Trip background
our South Africa honeymoon was what honeymoon dreams are made of. We wanted to go somewhere with nice weather in November and had a balance of relaxation and things to do. Clay had been to south africa years ago and loved it, so we ultimately decided to head there for our nearly two week honeymoon.
planning the trip
we could not have planned this South Africa honeymoon without natalie from Classic Escapes. We were referred to Natalie through Clay’s family, and she put together an extraordinary itinerary for us. Working with her was easy too – we gave her our budget, where we were looking to go, what we were looking to do, etc, and she came back with several options for us. once we decided on our ideal itinerary, she coordinated all logistics from booking hotels to securing necessary transportation. and the best part – working with her is free! please use the contact form at the bottom of this page if you would like me to get you in touch with her.
our twelve day itinerary: at a glance
we spent three nights in franschhoek, three nights in cape town, and four nights on safari. we flew into and out of cape town.
Franschhoek
Franschhoek is a quaint town in the western cape, about an hour drive from Cape Town, and is known for it’s scenic views and world-renowned wine. we decided to come here first as it allowed us to relax as much or as little as we wanted since we were coming off of our wedding and a long travel day. i highly recommend spending at least a day here if you’re planning to visit South Africa – it surpassed our expectations!
Franschhoek highlights
where we stayed:
What we did:
Winery hopped via the wine tram
where we stayed
we stayed at La Cle Lodge and it was truly remarkable. the hotel is a cozy bed and breakfast with only 5 rooms, a beautiful pool, and immaculate grounds including a functioning vineyard, a pond with pedal boats, a tennis court, and more. its intimate setting allows you to meet the other guests at breakfast each morning (which consisted of an amazing spread of hot items, pastries, fruits, etc), around the grounds, or at sundowners each afternoon (basically happy hour!). The staff went above and beyond to ensure our stay was nothing short of perfect. we will definitely be back!
where we ate
whether you’re looking for something fast and cheap or a high-end ten course meal, Franschhoek has it all. We did a mix of both!
Epice
the most memorable meal we had was at epice. Epice is an intimate fine dining restaurant on the main street in Franschhoek. They are known for their creative use of spices in all of their dishes and offer a few different menu options, but we elected to do the spice journey and the wine pairing. The spice journey consisted of eleven (!!!) courses, ranging from sweet potato bread with an indescribable dipping sauce to a prawn roti taco served on a ceramic chili pepper sculpture (see below). all of the courses and wine pairings were incredible – there was not one i did not like (and that is coming from someone who can be somewhat picky…). if you go here, book a reservation weeks in advance and allot at least three hours for dinner!
Hōseki
on our second day in the wine country, we tried to get a lunch reservation at Delaire graff’s main restaurant. they unfortunately did not have any availability though, so we ended up at their japanese restaurant, Hōseki. however, we were not disappointed – the food and views were stunning. the crispy rice with spicy tuna is a must!
Other
the night we arrived in Franschhoek, we ate at La cle and had their casual platter style dinner. it was very good and the perfect setting after 20+ hours of travel. we also ate at col’cacchio for dinner one night after canceling our second coursed dinner reservation (we did not need another 3 hour meal of 10+ courses). this restaurant was fine, but not anything I would recommend.
what we did
as mentioned, franschhoek is known for their wine scene, so we spent a day vineyard hopping. Franschhoek’s wine tram makes it super easy to visit multiple vineyards in one day with their hop-on hop-off option. there are five different lines to choose from, and we chose the orange line because we knew we wanted to go to babylonstoren.
Boschendal
we started off at boschendal and spent a few hours there. they have a cute outdoor bistro area where we did a wine tasting before we walked around the expansive grounds.
Babylonstoren
it was already mid-afternoon by the time we left Boschendal, so we headed straight to babylonstoren. This winery was founded in 1692 and is one of the oldest working Cape Dutch farms in the region. we did another tasting here and also had their deli and dairy platter before spending an hour or so walking around the property. the grounds are stunning – there is a massive garden, beautiful vineyards, farm animals, and cute shops. they also have a hotel on property that looks amazing!
cape town
south africa’s second largest city is a vibrant coastal city on the southwestern tip of the country. this city has it all – great beaches, stunning mountains, good restaurants, fun bars, and rich history. Cape town is a must for at least 2-3 days on a trip to south africa.
Cape Town highlights
where we stayed:
where we ate:
Where we drank:
Fable cocktail bar, Rita’s, the house of machines, the alex, and the village idiot
What we did:
rented a convertible to drive around the cape, spa at Twelve Apostles Hotel, hike lion’s head, Oranjezicht City Farm market, V&A waterfront
where we stayed
we stayed in the camps bay area at the Bay Hotel. the hotel was nice, albeit a little outdated, but our room was big and overlooked the pool, beach, and lion’s head. We loved staying in Camp’s bay – the views were gorgeous, there were plenty of bars and restaurants, and it was a bit less crowded than central Cape Town.
where we ate
Cape Town is home to a long list of highly rated restaurants of all cuisines. while in the city for four nights, we had the chance to try a few places worth recommending. I recommend securing reservations a few weeks in advance if possible.
there are steakhouses all over cape town and they tend to be much cheaper here than in the US, so we took full advantage of it by going to one in Camps bay and one near the city center. In Camps Bay, we went to Bo-vine and ordered the Bistecca Fiorentina after getting a detailed walkthrough of all the steak options they offered. in the city center, we found ourselves at Iron Steak and Bar, which ended up being a sister restaurant to a steakhouse I loved during my time in London as well. Both restaurants were great and I would go back, but there are definitely a lot of other steakhouses worth visiting as well!
our remaining two nights in Cape Town, we ate at Nikkei, a japanese-peruvian fusion restaurant, and Kloof Street House, a well-known brasserie style restaurant with a broad menu. nikkei had a cool ambiance and the food and drinks were awesome – if you like sushi and fun cocktails, this is a place for you. I had high hopes for Kloof Street, however, we were unfortunately seated outside in the uncovered area and it was freezing from the wind. The staff gave us blankets, but I don’t necessarily love having to eat at a nice restaurant while under a blanket. all that to say, if you book a reservation here, make sure you book inside. the restaurant is in a historic Victorian building and the inside is ornately decorated, so I wish we had made sure our reservation was in there!
where we drank
there is not a shortage of cool bars in Cape Town. From cozy cocktail bars to rooftop bars with amazing views, they have it all.
my top bar recommendation by far is Fable cocktail bar. We found this bar after dinner one night and it was so unique and fun. The menu consists of vague descriptions of each cocktail, followed by a fable about each one and its name. the presentation of their cocktails is unmatched – from a drink that requires being handcuffed to it to another that is served in a mini boxing ring, I had never seen anything like it. their menu also changes every six months!
Rita’s is a cool rooftop bar near Kloof Street House that had a dj and a view of Table Mountain. It’s a great stop if you’re bar hopping around on a Saturday afternoon.
other bars we went to and liked include the house of machines, the alex, and the village idiot. The village idiot is definitely the place to go if you’re looking for a late night out! Camps bay also has several decent bars overlooking the beach, which I recommend going to at sunset.
what we did
outside of eating and drinking our way through Cape Town, we also spent time exploring the city and the Western Cape.
Explore the Western Cape
Our favorite thing we did was rent a car for a day and drive to Simon’s Town and the Cape of Good Hope. the drive is gorgeous – you drive along the coast, Hout Bay, and through mountains.
Simon’s town is home to Boulder Beach, which is infamous for having penguins! We walked along a path down the beach and saw a number of penguins along the way.
The Cape of Good hope is located on the Cape Peninsula in the Cape Point nature preserve. The nature preserve is beautiful and you may even see some baboons, zebras, or elands as you drive through it. the cape of good hope is accessible by car, but then you must walk ten minutes or so to reach the view from the top (which is a must).
we rented a convertible because we knew the views would be amazing and we would definitely do so again! there are also plenty of structured tour options, but these are often in a van with many other people, so I don’t feel like you get the same experience.
Twelve Apostles Spa
after our trip around the cape, we headed to the spa at Twelve Apostles Hotel. a few minutes drive from Camps bay and flanked by the twelve apostles mountain range, this spa was fantastic. We booked the Celebration package which included a massage and facial, but they have a wide range of treatments to choose from.
Lion’s head
we hiked lion’s head one afternoon, which is an iconic mountain in the heart of Cape Town. this 5km / 3.1mi hike offered 360 degree views of Cape Town and the surrounding areas. It took us about 2 hours round trip and was moderately challenging, with some steeper / more challenging sections near the top. highly recommend if you enjoy a nice hike.
Oranjezicht City Farm market
the Oranjezicht City Farm market was a fun morning activity – they have a large selection of local food, coffee, and shopping options. Nearby is the V&A waterfront, which is a hub for shopping and restaurants that we enjoyed walking through (albeit very touristy!).
safari
safari is hands down the coolest thing i have ever experienced. if you’re planning a trip to south Africa, this would be my number one thing to do while you are in the country. There are “safaris” near Cape Town, but from what I have heard heading Northwest to the bush is much more authentic.
where we stayed
We stayed at Ngala Safari Lodge, an &beyond property, and cannot recommend it enough. located on the ngala private game reserve, this all-inclusive property is deep in the South African bush and shares unfenced borders with Kruger National Park. everything about ngala was perfect – between the unrivaled hospitality, exceptional food and drinks, cozy cottages, and extraordinary game drives, our stay here was far better than we could have imagined.
our day-to-day on safari
the main attraction of a safari is obviously seeing animals, which is usually via a game drive. a game drive is exactly what it sounds like: a drive around the bush looking for game, or animals. at Ngala, there were two game drives each day – one in the early morning (5:30am) and another in the late afternoon (4pm).
game drives were typically 3-3.5 hours long and were guided by a ranger, who was assisted by a tracker. the ranger is the leader of the group – he or she is highly trained to navigate the bush and the wildlife within it. the tracker is a second set of eyes and ears who sits at the very front of the vehicle and uses his or her expert knowledge of the area’s wildlife to locate animals. you typically stay with the same ranger and tracker for the entirety of your stay, which allows you to get to know them very well.
between game drives, you have the day to do what you please. we always headed to breakfast straight from our morning drive and usually ate lunch around 1:30pm, but the rest of our day to day varied. We went to the pool, got massages, went to the gym, took a nap… like I said you’re free to do what you want! after the afternoon game drive, we would typically head straight to dinner as we did not feel the need to dress up at Ngala, which was nice.
our game drive sightings
We had amazing luck while we were on Safari and saw a wide variety of african wildlife. you’ve probably heard of the iconic “big 5” that safari-goers try to see, which consists of lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo, and rhino. we saw elephants, lions, and rhinos multiple times, but didn’t see any leopards or buffalo (just means we have to come back!).
additionally, we saw giraffes, zebra, wild dogs (super rare!), hippos, wildebeests, impala, hyenas, kudu, warthogs, unique birds… the list goes on. it’s hard to describe what it is like seeing these animals in person. you’re able to get very close to them and observe them in their natural habitat, which is hard to imagine unless you experience it. for example, we saw a pride of lions lazily lying around whilst covered in blood after killing and eating a giraffe, while said giraffe was not too far away.
you may be thinking that seeing something like that would be overwhelmingly sad and impossible to look at. However, it was best explained to me that while it was sad, the lions need to survive as well and this is how they do so. Having the opportunity to experience safari gave me a new appreciation of wildlife and the importance of protecting these animals and their habitats.
below is a number of photos from safari, some of which were taken by a new friend of ours that we met while on Safari – Eiko Hariu. Eiko is an avid safari-goer and we learned a lot from her about wildlife, conservation efforts, how to give back to the surrounding villages, and more during our short time together. I’m thankful that Eiko has graciously given me permission to share her extraordinary photos. she is unbelievably talented, and her photos do an amazing job of illustrating the beauty of these animals in the wild. if you’re interested in seeing more photos from safari, visit this post.
saying goodbye
I could not believe how sad I was to leave safari and ngala. As i mentioned, I really think safari should be a top priority while visiting this beautiful country. your trip to south africa would be incomplete without it!
conclusion
a trip to south Africa should absolutely be on your bucket list if it is not already, and if you’re considering South Africa for your honeymoon, I highly recommend it. The people, culture, food, history, and experiences are unlike any other country I have visited. you will not regret visiting!
contact me
if you have comments or questions about our trip to South Africa, please reach out to me using the form below and I will be in touch soon.
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