Great White Sharks and the Road with 114 Curves

An African Safari adventure can have many looks and feels depending on what country you want to explore, animals you want to see and the time you have to spend on your safari.  I had clients begin their African safari in South Africa.

The city of Cape Town is a vibrant city located on the ocean where the Indian and Atlantic Oceans meet. Cape Town is the oldest city in South Africa and has the backdrop of Table Mountain and the glistening waters of Table Bay.  Many of the beaches in Cape Town are the best in the world. The city has a bustling harbor, many historical sights, and top-notch vineyards.

On the first day, my clients took the cable car up to Table Mountain where the panoramic view is spectacular of the harbor and coast out to Robben Island. Robben Island is well known for its housing of political prisoners, one of which was Nelson Mandela. The island now has a living museum to remember its history back to the time the island held leprosy patients.  The next stop was the Castle of Good Hope which is the oldest building in South Africa.   For the very adventurous one adrenaline rush tour is to go to Gansbaai, a small fishing village and cage dive with Great White Shark.  This area is inhabited by countless seals and is dubbed “Shark Alley” since it attracts a large number of Great Whites.

For the less adventurous that love nature a great stop is Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens which highlights all of Cape Town’s flora and fauna.  The gardens house more than 7000  species of native plants, many of them that are rare and threatened. Kirstenbosch is one of the most beautiful gardens with the backdrop of Table Mountain and its variety of plant life grown here.

One of the best coastal drives in Cape Town is along Cape Point a spectacular sight covered in endemic fynbos (one of the unique plants of South Africa) and where the beaches, bays and rolling green hills all meet together. Cape Point is within the Cape Floral Region which is a World Heritage Site. The Cape Floral region is one of the richest plant areas in the world and is home to nearly 20% of Africa’s flora.  

​Some other coastal drives, not to miss are Sea Point, Clifton and Llandudno Beach and Chapman’s Peak Drive with its 114 curves along a 9km route along the rocky coast.  Here the are many places to stop, relax and take in the view.

The accommodations in Cape Town are a great treat also with many beautifulproperties.  A few to take note of are Southern Sun Cullinan Hotel a moderate size hotel that treats you like royalty.  A favorite hotel brand is the Belmond properties. There is one in Cape Town called the Belmond Mount Nelson Hotel.  This grand “pink” hotel sits at the base of Table Mountain and is the calm oasis within the bustling city of Cape Town. Well known by many travelers this property is one the old times go back to time and time again.  

As you can see, with so much to see and do in Cape Town, South Africa you can easily spend four to five nights exploring this vibrant city.  Next, we travel north to being the safari adventure at Thornybush Game Reserve.