My South African land package – part 1.

From November 2018 it is going to be a busy time for Cape Town as over 50 cruise ships are expected to call over the next 18 months. This excludes MSC Cruises that operate the local cruises around South Africa during the summer time. By the way, MSC will be using a larger ship, the MSC Musica this season to handle an expected increase in cruise passengers – she can carry 30% more passengers than the MSC Sinfonia that plied their waters in previous seasons.

Four ships will be making maiden calls to South Africa which is exciting as more cruise lines want to include Cape Town in their itineraries, which is great news for the local tourism authorities.
Amongst these ships will be Regent Seven Seas Cruises newest vessel, the Seven Seas Explorer, one of Viking Ocean Cruises stunning new ships, the Viking Sun and Azamara Club Cruises with two of her ships, the Azamara Quest and Azamara Journey.

With so many new ships visiting South African shores in the next few years it only makes sense to add a post or pre-cruise land package onto one of them.

This southern most tip of Africa has a lot to offer and if you would prefer to play safe and stay away from malaria areas like the Kruger Park or crime-ridden Johannesburg, then Cape Town and the Garden Route have everything and more to offer. Also known as the gateway to the Cape Winelands, no cruise to Cape Town is complete without an exploration of nearby Franschhoek, Stellenbosch, and Paarl wine regions.

A tour that circumnavigates the peninsula, travelling south from the city, Waterfront or Camps Bay (the most popular areas where visitors choose to base themselves) along the M3, stopping at Kirstenbosch (these gardens are essential viewing) and visiting a few Constantia wineries en route (Klein Constantia and Eagles Nest make a good contrast) is a fantastic way to get a snapshot of what the Mother City has to offer. I’d recommend you stop for lunch in the charming seaside village of Kalk Bay, and set aside an hour or so to browse the quaint shops and art galleries there (or revisit them at a later time), before tackling Cape Point and Chapman’s Peak Drive.

Llandudno, Clifton, and Boulders are the city’s prettiest beaches.

Whilst spectacular in its own right, the Cape Peninsula is very different to the typical African savannah that your average lion would happily call home. Nevertheless, if your time is limited and you do not want to have to take malaria tablets, then there are a few good affordable safari options offering Big Five game viewing within easy traveling distances of Cape Town. Inverdoorn Game Reserve – 2½ hours drive from Cape Town, Garden Route Game Lodge – 3½ hours from Cape Town and Aquila Private Game Reserve – less than 2 hours from Cape Town.

Garden Route Game Lodge

Addo Elephant Park

If you have time then a trip to the Garden Route is a must. High on the must-see lists of most visitors to South Africa, and with good reason: you can’t help but be seduced by the glorious natural beauty. The distance from Mossel Bay in the west to Storms River in the east is just over 200km, yet the range of topography, vegetation, wildlife and outdoor activities is remarkable. This is part of the world which I called home for 43 years.

Tsala Treetop Lodge, Garden Route where we spent a lovely weekend – The Hunter family own Tsala Treetop Lodge and the adjacent colonial Hunter’s Country House, as well as Gorah Elephant Camp – a safari camp in Addo Elephant Park at the far end of the Garden Route. The Hunter family have demonstrated considerable class in all their endeavors and Tsala Treetop Lodge is a reflection of unlimited imagination tempered only by supreme style.

Knysna is a little gem of a town right in the middle of the Garden Route. Looking out over a natural lagoon formed between two sandstone headlands, its waterfront is a lively hub of boutique restaurants serving mouth-watering seafood and Knysna-hatched oysters with a history deep in timber.