South Africa Luxury Holidays

Gourmet cuisine and exceptional wines are prevalent throughout South Africa but the heartland of the genre is undoubtedly the Winelands region. drive just an hour or so from Cape Town through lush valleys set against magnificent mountain backdrops to discover private wine farms and their lodges; a gastronome’s dream and encouraging of a very leisurely pace of life.
Self-drive is the preferred option for many and a great choice is to head out from Cape Town, via Hermanus and Walker Bay for some of the best land-based whale-watching in the world, to the start of the Garden Route renowned for indigenous forests, lakes, rivers and mountains that plunge to meet pristine sandy beaches at the coastline. The small town of Knysna has a great buzz, particularly during the Oyster festival; Tsitsikamma National Park will tempt walkers and nature lovers; Plettenberg Bay is a high quality seaside destination - and that’s just a small sprinkling of the highlights!

Information
Time difference: GMT +2 hours
Flight duration: 11 hours 30 minutes to Cape Town (direct) 11 hours Johannesburg (direct)
Currency: South African Rand
Capital: Pretoria

Flights: British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and South African Airways fly direct from London Heathrow to Cape Town and Johannesburg. Flights via the Middle east are available with emirates and etihad.

Climate
Cape Town and the Garden Route are at their glorious summer best from November to March but if you prefer a more temperate climate or want to see the flora in fine bloom, the spring months of August and September are perfect. The dry season from May to August is particularly good for safaris because vegetation is sparse and the animals frequent watering-holes, while for whale-watching off the Cape Coast, visit from July to the beginning of November.

• Luxury Hotels
• Luxury Villas