Sunday Tribune

Where love and adventure meets

- Travel Writer

IF FLOWERS and chocolate won’t cut it, and it’s thrills your loved one is seeking instead, the Airbnb Experience­s offered in the Western Cape – and in other provinces countrywid­e soon – are something you may consider trying with your partner.

Here are some Valentine’s Day ideas for the adventurou­s:

Hike, swim the day away

Hike to a beautiful waterfall in the Stellenbos­ch mountains for a Waterfall Waltz.

You’ll take an easy hike through Jonkershoe­k Nature Reserve, filling your bottles with pure mountain water on the way.

Once you reach the waterfall, you’ll enjoy a picnic lunch. Romance factor: What could be more romantic than swimming together under a waterfall?

Cost: R980 per person (including coffee, tea, hiking permits, rusks and cheese). Find bliss on a boat

Get up close and personal… with sea life, for a romantic day out searching for dolphins, whales, seals, penguins, sunfish.

Airbnb Experience host Paul and his skipper, both skilled in finding the creatures of the ocean and boat safety, will be your guides. Romance factor: Share the experience of seeing incredible wildlife up close, with jaw-dropping views of Cape Town and Table Mountain.

Cost: R850 per person.

Soak in some scenery

Why take a scenic drive, when you could ride a vintage bicycle around Chapman’s Peak. This experience, run by host, Paris the Pro, a profession­al cyclist with 25 years’ experience, is a tribute to celebratin­g cycling history. Romance factor: Chapman’s Peak boasts some of the most spectacula­r views in the world. It’s a slam dunk.

Cost: R700 per person. Paddle like a pro

This penguin picnic and stand-up paddleboar­d Airbnb experience is a three-and-a-half-hour kayak tour, setting off from the calm waters of Simon’s Town.

Your hosts Craig and Beau, are experience­d stand-up paddle boarders and they aim to show people a fun and exciting way to experience the ocean.

Before long you will reach the exhilarati­ng movement of the False Bay waters, where you will encounter a few locals from the Boulders Beach Penguin Colony.

After this exhilarati­ng experience, you will have a chance to picnic on the beach.

It’s a fun couple’s activity and a unique way to see and experience the ocean.

Romance factor: Paddling along with breathtaki­ng views and the chance of some penguins accompanyi­ng you – you can’t help but feel giddy from the rush.

Cost: R850 per person (including snacks, drinks and equipment).

 ?? Picture: Hillary Fox ?? The Ocean Wildlife Encounter
Picture: Hillary Fox The Ocean Wildlife Encounter

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