Our bucket-list IV trip didn’t get off to the easiest of starts with a fire outbreak at a power station near Heathrow putting the whole trip into jeopardy. A cancelled flight, 3 hours on hold to Virgin Atlantic and plenty of itinerary re-arrangements later, we were finally on the road, 24 hours later than originally planned. A day in the life for us tourism folk!’
Straight off the plane, we picked up our rental car and took the short drive to the iconic Newlands cricket ground (where the Western Province and Durban Dolphins women’s sides were warming up for a top of the table clash in the Pro20 series). With the stunning backdrop of Table Mountain, a stadium tour or live cricket fixture at this incredible venue is an absolute must-do for any sports tour heading to South Africa.
The rest of the morning focused on inspecting some of the great hotels that we use for our groups staying in Cape Town. Josh and I stayed at Never @ Home in Green Point. A stone’s throw away from the DHL Stadium and a short walk away from V&A Waterfront and the City Bowl, the accommodation is in a fantastic location. A perfect stay for large groups on more of a budget, with spacious dormitory and private rooms, a lovely breakfast and even a small swimming pool for recovery or relaxation. If you are looking for a good hotel in Cape Town, then my pick of the inspection would be StayEasy in the City Bowl.
Some of our previous groups have been lucky enough to experience Gold Restaurant in Cape Town, which Josh and I were able to sample thanks to our hosts’ invitation. A sumptuous 14 course African taster menu, with participation African drumming in between courses: what’s not to like! This would be my final night recommendation for Cape Town to sign your tour off in style’
Day 2 started with a 5am wakeup call for our guided hike to the summit of Lion’s Head. We completed the 5.5km incline to around 700m above sea level, in about 50 minutes, which according to our guide was a ‘good time’. The climb is certainly not for the faint-hearted with some tricky terrain and occasional rock scrambles but the views from the top are well worth the hard work. Incredible 360 views of the City Bowl, Sea Point, Camps Bay and back around to Table Mountain!
Later that morning, we headed to Aquila Game Reserve, 2 hours outside of Cape Town, for an incredible game drive experience. An overnight stay here, is an absolute must-do for any group tour heading to Cape Town. Our groups are allocated into the well-appointed hotel-like rooms in the main building, some of which overlook the stunning pool with swim up bar which is accessible throughout the day.
We were lucky enough to see 4 of the big 5, missing out on the leopards who are almost nocturnal. If staying overnight, groups also do a game drive the following morning where you are more likely to see all the big 5. Finally, the buffet food at Aquila is also incredible!
Our final day in and around Cape Town was spent in Stellenbosch, with the first stop taking us to the Stellenbosch Academy of Sport (SAS). A fantastic sporting facility for our groups to base themselves for a couple of nights and make use of the pristine pitches, indoor training centre and recovery pool.
There are also plenty of top sports clubs and schools in the area for a fixtures. The town-centre is a 10-minute walk away, boasting many restaurants and cafés with outdoor terrace seating. If staying in the centre, then The Stellenbosch Hotel with its old Victorian charm is the place to be. As Stellenbosch is part of South Africa’s wine capital, a vineyard visit with a wine tasting is a must do for our adult groups and I would recommend Vredemheim estate or Spier Wine Farm based on our experience.
The day left us with just enough time to make it back to Camps Bay to see sunset from a beach-side restaurant. Again, a must do on any tour to Cape Town and for us, a perfect way to end a magnificent 72 hours in this thrilling and vibrant capital city.
