casual option for those with children in tow. Rooms open onto lush lawns — perfect for a kickaround with a football when the local vervet monkey troop isn’t at home. The Kamp Kwena children’s club for 5- to 12-year-olds is nearby, as is Waterworld, which has bumper boats, water-skiing, wakeboarding and lake cruises. If your kids are anything like ours, however, they’ll drag you straight to the Valley of Waves — Sun City’s water wonderland, located in the Disneyesque Palace of the Lost City and awash with slides, river rides and a surf lagoon that’s pummelled every 90 seconds
25.01.2015 / 7 Getty Images
Top family-friendly places to stay
Letting your little monkeys run wild
THE ROBBERG BEACH LODGE, PLETTENBERG BAY
On the great sweep of one of South Africa’s finest stretches of sand — Plettenberg Bay’s Robberg beach — this luxury villa complex is perfect for a traditional bucket-and-spade break, with passing whales and dolphins an added bonus. Families can comfortably be accommodated, and under-12s stay free from May until September. If you can drag the kids away from the two swimming pools and golden sands, it’s a short stroll to a hub of cafes, restaurants and shops. Suites from £185 a night, B&B
LEEUWENBOSCH COUNTRY HOUSE, AMAKHALA GAME RESERVE A malaria-free, family-friendly safari awaits guests at this colonial farmhouse, which ticks all the right boxes for parents and their offspring. The family rooms are spacious, and helpful touches include a babysitting service, a kids’ menu, large gardens and a swimming pool; there’s also an innovative and educational children’s activity programme. Mini game drives and bug hunts are on offer for the young ones, while grown-ups can go on bush walks, safaris and river cruises in search of the big five. Family rooms from £460 a night, full-board, including activities
THE LAST WORD CONSTANTIA, CAPE TOWN
Located in a beautiful and peaceful valley, equidistant between the city and the beach, here’s a highly personalised hideaway that, unusually, reaches out to, and caters for, the family market. The outdoor pool and sun deck are a focal point, the
Winelands
Making an impression Meet and track animals as a Junior Ranger at Tswal Tswalu. Below right, ostriches in Oudtshoorn
by 4ft breakers. Sun City may be best known for its casinos, but there’s no shortage of evening entertainment for families. Take your pick from two cinemas and a theatre — or let teenagers loose at the unforgettably named Club Kowabunga, for under-18s.
Oudtshoorn A dramatic one-hour drive from George or Mossel Bay, winding through the Outeniqua Mountains to reach the Little Karoo, Oudtshoorn (oudtshoorn.com) makes a quirky detour from the Garden Route. The ostrich-feather trade put this unpronounceable town on the map back in the 1860s, and you can still find several farms in the area — although they now combine tourist entertainment with meat and hide production. It can be a gamble
taking kids here. Some might take one look at the 6ft pecking machines and stick their heads in the sand, so to speak. Others might leap at the chance to pet, hand-feed or even sit on an ostrich. The region’s other highlights include the stalactites and stalagmites at Cango Caves (tours from £4/£2; cango-caves.co.za) and Ma Betty’s Xhosa Cultural Village (tours from £5pp; mabettys.co.za).
South Africans tend to holiday at home, so it is perhaps not surprising that everywhere seems to be geared toward families
The Cape Winelands can be slightly awkward to slip into a family holiday in South Africa. All those wine tastings, fine dining... Choose the right estate, however, and you get a fine blend of activities for adults and kids — from trout fishing, hiking, swimming and mountain-biking to farm tours and picnics. A group of renovated Cape Dutch labourer cottages at the 300-year-old Boschendal wine estate offers family accommodation from a palatable £125 a night (boschendal.com), while the Spier vineyard, near Stellenbosch, has a raptor rehabilitation centre where you can hold eagles and owls, and try your hand at falconry (spier.co.za).
Tswalu It’s not only the Madikwe Game Reserve, northwest of Jo’burg, or private game reserves such as Amakhala and Shamwari, near Port Elizabeth, that are malaria-free. Far-flung Tswalu (tswalu.com), covering 100,000 hectares of the “Green” Kalahari in the heart of Northern Cape province, also lies beyond the
Lose yourself Palace of the Lost City is perfectly suited to kids
breakfasts are fabulous, and with just nine beautifully decorated suites, it’s the perfect spot for an extended family gathering. The highlight, however, is the family suite, which has two ensuite bedrooms, a separate lounge, and a play area with a Nintendo Wii. Family suites from £220 a night, B&B
PALACE OF THE LOST CITY, SUN CITY
A playground for young and old alike, the extraordinary Sun City resort has been keeping families entertained and enthralled for more than 30 years. Palace of the Lost City is an
scourge of the mosquito-borne disease — and its Junior Ranger programme is another big lure for families. Under the supervision of expert guides, kids get to explore the bush in activities that are tailor-made for their age, whether it’s making bows and arrows, tracking wildlife on foot or cooking their own bush dinner in the camp’s boma. Game drives
architectural one-off, home to family rooms and a variety of restaurants and bars, while on its doorstep lie an awe-inspiring water park, golf courses, a watersports centre, tennis courts and Kamp Kwena, an adventure playground with a great children’s programme and animals in the farmyard. Superior luxury family rooms from £340 a night, B&B
l All of the above can be
booked with Africa Travel, which offers a best-price guarantee on any like-for-like itinerary: 020 7843 3583, africatravel.co.uk
often star meerkats — everyone’s favourite safari pin-up these days — while other big ticks include desert rhinos, cheetahs, black-maned Kalahari lions and the elusive aardvark and pangolin.
Fugitive’s Drift You couldn’t dream up a more epic setting for the clash of two nations than the great monolith of Isandlwana, crouching like a mighty lion in the golden grasslands of KwaZulu-Natal. It was here, on January 22, 1879, that 20,000 Zulu warriors delivered a devastating blow to Lord Chelmsford’s British invasion force, killing more than 1,500 troops. The British army fought back at nearby Rorke’s Drift, where 139 soldiers stood their ground against 4,000 Zulus. Renowned for evocative battlefield tours, Fugitive’s Drift now offers special trips for under-12s, designed to bring history to life. Children get to hold Zulu assegai spears and a Martini-Henry rifle, as well as learning about battlefield strategies and being regaled with stories of heroism. Battlefield Kids tours include a game walk and a visit to a Zulu cultural village (£23; fugitivesdrift.com).
SOUTH AFRICA 8 / BEACHES
Welcome to Africa’s best beach country, with hundreds of miles of golden sands waiting to be explored. Whether you go Indian or Atlantic, you’ll be on to a shore thing, says Sarah Price
I
t is testament to the sheer diversity of the country that beaches are not always the first thing that springs to mind when you think of South Africa. From the windswept dunes and gnarled shrubs of the Atlantic seaboard to the white-sugar glory of the Indian Ocean fringes towards Mozambique, the country is blessed with more than 1,700 miles of coastline. It offers raw beauty and deserted expanses, fine dining and boutique hotels, beaches for the lethargic and the restless — not to mention enough creatures to fill numerous big-five lists. Two weeks was barely enough time to do it justice. But I was going to try. Like many, I began my adventure in the Western Cape, in the mother city, Cape Town. Within a couple of hours of arriving, I was drinking chilled white wine on the terrace of Cape View Clifton,
a chic boutique guesthouse carved into the cliff overlooking Clifton Beach. This trendy stretch, just 15 minutes’ drive from the city centre, has coves loosely divided by clusters of rocks, where you can swim, picnic and watch the scalding Atlantic sunsets. From Cape View, I made the 45-minute walk up the distinctively conical Lion’s Head mountain early in the morning to watch the dawn. I was not alone. The single track was bustling with the notoriously energetic Capetonians, hiking, jogging and relishing this natural playground in the shadow of Table Mountain. Nearby Camps Bay is less protected from the wind than Clifton. I found it buzzing with kids, dogs, restaurants and bars — and a different energy. Its nickname is “Miami Mile”, and it’s the perfect place to observe the young and stylish feasting on oysters and downing cocktails, or whooping with excitement as they brave the chilly waters.
The coast is clear
Bed down in the lap of luxury
Out of the Blue Watch the countryside roll by
KENSINGTON PLACE, CAPE TOWN
A stunning boutique hotel in a leafy suburb, Kensington Place has many imitators, but few genuine rivals. There are just eight luxurious suites here, each decorated in contemporary style, with original artworks. The bathrooms have underfloor heating for the winter months. A sanctuary from the city on the slopes of Table Mountain, the hotel has a pool and is surrounded by lush gardens dotted with orange trees. The vibe is terrific and breakfast is served all day. From £95pp a night, B&B
THE LAST WORD LONG BEACH, KOMMETJIE
A beachfront property 35 minutes’ drive from Cape Town proper, via the scenic Chapman’s Peak Drive, this intimate six-suite hotel is in the lobster-fishing village of Kommetjie. Expect superior service, sunset cocktails, whale-watching and riding on the five-mile beach. Sampling freshly caught seafood on the deck overlooking the sea is a must. From £95pp a night, B&B
LA RESIDENCE, FRANSCHHOEK
Unashamedly luxurious and decorated with eclectic opulence — silks, Persian rugs, Indian chandeliers, Asian artefacts — La Res is frequently lauded as the best hotel in South Africa. Set in acres of space on a private estate, it enjoys an unrivalled setting, with glorious views of the nearby mountains and the abundant vineyards and olive trees that surround it. Renowned for its fine cuisine and dedicated service, La Residence has 11 suites and five private villas. From £215pp a night, B&B
THE BLUE TRAIN
The comfort of a five-star hotel, combined with the glamour of a bygone
age of travel — that’s what the Blue Train offers. On the overnight trip between Pretoria and Cape Town, you can settle into your suite as the magnificent, ever-changing South African scenery sweep by. Each suite transforms from daytime lounge to bedroom, with a private bathroom or shower room, and is attended by a dedicated butler. Off-train excursions are available in Kimberley or Matjiesfontein. From £795pp, full-board, including excursions
l All of the above can be booked with
Africa Travel, which offers a best-price guarantee on any like-for-like itinerary; 020 7843 3583, africatravel.co.uk
If you want to get away from it all, head further down the Cape Peninsula to the beauty of Long Beach. They don’t exaggerate in these parts — this strand is the widest and longest in the region. The Last Word hotel is right on the white sands at Kommetjie, a true beach house that has great staff. With the doors open to the crashing waves, I ate crayfish fresh from the Atlantic, and champagne oysters with lemon on ice. From here, you can take horses out along the five-mile beach, go on boat trips, surf or bodyboard. I preferred just to enjoy the casual splendour of the dunes, serenaded by sea birds. If you can bear to shake off the sand, visit the Foodbarn restaurant, in nearby Noordhoek, but don’t expect a barn experience. Starters include braised rabbit croquette with pig’s trotter and parsley samosas, carrot ribbons, star anise jus and herb butter — and dishes cost less than a fiver. Most beach bums head east from the Cape along the fabled Garden Route. If you have the time, though, a detour up the less-trodden west coast is a must. Passing Darling and Langebaan, I drove the 93 miles to Paternoster. This
little beachside village with whitewashed fisherman’s cottages has become a gourmet destination. Life here is about catching fish or eating fish; wake up early to watch the fishermen bring back their catch among the swirling seagulls. The chef at Oep ve Koep restaurant forages on the beach for ingredients to add to his dishes, which include mussels with shoreline greens. The romantic Strandloper Ocean Boutique Hotel, all shells and nautical colours, is right on the sand. The usual rules apply: aim for a sea-view room. If your budget stretches to it, the Executive Ocean Suite has a beachside terrace. WHEN YOU’VE explored the glorious Cape, retrace your steps and drive east to the beaches of Hermanus, where surfers dance and dive in the endless foaming rollers. Along the majestic sweep of Walker Bay, a guide took me to a beach strewn with seaweed, and to a cave where the remains of ancient bushmen had been found. About 5,000 years ago, they would stand on the sand and shoot seals with cobra poison, then wait for them to be washed ashore. These days the seals are equally prized — thankfully just as sightings.
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Into the breach The terrace at Birkenhead House is one of the best places in Hermanus for whale-watching. Above, The Last Word Long Beach, in Kommetjie, has a beach-house feel. Right, Cape View Clifton. Below, Thonga Beach Lodge, near the Mozambique border
In the car park in Hermanus, by the waterfront bars and restaurants serving “whale-sized waffles”, I found a group pointing at a small wombat-like creature. “What is it?” I asked. “It’s a dassie. They hide under cars to keep cool. Its closest relative is the elephant.” I stared at it. I had seldom seen anything less like an elephant. Every day is a surprise in South Africa. I had a lunch of line fish in the lavender-trimmed courtyard of Birkenhead House, an elegant hotel overlooking Walker Bay. From July to November, this curve of water serves as a maternity ward for southern right whales, whose calves grow strong here ready for the journey to Antarctica. The wicker loungers on the hotel’s terrace are ringside seats for watching these magnificent creatures. It’s the rich and beautiful who are on show on the grand white beaches of Plettenberg Bay, or “Plett”, as it is known. About five hours’ drive east of Hermanus, this is where Johannesburg comes to play. The Plettenberg hotel is a calm, grand landmark on a rocky headland with panoramic views. Crescent beaches fan out below, lined
The bay serves as a maternity ward for southern right whales, with calves prepared for their journey to Antarctica
with multimillion-rand second homes. Boats loll in the soft light and small groups populate the pristine sand; you don’t have to search hard for a private corner of beach in South Africa.
The walking trails of the nearby Robberg nature reserve are a great place to stretch your legs. Watch out for cormorants, lizards, shy, fluffy young seagulls and the black, rubbery shapes of seals in the surf. I watched as they herded dark shadows of sardines towards the beach. Here, a couple of youngsters fished using trousers with knotted legs as makeshift nets, which they trawled through the shallows. Seagulls hovered overhead, squawking and eager to get in on the action. The Cape and the Garden Route absorb many visitors to South Africa, meaning few make it as far up the coast as Durban. This is the unofficial beach capital of South Africa and one of the world’s most underrated cities. The atmosphere is tirelessly relaxed, with beach life seeming to seep into the city’s core. From here, you can go on safari or tour the historic battlefields of KwaZulu-Natal, but it’s worth enjoying in its own right. While Cape Town has grand hotels such as the Mount Nelson, Durban has the Oyster Box, which mixes colonial opulence and international chic. It’s all palm trees, secluded ponds
and red sunshades dotted around the pool, their colour mirroring that of the Umhlanga lighthouse, which the hotel overlooks. Afternoon tea in the high-ceilinged Palm Court is a feast of retro Englishness, right down to the lemon meringue pie. Thonga Beach Lodge, in northern KwaZulu-Natal, is a great place to end a beach tour of South Africa. Here you’re just an hour or so from the Mozambique border, closer to Maputo than Durban, and there’s a real frontier feel. The lodge is eco-luxe at its best, with air-conditioned thatched cottages dotted in a coastal dune forest. Beneath a fiery red sunset, I watched an immense loggerhead turtle drag herself across the sand to the water’s edge before seeming to dissolve joyfully into the Indian Ocean. After 14 days of exploring South Africa’s magnificent beaches, I thought I knew just how she felt.
l Africa Travel (020 7843
3583, africatravel.co.uk) has a seven-night Cape beach holiday from £1,975pp, including BA flights, Budget car hire, three nights at Cape View Clifton and two nights each at The Last Word Long Beach and Birkenhead House
SOUTH AFRICA 10 / WILDLIFE
Stay ahead of the game 2 BEST FOR LEOPARDS
4 BEST FOR TURTLES
The tight thickets of tatawa and haak-en-steek in the Sabi Sands private game reserve are prime leopard habitat, and the pioneering work of the conservationists John and Dave Varty, who spent years habituating the cats to tourists, make this the best place in Africa to get close to these elusive predators. How close? Close enough to get an award-winning portrait with a smartphone, thanks, but you should also keep an eye out for rhinos, elephants, buffalo, lions and the bruisers also known as honey badgers. As for the lodge, it comprises eight thatched, glass-fronted suites with private decks overlooking a watering hole. The dining is fine and the guiding finer — the head ranger, Johan de la Rey, has been working in Sabi Sands for a decade. From £598pp a night, full-board, including activities
Relatively few tourists make it to this wild and undeveloped spot on the KwaZulu-Natal coast, not far from the Mozambique border, but those who do are immediately captivated by the deserted beaches and astonishing concentration of marine life in the nutrient-rich waters of the Indian Ocean. You’ll see: bottlenose dolphins all year round; the feeding frenzy of the
LEOPARD HILLS
Safaris come in all shapes and sizes in diverse South Africa. Jake Russell reveals his favourite spots for running wild, from savanna to coast 1 BEST FOR LUXURY ROYAL MALEWANE
Some safari camps cater for the backpacker crowd, with pop-up tents and warm beer. Others cater for Elton John, with architect-designed suites and chilled champagne. The Royal Malewane is one of Elton’s haunts, and if you’re looking for luxury, this A-lister really hits the spot. A honeymooners’ favourite on the fringes of the Kruger National Park, it was created by Liz and Phil Biden, who also own La Residence, in Franschhoek. The six double suites have thatched roofs, mahogany four-posters and huge private pool decks, and the same attention to detail has been lavished on the guiding — Malewane’s tracker, Wilson Masiya, is one of the top three in the country. From £833pp a night, full-board, including activities
THONGA BEACH LODGE
sardine run in June and July; humpback whales between July and October; and, topping the bill, loggerhead and leatherback turtles, which creep ashore to lay their eggs from October. Visit between January and March and you’ll see the hatchlings making their perilous run across the beach to the sea. Your base is a luxury retreat at Mabibi — set on a private beach, it has a dive centre and fabulous snorkelling. From £170pp a night, full-board, including activities
5 BEST FOR CHEETAHS
3 BEST FOR WALKING
THE BUSH LODGE
PLAINS CAMP
You need to be careful with walking safaris. Not because of the wild animals, but because, once you’ve set foot in the bush, you’ll never want to view game from a vehicle again. Plains Camp, which lies in a 46 sq mile private reserve between the Kruger and the Sabi Sands reserve, is the ideal place to start. Accompanied by two experienced guides, Bernard Mhlanga and Doug Quaid, you’ll focus not just on the big species, but on the equally thrilling small stuff so often ignored on game drives: plants, birds and the peculiar life cycle of the fungus-farming termite. Push the experience further by sleeping on a platform in the heart of the bush. From £225pp a night, full-board, including activities
About half of the hunts end in failure, but the cheetah’s burst of speed is unforgettable
Good spot The Bush Lodge, in Amakhala, is a great place for cheetah sightings. Above, one of the thatched suites at Leopard Hills
For nearly 200 years, the Amakhala Game Reserve, in the Eastern Cape, was sheep and cattle territory. But the tough Zuurveld grasslands weren’t best suited to farming, and in 1999, four families decided to let the animals that once thrived here return. The sheep and cattle have been ousted by native species such as buffalo, elephant, zebra, rhino and antelope, and the presence of prey has attracted the predators back. Lions are easy to spot, leopards and brown hyenas less so, but the open grasslands make this the ideal spot to watch cheetahs stalking and taking down plains game. Hunts can take hours to set up, and about half of them end in failure, but the cheetah’s burst of speed when it makes its play is unforgettable. Stay at the
25.01.2015 / 11 Africa Travel
Pride of place Left, lions are the big attraction at the Gondwana Game Reserve, on the Garden Route; above right, hippos at Royal Malewane; right, meerkats assess their options in a sea of flowers at Tswalu. Far left, zebras get in on the selfie act
family-run Bush Lodge, which has a spa and just five luxurious tented suites with plunge pools. From £227pp a night, full-board, including activities
6 BEST FOR WHALES GROOTBOS
South Africa isn’t just about the beasts of the field: its waters are home to some of the world’s most thrilling ocean wildlife, the “marine big five” of whales, sharks, dolphins, seals and penguins. You’ll see them all at this luxury hotel with impeccable eco-credentials, set in the fynbos above Walker Bay. Every year, between June and December, hundreds of southern right whales arrive, often passing so close to the shore that you can photograph their antics from the rocks. Alternatively, you can sail among them or climb aboard a Cessna for a bird’s-eye view of the action — but leave time for staring at the ocean from your terrace. Grootbos has 27 suites and a villa that sleeps 12; the dining, predictably, is sublime, with organic, locally sourced food accompanied by carefully chosen South African wines. From £130pp a night, full-board, including activities
7 BEST FOR MEERKATS TSWALU
You need to get up early to watch meerkats performing their sun salutations, and the best place to see them on the entire African continent is Tswalu, a luxury camp in South Africa’s largest private game reserve. Owned by the Oppenheimer family, who have played a prominent role in gold and diamond mining, it is located right where the Northern Cape meets the Kalahari. At many camps specialising
in meerkat encounters, the animals are so used to tourists that they climb on their shoulders; at Tswalu, the guides rotate clients between colonies. You’ll spend about 90 minutes with the meerkats each morning before they dash off to spend the day foraging, while you track rhinos, black-maned Kalahari lions and, if you’re lucky, wild dogs. The accommodation, built to suit the tastes of a diamond dynasty, consists of huge thatched suites with open fires and private decks overlooking a watering hole. From £605pp a night, full-board, including activities
8 BEST FOR GARDEN ROUTE GAME-VIEWING GONDWANA GAME RESERVE
South African safari guide falls in love with New York advertising executive and hatches a plan to offer authentic safari experiences to Garden Route tourists by reintroducing big game to 27,000 acres of former sheep farm. That, in a nutshell, is the Hollywood-esque history of Gondwana, ideally placed 30 minutes northwest of the Garden Route stopover of Mossel Bay. As well as offering traditional morning and late-afternoon game drives — you’ll see lions, cheetahs, elephants, black rhinos and many antelopes — Gondwana runs a ranger experience for kids, teaching youngsters the basics of wildlife identification, tracking and star-spotting. Accommodation is in chic bush lodges — all dark wood, exposed beams and thatch — with open fires and braais. From £175pp a night, full-board, including activities
l All these properties can be booked with Africa Travel (020 7843 3583, africatravel.co.uk)
South Africa’s finest villas 1
CAPE VIEW CLIFTON, CAPE TOWN The right vista can add much to a stay, and the view at this luxury guesthouse is hard to beat — it looks out over Clifton and Camps Bay, and towards the Twelve Apostles mountains. The two self-catering villas (one with two bedrooms, the other with three) are generous in size. Each has a living room, a dining area, a Jacuzzi and a sun deck, as well as an equipped kitchen, so the guests to self-cater should they wish. They also have access to the hotel’s pool, gym and superb breakfast. Two-bedroom suite from £280 a night, B&B
2
LA CLE DES MONTAGNES, FRANSCHHOEK Self-catering gets sophisticated in this complex of four elegant villas set amid vineyards and orchards, a short stroll from the centre of historic Franschhoek. Sleeping between two and eight guests, each has spacious indoor and outdoor living areas, two, three or four ensuite bedrooms, fully equipped kitchens, a private garden and a pool. There’s a personalised concierge service, too, which can provide a babysitter, a butler, a chef and a chauffeur. Two-bedroom villa from £770 a night, B&B
3
GROOTBOS NATURE RESERVE, GANSBAAI There are villas, then there are villas. The six-suite offering at Grootbos, where the rental price includes the services of a butler, a chef and a guide, is one of the finest hotel villas in all of Africa, if not the world. The outdoor decks have incredible views of Walker Bay, where whales can be spotted. And you won’t be stuck for something more active to do — choose
Savanna chic Little Madikwe has a chef and a butler for its five guests
from riding, nature drives, shark-cage dives and beach excursions. Six-bedroom villa from £4,100 a night, full-board, including activities
4
LITTLE MADIKWE, MADIKWE GAME RESERVE A lodge within a lodge, Little Madikwe caters for just five guests. It has two bedrooms, living and dining areas, a library, a sun deck a and pool. Particularly good for families — the reserve, which is about four hours northwest of Johannesburg, is malaria-free — the villa has a chef, a butler, a child-minder and a safari guide and vehicle. When booked in tandem with two of the main lodge’s suites, it can accommodate eight. Two-bedroom villa from £1,470 a night, full-board, including activities 6All of the above can be booked with Africa Travel, which offers a best-price guarantee on any like-for-like itinerary (020 7843 3583, africatravel.co.uk)
AFRICA TRAVEL 12 / FYNBOS South Africa’s botanical wonders are as big a draw as its beaches, says Jo Foley
G
ardeners are a breed apart. Not only do they possess a vivid imagination, a longing for the unattainable and the patience of Job, they have an unquenchable passion for all fruits of the soil. They will wait years for their own gardens to grow and take shape, they will search out near-forgotten flowers in every corner of the globe, and they will wax lyrical about a seemingly dull (to the untutored eye) stretch of grassland that they have trekked miles to see. Gardeners love the exotic. They are enchanted by the rare and ensnared by the wild, which is why the fynbos (an Afrikaans term meaning “fine bush”) areas of South Africa are so appealing. Rather than sun, wine and wildlife, garden enthusiasts visit South Africa for the wild grasslands, the indigenous trees, the flamboyant flowers and the rarest of succulents. They are as excited by mesembs as most visitors are by meerkats. More than anything, though, gardeners, botanists and ecologists want to see and explore the fynbos, a natural shrubland that occupies a swathe of the Western Cape, with plants and trees unique not just to the area, but to the planet. It is one of the world’s six floral kingdoms, and has the greatest concentration of plant species of all of them. The best place to see and experience it is at Grootbos Private Nature Reserve, an award-winning ecolodge on the coast near Hermanus, a 2½-hour drive southeast from Cape Town. Encompassing 2,500 acres of the indigenous fynbos, it is home to 768 plant species, many of them endangered and vulnerable. The area also has pockets of milkwood and Afromontane forest — indeed, some of the milkwood trees are almost 1,000 years old. There are
The fynbos has been classified as one of the world’s six floral kingdoms
A blaze of glory
only eight areas in the world where this tree grows. While the lodge offers as much luxury as any other five-star in the bush, it is dusted with eco-excitement. There are guided trails and treks through the fynbos on foot, on horseback and in a 4x4, or you can grab a map and do it at your leisure. (Water, plant books and binoculars are supplied.) As well as shrubs, flowers and forest there is, of course, the bird and insect life they attract — more than 100 varieties of bird, 25 of reptiles, and 21 mammal species, including bushbucks and mongooses. Little wonder, then, that Grootbos works with the Eden Project, in Cornwall, on developing its biodomes. When guests need a break from the plants and the birds, the ocean is on the doorstep. Grootbos overlooks the white-sand beaches of Walker Bay, known as the Bay of Whales because, from July to December, it is one of the largest breeding grounds for the southern right whale. Boat trips take visitors to the action
Look on the bright side Cycling through the grounds of Bushmans Kloof reserve. Above, the fynbos offers a rich habitat
and to a nearby island to view the Cape fur seal, which can be followed by a gentle stroll along the “protea trail”. After the wilderness, travellers can head back to Cape Town to enjoy more cultivated and structured gardens, stopping off at the Harold Porter National Botanical Garden, in Betty’s Bay, set between the
mountains and the ocean. At the centre of the coastal fynbos, and next to dunes that nurture specialised salt-adapted plants, it’s famous for its waterfalls and pools. There are 25 acres of cultivated fynbos and almost 470 of the natural pristine variety, all of which offer great walks and trails, with fantastic views along the
coast. As well as shrubs and heathland, Harold Porter is famous for its flowers, with vast collections of irises and daisies alongside orchids, ericas and, of course, proteas, the national flower. Head on from here to Cape Town proper, and the foot of Table Mountain, for a visit to South Africa’s most famous garden — Kirstenbosch,
Kadoro Lodge, at Bushmans Kloof
25.01.2015 / 13 which is well known in the UK thanks to its frequent forays to, and gold medals at, the Chelsea Flower Show — 29 at the last count. Apart from anything else, it has the most spectacular setting, on the eastern side of the mountain, but with views of the city and the coastline. A number of trails and paths lead up the mountain peak, including one of the gentlest and easiest, Skeleton Gorge, while others veer off through forests to the slopes of Devil’s Peak. The garden itself has enough to keep even the most amateur gardener entertained for hours. It was founded just over a century ago and is planted, bar a few exceptions, with indigenous flora only, while its vast conservatory includes a variety of plants from different regions — the savanna, the Karoo and, of course, the fynbos. Kirstenbosch also has an ever-changing display of Zimbabwean stone sculptures. During the summer months, it is a near-perfect setting
Alamy; Getty
Floral kingdom The fynbos provides the Cape with a diverse ecosystem
for a series of Sunday-evening concerts. From the lushness of Table Mountain, head north to the Karoo National Botanical Garden, in Worcester, which is dedicated to succulents from all over South Africa and is the only true succulent garden in the southern hemisphere. Aficionados will discover everything from tree aloes and euphorbias to the riotous mesembs, which flower between August and October — tiny dots of
South Africa with a visit to Bushmans Kloof, a private reserve about 160 miles north of Cape Town, as famous for its rock paintings as its gardens. The latter can be explored on foot, with or without a resident expert, and are almost as spectacular as any of the 130 rock art sites in the vicinity. There are nearly 800 examples of indigenous plant species from the fynbos, the Karoo and the forest, while the eponymous lodge has a bushman’s garden, planted with healing and medicinal indigenous shrubs, trees and succulents. There’s game to spot, too: zebras, African wildcat and antelopes, as well as hartebeest, aardvarks and ostriches.
l Africa Travel can arrange
sapphire and scarlet, yellows and oranges. Conclude this connoisseur’s tour of the garden glory of
an eight-night flora and fauna holiday in South Africa from £1,995pp, including BA flights, Budget car hire, two nights at Grootbos and three nights each at Bushmans Kloof and The Last Word Constantia (020 7843 3583, africatravel.co.uk)
Edens that will lead you into temptation Flourishing attractions Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden. Below, the Walter Sisulu Garden
Jo Foley picks five South African tourist gardens that still feel wild and primordial Whether it’s the climate, the soil or the indigenous offerings — or the fusion of all three matched with imaginative botanists, gardeners and enthusiasts — South Africa offers the visitor some great gardens. The Free State Botanical Garden, on the outskirts of Bloemfontein, is famed for its wild grassland and collection of trees, including wild olive and dwarf coral. Walking in the rocky outcrops that dot its 70 hectares, you get views of both its cultivated sections and wilder areas. Take time here to enjoy some of the 400 species of plants, which teem with insect and bird life. Further north, near Roodepoort, in Gauteng, is the Walter Sisulu Garden, which is almost as popular for its Verreaux’s eagles as it is for its grasslands and savanna. This is about as wild as a botanical garden can get, with streams, waterfalls and dense bush. Yet it is also home to more than 600 plant species, as
well as their attendant birds and reptiles, with a few jackals and a selection of antelopes for good measure. To the east of Jo’burg, in Mpumalanga province, is the Lowveld National Botanical Garden. It’s situated at the confluence of the Crocodile and Nels
rivers — you hear the waterfall before you reach the garden, and see it as you cross a suspension bridge and walk through a true African rainforest. Many plants and trees have been introduced here from the coastal belt, as well as the Limpopo regions; the Lowveld is renowned for its collection of fig trees and baobabs. The National Botanical Garden, in Pretoria’s eastern suburbs, is a botanist’s dream, as it is divided into two sections: a cool zone and a warmer version, each with the appropriate plants. Fifty hectares are specially cultivated using almost exclusively South African plants, divided into succulent, cycad and medicinal areas. It also houses examples of more than half of the
country’s estimated 1,700 native tree species, and most of its flowering plants. Fittingly, it is home to South Africa’s National Biodiversity Institute and Environment Education Centre. The diversity of the eastern grasslands is on view at the KwaZulu-Natal Botanical Garden, in Pietermaritzburg. In addition to plants and trees from the region, it has a fantastic collection of trees from the northern hemisphere, including a glorious avenue of London plane trees, planted in 1908. Not to be missed is the Useful Plant section, a celebration of plants traditionally used by the Zulus for medicine and food.
l For more information, visit sanbi.org
SOUTH AFRICA 14 / EASTERN CAPE
M
y home may now be in England, but my heart will forever be in South Africa, an extraordinary country of wide open plains, buzzing city life, deserted beaches and wonderful wildlife. Nowhere showcases this better than the Eastern Cape province, which stretches from Tsitsikamma, on the Garden Route, right up the east coast of the country to Port Edward, in KwaZulu-Natal. In between these points, game reserves, historic settler towns, authentic cultural experiences and breathtaking views vie for the tourist’s attention. Cricket took me all over the world, but my favourite time was always touring in South Africa, where any downtime between matches could be spent on the Eastern Cape’s glorious beaches or on a safari. As my wife’s parents have a house in Port Alfred, I am fortunate to still spend many winters in the area. The region has long been popular with South African holidaymakers, but increased exposure through the release of the film Long Walk to Freedom — Nelson Mandela’s birthplace, childhood home and final resting place all lie in the Eastern Cape — has raised awareness among overseas visitors, who are travelling to the area in ever-greater numbers. Most trips to the province begin with a flight into Port Elizabeth, a city often neglected by those keen to collect their hire cars and head straight off to their safari lodge, or along the Garden Route. This is a shame, as PE underwent a makeover for the 2010 World Cup and now has enough to delay the traveller stopping over for a couple of nights. The beaches are excellent and the penguin rehabilitation centre is worth a visit. My preferred spots to stay in town are the boutique Singa Lodge, where guests are often treated like family members, and the glitzy new Boardwalk Hotel & Spa. Heading west from PE, Jeffreys Bay is the finest surfing spot in South Africa, but St Francis Bay is its cutest seaside village, set alongside a perfect beach, with thatched houses built around a series of canals and waterways. My ideal day here is a round of golf at the excellent Jack Nicklaus-designed links golf course, a quick dip in the ocean, then a fresh seafood dinner and overnight stay at The Sands @ St Francis, a great little property with just five large bedrooms, overlooking a beautiful cove. The honeymoon suite has an outdoor hot tub: perfect for easing those aching golfing muscles. Travelling east from Port Elizabeth, you soon hit safari country. The names of Shamwari, Addo and Kwandwe are familiar to all safari aficionados as great examples of places where wildlife has successfully been reintroduced to land from which it had once disappeared, but my favourite is the Amakhala Game Reserve. It offers something for everyone, from the luxurious suites at Bukela Lodge to the enormous two-bedroom family suites at Hlosi Game Lodge. Those
Head on tour in the Eastern Cape From golf and game to South Africa’s best surfing spot, Nelson Mandela’s home province enchants and enthrals in equal measure, says the former England cricketer Allan Lamb
Fast track Cheetahs are a big draw at the Samara Private Game Reserve, above. Left, the historic Drostdy Hotel, in Graaff-Reinet
A round on the Jack Nicklaus-designed golf course, then a dip in the ocean and a seafood dinner, is my ideal day
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Sweep the board The province is a playground for the active, from catching waves in the surfing hotspot of Jeffreys Bay to kickabouts with the locals. Left, the heritage town of Graaff-Reinet
keen on visiting the nearby Born Free Foundation should stay at Safari Lodge, while those on a limited budget should stay at Leeuwenbosch. Personally, I feel most at home at Amakhala’s Bush Lodge. The five large tented suites each have a private plunge pool, and in addition to game drives, walks in the bush and river cruises, the lucky few get to experience the fantastic curries made by the owner, Tracey. Continuing eastwards, you reach the historic frontier town of Grahamstown. Site of a Xhosa invasion and battle in the early 19th century, it’s home to some of the finest Georgian and Victorian architecture in the country. Time your visit right and you could enjoy the annual Grahamstown National Arts Festival, one of the world’s largest and a real treat. Next up is the Samara Private Game Reserve, near Graaff-Reinet, in the Great Karoo. It is owned by the Tompkins family, who understand and treasure the environment, and whose years of dedication in creating this wonderful reserve have really paid off. How? In 70,000 acres of wilderness and wildlife. My kids love looking out for aardvarks on the night-time game drives, I love to track the cheetahs, and my wife is a big fan of the spa, but we always end up sharing a sundowner on the viewing decks of either the magnificent Karoo Lodge or the private Manor House, absorbing the vast vistas and enjoying the great hospitality. Those visiting Samara can take a day trip to the well-loved Drostdy
Hotel, in Graaff-Reinet, a lovely town with more heritage sites than any other in the country. Built in 1806, the Drostdy has recently undergone a huge renovation. Now it’s the five-star talk of the town. Other well-loved highlights on the coastal drive to the east include the village of Chintsa East, where you’ll find nothing but empty beaches, dunes and forest ready to be explored, and the dramatic rock formations and wild coastline around Coffee Bay. The Eastern Cape really is a magical corner of South Africa waiting to be discovered.
l Africa Travel can arrange a
seven-night Eastern Cape trip from £1,895pp, including BA flights, Budget car hire, three nights at Samara and two nights each at the Drostdy Hotel and the Amakhala Bush Lodge (020 7843 3583, africatravel.co.uk)
Howzat? The England cricket star Jimmy Anderson and, above right, the Cape Town Cycling Tour
Highlights of the sporting year HORSERACING
You’ve just missed this year’s L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate festival (lqp.co.za), which draws Cape Town’s finest to the track for the African version of Ladies Day at Royal Ascot (without the royals, but with better weather). Don’t fear — Africa Travel (020 7843 3583, africatravel.co.uk) has an escorted trip taking in next year’s event. Place your bets.
CRICKET
England face a stern test when a four-match series against South Africa begins in Durban on Boxing Day. Cheer on the team as they do battle with the Proteas, with a one-day series to follow in 2016. Africa Travel (as above) is offering trips to South Africa to follow England’s tour this winter.
CYCLING
The Cape Town Cycling Tour — formerly the Cape Argus — is traditionally staged on the second Sunday of March. As many as 35,000 people tackle the 68-mile course, which winds around the Cape Peninsula and Chapman’s Peak (cycletour.co.za).
RUNNING
The organisers of the Two Oceans Marathon, held in
Cape Town at Easter, say that it is the “world’s most beautiful”, though you’ll still need plenty of stamina to take on the ultramarathon’s undulating 34 miles. Too much like hard work? Try the half-marathon and fun run (twooceansmarathon.org.za). Further east, the fabled 55-mile Comrades race, between Durban and Pietermaritzburg, is the world’s oldest and largest ultramarathon. This year’s event takes place on May 31 (comrades.com).
RUGBY
This sport runs in the country’s veins. If you don’t get a chance to watch the mighty Springboks in action, try the Currie Cup. Dating from the 1880s, the tournament runs from June to October
(sarugby.net). Lions against Sharks, anyone?
SURFING
South Africa’s biggest surf festival is the Mr Price Pro Competition, at Ballito, on the Dolphin Coast, in KwaZulu-Natal in June and July. Watch the pros in action, maybe catch your own break, then dry off at the music festival that runs alongside (mrpricepro.com).
GOLF
The Glendower golf club, near Johannesburg, hosted the 104th edition of the South African Open Championship — part of the European Tour, bizarrely — a fortnight ago. Follow in the pros’ pitch marks with a round there; from £40 (southafricanopen. com, glendower.co.za).
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THE SUNDAY TIMES thesundaytimes.co.uk/travel
25.01.2015