Depart London Heathrow on South African Airways for Cape Town.

Culinary Experience: Canapes & Wine-tasting

On arrival at Cape Town International Airport you will be met and transferred to the elegant Georgian-style boutique hotel of Cape Cadogan. In the early evening ride the cable-car to the top of Table Mountain and drink a champagne toast as the sun sets. We return to the Cape Cadogan for an informal canapé dinner and an introduction to some of Cape Town’s great wines.

Culinary Experiences: Cape Malay cooking demo & Caveau wine bar

In the morning, join Cass Abrahams, the doyen of Cape Malay cuisine, for a cooking demo and then feast on the spoils.

Afternoon at leisure.
(Leisure options avaliable please ask The Independent Traveller for a quotation)

The swank, convivial Caveau wine bar in the heart of the city, has won international awards for its witty, exceptionally comprehensive wine list offering a plethora of South African wines by the glass or bottle. Tonight we will test your senses with a presentation on food and wine pairing.

Culinary Experiences: Kalk Bay fishing community

Today we head out to Cape Point to enjoy the amazing and breathtaking views across the Atlantic and Indian oceans. We will stop at Kalk Bay, with its narrow cobbled streets, antique shops and picturesque harbour.

Kalk Bay is home to a unique fishing community who make their living from the ocean using antiquated, yet dependable hand-line methods. Here, the fishermen`s wives will prepare a wonderfully rustic lunch with the "catch of the day" whilst regaling us with stories of their ancestry.

Dinner at leisure.

Culinary Experiences: Lunch in the township, dinner at Buitenverwachting

Continue acquainting yourself with the “rainbow nation” as you visit two diverse communities. Encounter the remarkable warmth, and energy of the township communities of Langa and Kayelitsha. Stop for lunch at Mamma Violet’s for mutton curry and homemade chakalaka and meet members of the community as they drop by on their daily social circuit.

Afternoon at leisure.
(Leisure options avaliable please ask The Independent Traveller for a quotation)

Dinner tonight is a lavish affair at Buitenverwachting, a restaurant consistently rated as one of the Cape’s finest.

Culinary Experiences: Wine Tasting & Dinner with the winemaker

Travel to the charming French Huguenot village of Franschhoek nestled in a valley of vineyards and orchards, widely known to be the gourmet capital of South Africa.

Today’s tastings include an innovative chocolate and wine pairing at Waterford, a wine and cheese tasting at Fairview, and an introduction to Method Cap Classique (South African Champagne) at Haute Cabriere.

Lunch will be at La Petite Ferme with sensational views of the Franschhoek Valley.

A superb dinner with your hosts, perfectly paired with excellent wines, it will be a treat as they share their passion for winemaking.

Culinary Experiences: Bread making demo, an African feast

This morning, internationally acclaimed head chef of the outstanding local restaurant, Bread & Wine, will impart creative bread-making techniques and offer the opportunity to try your hand at foccacia, ciabatta and sour dough breads.

Afternoon at leisure exploring Franschhoek.

Dinner at Moyo, Spier, is an extraordinary experience. The striking décor and extensive buffet reflect the richness and diversity of Africa’s cultures - a veritable feast of ethnicity.

Culinary Experiences: Wine tasting on Route 62, dinner at Mimosa Lodge

Travel through the Klein Karoo valleys, stopping en route at local wineries and a leisurely lunch on the Breede River aboard Uncle Ben: a river raft departing from Viljoensdrift wine estate.

Arrive at Mimosa Lodge in the peaceful town of Montagu for a dinner with owner, chef and garagiste winemaker, Bernhard, whose lovingly tended garden boast more than 200 plant species, providing fresh homegrown produce for his menus.

Culinary Experiences: Traditional potjiekos

This morning, learn how to prepare a traditional potjiekos: a one-pot meal cooked in a three-legged cast iron pot filled with meat and vegetables, seasoned with spices, covered and left for the meat to tenderise.

A tractor trip will take you around the working protea farm with sensational views of the valley. Lunch is served after a brief pit stop at the renowned Arangieskop Hut, where muscadel and dried fruit will be served.

Afternoon at leisure.
(Leisure options avaliable please ask The Independent Traveller for a quotation)

Dinner at Fraai Uitzicht - attentive hosts Axel and Mario provide an enchanting fine dining experience in the heart of the Robertson Valley.

Culinary Experiences: Wine tasting in Hemel en Aarde Valley, dinner at Blue Gum

The picturesque Hemel-en-Aarde wine valley in Walker Bay is home to Hamilton Russell and Bouchard Finlayson, world-famous producers of cool climate wines.

We stop for lunch at Mariana’s. Mariana is an undisputed goddess in the kitchen who is passionate about organic produce, and we will enjoy an imaginative and very tasty lunch before heading for Stanford.

Blue Gum Country Estate is an ideal destination for food lovers and your hosts Nic and Nicole Duper prepare delectable meals based on classic homemade sauces and stocks, incorporating the freshest regional ingredients. After dinner guests convene around the fire for a nightcap.

Culinary Experiences: Braai (Barbeque)

After breakfast, a trip to the Grootbos Nature Reserve in Gansbaai will unveil the myriad of fynbos species inhabiting the reserve. Lunch at Red Indigo offers stunning views over the reserve and the ocean in the distance. A coastal excursion follows with a visit to the Klipgat cave and a stroll on the expansive white beach of Gansbaai.

Alternative Option: The intrepid can instead opt for a day at sea, shark cage diving in Gansbaai – domain of the great white shark.

A casual braai at Blue Gum is a fitting finale to your tour: this is a quintessentially South African method of cooking boerewors, sosaties, lamb chops, porkies (pork sausages) and mielies (corn cobs) on a grid over an open fire with potato salad, mixed greens and warm buttered rolls on the tables; one's glass is never empty; and over-indulgence is inevitable!

Return to Cape Town via the scenic coastal route, exploring the Harold Porter Botanical Gardens and the resident penguins before going through the quaint villages of Pringle Bay and Kleinmond. After a lunch stop we continue onto Cape Town for your overnight flight back to London on South African Airways.

Return to London.