You can see penguins on the beach in Cape Town, walk sand through a private game reserve and live in a five-star hotel near Cradle of Civilization from Cape Point to Kimberley. You can fly to the countryside. Consider this the first time on your first South African journey.
1. The baboons begin all the journeys to South Africa.
Animals appear in the strangest positions at Cape Point, the southwestmost tip of Africa. On the way to Table Mountain, just north of the promontory, you’re going to end up winding wild paths, which are home to many baboon families. (It’s not rare to see pilots gawking at a bush on the road.) They often go around on the shoulders of the road or even in the middle of it where they groom without a single-vehicle. Take all the photos you want – especially the lovely babies – but don’t open a door, or break your windows. These baboons mean business. They mean business.
2. View Cape Town from Table Mountain at sunset.
This flat, mountain overlooks Cape Town, which is 3500 feet wider and has a spectacular panorama of the continent. The cloud cover is normally positioned just below the top of the crest, so you can look at a blanket of white wisps. Energy tourists will walk up to the top; the others will choose a fabulous cable car trip.
3. Share a stretch of beach Boulders with tiny penguins.
A short drive from the center of Cape Town takes you to Boulders Beach but you will be prepared to compete with small locals for sandy, shoreline property: the area is home to a colony of Penguins who demanded the beach in the early 1980s. Your house is a shelter now. You are advised to get as close as possible without touching, but do not feed them anything you do—penguin bites are no joke.
4. Land at Dundi Lodge’s backyard.
The garden of the resort is a large area of dirt, which doubles as a private road, so you can rent a flight right at the door of your rented cabin. Private balconies and fine bedding make it difficult to leave your room, but it is worth exploring the region of Augrabies Falls, popular for its adventure jungles. Cool off and drink at the nearby resort Augrabies Camp and Cabin, where the on-site bar has empty bottles of Jägermeister for $40,000.
5. Go down the Orange River courageously.
This stretch of the Orange River – the longest river in the nation – not far from the border with Namibia in the Augrabies Falle area is full of daredevil kayakers who are looking to take shooting Class V rapids. The more intrepid can be downstream solo, every tournament can come with a guide.
6. Check for the Big Hole”
The teal waters at the base of this abandoned mine of diamonds are an impressive shot of many vantage points but the best is in the air, thanks to a helicopter tour in the capital of the province of Northern Cape. On the ground, you will reach the abandoned mine and feel like the surgery was in full swing – 150 years ago.
7. Get the perfect picture of the famous works of art of Soweto on Instagram.
Soweto is a spacious but cultural district within Johannesburg and stands for South Western Townships. It is Nelson Mandela’s birthplace and still stands the bricked house of his youth, kept as a museum. Notable among the region is also the Orlando Power Station Cooling Towers, whose walls depict the city, music, and Mandela. Brave souls will leap between two 300-foot towers from a platform.
8. Live at the Birthplace of Humanity in a 5-star hotel.
A stone’s throw away from the Birthplace of Civilization, where mankind is said to have started, lies Foro Homini, the luxury hotel at Muldersdrift. This five-star hotel is nestled in a gaming estate, but it is mostly underground with cave-style accommodations, which makes it different. The steel walls are painted with the man’s past and the award-winning onsite restaurant, Origins, dishes such as calcareous tubes, blank ink noodles, and lamb far away.
9. On the Blue Train, ring for a butler.
One of the world’s finest luxury trains, The Blue Train, which currently has two trains, provides an exceptionally comfortable ride from Cape Town to Johannesburg. The en suite rooms are just the beginning in burled and plump woodland. Feel free for any requests from foie gras to a Cuba cigar. Ring your personal butler.
10. Track Mattanu Private Game Reserve for giraffes and sand.
This family-run retreat is popular for breeding in the open plains of the Province of Northern Cape near Kimberley, where guests are welcome to take part in the monitoring, marking, and transfer of animals. Giraffes, roans, sand, impalas, buffalos roam, even though you hear heavy breathing on the other side of your canvas in the night in your private tent.
