The perfect Western Cape road trip of South Africa (part II)
Jonkershoek Nature Reserve, Stellenbosch, South Africa (ISO 100, 18 mm, f/11, 1/125 s)
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Welcome to Part II of the Western Cape road trip, taking you through some of the sites of the province (Check out my blog posts on Stellenbosch Wineries and the Western Cape Road Trip Part I). If you have the time, here are just a few more adventures you can do in this part of the country. You can find a Google map of the places I will discuss at the end of this post.
One of the most famous and cultural significant places in Cape town (or just off the coast is Robben Island Museum. Located just 7 km off the coast, there are many operators that can bring you to it from the Cape Town Waterfront and is significant since it houses a prison, which was the location of the cell for Nelson Mandela.
Jonkershoek Nature Reserve, Stellenbosch, South Africa (ISO 100, 18 mm, f/11, 1/125 s)
Want to do more hiking, go to Jonkershoek Nature Reserve near Stellenbosch for great trails. Swimming and mountain biking are popular activities to do here as well. Some of the hikes also take you up to see magnificent views of Strand down below.
If you want the nature, without the hiking, head on over to Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden for a picnic or a walk. They also have concerts during the summer months.
Jonkershoek Nature Reserve, Stellenbosch, South Africa (ISO 100, 55 mm, f/5.6, 1/80 s)
In the mood for some sports action? Check out a rugby game at Newlands Rugby Stadium to see the Stormers play. Even if you’re not a fan of rugby or don’t know the rules very well, it’s still very impressive to see these top athletes compete. Many of the players in the Super Rugby League (15 teams total across South Africa, New Zealand, and Australia) also play for their national teams.
Not into rugby? Watch Ajax Cape Town FC play football at Cape Town Stadium. Perhaps quite obviously, the parent team is AFC Ajax based out of Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Newlands Stadium, Cape Town, South Africa (ISO 3200, 75 mm, f/4, 1/800 s)
If you time it just right, you may be able to see a concert at Cape Town Stadium. Lucky enough for me, I was living in Stellenbosch when Coldplay performed at this venue.
Want to do some shark diving or whale watching? Take a drive from Stellenbosch/Cape Town via the Garden Route towards Gansbaai by way of Hermanus. You can easily plan days worth of more activities along this route, if you feel like you haven’t had enough just yet. During whale watching season, you can just drive up to the city of Hermanus and stand on the coastline to see the pods of whales passing by (peak whale season is september to october). You can also book a boat tour to see the whales with local operators.
Book a shark dive through an operator either online or in person at Kleinsbaai Harbor. Better yet, incorporate a stay at a local B and B for after your dive. I recommend the Roundhouse which has accommodation and dive packages they sell together. After the dive you will most likely not want to drive anymore and rest for the remainder of the day and this place is the best for doing so. There is a beach nearby and the town is quiet. If you have the time, drive the 90 km or so south from here and visit the actual southernmost tip of the African continent at Cape L’Agulhas where the Atlantic and the Indian oceans meet.
Shark Alley, Gansbaai, South Africa (ISO 200, 36 mm, f/5, 1/500 s)
As for the dive itself, you usually arrive at a predetermined time for a small breakfast and coffee that the operator provides and they go through safety and the protocol for the dive. It’s all very straightforward and the staff are quite helpful and accommodating.
There is no guarantee for seeing the sharks, however the crews are in constant contact with others to determine where the sharks may be. Then you are loaded into a shark cage, tethered to the side of the boat. When the shark is near, the operator will tell you to hold your breath and go below water, usually baiting the shark to come closer to the cage in the process. Keep your hands and feet inside the cage and you should be fine! It’s terrifying and also incredible to see these animals up close.
Lastly, if you’re an adrenaline junky. You can take the 7 hour drive to the middle of the country to Bloukrans Bungy to bungee jump (over 200 meters above the river below). there are also tour companies that can take you there from cape town as part of a 2 day trip package. Also, if you plan on going to Johannesburg in the Gauteng Province, the Soweto Towers also have bungee jumping for a modest drop of only about 100 meters (more info on that here).
This only scratches the surface of things to do and see in just the Western Cape of South Africa alone. Here is some information about what to do in Johannesburg in the Gauteng Province and going on Safari in Kruger National Park.
If you’d like to read more about traveling in Africa, check out my posts on Namibia, Morocco, and Egypt.
