One of our favorite highlights in the Western Cape was a day road trip around the Cape of Good Hope, the southwestern tip of the African continent (the true southern tip is Cape Agulhas further east). For those who believe the journey is the destination itself, this is the day-trip for you. The Cape of Good Hope Drive is a tour-de-force excursion for visitors to South Africa who will be rewarded with one of the most picturesque drives in the world. Along the way, you will round the very same peninsula navigated by Portuguese explorer Bartolomeu Dias; this permanently established the first all naval route between Western Europe and South Asia/Far East. Situated just south of Cape Town, the Cape of Good Hope peninsula is filled with a treasure trove of unique flora and fauna from penguins to ostriches, gorgeous beaches, stunning seaside towns overlooking the Atlantic Ocean and False Bay populated with beach bums and millionaire mansions, and the engineering marvel that is Chapman's Peak Drive. In the post below, we will discuss some of our favorite stops (St. James Beach, Boulder's Beach, Cape of Good Hope, Hout Bay, Chapman's Peak Drive, and sunset back in Cape Town at Camp's Bay) to help create your own Cape of Good Hope Itinerary.
Along the southern flank of the African continent is one of the true iconic destinations in the world: South Africa. Don't let those world maps fool you, South Africa is a big country and is approximately 3x bigger than California. You will be spoiled for choice and time will be your most precious commodity. For the safari dreamers, wine lovers, beach bums, hikers, thrill-seekers, and road-trippers, South Africa has something for everyone to relish and savor. While you may not be able to do it all on one trip, in this introduction we will spotlight what really stood out to us during our painstaking research. By underscoring these items, we know you can then create a rough sketch of what you may want to do so you can make your own outline of when to go, where to explore, and how many days you may want to take. We hope this introduction whets your appetite and inspires your own search for your unique South African holiday. In upcoming posts, we will go into greater detail over many of these items including Safaris, Cape Winelands, Cape of Good Hope Drive, and Greater Cape Town Hiking/Dining/Excursions.
Nestled along the foothills of the Andes Mountains, Bariloche serves as a perfect side trip for those who have 3-4 days to spend after visiting or working in Buenos Aires. Along the northern reaches of Patagonia and positioned along the shores of Nahuel Huapi Lake, Bariloche is a picturesque natural wonder with snow-capped mountains and glacial lakes perfect for easy-to-hard trekking/hiking or kayaking in the warmer months and skiing in the colder months. Given a well-developed tourist infrastructure, multitude of outdoor activities, great restaurants, and artisanal chocolateering, Bariloche is also perfect for a multi-generational jaunt in Argentina as it is easier on kids or grandparents than the more rugged parts of Patagonia (Torres del Paine, El Chalten, etc.). Given a history of immigrants from Germany, Austrian, Italy, and Switzerland from the late 19th century onwards, Bariloche often feels like a Bavarian architectural town with an Argentine twist.
