Cape to the country
As Harry and Meghan fly out for the start of their royal tour of Africa tomorrow, we visit one of their scheduled stops... stupendous South Africa
Watching two lions prowl towards us, I hold my breath as they pass just inches away. “Don’t worry, they y won’t eat you,” our safari i ranger says.
As they slink off, our group p collectively exhales, relieved d the magnificent predators s that were within touching g distance have moved on.
We are in a safari truck in Kariega Game Reserve in South Africa’s Eastern Cape, pe, where moments like this are commonplace.
The vast 20,000-acre reserve has a range of stunning terrain, including dense monkey- filled forests, lush plains full of zebras, and meandering rivers that are home to hordes of hippos. h G Guests can explore l this h on f foot as well as in a vehicle, with every minute an opportunity to meet all the stars of the Lion King.
Across two days of safari, we saw a baby elephant learning to eat grass, a three-month-old rhino nuzzling nu its mum and skittish warthogs darting about. On another day we spotted a sleeping lioness, giraffe families huddling together and a baby baboon riding on its mum’s back.
We enjoyed a bush walk under the scorching sun where we encountered a herd of giraffes, snoozing hippos and buffaloes that play tag with each other.
Walking around a bush to find 20 giraffes staring at you is as exciting as it is humbling, and something I will never forget. After a long day’s safari w we stopped on a hill to w watch a magnificent A African sunset, accompannied by a few magnificent A African beers.
There are five lodges at K Kariega, and we stayed at U Ukhozi, which has a lovely in infinity pool and a tasty w wine collection.
We enjoyed both, as well as the local musical performa mances that came after a sum sumptuous dinner.
The T magic continued back bac at our rooms, with each eac lodge commanding views view of endless greenery – as well as a private plunge pool.
We started our South Africa trip in Cape Town, a sun-soaked city which is set in a basin surrounded by mountains on one side and miles of sandy
beaches on the other. With a distinctly cosmopolitan atmosphere, it is home to the affluent beach suburbs of Clifton and Camps Bay, where the peoplewatching is second to none.
Don’t miss the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art at the V&A Waterfront, housing the largest collection of modern African art in the world.
Just outside the city are vineyards galore dotted with beautiful Cape Dutch architecture.
Be sure to take a drive along the spectacular winding coast, with the Atlantic Ocean crashing below.
You take this all in with a bird’s-eye view of the city, vineyards and mountains.
NAC Helicopters do a 30- minute tour with champagne and red carpet treatment for around £35.
The next day we hit the streets early to explore Greenmarket Square in the centre of the city, a popular market full of local and international crafts and delicacies.
As well as more craft beers and biltong ( like beef jerky, only better) than you can shake a stick at, the market is surrounded by independent shops and restaurants.
From here, it’s just a short drive to Table Mountain, named one of the Seven Wonders of Nature in 2016.
You can hike to the top of the 1,085m colossus which looms over the city, or hop on the revolving cable car and save your energy for a stroll around the top, looking out over the city and coastline sprawled below.
We were staying in the shadow of the mountain, at the AC Hotel by Marriott Cape Town Waterfront, where you can swim in a rooftop pool. It’s a two-hour drive east to Gansbaai for a marine safari with Dyer Island Cruises. Sailing into the open sea, we got absolutely battered by waves as we encountered whales, sharks, seals, and even penguins on their very own island.
Working with the conservation team, we were also lucky enough to release some penguins back into the wild, watching them jump off the ship to tears and applause.
From here, it’s a four-hour drive up the Garden Route to Knysna, a beautiful town spread out along the banks of a pretty lagoon, with ocean views from the top of the “heads” above the narrow channel where it flows out into the sea.
We ended our trip with a dash of sheer luxury – a 20-minute drive from Knysna found us at Tsala Treetop Lodge, a collection of incredible places to stay set in the treetops of an indigenous forest.
Our host told us “the best thing to do here is nothing”, and sent us off to our rooms – where we found private plunge pools and outside showers.
It’s essentially a luxury treehouse, with walls made of glass to take full advantage of the stunning views over the ancient forest.
South Africa is blessed with beautiful mountains and brilliant weather, and packed with wildlife. Our journey across its southern tip was incredible.