South Africa is an iconic safari destination familiar with most Americans. It wasn’t long ago that traveling to South Africa simply meant packing your finest khaki and gearing up for game drives. Now, while the rainbow nation remains one of the best places on the continent to spot the Big Five (lions, leopards, rhinoceroses by, elephants, and African buffaloes), more travelers are ready to go further afield, taking notice of the country’s award-winning restaurants, five-star hotels, and vibrant cultural experiences.
Experiences range from the tradition safari to unique ones such as the penguins of Boulders Beach to discovering underrated vintages in one of most renowned wine destinations on the planet. Cape Town, the Cape Winelands, and a safari is by far the most popular itinerary for people coming to South Africa for the first time.
Plunge Africa offers a compressed tour that lasts a week as well as our standard ten-day tour in South African. Although it might seem like a long way to go for a week, zipping across the Atlantic to tour South Africa has never been simpler. Plunge Africa can make all the arrangements, whether for one of our guided tours, or a personalized visit. South Africa is now a relatively easy trip. Plunge Africa Tour participants typically converge in New York city or other city offering direct flight into South Africa. (Non-stop flights from the east coast of the United States to Cape Town take 15 hours or hours.)
Suggested for a compressed week tour is spending two nights in the Winelands, three nights in Cape Town, and three nights on safari.Breaking down the schedule this way will allow one to shake off any jet lag before hitting the city’s rich food and art scene.
First stop always is at the Cape Winelands, which lie within easy reach of Cape Town and its airport. South Africa boasts 30 unique wine growing area. However, the majority of them are in the coastal region around Cape Town. The two best known by far are Stellenbosch and Franschhoek. (translated to “French corner”). Franschhoek was settled in 1688 by French Huguenot refugees who brought their age-old wine making traditions along with them. Franschhoek has small-town charm” and a local culture and history. Many Cape Dutch style houses have been turned into art galleries or funky coffee shops.
Once you get your fill of the wines and all that the wine country has to offer, the group heads Cape Town for three nights. The V&A Waterfront, the city’s touristic center, the Zeitz Museum, which houses Africa’s largest collection of contemporary African art, and the wonders of Cape Town await. Cocktails from the highest point of the V&A waterfront, and discovering firsthand why Cape Town has become one of the world’s great food cities. Dinner may be had FYN, ranked 37 on The World’s 50 Best Restaurants List in 2022, and the Best Restaurant in Africa. A meeting between Japan and South Africa, the kitchen serves up creative fusion dishes such as guineafowl tsukune and Iberico pork with okonomiyaki sauce. Galjoen, which is focused on local, responsibly caught seafood, is also a good choice.Get to know Cape Town on a guided walk through fynbos (vegetation only found in the Cape), forests, and beaches, wrapping up with a thrilling electric scooter ride along the Sea Point promenade. The tour, also features two gourmet picnics with local drinks and snacks and
fascinating stories about Cape Town’s history, culture, and biodiversity. Tours may include taking the Cableway to the top of Table Mountain to soak up the celestial view, and a walkabout through Bo-Kaap, one of Cape Town’s oldest neighborhoods known for its kaleidoscopic homes and aromatic Cape Malay cuisine. A day may involve doing Cape Town’s coastal region, which ranks among the most spectacular in the world. Cape Town is known for its diversity. It is a place the mountains meet the ocean and the ocean meet vineyards and vineyards meets the city. Cape Town’s perfect coastal adventure involves starting the morning with coffee, croissants, and a dip in the tidal pool in Kalk Bay, a quaint fishing village known for its raw beauty and quirky shops. Next, it’s off to get a selfie with the famous penguins before popping in to see the Cape of Good Hope and a picnic lunch on a private beach. Drive back to the city via the enchanting Chapman’s Peak road, stopping along the way for an epic sundowner.
Time for the grand finale: the safari of a lifetime. This is what South Africa is best known for-Safari as far as we, Americans, know. To do it the right—or at least in the most opulent way — indulge in a stay at one of South Africa’s most exclusive safari lodges. Alternatively, select a villa that sits directly on a watering hole, so you can watch hippos,crocodiles, and elephants before even jumping into an electric Land Cruiser for your morning drive, at Cheetah Plains. This resort stands out though is its over-the-top luxury. Sophisticated accommodationsconsist of three self-contained villas, each boasting four free-standing suites alongside an expansive main house with a living and dining room area, formal lounge, entertainment lounge, swimming pool, wine gallery, and boma for starlit braai dinners. Exquisitely decorated, the interiors are a welcome departure from any safari clichés, instead highlighting contemporary South African art, refined furniture, and tech-savvy touches, like iPhones that are preloaded with staff contact numbers and nature themed apps. Each villa’s dedicated hospitality team, consisting of a host, private chef, sommelier, spa therapist, and butler, as well as a field guide and tracker, are always on hand to completely spoil you — seriously, it’s difficult to come back to the real world after this — whether you’re in the mood for an expert-led wine tasting, custom six-course tasting menu, or some retail therapy at the onsite Shari’s Boutique, where guests can create one-of-a-kind jewelry using ethically-sourced, loose diamonds with the help of a qualified gemologist. Like South Africa itself, you will surely never forget your time here. After a full tour of activities and adventures, you will be ready for a relaxing transatlantic flight back home.
In order to build a safari, please drop Plunge Africa an email with the basic details of your proposed visit (number of nights, number of persons, special requests, and type of accommodation required if known).
We will then contact you with a tentative solution which we can discuss and ‘edit’ until you are completely satisfied. All through this process you are under no obligation whatsoever to book with us until you are completely satisfied.
If you have any questions about the wildlife, accommodations or indeed anything please visit our Frequently Asked Questions page, or contact us directly. We are happy to help as always.