Luxury South Africa Safari

Quick Facts

• Location: South-west South Africa
• Land mass: Cape Town 400 km²/ Western Cape 129,449 km²
• Points of interest:

1. Cape Town
2. Table Mountain National Park
3. Cape Winelands
4. Whale Coast
5. Cape Point
6. Robben Island
7. Boulders Beach
8. Gansbaii

Activities

• Shark diving
• Whale watching
• Dolphin watching
• Swimming with endangered penguins
• Hiking
• Cultural tours
• Wine farm tours
• Outdoor adventure activities

Highlights

• Exhilarating interactions with Great White Sharks
• Whale and dolphin watching by boat and on land
• Share your beach space and swim with the endangered African penguin
• Hike up or take the cable car to the top of Table Mountain for unrivalled views of The Mother City.
• Spend time in the Cape Winelands and experience the best wine the Cape has to offer.

Cape Town, what can we say about Cape Town except it is quite truly spectacular. The inclusion of a city in our itineraries may at first appear at odds with our promise of offering the best wildlife experiences on the planet. However, under further scrutiny Cape Town and its surrounding areas in the Western Cape offer so much more than the typical city break.

Unique wildlife interactions, spectacular beaches, unbelievable hiking trails, fascinating cultural history and world-class wine tasting, Cape Town offers clients the perfect complement to their authentic African safari, either within South Africa or neighbouring countries.

Nestled in the south-western part of Africa, Cape Town is a bustling city with a population greater than 4.5 million people, larger than the sprawling U.S city of Los Angeles. However, its comparison with Los Angeles and other large cities ends there. Its geographical location with the mighty Table Mountain as its centrepiece provides the most beautiful of settings. Cape Town has one of the highest levels of biodiversity of any equivalent area in the world. There are an estimated 2200 species of plants confined to Table Mountain alone with many being endemic to the mountain and being found nowhere else on earth. To gain perspective, the United Kingdom only has 1200 species of plants throughout the entire country. Such is Cape Town’s biodiversity it reached first place in two of the three categories in the 2019 iNaturalist City Nature Challenge. This floral biodiversity naturally encourages a diverse fauna to the area.

Cape Town and its surrounding areas along the Western Cape are exceptional destinations for wildlife lovers. Indeed, this part of the world is recognised as offering wildlife interactions with the so called marine Big 5. This term was coined in South Africa and includes the whale, shark, dolphin, seal and penguin. Access to all these marine species are within driving distance of Cape Town.

South Africa, specifically Gaansbai and False Bay in the Western Cape, is the location of some of the best shark interactions in the world. Divers are submerged in a metal cage into the shark’s natural environment and have the opportunity to observe and photograph these misunderstood predators at extremely close quarters. It is an extremely exhilarating experience.

The African penguin, formely known as the jackass penguin, is listed as endangered by the IUCN as their numbers continue to dramatically decline. With only about 55,000 individuals remaining in the wild, down from 200,000 in 2000 and 4 million at the turn of the 19^th century their existence as a species is critical. Despite this they are astonishingly easy to interact with down at Boulders Beach in Simon’s Town on the Cape Peninsula. The penguins happily allow visitors to get within a metre of them on land and fun can be had swimming alongside them in the sea.

Cape Fur Seals are also easily observed frolicking in the waters off of the coast. They are a spectacle at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town but can quite easily be observed from the shoreline at most places. For those interested in seeing a huge abundance of seals a visit to Seal Island and the huge colony of 64,000 cape fur seals is highly recommended.

The Cape Whale Coast, just outside Cape Town and occupying the coastline of the Western Cape, is an extraordinary stretch of land that in whale season comes to life with these huge marine mammals dominating the ocean and nature lovers dotting the coastline. The towns of Kleinmond, Hermanus, Stanford and Gansbaai are the main towns people flock to witness this migration of humpback whales, southern right whales and bryde’s whale. Outdoorsy guests may elect to embark on the whale trail which is a 55 km walking trail traversing the De Hoop Nature Reserve with 5 night’s stay in unique accommodation positioned along the trail.

Of course a visit to the Western Cape isn’t all about wildlife viewing as there are plenty of opportunities for adrenaline activities, relaxing on pristine beaches, sampling the best wine the region has to offer and taking time to understand the culture and history of the area.

Cape Town itself has some spectacular beaches including Camps Bay, Clifton beaches 1-4, Llandudno, and Oudekraal to offer only a few suggestions. However, the sea is notoriously cold here so for those who like to enjoy a dip in the ocean head down the Cape Peninsula to False Bay where sea temperatures can be up to 10 degrees higher. Notably, Muizenberg, Fish Hoek, and the beaches at Simon’s Town are good options.

Foodies and wine lovers should not miss the opportunity to explore the Cape Winelands, notably Stellenbosch, Franschoek, Paarl and Somerset West. With 2000 wineries to explore this is a perfect destination to slow the pace after a busy safari schedule.

Visit the prison on Robben Island where Nelson Mandela spent the majority of his 27 years imprisoned or visit the District 6 Museum to gain a better understanding of the apartheid era. Those seeking more adventure can enjoy hiking on Table Mountain or within Table Mountain National Park, take a helicopter tour from the V&A Waterfront or paraglide from the lion’s head overlooking Camps Bay.

Best Time To Visit

The best time to visit Cape Town & the Western Cape is extremely dependent on the reasons for your visit. It is true it is a year-round destination offering the visitor a spectacular experience at all times of the year. However, if you intend on visiting for a particular reason then it is important to gain an understanding of the best time for that particular activity or experience.

As South Africa is in the Southern Hemisphere its seasons oppose those of the Northern Hemisphere regions of Europe and North America. When we are fighting off the cold in deep winter Cape Town is basking in summer sunshine. Likewise our warmer summer months correspond with the time of year Capetonians wrap up for their relative cold snap.

Summer in Cape Town is from December to March. This time of year is characterised by high temperatures and long, dry days. Average highs are 27-29 degrees Celsius with average lows being a balmy 17 degrees Celsius. Rainfall is minimal with precipitation only occurring 2-3 days per month on average. The driest months are January and February with only 22 mm of rain in an entire month, with March and December being only negligibly wetter. There is no surprise that this is the time of year that works best for those looking for excellent beach weather. The summer climate is perfect for beach goers looking to relax after a busy safari schedule.

April and May are somewhat of a shoulder season or transitional months between summer and winter. Temperatures, although extremely pleasant, drop to highs of 25 degrees Celsius and lows of 15 degrees Celsius in April and 22 degrees Celsius and 13 degrees Celsius respectively in May. There is also a sharp increase in rainfall to 66 mm over 6 days in April and 113 mm over 9 days in May.

Winter sets in from June and lasts through August and into September. This season is characterised by cool and relatively wet days with 10 days of rain per month. Average temperatures rarely exceed 20 degrees Celsius and drop to an average low of 12 degrees Celsius. June is the wettest month with an average rainfall of 145 mm, with 133 mm falling over the course of July and 107 mm in August.

September marks the start of the temperature recovery and reduction in precipitation. Temperatures return to average highs of 25 degrees Celsius and 15 degrees Celsius in October and November. Rainfall averages only 48 mm in October and 28 mm in November.

Whale watching is best between the months of June to November with July and August being the calving season. As whale viewing is dependent on migratory behaviour the exact timings at either end of the season can’t be guaranteed. One certainty we can promise is if you visit the Western Cape between the months of December and May inclusive then your chances of observing whales in their natural environment will be pretty slim to non-existent. Cape fur seals and the endangered African penguins are easily accessible all year and there is no particular time of year that is preferable to another.