Last week I wrote about the new flight with SA Airlink from Kruger International Airport to Victoria Falls and back again. This means that you won’t need to stay overnight in Johannesburg.

I have no problem with this as I often feel that Johannesburg gets a bit of a raw deal in many of our client’s itineraries. They don’t want to stay there but sometimes they have to because flight connections. So they decide to arrive in Johannesburg in the afternoon, get transferred to their hotels in the late afternoon (when Johannesburg traffic is at its worst) and then fly out again to Botswana or Victoria Falls or Namibia the following morning. Then they feel that there is nothing to do in Johannesburg and that they’ve slightly wasted a night.

Now that fewer of our clients will be forced to overnight in Johannesburg, perhaps some of them will decide to stay there and allow enough time to enjoy what’s on offer. Because believe me there is plenty to enjoy! This is what we recommend if you are staying in Johannesburg:

•    If you need to overnight allow enough time to at least do an orientation tour of Johannesburg  en route to your hotel. These tours can be as long as you like and you’ll learn so much about the history of gold in South Africa and Johannesburg.

•    Alternatively why not pre-book yourself a couple of Spa treatments at your hotel and allow enough time to relax. We recommend either Fairlawns Hotel & Spa or (if you are feeling rich, The Saxon Hotel & Spa…) both of which have state of the art spas.

•    If you have an afternoon free, book a Johannesburg city and Apartheid Museum tour which is a fascinating journey into South Africa’s recent past

If you have been having a stressful time at work, why not start your holiday with two nights relaxing at one of Johannesburg’s luxurious boutique hotels such as Fairlawns or The Westcliff Hotel. You can enjoy a morning tour – see our Reasons to Visit Johannesburg for some ideas – and relax around the pool in the afternoon enjoying the gardens (at Fairlawns Hotel) and the stunning panoramic views (at the Westcliff Hotel). Both have excellent Spas and restaurants and offer complimentary transfers to Johannesburg’s swish upmarket boutiques if you need a little retail therapy.

Finally if you do need to stay overnight  and don’t want to spend a fortune but hate the idea of an impersonal airport hotel, we recommend Tintswalo Waterfall. We have excellent rates at this five star hotel set in its own equestrian estate and it also offers complimentary airport transfers so that you don’t waste your money on transport!

I sometimes feel that I cannot win when promoting cultural tours within Southern Africa, and especially South Africa. People come to the idea with such differing cultural perceptions of their own that it is hard to please everyone.

Some people are expecting to see village life such as it might have been in the 19th century in the days of David Livingstone and the explorers. They are vaguely disappointed to see that people wear western dress and use tinned food, alongside more traditional staples.

Others are very keen to understand what it’s like to live in the modern South Africa not only for the people that they meet in their five star hotels but also for the more ordinary people. They positively don’t want a historical experience. They want the real facts.

Yet others, somewhat to my wry amusement, say that they want an authentic cultural experience and yet are horrified when they realise that they can smell the cows and the manure of the kraal next to the house, have to walk through some mud, or encounter poverty in its grittiest.

So, in the interests of clarity, I thought that I would talk about cultural tourism – what it is and what it isn’t. Many ‘cultural tours’, especially in the Zulu areas of rural KwaZulu Natal are actually a mix of interesting historical tour of the Zulu customs and traditions, with some showmanship in the form of Zulu tribal dancing, which is very exciting to watch. They are not what I would call authentic cultural tours but rather enjoyable cultural shows. You may have some opportunity to  meet local people and discuss how they live now but not much.

Other cultural tours, usually in the urban townships of Soweto or Cape Town, are a more realistic depiction of modern urban living for many people in South Africa. Typically you would visit someone’s home, see some of the local community buildings such as a school, hospital or perhaps have a beer in a shebeen. These are organized tours where your safety is of utmost importance so it stands to reason that your visit follows a very set format. You will not go to dangerous areas or see life on the edge. However it is a glimpse of township life and your guide is an important interpreter of what you see and can tell you a lot about recent South African events.   What you will see often challenges your pre-conceptions. You see poverty but you will also see middle class township life as people better themselves as in any city.

Finally the third (broad) category is the more informal village visits which you may undertake as part of your stay in South Africa. Many game lodges, for example, now offer visits to the local villages where their rangers and guides have grown up. This is an informal walk through, perhaps visiting somebody’s house or seeing a community school. What you get out of it very much depends on what you put in in terms of asking questions to your guides and to those you meet. You will see the more haphazard side of modern village living – a traditional thatched rondavel will have a modern brick outhouse or a dilapidated building will sport a satellite dish on its side. It could be dirty, it could be smelly but you will be seeing a slice of real South African life. You may learn how someone who has gone to a local one-classroom school has managed to enter the safari industry and train to be a safari guide. You may learn how many people that person’s wages support. If you have an open heart, you will get a lot from such visits.

Continuing my earlier blog on interesting excursions from Cape Town…

How about a mellow sybaritic private champagne tour enjoying the champagne and characters of the Cape Winelands. You travel to one of the original wine estates in the Franschhoek valley granted to the French Huguenots back in the 17th century for a memorable champagne cellar tour given by the eccentric globe-trotting owner and winemaker, Achim von Arnim. Achim’s passion for his region, his wine farm and his champagne is infectious. You’ll not escape without experiencing the whole fountain of house ‘bubblies’. Achim often calls for volunteers to assist him with ‘sabrage’ when the champagnes are elaborately opened with a sabre! After a tour of his cellars you have a leisurely gourmet lunch followed by a winelands meander… or a siesta, depending on how good the lunch was! We offer this tour every Saturday returning to Cape Town sometime in the afternoon depending on how many wines you wish to sample…

Another great culinary experience is our private cheese, wine and chocolate tour. Enjoy a day that celebrates the culinary delights of the Cape’s oldest wine region with a delicious and wicked mix of cheese, wine and chocolate tasting. Highlights of the day include a cheese tasting at two estates that produce delicious premium cheeses; chocolate tasting at a specialist chocolatier in the lovely town of Franschhoek or at one of the Cape’s top wine estates where the wine-maker has collaborated with a Belgian chocolatier to concoct the prefect chocolates to complement his wines. Afterwards we enjoy a relaxed gourmet lunch at a top Winelands restaurant as well as a scenic meander through the picturesque wine regions back to Cape Town.

It’s a little known fact that South African olive oil has once again walked off as winner of the most prestigious olive oil awards in Italy. We offer a great off-the-beaten-track olive and vine tour which is perfect if you have a little bit more time to get to know and savour the more rural vineyards, villages and farms of the Cape. One tour visits the Cape’s oldest wine region of Stellenbosch. We spend some time at the award-winning Morgenster wine estate for an olive oil, olive and wine tasting. Morgenster is rated as one of the top olive oil estates in the world and the tour is a little gem. This is followed by a visit to Vergelegen, one of the oldest Cape Dutch homesteads, for a walk in their beautiful gardens, a visit to the homestead and a taste of their award-winning wines. An optional extra is to pre-book for a fascinating tour of their spectacular gravity fed cellar. The wine and olive-tasting is complemented by a short historical tour of Stellenbosch – the second oldest town in South Africa and certainly one of the most beautiful and of course a gourmet lunch at a top Winelands restaurant. An alternative tour visits a stunning off-the-beaten track wine region, the Darling and Riebeeck Valley area where you enjoy the warm country hospitality of the local people. This small secluded valley is mad about olives and olive oil and you participate in two olive and olive oil tastings as well as wine and port tasting at the famous Allesverloren Wine estate. This is all washed down with a delicious and relaxed country lunch.

If you don’t mind travelling a little further afield, we recommend our private seafood and Rooibos tour. This is a (very) full day excursion north through the wheatfields of the Swartland to the magnificent Cedarberg mountains to visit a working Rooibos tea plantation where you learn about the farming methods of Rooibos and see the drying fields and packing plant. This tour also explores the indigenous Fynbos vegetation in the area. Afterwards you head to a rustic seafood beach restaurant for a relaxing afternoon of seafood before returning to Cape Town.

Finally … for something completely different we offer a private crayfish tour. This is a fascinating way to enjoy the truly unique Cape experience of catching your own crayfish with local fishermen whilst also helping to keep this vibrant community afloat, literally.  During Cape Town’s crayfish season (15 Nov to 31 Jan), two people can join a local fishing boat to experience the life of a Cape fisherman. You are collected from your hotel and transferred to Kommetjie on the Cape Peninsula for the start of the fishing outing catching the crayfish in nets (usually two hours). At the end you walk away with two crayfish and the fishermen have gained some vital extra income to support their families. Afterwards you head to a local Cape Town villa with your guide where you cook your own crayfish for lunch and enjoy a simple lunch of crayfish, salad, garlic bread and crisp white wine. There are four boats involved so up to 8 people can be accommodated. Remember that you must have good sea legs as the waters can be rough!

We recently had John and Pam in our offices and they’ve developed some unique Cape Town day tours for us ranging from cooking workshops through to wine and chocolate tours and even Table Mountain walking tours. What’s particularly good is that a number of these Cape Town tours are ‘scheduled tours’. I appreciate that this may summon up images of coach tours but in practice it’s rarely more than six people in a minibus. What ‘scheduled’ really means is that we are committing to run these tours, on specific days, with only two people. Given that the vast majority of our clients are couples and families, this is more cost effective than having a private guide and vehicle. Over the next few posts, I shall outline some of these exciting new excursions…

I am particularly positive about the development of some interesting township experiences where you can meet the local people. People don’t want to have a goldfish bowl experience being bussed into a township for a ‘tour’ and bussed out again. We have offered an authentic African Heritage tour for a number of years but more and more people are opting to extend this to a full day tour where they can chat to the locals, have lunch at an African restaurant, (serving a mix of African and Western dishes), and an afternoon drink at a local shebeen (or tavern).

Another option which used to only be possible for groups is to visit the Township for dinner and jazz. We now offer this as a scheduled tour on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. This is a great evening experiencing a completely different side of Cape Town life. You usually enjoy a short orientation of the townships before heading to a local township restaurant where you meet local people and experience local township cuisine. What’s clear is that the local people are as interested in finding out about you, and where you come from, as you are about them. Later on there is story telling and local jazz bands playing and after some drinks, everyone becomes more relaxed and it’s not uncommon to find yourself dancing the evening out.

On Sunday mornings we show you a complete different slice of life as we visit several different church services in the townships surrounding Cape Town. You’ll witness the important role these churches play in the local community’s lives and hear the beautiful gospel choirs. Please note that dress code is semi-formal/smart in keeping with local custom.

During the summer months of November to February we offer a Xhosa Heritage tour on Saturday afternoon which enlightens our visitors about the Xhosa culture and specifically its initiation rites. Even under the tremendous influence of urbanization, the Xhosa people of the townships of Cape Town hold their customs dearly. You’re introduced to Xhosa folklore by an English speaking Xhosa guide. You witness the performance of ‘Igongqo’ (ancestor rituals) and ‘Umcimbi’ and you’ll meet a traditional healer. There’s also plenty of opportunity to interact with the local people and learn more about their culture in a relaxed and informal way.

Alternatively you can join us every Saturday morning for a walk on Table Mountain as part of a group (or book your own private guide to walk with you on the mountain). You meet up with a group of hiking enthusiasts early in the morning to walk up the world famous Table Mountain. You will be led by a guide who has intimate knowledge of the mountain: its paths, its fynbos vegetation and its fauna. You’ll enjoy spectacular views of the city of Cape Town and its surrounding suburbs. The specific route taken will vary depending on the fitness of the group but you should be of above average fitness, be a regular walker/runner and also be used to tackling mountain hiking. The paths are not difficult but it is a continuous upward climb for approx 3 to 4 hours depending on the route taken. You can walk down the mountain or take the cable car down instead. The cable car tickets, and transfers to the meeting point, are not included in the basic tour price.

Imagine riding along the spectacular Chapmans Peak Drive in Cape Town by motorbike? Well that’s exactly how the Cedarberg Travel team in South Africa celebrated Women’s Day (an August public holiday in South Africa). Except there was no anxiety because the last time you were on a bike was when you were seventeen and now you’re older, wiser and basically the wrong side of thirty, and jittery. No - we traveled in style on five vintage sidecar motorbikes dating from World War II and beyond. Think Steve McQueen in The Great Escape…. They even supply the leather jackets and original old-fashioned helmets (so now you think you’re the German officer chasing him). Enjoy the unique experience of cruising around Cape Town on a classic 1940’s sidecar motorbike being chauffeured by an experienced bike rider/guide. The beauty of the sidecar motorbikes is that each bike can take two passengers, one riding behind the driver and one in the sidecar. It’s even suitable for all ages from five years and older. We can book a full day tour by sidecar, heading off around the Cape Peninsula or sampling the latest vintage in the Winelands. (We recommend that the one who’s most enjoyed the wine-tasting sits in the sidecar on the way back.) Alternatively the sidecars make a spectacular alternative to a road transfer from the airport. Works particularly well as a surprise gift for a loved one…  

We took a short drive from the Waterfront along the Atlantic Ocean through Clifton, Camps Bay and over the pass to Hout Bay. It was a glorious sunny day with wraparound the views of the ocean, and the Twelve Apostles mountains were glorious. Everywhere people stopped and waved so if you are a quiet retiring fellow, it may not be for you, but the drive wasn’t long enough for the girls at Cedarberg. Highly recommended.  

For more Information & Travel ideas visit our main website at http://cedarberg-travel.com/

We recently had John and Pam in our offices and they’ve developed some unique Cape Town day tours for us ranging from cooking workshops through to wine and chocolate tours and even Table Mountain walking tours. What’s particularly good is that a number of these tours are what is called in the trade ‘scheduled tours’. I appreciate that this summons up images of coach tours but in practice it is rarely more than six people in a minibus. What ‘scheduled’ really means is that we are committing to run these tours, on specific days, with only two people. Given that the vast majority of our clients are couples and families, this is much more cost effective for you than having a private guide and vehicle.

 I am particularly excited about the development of some really interesting township experiences where you can meet the local people of Cape Town. People don’t want to have a goldfish bowl experience being bussed into a township for a ‘tour’ and bussed out again. We have offered a non-touristy African Heritage tour for a number of years but more and more people are opting to extend this to a full day tour where they can chat to the locals, have lunch at an African restaurant, (serving a mix of African and Western dishes), and an afternoon drink at a local shebeen (or tavern).

Another option which used to only be possible for groups is to visit the township for dinner and jazz. We now offer this as a scheduled tour on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. This is a great evening experiencing a completely different side of Cape Town life. You usually enjoy a short orientation of the townships before heading to a local township restaurant where you meet local people and experience local township cuisine. What’s clear is that the local people are as interested in finding out about you, and where you come from, as you are about them. Later on there is story telling and local jazz bands playing and after some drinks, everyone becomes more relaxed and it’s not uncommon to find yourself dancing the evening out.
 On Sunday mornings we show you a complete different slice of life as we visit several different church services in the townships surrounding Cape Town. You’ll witness the important role these churches play in the local community’s lives and hear the beautiful gospel choirs.

During the summer months of November to February we offer a tour on Saturday afternoon which (hopefully) enlightens our visitors about the Xhosa culture and specifically its initiation rites. Even under the tremendous influence of urbanization, the Xhosa people of the townships of Cape Town hold their customs dearly. You’re introduced to Xhosa folklore by an English speaking Xhosa guide. You witness the performance of ‘Igongqo’ (ancestor rituals) and ‘Umcimbi’ and you’ll meet a traditional healer. There’s also plenty of opportunity to interact with the local people and learn more about their culture in a relaxed and informal way.

 Finally we are particularly keen to drum up interest in the African cooking course which is held every Saturday morning. This is a way to learn more about African food and also to support a small cookery school by using their facilities on a Saturday morning. You travel to the township of Langa to enjoy a morning cooking workshop at a cookery school that gives the local residents the skills needed to get jobs in the kitchens of the top hotels in Cape Town. The morning begins with a welcome drink and a talk on African cuisine. You then go into a hands-on cooking lesson where you learn to cook dishes like pap (similar to polenta), chakalaka and samp. Afterwards you sample the dishes that you’ve helped to prepare along with a few other dishes that have been prepared in the restaurant. Great fun!

For more Information & Travel ideas visit our main website at http://cedarberg-travel.com/