A recent journal prompt (from The Isolation Journals) had me thinking about what activities make time fly. What do I get around to doing that stops me from checking my phone or looking at the clock?
My first thought was a long run - and while those weekend miles are some of my favorites and certainly keep me off my phone, I’m definitely still aware of the time passing. Reading, if I’m really into the book, is another thing that can make the time fly by. When I was younger, it was scrapbooking.
I realized that in the past few years, there is one thing that I can get totally lost in - vacation planning. When I’m doing research into the itinerary for a trip, I am completely sucked in. I’m opening maps and bus schedules and reading blogs, magazine articles, looking at tagged pictures on Instagram, reading restaurant menus - part of me already feels like I’m at my next destination.
And when the planning is over, I feel a little bit of a loss, like half the fun of the vacation is already over.
I might not be going to South Africa in April anymore, but I thought I’d share my itinerary regardless - I spent a lot of hours poring through research and information to put it together - hours that I thoroughly enjoyed. Putting it all together into this blog post won’t be as great as getting to go and actually experience these things, but I’m hoping it will help pass some time by letting my brain take a trip through South Africa. And maybe it will help you plan a trip in the future :)
Before I get into the itinerary, a quick plug for Airbnb Experiences - they’ve transitioned a bunch of their workshops and tours into online experiences. I plan on taking this “Lessons from Apartheid” during the time I would be in South Africa. And I’ve made sure to purchase a bottle of South African wine to enjoy next week while we would have been away.
For more ideas on how to cure your wanderlust during the coronavirus outbreak - read this post I wrote!
And now, on to the itinerary. A quick note that I priced this out in a million different ways to figure out the best way to minimize both costs and the amount of time we had to be the ones driving on the opposite side of the road. There’s a mix of day tours, Ubers, buses, flights and rental cars.
DAY ONE - TRAVEL
Evening Departure from US to South Africa (Cape Town)
DAY TWO - ARRIVE IN CAPE TOWN
Afternoon arrival in Cape Town
Check-In to 91 Loop Hostel on trendy Bree Street
Walk Through the Old Biscuit Mill Market & Woodstock neighborhood (Neighbourgoods Market on Saturdays until 2 PM)
Stop for coffee at Bean There or Yours Truly
Take pictures of the colorful Bo Kaap Houses
Lunch at Biesmiellah for Cape Malayan cuisine (order the chicken curry and samosas)
Walk along Bree, Kloof and Long Streets - shopping as you go:
Imagenius
Dinner at Pot Luck Club - one of the hippest restaurants in Cape Town since opening in 2011
Reservations open on the 1st of each month at 08:30 AM South African time for the following month so make sure to set an alarm - they fill up QUICK.
DAY THREE - CAPE TOWN
Workout class at Switch Playground
Explore the Woodstock Neighborhood
Coffee from Truth Coffee Roasting
Woodstock Exchange - shops, cafes, creative hub
Walk Around the V&A Waterfront
African Trading Port is a good souvenir shop
Lunch at the V&A Food Market
*Buy some beer and wine for a sunset toast
Lion’s Head Hike (2.6 Mile Loop) at Sunset
Dinner Options: Sevruga, General Store, Janse & Co.
*Pick-up some “Gatsby’s” (giant sandwiches) from Miriam’s Kitchen on the walk back to use for tomorrow’s hiking lunch!
DAY FOUR - CAPE TOWN
9 AM - 12:30 PM - Robben Island Tour (this includes a tour of the prison and cell where Nelson Mandela was held!)
Hike Table Mountain (Expect it to take around 4 hours)
Take an Uber or bus to Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden
Properly plan out your hiking route using All Trails or something similar. My plan was to take Smuts Track up Skeleton Gorge to the top of Table Mountain.
On the way down, you can either take the hundreds of step of Nursery Ravine, go down Platteklip Gorge, or ride the gondola.
Dinner at Black Sheep
DAY FIVE - CAPE OF GOOD HOPE
Check out of hostel
Breakfast at Hemelhujis
Day Tour to Cape of Good Hope & Boulders Beach
If you wanted, you could rent a car and do this on your own - but we were planning on taking this tour which was $50 per person and lasted 8 hours.
1. Drive by Simon’s Town and Muizenberg Beach (you’ve probably seen pictures of it’s brightly colored beach houses)
2. Boulder’s Beach (Penguin Beach Entrance Fee = Additional 5 USD)
3. Cape Point in the Cape of Good Hope Nature Preserve (southern most point in Africa)
4. Lunch
5. Walk from Cape Point to Cape of Good Hope headland (Funicular Fee = Additional 5 USD)
Uber to Franschhoek wine region and check in to L’Ermitage (about a $60 Uber ride)
DAY SIX - FRANSCHHOEK WINE REGION
Breakfast included at L’Ermitage hotel - eat up, because the wine tram leaves the station at 9:30 AM!
Walk 10 minutes from the hotel to the Franschhoek Tram - Red Line
There are 8 different routes with 11 stops each - I spent hours looking into the different wineries and trying to decide which route to take. I can’t pinpoint an exact reason that I chose the Red Line - but I can assure you it was thoroughly researched.
Maison 9:38 AM - 10:38 AM
Mont Rochelle 10:51 AM – 11:51 AM
Holden Manz 12:04 PM – 2:04 PM (*note the extended stay here)
Book a picnic lunch here!
Chamonix 2:17 PM – 3:17 PM
Dieu Donne 3:21 PM – 4:21 PM
Grand Provence 4:38 PM – 5:38 PM
Dinner Options: Tuk Tuk Brewery, La Petite Ferm, Foliage or La Petite Colombe
DAY SEVEN - FRANSCHHOEK TO PLETTENBERG BAY
Instead of renting a car and driving ourselves, we were planning on taking an early morning Intercape Bus from Stellenbosch (6:30 AM Departure) to Plettenberg Bay (2:45 PM Arrival). The bus departs from Merriman Laan Busstop under the foot bridge.
Upon arrival in Plettenberg Bay, we would pick up a rental car from Avis (Beacon Isle Resort) before checking into the Nothando Backpackers Hostel.
Relaxed night with dinner at either Restaurant Enrico (if we were up for driving) or The Fat Fish (if we wanted to walk) and watching the sunset.
DAY EIGHT - PLETTENBERG BAY
Morning run followed by breakfast at Sa Juiced
Leave by 11:15 for 12:00 PM Featherbed Nature Research Leisure Sail (hour and a half sail)
Stop in Knysna for lunch or take it to-go to eat on our hike - options include ile de pain, Leisure Island Coffee Shop
Drive 40 minutes to Robberg Nature Reserve
Robberg Nature Reserve Hiking – Plan on 3 Hours
50 Rand admission fee (about $3)
Walking clockwise is recommended (9.2 KM) – look out for sea lions and whales
Sunset 5:52 PM (15 Minute Drive back to the Hotel)
e. Dinner at Market on Main (Food Stalls! Walking distance of hostel!)
DAY NINE - PLETTENBERG BAY
Breakfast (Coffee from Double Shot)
9:15 AM - walk to Offshore Adventures meeting location for 10 AM Snorkel With Seals (10 AM - 11:30 AM)
Pick up lunch in town to bring with us to the next stop!
Knysna Elephant Park - “Be Touched By An Elephant” Tour
25 minute drive
$22 per person
No reservation needed – departs every 30 minutes between 9 AM and 4 PM (45-60 Minutes Long)
9 KM Hike
Obtain a permit from the small office - if unmanned, a self issue permit applies - take from the wooden box
GPS Coordinates: S34 04.702 E23 13.672
Dinner
Nguni - Walking Distance
The Lookout - Drive
DAY TEN - PLETTENBERG BAY
Thyme & Again Farm Stall for Breakfast en route to Arch Rock
Ideal to walk to Arch rock at Low Tide
3.7 KM walk
Leave by 11:30 AM for Storm’s River
12:45 PM - 4:45 PM Kayak the Storm’s River Adventure
GPS Coordinates: 34°01’21.63” S | 23°53’54.52” E
Inside Tsitsikamma National Park - office tucked underneath the restaurant. Right hand turn at Tsitsikamma National Park sign and drive to the park gate - follow directions to registration office.
Dinner at Offthehook
Return Rental Car by 8 PM
DAY ELEVEN - PLETTENBERG BAY TO PORT ELIZABETH TO JOHANNESBURG
A big travel day! First, an EARLY AF Intercape Bus from Plettenberg Bay (3:30 AM Departure) to Port Elizabeth (Arrives 7:10 AM)
10:25 AM flight from Port Elizabeth to Johannesburg (lands 12:00 PM)
Check into Curiocity Backpackers (they’ll arrange for a driver to pick you up upon landing in Johannesburg f or 4oo RAND - around $25)
Explore the Maboneng Precinct (cool, hip neighborhood)
Dinner at The Living Room
DAY TWELVE - KRUGER NATIONAL PARK SAFARI
After a lot of research, we decided to stay at the Naledi Game Lodge for our safari experience!
5:45 AM car service from Curiocity Hostel to OR Tambo Airport
6:45 AM Bus via Naledi (approximately $65 per person)
Gate Fee + Conservation Free (around $100 per person total)
Check-In and be ready for the PM Game Drive and sundowners!
DAY THIRTEEN - SAFARI
5:45 AM Coffee
6:00 AM - 9:00 AM Morning Game Drive
9:30 AM Group Breakfast
10:30 AM - 2:30 PM Free Time (pool, hike, spa, afternoon bush walk)
2:30 PM Group Lunch
3:30 - 8:00 PM PM
With a stop for sun-downers snacks and drinks!
8:30 PM Group Dinner
DAY FOURTEEN - SAFARI
5:45 AM Coffee
6:00 AM - 9:00 AM Morning Game Drive
9:30 AM Group Breakfast
11:30 AM Shuttle back to Johannesburg (about $65 per person)
Tip of about 5%-7% is customary to your tour guide before leaving
Check back into Curiocity Johannesburg
Dinner “In The Parks” neighborhood
Johannesburg Neighborhoods:
Maboneng Precinct: Hip (Runs along Fox Street in the CBD – Central Business District). Revitalized area with lots of shops and restaurants in former warehouse buildings.
Braamfontein: “Braam” – Cross over the Nelson Mandela Bridge to get to this other hip, revitalized area of the CBD
Melville: Bohemian enclave near University of Johannesburg (main strip off 7th Street)
-27 Boxes: Complex of shops and eateries in converted shipping containers
“The Parks”: Parkhurst, Parktown North, Parkview, Parkwood and Craighill Park – all with their own vibe but easy to explore in one go. Glimpse into local life, excellent dining scene.
Newtown: inner city borough with many of the main tourist sites
-1 Fox Precinct – Mad Giant Craft Brewery
Rosebank: high density of restaurants and shopping – big tourist hub
-Circa Gallery (Contemporary Art)
-Art & Craft Market
Soweto: Infamous Johannesburg township
DAY FIFTEEN - JOHANNESBURG
After a lot of thought, I decided I did want to do a township tour while in Johannesburg - making sure that it was benefiting locals and a true learning experience as opposed to poverty tourism. I decided to do the Lebo’s Soweto Bicycle Tour.
10 AM - 2 PM (you can arrange for them to pick you up)
Includes Lunch (Around $45 per person)
100 RAND admission (about $7)
Recommend 2 hours for the museum (open 9 AM - 5 PM)
Dinner in Braamfontein
Stanley Beer Yard
8 PM Bar Crawl with Curiocity
300 RAND / $21 Per Person
Includes 2 shots and a beer
DAY SIXTEEN - JOHANNESBURG
Put luggage into storage at the hostel
Constitution Hill
10 AM - 12:30 PM Full Tour (Includes Old Fort, Women’s Jail, Number Four and Constitutional Court)
100 RAND
Walk to Neighbourgoods Market (15 minute walk)
Open 9 AM - 3 PM
Depart by 6 PM for Airport
Obviously photos aren’t mine - click through for the original sources! One day I’ll have pictures of my own, I hope!
Any South African readers out there? How did I do?
Anyone taken a trip to South Africa before and think I’m missing something?
Let me know IN THE COMMENTS :)
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE:
