Why a Cape Town-safari combo works so well

My beloved places here are Noordhoek Beach (I live on Chapmans Peak overlooking it) and nearby Silvermine Nature Reserve. Hiking on the reserve’s eastern side – amidst hills and valleys of fynbos and a lovely waterfall – you can see the beach. So I’m in heaven there. 

That said, I still thrill to the city’s energy; I used to live in its centre. Exploring its coffee houses, restaurants, museums, gardens, and historical sites remains a pleasure. High on my list of must-visits? The Iziko Museums in and around the Company’s Garden, and the gardens themselves; art museums Zeitz MOCAA on the Waterfront and the Norval Foundation in Tokai; Groot Constantia, the oldest winery in South Africa (and the little museum there); and a stroll down Long, Wale, Church, and Bree streets in town, full of fascinating shops, cafés, antique dealers, African art, and local vibes. 

Wilderness Touring makes the Cape Town add-on a seamless process, with simplified transfers, customised itineraries, and expert, personable guides. 

Michelle Reyneke, General Manager at Wilderness Touring Cape Town, unhesitatingly recommends combining a safari with a visit to the Mother City.

‘A post-safari stay in Cape Town provides guests with a gentle transition from safari mode,’ she says, ‘back into city life before they head home. Cape Town gives guests the chance to enjoy the last of their holiday with incredible scenery, fantastic food and wine, and amazing experiences. It can also offer guests a day or two of rest and relaxation before heading back to work and other pressures at home. I’d advise at least a four-night stay.’ 

Michelle’s personal favourites in and around the city? 

‘For me it’s the hidden gems, the small restaurants, cafés, and shops off the beaten track or down a small quirky alleyway – like the ones in Kalk Bay. Also, the gorgeous landscapes that are not always seen – like the Overberg canola fields that bloom spectacularly in late winter–early spring, or the world-famous fields of spring flowers up the West Coast. And of course, the people – Cape Town is a city full of cultures. I also love a cold plunge in Dalebrook Tidal Pool between Kalk Bay and St James, followed by a dirty chai at nearby Chardonnay Deli!’ 

We asked some of the Wilderness Touring Cape Town guides why they’d recommend a safari-Cape Town combo, and which places and experiences here they most love sharing with guests:

Howard Owen

Guiding for Wilderness for twenty-five years, Howie loves ‘being on the mountain’, wine, fynbos, and birds – no wonder he loves Cape Town. ‘Starting in Cape Town before a safari gives guests the chance to acclimatise after their long-haul flights,’ he says. ‘It’s not just the city’s stunning natural beauty, myriad of activities, and world-class accommodation, food, and wine. After a day around the Southern Peninsula, guests already have a number of animal, bird, and plant species ticked off on their safari checklists. Likewise, ending your trip in Cape Town allows you to decompress, ease gently back into “civilisation”.’

Howie loves taking guests off-piste. ‘Like getting off the main road in the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve,’ he says. ‘Exploring paths where very few other tourists tread, revealing different views of Cape Point or some rare plants in flower. Or if guests are not really into flowers, we’ll look for eland, baboons, etc. 

‘I also love exploring the Western Cape countryside – the West Coast in flower season, the Overberg, and the wine regions beyond Stellenbosch and Franschhoek,’ he adds, perpetually on the lookout for the unusual and surprising. ‘It’s the little, tucked-away gems that are often the most memorable.

Thomas Nzenzo

 
Originally hailing from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Thomas has been guiding in the Western Cape and Garden Route for twenty years. He loves the cultural exchange aspect of guiding – and thoroughly recommends pairing a safari with a visit to Cape Town.

‘Cape Town complements a safari beautifully because it gives visitors a completely different experience of Africa,’ he says. ‘After the wilderness, wildlife, and open landscapes of a safari, Cape Town brings in culture, history, and the energy of a diverse city, all surrounded by some of the most spectacular scenery on the continent. You experience not only the natural beauty of Africa, but also its people, its history, and the way the past has shaped the city today.’ 

Of all the sights in Cape Town, Thomas most loves sharing the Cape of Good Hope and Cape Point with guests – even the journey there through the Southern Peninsula, ‘with the coastline, mountains, and changing landscapes building up to the experience.

‘When you finally arrive,’ he says, ‘there is a sense of openness and wild beauty that is difficult to describe. Even after visiting many times myself, I still enjoy seeing the reaction of guests experiencing it for the first time. There is a wildness to the landscape that really stays with you. 

‘I also love how unpredictable the weather can be there. You can have strong wind, then rain, then clouds, and a few minutes later the sky begins to clear again. That constant change gives the place its own personality and makes every visit feel slightly different.’

Suleiman Soeker

Born in the Bo-Kaap, Cape Town’s historic, colourful Cape Malay district, Suleiman has pragmatic advice for those thinking of adding the city onto their safari holiday. ‘Travellers from, for example, the Americas, Europe or Asia should combine Cape Town with an African safari – they’ll save flight times and the cost of a separate trip. Ranked as one of the world’s most beautiful cities – with its magnificent beaches and scenery and a multitude of touring options – it offers a contrasting experience to a safari.’ 

In this ‘melting pot of cultures’, Suleiman most loves sharing cultural experiences with travellers. ‘Like visiting the Bo-Kaap, the townships, the District Six Museum, and other places. I like sharing South Africa’s history. Having grown up in the anti-apartheid struggle here, I am able to share actual stories of our experiences during those years – as well as stories of how we have moved on from them.’ 

Suleiman has set up and run two soup kitchens in Langa and Khayelitsha, so he speaks, and guides, from the heart. His home turf, the Bo-Kaap, is always a favoured destination, where he takes pride and pleasure in introducing guests to its tasty Cape Malay cuisine – in restaurants like Bo-Kaap Kombuis or in locals’ homes, where guests help cook. His insider’s view stretches further. 

‘On the street corners there are the retired folk who play dominoes and draughts,’ Suleiman says, ‘and when I'm on tour, I like to stop and chat to them. I grew up with these guys, and the guests enjoy this interactive experience with the locals.’

Kobus Louw

Born in Parow, a Cape Town suburb, Kobus has overlanded across Southern Africa and guided for Wilderness since 2022. For him, a safari and Cape Town both offer something similar, though different: the chance to get elemental – whether among wildlife or people. 

‘Cape Town surprises most of my guests,’ Kobus says. ‘It is one the best examples of a flourishing, multicultural society. As much as we have our issues, historically and present-day, Cape Town offers insight into how people can coexist and thrive despite our differences. Be it race, culture, religion or what is the best way to eat potatoes – slap chips with salt and vinegar or triple-fried, hand-cut – Capetonians find common ground. 

‘A safari brings people, literally, back down to earth,’ he continues. ‘It awakens a sense of adventure, and revives our senses. We find ourselves listening for any rustle in that bush over there, or sniffing the air for signs of life nearby. Or maybe marvelling at an elephant’s sheer size and every contour of its wise face from ten feet away.

‘Cape Town has the same sense of connection in human interaction. We're all just trying to make the best of this crazy place we call home.’

Kobus most loves introducing travellers to the place he grew up – Stellenbosch, in the Cape Winelands – and to the wine that it’s famous for.

‘The town itself boasts a wonderful array of Cape Dutch, Victorian, and Cape Georgian architecture,’ he says. ‘It has a university that enlightens thousands of young minds, a wine history of 350 years, and is home to some of our greatest athletes. It’s pristinely landscaped and hums with student life, business, and tourism. 

‘No matter what side of the town you’re on,’ Kobus continues, ‘you are spoiled with incredible rolling hills, an elevated view of the Atlantic Ocean, or 3,500-foot mountains. The sheer number of local microclimates allows Stellenbosch to perfect, and experiment with, a plethora of grape varietals and winemaking techniques like no other place in the world. Even those who don't dissect every hint and note of a fine wine can grasp the nature of a wine farmer, with access to cellar operation and viticultural practices in the vineyard. Most farmers will give you a personal insight into what it means to run such a passion-driven business.’