In October of 2016 I was fortunate enough to take a trip down to South Africa for my brother’s wedding. Most of our family went down for the wedding and made a 2 week vacation out of the trip. In this post, I share some of the amazing places we visited and animals we encountered.

Trip Dates: October 3, 2016 - October 14, 2016

Note: The images below are in a ‘carousel’ format, so you can click on the left/right of the image to scroll through the collection of images for the location, and click in the center of an image to view a slightly enlarged version of the image.

Vineyard with spectacular views, a cellar full of very expensive wines and a chipping green - get a hole in one and you get a free bottle of wine. The basement has some very VERY expensive wines (we were told that one of the bottles of wine is so old and expensive that it is literally worth more than the entire wine estate). Not too shabby for a bottle of vinegar!

While at this vineyard, we learned a couple of things. The wine barrels are “painted” red in the middle, which is done using the skins of grapes to help with conditioning the wood for expansion. In addition, the wine-maker will often pour wood chips or raw eggs into the barrels to adjust the chemical balance of the wine.

Smaller vineyard with spectacular views atop the hill where several vineyards reside, including the previously-mentioned Ernie Els vineyard. There is a home sitting higher on the mountain overlooking the actual winery guest building which is said to belong to the owners of the estate. The owners were looking to convert the home into a tasting/guest house but could not as a rare South African white leopard was spotted on the property and, as such, the property was being conserved for potential breeding of the rare species.

As if humans were replaced by penguins, this beach was filled with them. You can walk onto the beach itself (difficult to navigate at high tide as you have to crawl through small spaces between the boulders) or take a stroll down the wooden boardwalk that circles the beach, which allows you to see many penguins both in the woods as well as on the beach at the end of the boardwalk.

One of the more spectacular views I’ve ever seen, the southern-most point of South Africa, filled with babboons roaming around and walking by. You can either take a small tram to get to the top, or hike up a path cut for visitors to make their way to the top. The views from all sides of the mountain-top are spectacular, but the real treasure is at the end of the point where an old (but still working) lighthouse can be seen.

Just across the street (a block or two up from the entrance of Cape Point park) is an ostrich farm that looks like you are arriving in an old town in the middle of some old European estate. If you’re lucky enough, you can feed them (although one of them ended up being quite aggressive). The shop sells all kinds of high-end (but VERY expensive) ostrich leather goods, including purses, wallets, key chains, etc.

A mix of fun statues for kids and a general mart with fresh fruits, vegetables, and biltong, this shop has an unassuming basement filled with expensive wines (you just have to know who to ask to browse it). Outside, there are structures/statues of various animals and people (fun for kids).

Dusty and old describe this winery that is a stark contrast to the other very upscale and modern wineries surrounding it. It is a look into old-word as the building is over 200 years old (and is the first estate in Stellenbosch established by the original founder of the town). While there, the owners were restoring the building, exposing natural wood beams that had been painted over by prior owners.

By far the most modern, expensive-looking, and overall impressive wine estate (second to Waterkloof, of course). The estate featured a VERY high-end Graff diamond shop that we were invited in to explore all variations of jewelry that we would likely never be able to afford in our lifetime. Wine tasting at this venue is nicely paired with a cheese and olive platter, and the most interesting of small tablets that expand into a refreshing towel when dropped into a small bit of water.

A new 7-wonders of the world, you take a rotating gondola up an extremely steep cable to reach the top. Once there, you could spend hours hiking around and photographing the many different views from the top, and can see sights such as Robben Island where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned.

A swanky estate with great brandy tasting, the tasting room is any man’s dream for a man cave/swanky lounge. Pair your brandy with chocolate (as we did) for a great tasting experience. Copper equipment, presumably for distilling, is on display, as are some of the more expensive ‘reserve’ brandy options that were developed by the distillery.

Known for its colorful Victorian bathing boxes, this beach at low tide sports some amazing abelone shells. The town itself is filled with various ‘antique’ shops that, ironically, contain a lot of American ‘antiques’. Going at low tide is definitely better as the sandy beach is more exposed and walkable.

Remembering the Events

A lot was experienced over the course of the trip - these are just some quick one-liners that help with remembering the events. A few of these are inside jokes from the trip and may not make sense to everyone:

  • Not being able to fly out on time (2 day loss) because of no birth certificate, and 15 hours of driving thereafter to rectify the error.
  • Babboons taking Maxwell’s toys - and then discovering the toy graveyard where they stored what must have been hundreds of other childrens’ toys that they stole.
  • Left-side of road driving in right-side (passenger) seats.
  • MILES of shanty town (Khayelitsha).
  • Wine (some of the best).
  • 2-lane roads turning into 4-lane highways (cars moving into breakdown lanes to allow others to pass).
  • Squirrels (and pasta).
  • Brandy and cigars.
  • Babboons eating tubes of toothpaste.
  • Street-side raw fish stands.
  • Lack of bathroom doors.
  • Gates/security/alarms.
  • Parking/car “guards” (expecting you to tip them).
  • The Hubbly Bubbly (hookah) master.
  • Cufflinks and haircuts.
  • Lapa and braai of many (MANY) different meats.
  • Amazing sights and sounds from Waterkloof (wedding venue).
  • Biltong (and more biltong).