Page 10 - AAA Every Day – AAA Hudson Valley – September/October 2019

Expert safari rangers extend South African hospitality into the bush in open safari vehicles, exploring the rarer sights and wonders.
continues to welcome you with arms wide open at the rocky seascapes
of the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve known for its rich biodiversity and the crowd-pleasing African penguins of
Boulders Beach in False Bay, who will have you second- guessing how this could all
be part of a cosmopolitan city.
The beauty
of Cape Town
doesn’t just
belong to its
coastline.
Just an hour east from the city the nearby centuries-old winelands of Franschhoek, the gourmet capital
of the Cape, offers its breathtaking scenery. Bordered by Wemmershoek Mountains in the north and the
Groot Drakenstein and Franschhoek Mountains to the south, these guardians provide just the right conditions for grapes to grow. While the name means “French Corner” in Dutch, it was the French Huguenots who planted their vines when they settled this land more than 300 years
ago and who nurtured it into what would eventually become the center of South Africa’s wine production. A bit closer to Cape Town, the process of winemaking from grape to goblet
can also be
found in historic Stellenbosch, the country’s second- oldest town, and maybe its most beautiful. With
its Cape Dutch architecture, oak-lined streets, galleries, cafes and bars, this university town will quickly steal your heart.
While it may be hard to leave one of the most
captivating cities in the world, nature calls. Two short flights from Cape
Town opens a different window into South Africa with a safari adventure. Kings Camp is a luxury camp located in the wildlife-rich Timbavati Private Game Reserve and an exquisite place to call home for the next three nights. Bordering Kruger National Park, this camp sits in the northernmost province of Limpopo, at the edge of a savannah, renowned for its impressive wildlife. A waterhole, located right in front of the
camp, draws a variety of wildlife, offering guests bonus viewing
outside of early morning and late afternoon game drives. Expert safari rangers extend South African hospitality into the bush in open safari vehicles,
exploring the rarer sights and wonders. While most visitors come for the big five (lion, leopard, rhino, elephant,
Cape buffalo) and while those animals are thrilling to see,
it’s often the fine feathered
creatures — the kingfishers, bee eaters or lilac-breasted
roller — that can capture
attention. Guided bush walks provide a different perspective on the
animal kingdom. Whatever creature steals your heart, looking back upon
Bo-Kaap neighborhood houses, Cape Town
Franschhoek cafe dining
10 I SEP/OCT 2019
All photos © African Travel, Inc.