A South African Safari and Winelands Adventure

Day 1: Cape Town

Cape Town exceeded expectations: vibrant, lively and unmistakably happy, with Table Mountain presiding over the whole vast landscape. A morning at the V&A Waterfront could easily fill a full day on its own, its shops, bars and restaurants inviting you to linger.

The real thrill came with Cape Sidecar Adventures, tracing the coastline from the base of Table Mountain through Camps Bay, Clifton, Llandudno Beach and Hout Bay, before climbing onto Chapman's Peak. It's one of the finest coastal drives anywhere in the world and seeing it from a sidecar makes it unforgettable.

Lunch followed at Karibu, a traditional South African restaurant overlooking the waterfront with excellent food and wine (a phrase you'll hear often on this trip). The afternoon brought a Wild Horizons catamaran cruise along the coast, glasses of wine in hand, with dolphins and seals surfacing briefly and Table Mountain framing every view. As evening fell, SPYCED restaurant delivered entertainment alongside South African tapas that blend the spices and flavours of the many cultures that have shaped this city.

Day 2: The Winelands and into the Karoo

Leaving the city behind, the road led through the Winelands and on into the Karoo. Dekkersvlei was the first stop, a vineyard tour followed by freshly made pizzas and some of the best wine tasted anywhere, well worth the pause before the day's main event.

The drive deeper into the Karoo is a destination in itself, the landscape transforming mile by mile. At Aquila Private Game Reserve, the wildlife wasted no time: four elephants within ten metres of the jeep inside the first five minutes, and four of the Big Five spotted before the day was done. It closed with a private dinner under the stars, food, wine and entertainment combining for one of the best evenings of the trip.

Day 3: Deeper into the wild

A rooftop breakfast overlooking the Karoo at Inverdoorn Private Game Reserve set the tone for a morning spent closer still to the animals: giraffes, hippos, elephants, buffalo and rhinos among the sightings.

A stop at Kuganha offered a glimpse of Aquila Collection's newest property, ten luxury 320 square metre tents, each with a private hot tub, sauna, plunge pool, outdoor baths and showers, and spa beds. A genuinely unique experience, and one worth returning for.

The early evening game drive brought the closest encounter yet, lions near enough to reach out and touch, and a moment of pure adrenaline when a lioness locked eyes across the jeep. Wine and champagne followed under a Karoo sky that had finally cleared for stargazing, rounded off with a nightcap of brandy and Amarula.

Day 4: Stellenbosch and home

The final day traced a route back towards Cape Town via Stellenbosch, for a tour that brought the town's history to life. It's a place that rewards a longer stay, two or three nights would do it justice.

Lunch was served at De Warenmarkt, followed by beer tasting at Craft Wheat & Hop and a final glass of wine with tapas at The Wine Glass. A few hours at Hotel Verde brought the trip full circle before a midnight flight home to the UK.

Ready to write your own South African story?

From sidecar rides beneath Table Mountain to lion encounters in the Karoo, South Africa rewards travellers who want more than a checklist of sights. Our specialists know the region intimately and can build a tailor-made itinerary around the experiences that matter most to you. Speak to the TripsBeyond team to start planning your own adventure.