It’s been 7 years since I set off on a trip that lasted just under 2 years. During that spell I had the ability to be flexible, to plan as little as I wanted, travel from place to place and to stay as long as I wanted.

This flexibility has turned into a kind of habit for me, to the extent that I actually dislike planning. It’s not that I’m not excited about visiting a place, but more that I find planning the little details more of an tedious admin type of task.

It’s this ability to be flexible and spontaneous that I miss when taking short trips abroad. It’s much more difficult when you’ve only got a short period of time in a place to make it up as you go along because you can’t really afford to lose a day due to not planning the trip well enough.

Cape Town (days 1 – 4)

Thankfully I didn’t have to plan the trip on my own, my girlfriend was traveling with me. She came armed with tips and word of mouth recommendation for South Africa that would prove handy. In total we had 11 days to play with in Cape Town, South Africa with the bare minimal amount of planning. Before leaving we had booked the first two nights in a hotel located on Greenmarket Square in the central of Cape Town but hadn’t planned anything beyond that.

This used to be quite a normal way of traveling for me but more recently my trips abroad have been much more organised. I was looking forward to seeing how this adventure panned out.

Waterfront

The first couple of days went according to our brief first 2 days plan, visiting some of the sights of Cape Town. We arrived in the afternoon so decided to wander the city and found ourselves down to the Waterfront. Although it is one of the sights of Cape Town, the Waterfront might not be the place to visit for the more adventurous. It is a tourist area, with restaurants, cafes, shops and street performers but does have some interesting markets. Its worth visiting the Waterfront as a stop off after a tour of Robben Island which departs from the Nelson Mandela Gateway.

Table Mountain

To get a vantage point of Cape Town we took the lazy option to the top of the iconic table mountain, the table mountain aerial cableway. The journey to the top featured and revolving floor that span us around to give everyone on board a view out of the cable car from every angle. A little bit pointless, but did stop people from scrambling for a window view with their cameras.

It’s little surprise that table mountain is one of the new Seven Natural Wonders of the world, it offers a truly spectacular view over the city and beyond.  We were lucky enough to have a cloud free day and although there were plenty of visitors we did manage to find a quiet spot to sit and have lunch with an idyllic view out over the ocean.

Downside of not planning

After leisurely sight seeing for a day and a half we quickly realised that Thursday 14th February was the State Opening of Parliament. This meant that not only were there no cars to hire anywhere in Cape Town until the 15th, but our hotel was also booked up for the next few days. Lack of planning briefly came back to haunt us, although I still can’t believe no one mentioned this before we set off?

Wine Tasting and Hout Bay

With the lack of a hire car we had little option than wait for one to be available and to spend a couple more days in Cape Town. Thankfully, there is more than enough to keep you busy in this city, we spent the next two days sampling the local wine at the Groot Constantia estate and visiting Robben Island and the Hout Bay area.

Without a car we took the city sightseeing bus which proved pretty handy and informative. For those wanting to do some wine tasting there is a wine tour bus that stops off at 3 different wineries. We hopped off at the Groot Constantia estate and spent a few hours wine tasting and wandering the beautiful grounds.

After sampling a range of fine red wines (I think a total of 6, but it is admittedly hard to remember!) we caught the bus to Hout Bay, a small authentic fishing village. We wandered the port and found fisherman bringing in the catch of the day whilst seals were bobbing out of the water looking to feed on the scraps. It was interesting to watch, nearby workers were handling the fish from a warehouse, seemingly gutting and preparing the them for sale.

The Glam

After a relaxing stay in the Inn on the Square for the first few nights we had to move on. Luckily we found a interesting boutique hotel that was situated just one minute around the corner. The Glam was a comfortable place to stay and the owner was accommodating, friendly, helpful and had a pride in her . All the rooms at the Glam are named after 50’s, 60’s and 70’s movies stars (we had the ) and the decor is mainly stylish black and white. If you’re looking for a place with an extremely comfortable bed and centrally located the Glam is a pretty place to rest your head.

Robben Island

After checking out of the Inn on the Square and checking into the Glam early in the morning we took a taxi ride to the Waterfront for the ferry ride to Robben Island. (at the Nelson Mandela Gateway). The tour of Robben island, including the choppy ferry crossing takes around three and a half hours, so it’s worth planning into your day as it will take up a large chunk of it. We had booked an 11am tour the night before to ensure we weren’t disappointed, apparently the tours can become booked up quite early on so it’s a good idea to plan ahead (at least a little).

Robben Island was used as a place to isolate and banish prisoners from the 17th to the 20th centuries, mainly those involved in politics. The island was also used as a leper colony, animal quarantine station and during the second world war it was fortified as defenses for Cape Town. The use of the island as a place of imprisonment came to an end in the 1990s when the Apartheid regime came to an end and political prisoners who had been incarcerated on the Island were freed.

The island is a fascinating yet somber experience and the tour focuses on much of the Aparthedid era and Nelson Mandela’s imprisonment on the island, including a visit to his cell. Part of the tour is told by ex-prisoners, which really helps to give a first hand insight into life incarcerated on Robben Island.

Cape Point Road Trip (day 5)

After spending longer than we planned in Cape Town we picked up our hire car and headed down the coast towards Cape Point. Planning wise we booked accommodation and planned a rough route/destination the the night before we set off on a days drive.

On our first day on the road we took the road winding up by Chapman’s Peak, the view looking back towards the Hout Bay area was worthy of a stop off. We had lunch in the sun overlooking the bay, the cold snowy

In many ways I really wished that I didn’t have to drive the whole way, it’s easier to admire the beautiful scenery without having to concentrate on the road. Thankfully there are plenty of stop off spots along the South African roads to pull over and take in the views.

At the time (as you can see by my tweet above) the drive down to Cape Point excelled with its natural beauty, for me it’s up there with the drive down the Great Ocean Road in Australia.

Boulders Beach Penguins

On the way down we stopped off at Boulders Beach to admire the colony of penguins that it’s home to. It’s a popular tourist attraction but wasn’t overly crowded when visited. The penguins were in a particularly lazy mood, sunning themselves on the sheltered beach as we watched from a elevated wooden viewing deck. The beach is near Simons Town and is part of the Table Mountain National park so there is a fee to enter.

Cape Point

Where the Indian and Atlantic Oceans meet is the often mistaken as the southern point of the African continent which is actually Cape Agulhas to the east of Cape Point.

Cape Point has claimed many shipwreck victims throughout history due to the ferocious seas in the area where the oceans collide. Many ships have ended up over the rocks and crashing into the surrounding cliffs.

After paying to enter the national park we cruised the winding roads towards the cape. The area is a Natural World Heritage Site and there are plenty of walks on offer. We were limited on time so headed up towards the light house, alternatively you can take Cape Point’s Flying Dutchman Funicular to the top to avoid the somewhat steep trek to the top.

Views from the top around the lighthouse are worthy of the climb.

Looking out over Cape Point you’ll see wild ocean waves crashing into rocks at the base of huge imposing cliffs on either side of the point.

It’s easy to see why so many ships have found themselves in difficulty around the Cape, it’s an area that seems wild and unpredictable but yet beautiful. You can also walk further out along to cliffs to the edge of the point on what is called the “lighthouse keepers walk” as well as around the Cape of Good Hope.

The Cape of Good Hope costs 90 Rand for adults and 40 Rand for children, access to the Flying Dutchman Funicular is 49 Rand return for adults and 21 Rand for children.

For more information: http://www.capepoint.co.za/

Orchard Lane Guesthouse

Having planned the night before and booked at the last minute, we headed up the to wine country, Stellenbosch for the evening. We received a warm welcome for Orchard Lane Guesthouse’s owner and were even given a chilled bottle of water after our long drive. The guest house was welcoming, comfortable and the perfect place for us to stop off for the night. We relaxed in the back garden with a bottle of local red wine and entertained the guest house’s two excitable labradors before the sun went down.

Garden Route (day 6)

After a night in Stellenbosch we stocked up on road trip essentials (most probably chocolate and sweets) and headed out on a 4 hour drive to Mossel Bay, the start of the Garden Route. Again, we planned as we went along. Our rough plan was to drive the Garden Route and back to Cape Town. The night before in Stellenbosch we booked a room at Point Village Hotel in Mossel Bay.

Mossel Bay

We arrived in Mossel Bay relatively early around 3 o’clock and checked into our delightful room at Point Village Hotel complete with huge comfortable bed. We took a stroll around the cliffs below the lighthouse and encountered some strange creatures that we later found out were called “Dassies”. Mossel Bay itself seems like a nice little town but a little quiet, shops and restaurants on the main road were pretty much empty when we visited.

Knysna (day 7)

We set off toward Knysna having booked a night at Jembjo’s Knysna Lodge, a backpackers in the town. Along the way we stopped off at Wilderness to stroll along the lagoon and to take the steep drive up to the Map of Africa. Our poor rental car was really put through its paces attempting the steep drive to the Map Of Africa, when we finally made we were greated by para-gliders who were preparing for flight once the wind had died down. The view out across the beaches is spectacular from the Map of Africa vantage point.

Before getting back on the road to Knysna my girlfriend persuaded me to visit Wilderness Beach for an hour, it was the perfect spot for a rest, unspoiled and relatively quiet.

We checked into Jembjo’s Knysna Lodge and ventured to Knysna’s trendy Thesen Harbour Town (recommended by the guys at Jembjo’s) an alternative to the more touristy waterfront. I was lured by the chance to sample 8 different beers from the local Mitchell’s brewery at Sirocco, I wasn’t disappointed.

Later in the evening whilst socialising at a bbq organised by the welcoming Jembjo’s Knysana Lodge we made a decision to change our plans and head to Addo Elephant Park the following day. We were persuaded by a couple from Holland who had spent a lot time traveling South Africa and recommended staying a couple of nights near to the national park. Thankfully our planning was so last minute that we could afford to change it on a whim.

Addo Elephant Park (days 8 & 9)

Following the recommendation we booked 2 nights at the Happy Jackal Guest House, just a couple of minutes drive from the entrance of Addo Elephant Park (An hour from Port Elizabeth). The guest house had everything we were looking for and more. The room had an amazing outdoor setting with a river flowing at the bottom of its garden and a wonderfully comfortable bed. On arrival, Peter the owner showed us around and told us to make ourselves at home, he even went out of his way to get us a chilled bottle of wine so that we didn’t have to drive to the local shops. We spent the afternoon sipping wine and relaxing in the sun beside the Happy Jackal’s swimming pool. It was the perfect afternoon… that was until my girlfriend woke from her sleep like a bear out of hibernation and dropped her wine glass, shattering  it across the concrete floor. We told Peter and it was no problem for him, he’d clear it up and didn’t even charge us for the glass.

Quick Tip: Take a look at this resource if you’re looking for more information on safaris in South Africa.

We woke early to make the most of our day in the elephant park. Thankfully the Happy Jackal had the most amazing breakfast I’ve had for a while and included egg, bacon, a freshly made loaf of bread, banana bread and fruit and yogurt.

My girlfriend (Milene) had been pestering for us to visit Addo after driving the Garden Route, I wasn’t so keen due to the four and a half hour drive. I should have listened from the start, the national park was an amazing experience and well worth the extra drive.

Addo Elephant National Park is the third largest national park in South Africa and is home to over 550 elephants as well as buffalo, lion, black rhino, antelope, warthogs, zebra, jackal, dung beetle and even tortoises.

We took our hire car for a spin in the park for the day venturing from the southern gate to the north and back again whilst stopping along the way to spot animals. Self driving the park is a great way to spend the day, although it can be a little scary when you find a huge elephant walking straight for you. Apparently in you sit still and turn off the engine the elephants tend to walk by calmly.

Our guest house host, Peter told us a story one morning at breakfast about visitors to the park who opened their car doors to get a better angle of the elephants with their camera. Not surprisingly the elephants become agitated because they didn’t recognise the car as a normal shape they are used to seeing. Thankfully the couple quickly closed their car doors and the elephants calmed down and walked on by.

There are some safe zones around the park where you can stop and have a bbq or picnic but these are well sign posted and surrounded by electrified fences. In most parts of the park you cannot leave your vehicle and even look out points tell you to leave at your own risk. Having said that, we did see one visitor (on a guided tour) relieving himself behind a bush. Luckily for him the lions seemed to be in a different area of the park that day.

It was quite incredible to spot elephants, rhino, zebra among many other animals roaming free in the park. We even had to hit the breaks to allow a tiny tortoise to cross the road and signal to oncoming traffic to stop to let the little fella cross safely.

We found ourselves easily spending the day in the park, having to rush the final loop to ensure we made it out of the park before the southern gate closed at 6:30pm. We nearly didn’t make it in time after turning a corner to be confronted by the huge imposing mass of the back end of a plodding African elephant. We had to wait a good ten or twenty minutes for the elephant to finally veer off into the bush so we could over take. To be so close to these animals who are freely roaming around is a humbling experience and one I’d recommend to anyone visiting this part of South Africa.

Mossel Bay (day 10)

As a stop off to break up a long 8-9 hour drive back to Cape Town we stopped off at Mossel Bay, Santos Beach to be exact. We choose to relax in the sun with the view of the sea at Santos Express Backpackers restaurant. The accommodation itself is an old train sat 30 meters away from the beach, you can wake up with a sea view. This proved a perfect stop of just to rest, eat and catch some sun before the drive the next day.

A Day back in Cape Town (day 11)

Driving back to Cape Town I got a little stressed, we were low on petrol and you can go for some length of time without seeing a petrol station on some stretches of the N2. Just like buses, as we neared Cape Town two or three petrol stations appeared, we were able to fill up and stretch our legs before heading towards the city.

In the morning we’d booked an apartment in Cape Town, it was a bit last minute but worked out really well. The apartment (Primi Oxford Hotel) was spacious, clean, modern and in a decent location. If we’d discovered the place earlier we may have stayed there on our first few days of the trip, as it was it proved the perfect base for a overnight stay.

It was interesting to travel around we such flexibility, it give us the opportunity to change our minds as we went along . At times it was stressful, after a long day to have to plan and book quickly. Booking accommodation as we went along worked fine apart from in Cape Town which seemed much more in demand than parts of the Garden Route. We tried a range of different accommodation  from the budget to the more luxurious and overall we were really impressed by the standard of South Africa guest houses (especially how big and comfortable the beds were).

Although we only had 11 days in South Africa and didn’t have much of a plan, we managed to fit an awful lot in for such a short period of time. We found that it is possible even with limited time to plan as you go along. You may have the odd issue (such as no cars to hire with the opening of parliament) but as a long as you’re open minded and a little flexible, you should find doing things at the last minute is pretty straight forward.

My Cape Town flights were courtesy of Skyscanner and the trip was assisted by Cape Town Tourism.