Food & cooking experiences

It’s usually Hermanus that steals the show when it comes to whale-watching, but the drive along the picture-perfect coastal road from Cape Town through Gordon’s Bay, Pringle Bay and Betty’s Bay is just as spectacular. Keep your eyes peeled for the majestic creatures as you go and when you reach Hermanus, stretch your legs with a stroll through the galleries, bookstores and boutiques. After a lazy lunch, head into the hills of the Hemel-en-Aarde for a taste of the grapes from a cool-climate region, in particular the South African speciality, Pinot Noir.

Part sleepy fishing village, part culinary heaven, you can’t visit Paternoster without doing a little restaurant hopping. So for a 24 hour, tastebud-ticklingly delicious foodie journey, here’s the plan. Cast off your flip-flops and head straight along the beach to Voorstrandt. The 115-year-old green and red tin hut is a Paternoster institution where the beer is cold and the fish comes straight from boat to plate. For dinner it’s Gaaitjie and chef Suzi Waterhouse’s Afrikaans classics with a seaside twist and the best sunset in town. After an early morning dip (essential to replenish the appetite!), roll in to the Strandloper Hotel for freshly baked pastries and heavenly coffee. Next up is Oep ve Koep, a rustic farm-stall-come-restaurant owned by the legendary Kobus van der Merwe. Foraging is the name of his game, so expect wild oysters in the restaurant and fynbos jam in the pretty shop. And if you’ve got an extra few hours, squeeze in a Malay fish curry under the twinkling garden lights at the Noisy Oyster. Talk about saving the best till last….

The Hemel-en-Aarde road takes you into the hilly wine country beyond Hermanus. The cool ocean air enriches these vineyards and the small-scale production keeps things personal. Enjoy a different view into the valley at each farm, sipping a crisp sauvignon blanc or tucking into a delicious food and wine pairing.

Arabica and Robusta coffee are Tanzania’s largest export, so of course they have refined the art of coffee making to near on perfection. Grown in Tanzania’s rich volcanic soil, coffee is the primary source of income for many Tanzanians and a tour around one of the many outstanding plantations is well worth the trip. Learn more about the process, taste different brews and see for yourself what all the hype is about.

If the Cape Winelands aren't in your sights on this trip to South Africa, get a taster with a visit to a wine estate in idyllic Constantia Valley. In the suburbs outside of Cape Town, Constantia is home to a number of top-shelf vineyards with long histories from family establishments to renowned wine makers. Our favourites are Groot Constantia and Klein Constantia. Enjoy a tour of the winery, sample unique harvests and meet the wine makers. A few hours in Constantia makes a fantastic addition to your Cape Town itinerary and, if you visit in the afternoon, grab lunch before spending golden hour amongst the rows of grapes - it makes for some lovely photo ops.