Question about tours from Cape Town
 

I have a friend making a repeat visit to Cape Town on a tour. She has a free day there and would like to book a whale watching tour and would appreciate any pointers on doing this.

> Specifically:
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> Which tour companies do Fodorites recommend? Please share anything you think would be helpful to her in deciding which might best fit her interests.
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> Should she try to book in advance before leaving the US or can the tours be booked while there? If so, can they be booked "day of" or do the tour operators need a day or more of "lead time"?
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> Besides whale watching, are there other day or half day long tours that you can recommend? (She's done the tour of Robben Island, wine country and Kristenbosch.)

Thanks much for any assistance and info you can provide.

Anyone? Sure could use some guidance for my friend here. She leaves on the 10th. Thanks

Julie, my fellow traveler. I thought of you last week when I was in Ribasedella and walked into to take a look at the lovely Villa Rosario. Read your report on Northern Spain several times during my own recent 12-day Asturias trip..

Anyway, remember that the whale watching off Hermanus is weather dependent. We went with a private guide/driver who was guiding us for a week in the city. But we had to postpone once due to high winds that hampered viewing, or so we had heard. Just keep that in mind.

The only thing I can think of, since she has done the popular jaunts, (assume she has already toured Cape Point/Cape of Good Hope) is a weekend visit to the Woodstock area, for the market which I think takes place only on Saturdays.

Or a drive up to Paternoster (??) where I have not been but have read about--scenery and food would be the drawns there but not sure if this is popular enough to be offered as a group tour.

I've had a private guide on two visits to the city and would highly recommend him, but he is likely to be booked out already. Perhaps he knows someone else, if she does decide on a private driver...his name is Charlie Ratcliffe. I booked him through the agency that planned my SA/Botswana trips...

https://www.southerndestinations.com...pe-town-guide/



Wish I could be more help..I jumped when I saw your name..

Where are you off to next??

ekscrunchy, Thanks so much for the info. I forwarded it to my very grateful friend.

So glad you enjoyed Ribadesella and Villa Rosario and that my Northern Spain trip report proved helpful to you. Hope to return there soon but since we no longer drive, it's more of a challenge. In fact, it may have become pretty much of an impossibility unless we can get our son to go with us.

For now, we're contenting ourselves with a couple of upcoming Viking cruises--one in December on the Rhine to see Christmas markets and another on one of the Viking Ocean ships going from Rome to Barcelona through some fairly exotic ports in the Southern Med. Then a ski trip to Zermatt and St. Moritz with a side of St. Gallen in early March wth our skiing son, and in May a trip to Paris and the Loire Valley with our daughter and family. Still open to fill in some holes during the hot summer months down here.

Thanks again, for your helpful info for my friend. We haven't gotten adventuresome enough to take on Africa, but she's hooked and on her 5th trip there.

Julie I empathize about no longer wanting to drive. I wanted to visit both Galicia and Asturias but cut down on the scope of our trip quite a bit due to the long-ish driving distances involved. Left out Galicia.

About South Africa: It sounds counterintuitive but this is one of the easiest vacation destinations to tackle if you do as we did and have a safari planner work up the itinerary. You can be literally taken in hand from the moment you step off the plane until you step on again to go home.

My brother-in-law in in his mid-80s and they are going to southern Africa for a big trip this May (ojala!). There is very, very little walking involved at the safari destinations, unless you WANT to walk and even then, you are pretty limited to the area around the lodgings. You get into the vehicle in the morning, drive around glorying in the surroundings, get back to have lunch, rest, go out again in afternoon, and have dinner and to bed. You do not need to do one thing on your own, even laundry is taken care of in the camps where you would probably go.

In Capetown you can walk, of course, but there are plentiful taxis and Uber.
Wine country, same thing. And of course, no need to rent a car although of course one could, and many do.

It really is a perfect trip for the "older" set, in which I include myself, reluctantly. Partner (in his 70s) called it a "life changing experience," and believe me, he is no adventurous traveler. Loved it so much that the two of us went back again this past May, this time mostly to Botswana where the same applies in the game lodges.

Do think about it if it interests you. And you know I am always avilable to offer advice, however misleading it may be at times!!

Again, your Spain report was a big inspiration for us.....loved that area so very much. Thank you again for writing it up so well, and in such helpful detail. Chinese food in Asturias, indeed!!

Thanks for the push. I will keep Africa in mind. We are such European travelers. It would be good for us to branch out. And thanks for your offer of help if we get brave and try it. (Of course, there's all those shots--and I'm pretty needle-averse. Gotta get a grip.)

I am not going to harangue you any more but there are no required shots for South Africa that I am aware of. Very best, ek

I may be late, but I've been planning a trip to Cambodia, so not checking the Africa forum.

I joined a small group for the whale watching trip with Cape Team
http://www.capeteamtours.co.za/herma...ales-tours.htm

Go to Africa, Julie, ASAP. It will eclipse all your other trips. Trust me. (We loved Villa Rosario too.)

Kay2, Thanks for the site about whale watching. I'm passing it along to my friend who leaves tomorrow.

Marija, Thanks for the push. Glad you enjoyed Villa Rosario as well. It's quite a unique property.