Wonderful Winelands: Highlights and lowlights of a trip to South Africa

In addition to beautiful weather, stunning wine farms and lush expanses, there is a wealth of things to do and experience on a trip to South Africa.

While living in Korea, I hadn’t exactly put a trip to South Africa on my bucket list. It wasn’t an easy hop over like my trip to Japan had been. Plus, I didn’t know much about the things to do and see in the country. But Korea has a crazy way of connecting you with the most amazing people, and lead to me on my friend’s trip back home in winter break. I didn’t quite know what to expect in South Africa. Nevertheless, I was keen to see my friend’s home life and some of the amazing things she’d spoken about. Every activity was extraordinary. However, this doesn’t go to say that the whole trip was plane sailing. 

Highlights:

1. Penguin beach
2. Franschhoek wine tram
3. Sokkie

Penguin beach

Did you know South Africa has penguins? No? Call me naive but I didn’t know, either. Elephants, giraffes and a couple of lions I could have expected, but penguins? That was one animal I didn’t think I’d meet along my way. And I’m not talking about visiting penguins in a zoo. Nope, I found these birdie friends relaxing on Boulders Beach in Cape Town. After paying a small fee (a little bigger if you weren’t South African), you could enter multiple inlets on the beach and chill with some penguin buddies. The first sandy area you’ll encounter is very small. There wasn’t a lot of space to set up our umbrella and picnic blanket. There was even less space in the shade. But if you just want to briefly sit and soak in the surroundings, this is the perfect beach.

Don’t be too disappointed when you first arrive and don’t see a penguin. After all, they might take a little scrambling over rocks to get to. Though, we were lucky enough to meet a cute little penguin couple while splashing around in the sea here. Be patient and keep your eyes peeled. Nonetheless, my friend and I were desperate to see more. We waded around a corner and met masses of penguins, dotted around the shore. One penguin friend even had an egg! They were amazing to see in this number and this close. Plus, it was nice to know that the money we paid on entry would help their conservation and protection in the future. So if you’re heading to Cape Town and want a unique day out, head to Boulders Beach. 

Franschhoek wine tram

I’m no wine connoisseur but I know what I like. And after travelling to South Africa, I can confidently say I like a wine tram. Many know Cape Town for its many sprawling wine farms, so the thought of choosing just one to visit can be difficult. Each is unique in the way it looks and the wine that it makes. That’s where the invention that is the “wine tram” comes into play. We signed up for a package and climbed onto a beautiful two-story tram that trawled past expansive farms. Once onboard we were given a complimentary rosé and were told about the stops available to us.

We decided that we’d explore Vrede and Lust, Boschendal and Babylonstoren. When we arrived at our first stop, the tour guide informed us about the timings of the day. He also gave us a short introduction to the grounds. Now, you might think that all this gallivanting around wine farms would add up to a pretty expensive day. In reality a wine-tasting of five flavours cost little more than £5 for me. You can see that the tram is definitely good value for money. All in all, I realised that I didn’t majorly care about the composition of wine. However, I did love hearing people speak about the bottles passionately. Plus, just seeing the grounds and sitting in the sunlight was stunning. 

Sokkie

I’m no stranger to dance. Give me a ballet, tap or modern routine to learn and I can give it a shot. Or turn down the lights and put me in the club and I’ll throw some shapes. However, I couldn’t Sokkie for the life of me. This type of ballroom dance is popular in South Africa. It mainly involves being whirled around a dance floor by a partner. To be honest, I think my ineptitude made it more fun. All I had to do was follow and glide. Yet, I could do neither of those things, leading me to laugh uncontrollably about how silly I looked.

This dance was a great way to meet people at the club, and I was shocked by how two random strangers could quickly look like a cohesive team on the dance floor. Looking back, this was a highlight of my trip to South Africa. It was fun to experience a style of dance I’d never tried before and I felt a bit like a princess being twirled around. On the other hand, it was a traumatic experience, particularly when I was told to “stop jumping so much” by one partner. I’m ready to return to South Africa and give the dance another go, especially now I’ve had some more informal lessons from my friend. If you want to try something new, head to South Africa and put your dancing shoes on. 

Lowlights:

1. Load Shedding
2. Road conditions
3. Food poisoning

Load shedding

Load shedding might be a notorious part of South African life that you’ve already researched in preparation for your trip. I can confirm it is very much a reality of life in the country. It takes some getting used to if you’re accustomed to having power at all times. I remember being thrown for the first few days when I found that I’d plug my phone into a socket, leave it, and find it dead when I returned. By the end of the trip, luck was on my side. Load shedding seemed to only occur in the early hours of the morning when I was asleep. It was also surprising how quickly I adapted to this new phone-less lifestyle. I ended up counting a good day as one where the power was only out for four hours.

Nonetheless, I was relieved to return to Korea where I no longer had to plan my day around the availability of charge. This experience made me aware of my reliance on electricity – for my phone, for TV and for other things I hadn’t considered like WiFi and boiling the kettle. If you’re planning to go to South Africa, spend some time thinking about your reliance on electricity and whether this is likely to jeopardise your trip. Remember that restaurants and cafes are affected too, which might further disrupt your plans. Luckily, many places have a converter and may still be able to function during load shedding but this is unreliable. The power situation in South Africa can be frustrating and a definite drawback of a trip there.

Road conditions

Any travel advisory will tell you to remain vigilant and sensible while travelling in South Africa, referring to the high crime rates and threats within the country. If you duck into a car, you may experience this danger firsthand. Both car theft and vehicle robbery are very common, prompting my friend to remind me to keep the windows and doors locked while driving. We were also approached by people in the middle of the road when we got stuck at a red light or in traffic. In addition to this, the road conditions were also troublesome at times. The lack of power during load shedding meant that some roads were poorly lit at night, making driving very dangerous.

Taxis also posed a problem as these vans sped past and often cut us up while we were on the road. I was thankful that I did not drive while I was in the country but the road conditions were still stressful even as a passenger. If you’re planning a trip to South Africa, stay aware while you’re driving, plan your routes in advance and try to drive during the day. 

Food poisoning

I experienced some delicious food and drinks while I stayed in South Africa: Rooibos red cappuccino, Malva pudding and, of course, a classic Braai (like a barbecue with lots of yummy meat dishes). My body also said “bye-bye” to a lot of this wonderful food not long after I ate it. My food poisoning put me out of commission for a good day, meaning I had to forfeit a trip to Table Mountain and stay in bed instead. Luckily, I was in a safe environment, looked after by my friend’s family. I received a lot of care and was back on my feet, out exploring again, by the end of the week. But the acute pain I’d felt in my stomach, waking me up from my sleep in the early hours of the morning, was a degree of food poisoning that I’d never experienced before.

It’s difficult to pinpoint the exact food that triggered this sickness but, if I was to guess, I’d tie it to the Braai I’d had one evening. So how can you still enjoy all the food that South Africa has to offer while making sure you remain fit and healthy? Make sure to check that any meat you eat is cooked through thoroughly (this should just be a common rule in your life). Also, if you plan to attend a Braai, make sure that food has been stored correctly and nothing is past the expiration date. By being savvy, you can enjoy every delicacy and walk away unscathed. And if you’re not certain about any food heading your way, don’t risk it.

Sunshine on a trip to South Africa

South Africa was full of wonders, like a beach full of penguins in Cape Town and a fun dance style I’d never tried before. It also had some drawbacks like the threat while driving and the frequent load shedding. I was lucky during my trip – I had a friend to guide me around the country, I had a lovely house to stay in and I didn’t have to worry about transporting myself anywhere while I was there. I was a glorified passenger princess for the two weeks that I visited for. It was lovely to be introduced to the country by someone who knew all the best places and what to avoid. If you’re travelling to South Africa for the first time without someone who lives there or has visited before, do your research and plan your trip carefully to stay safe. This way you can make the most of the country.