With wine tasting, beaches, adrenaline sports and history, Emily Bamber discovers that a safari is not the only type of holiday in Africa
You’ve been on fams to Africa, seen the big five and know the national parks and private game reserves like the back of your hand.
But what if a client says they’re not interested in the traditional safari and just want to see a different face of the continent? Don’t panic; read on for our suggestions.
History and culture
The battlefields of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
The sweeping landscapes of KwaZulu-Natal between the Drakensburg Mountains and the Indian Ocean were once soaked with the blood of Zulus, British and Boers during a series of bitter battles for control of the region.
Today, British tourists come to see the historic towns, museums and battle sites including Isandlwana, Rorke’s Drift and Fugitive’s Drift from the Anglo-Zulu battles of 1879. There are self-drive routes through the majestic countryside, guides available and plenty of restaurants along the way.
Sample product: Cox and Kings has a 10-night self-drive private journey, A Drive Through KwaZulu-Natal, taking in the battlefields of Isandlwana and Rorke’s Drift during two nights at Fugitive’s Drift Lodge.
The tour also includes time in the Drakensburg Mountains and a few nights at a beach resort and costs from £3,745 in November, including flights with British Airways, accommodation with most meals, car hire for 11 days and activities.
- Battlefields information from South Africa Tourism
Wine tour
The Cape Winelands and garden route, South Africa
More than 3,000 grape varieties are grown in the Western Cape Winelands area around Stellenbosch, Paarl and Franschhoek. Route 62 leads from Cape Town in the west to Port Elizabeth in the east and takes drivers past vineyards where visitors can drop in and taste award-winning wines in stunning settings.
Many have visitor centres and restaurants in beautiful Dutch-style buildings and even offer accommodation. Route 62 continues along the Garden Route, one of the most picturesque roads in the world and an ideal self-drive.
Sample product: Thomson Tailormade has a seven-night Classic Garden Route and Winelands Self-Drive tour from £1,409 per person, including return flights to Cape Town from with KLM, two nights at Batavia Boutique Hotel in Stellenbosch, one night in Oudsthoorn, two nights in Knysna, two nights at Whalesong in Plettenberg, eight days’ Avis car hire and a flight from Port Elizabeth to Cape Town. Prices based on two sharing for travel in November.
- Wine route information from South Africa Tourism
Beach holiday
Pemba and the Quirimbas, Mozambique
The 1,562-mile Mozambique coast is washed by the warm waters of the Indian Ocean and dotted with clusters of pristine coral island.
The country is back on the tourist map after the long civil war ended in 1992 and air access is via South Africa or Kenya. A few days in one of the hotels on the coast or a private island resort makes a great post-safari wind-down – or a sun and sand holiday in its own right.
If they can tear themselves away from their sunloungers, the diving is superb and many hotels offer coastal dhow cruises and game fishing.
Sample product: Travel 2 offers seven nights at the four-star Pemba Beach Hotel and Spa, Pemba from £1,308 per person based on two people sharing and including breakfast and return economy flights with Etihad or LAM.
Adrenaline sports
The Victoria Falls, Zambia side
This wonder of the world is sure to inspire action, so suggest sporty holidaymakers spend a few days pushing body and mind with adventures on the Zambezi.
These include white-water rafting below the falls, in an area classified by the British Canoe Union as “extremely difficult, with long and violent rapids, steep gradients, big drops and pressure areas”, abseiling from the rock face, gorge swinging, microlighting or even bungee jumping from Victoria Falls Bridge.
The less active could take a helicopter flight or powerboat journey, or visit the Devil’s Armchair – a breathtaking sight.
Sample product: Virgin Holidays has seven nights’ bed-and-breakfast accommodation at the three-star Zambezi Sun from £1,448 per person based on two sharing, including return flights with Virgin Atlantic from Heathrow to Johannesburg, internal flights and transfers in November. The hotel offers activities in partnership with local operators.
- Adrenaline sports information from Zambia Tourism
Wildlife watching
The Sardine Run, South Africa
Every year between May and July, millions of sardines travel north from the cold southern oceans off the Cape of Good Hope to the warm waters of the Indian Ocean, hugging the coast of the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal as they go.
The shoals travel in sheets of up to nine miles long and 40 metres deep and are visible by satellite. Dolphins, birds, sharks, whales and game fish follow the sardines and the ensuing feeding frenzy makes this a spectacle on a par with the migration of the wildebeest.
Nearby hotels organize diving excursions and some can take guests up in a microlight to see the run from above.
Sample product: Carrier has five nights’ bed and breakfast at the five-star Zimbali Lodge from £1,200 per person, including return flights with South Africa Airways and private transfers.
- Visit our South Africa minisite to read agents’ fam trip diaries and post your own experiences
