Together with two friends, I traveled to Cape Town in 2018 to visit and learn all that I could about this beautiful country. One of the first trips we did outside of the city was Ashanti’s 2 day whale and wine tour. I was really excited for this trip and couldn’t stop thinking about it. At 8:40 the guide picked us up at our accommodation. The other guests have already been picked up and we then drive straight to our first stop.

This was the township of Kayamandi where we got to experience the lives of every day South Africans. When we arrive at the townships a local woman opens her door and welcomes us with open arms into her house. She leads us through her house to the kitchen where we prepare delicious Vetkoek and Chakala, traditional dishes from South Africa. Together with our hostess, after which she invites us to the table to try our creations. The table is nicely set and all of us can now enjoy a delicious meal with a cup of South African Rooibos (Red Bush) tea.

After our bellies are full, we continue our journey to the first wine tasting of the day at Simonsig. Here we are served six wines to taste. Each wine was very different in taste, so you could find out what your favourite was. As a surprise, the hostess served us another wine that was bottled for 12 years. After a walk through the vineyards, we went on toward the next farm located in Paarl. The wine regions in Paarl should certainly not be missed by wine lovers. With its beautiful farm villas and plenty of vineyards, this is the place to be. Next we went to La Bri in Franschhoek. We were escorted to a separate room in the building where we were treaded to chocolate and wine pairing.

The sun was shining brightly and we enjoyed a walk with the group through the vineyards. The end of the path was surrounded by lavender plants and olive trees. The guide was waiting for us. We got in the car and drove to a local market with all kinds of different stands from African to French food, African art to African jewels. We had a free hour to spend exploring through everything the market had to offer. My friends and I  made good use of this to have a delicious lunch.

After the market, the day came to an end and we started to make our way to Cape Agulhas where we would spend the night. On our way to the hostel, our guide told us enthusiastically about the nature we passed. Baboons were spotted and our guide stopped so we could have a photo moment and a beautiful experience

The hostel was an authentic local spot near the most Southern tip of Africa. A place where the Atlantic and Indian oceans meet. The rooms were nicely decorated in an African style. In the evening we enjoyed a south African braai (BBQ) for our dinner. We ended this evening with some marshmallows which we roasted above the fire and we drank a delicious glass of wine.

The next morning we left for Gansbaai at 8am, 3 out of 8 people in our group had chosen to go shark cage diving. The other 5, which I joined, went on a boat to do whale watching and hopefully even spot some dolphins or sharks. After a 2 hour drive, we arrived in Gansbaai. The guide had arranged a quick lunch for us so we did not have to go on the boat with an empty stomach. After everyone had eaten their lunch we moved to a room where the boat company explained the rules they have on board. This was all done very clearly and it made us feel safe.

We got on the boat and the excitement spread through my body. A lot of things ran through my mind, how long would it take before we meet a whale? Are we going to encounter one? After less than 10 minutes of sailing, the first whale came to the surface. What a beautiful and huge beast. The moment I saw a whale swimming in the middle of the sea gave me such a special feeling. The feeling of freedom and the realization of how beautiful nature is. Soon we saw a mother whale and her child passed by. There were so many whales to admire. We passed by seal island where a lot of roaring seals said hello to us. It was a fantastic view.

After an impressive boat trip, it was time for a cup of soup and a sandwich to warm us up. One of our participants from the group had his birthday and our guide arrange a cake. This made it very exciting because the birthday girl didn’t know anything about it yet. He had arranged a delicious chocolate cake with candles. It was funny because these were not just ordinary candles, however, even after three blows, the candles were still burning. This made us all laugh very loudly.

Whale watching was a bit more tiring than I epected and I fell asleep like a rock in the bus on the way to the penguins in Betties Bay. I woke up on the bus with a beautiful landscape around me. South Africa has so much to offer, it is such a beautiful country. Before we arrived at the penguins our guide told us a few things about the African penguins. Unfortunately, the penguins was our last stop and we made our way home with a good feeling. Without a doubt, I would love to re-experience this adventure.