1. World of Birds: This bird park, located in Hout Bay, is Africa’s largest and most diverse. With over 400 different species of birds and small animals, the entire family can enjoy a unique learning experience through bird and monkey sanctuaries. Some of the many birds you’ll see while on this exciting safari tour include cranes, eagles, ostriches, peafowls, and spoonbills—to name a very few.

Photo from Ratanga Junction website

2. Ratanga Junction:

For an exciting and fun-filled day, the Ratanga Junction amusement park is the place to head. With rides and attractions for all ages, everyone in the family is sure to find excitement. Some kids’ rides include Crocodile Swamps, Rats and Cats Bumper Cars, and the Safari Bus. For the older kids looking for an extreme adrenaline rush, The Cobra, The Slingshot, and the Crocodile Gorge will satisfy their craving for adventure. 

3. Middelvlei Wine Farm and Fairview Winery: Located in Stellenbosch, South Africa, adults can enjoy the delectable wines of Middelvlei Wine Farm while the children play with the farm’s animals. Fairview Winery, located in Paarl, is also home to a fantastic selection of fine wines and children attractions, such as the goat tower. 

Adult and young gabar goshawk

4. Spier Estate:

This is a hot-spot for the kids. The little ones can get their faces painted and have lunch as they watch African music performances. Before lunch, the family can enjoy the Eagle Encounters show, which features a variety of eagles and birds of prey, and provides an interactive experience for the kids. 

5. Joostenberg Bistro: This country-style restaurant is located in the rural planes of Stellenbosch and features delectable wines, hearty breakfasts, and sumptuous lunches. The bistro’s surrounding grounds welcome the kids to run and play as the adults wind down from a delicious meal.

6. Eaglevlei Winery: Enjoy exceptional wine tasting and fine dining at the Eaglevlei Winery in Stellenbosch as the kids play in the estate’s exciting jungle gym.

7. Boulders Beach: With calm, warm waters, Boulder Beach is the perfect place for the little ones to swim and enjoy an exciting day in the sun. When you’re in need of a lunch break, Penguin Point restaurant is perfect as it’s just around the corner and features a kids menu.

8. Imhoff farm village: Great for the entire family, the Imhoff farm village features horseback riding and camel riding. There’s also a snake park, petting zoo, charming shops, and delicious restaurants.

9. Victoria & Alfred Waterfront Harbour Cruises: Ideal for last minute decisions, Harbour Cruises do not need to be booked in advance as tickets can be bought on the spot. These cruises are a great way to soak in the surrounding area and learn about its historical heritage.

10. Kalkies: With a fantastic selection of fresh seafood and fish and chips, Kalkies restaurant has something to satisfy every palette. After a delicious meal, kids can enjoy walking through the working harbor to see seals, boats, and watch fisherman at work.

No one knows Cabernet Franc and Chenin Blanc quite like the Raats family. Their internationally-acclaimed wines have been reviewed by several prestigious critics, who would strongly agree that the Raats family is extremely talented when it comes to fine wine production.

Located in the Polkadraai Hills of South Stellenbosch, the Raats Family Wine farm has received much appraisal for its splendid wines. Raats Family Wines was featured in a March 2007 issue of the New York Times as creating the top rated South African Chenin Blanc. Raats’ 2004 Cabernet Blanc was rated as one of the top 12 international Cabernet Francs in Wine & Sprit’s February 2007 issue. And the list doesn’t stop there—Raats’ wines have been featured in over seven prestigious publications across the world.

What gives these wines so much body, flavor, and life? Careful analysis of soil, land elevation, vine age, and great attention to detail are just a few elements that helped the Raats family create such a spectacular variety of wines.

There are three types of wine the Raats family and farm owner, Bruwer Raats, makes: Raats Original Chenin Blanc, Raats Chenin Blanc, and Raat Cabernet Franc. Raats Family Wines offers a large plethora of vintage wines, as well as, their current wines.

Raats Family Wines include:

• Raats Original Chenin Blanc 2008: Boasting a delicious blend of fresh, vibrant flavors, this award-winning wine is one of Raats’ most prized creations. A savory fusion of crisp apple, pineapple, citrus, and ginger gives this wine its unique kick. The vines yielding the scrumptious grapes that make up the Chenin Blanc 2008 are grown in decomposed granite and Table Mountain sandstone soils. Raats suggests pairing this dry white wine with curry, spicy dishes, sushi, or oysters.

• Raats Chenin Blanc 2007: If you’re looking to taste a critically-acclaimed wine with hints of sweetness and scrumptious flavors, Raats Chenin Blanc 2007can not be missed. One sip of the rich honeyed pear, butterscotch, citrusy, and spicy edged Raats Chenin Blanc 2007 will create a blissful frenzy in your mouth. This wine is created from three particular vineyards in Stellenbosch. Grown in decomposed granite and Table Mountain sandstone, this wine offers a firm minerality bite. Some of Raats’ food pairing suggestions include duck l’orange, oysters, and game fish.

• Raats Cabernet Franc: Arguably South Africa’s finest Cabernet Franc, this elegant wine lives up to its award-winning reputation. The carefully crafted blend of blackberry, black cherry, plum, tobacco, cinnamon, spice, and a hint of dark chocolate create a delightful frenzy on the palette. Grown in decomposed granite soil, this red wooded wine is best paired with succulent, rich meat dishes. Raats suggests the best foods to pair with this bold flavored wine are beef fillet with peppercorn sauce, game bird with red wine sauce, and venison dishes.

Interested in experiencing what the Raat wine frenzy is all about? Take a trip to Cape Winelands and stop by the Raats Family Wines’ tasting room for an out-of-this-world experience. Explore the rich flavors of the Raats’ internationally-renowned wines and speak with the wine maker himself, Bruwer Raats. Let Hills of Africa Travel create a personalized itinerary for you, tailored around your every preference. We make appointments at prestigious wine estates for our clients and ensure their experience goes above and beyond what they could have ever dreamed. Contact us today at (877) 845-4802.  We’re looking forward to making your dreams come true . . .

Cape Winelands is wine lovers paradise. Exploding with the scent of plump grapes and fertile earth, this unique region produces some of the world’s greatest wines on family owned vineyards.

If the sight of dramatic mountains and sprawling valleys and vineyards isn’t enough to have your mouth watering, the wine, brandies, and olive oil tastings will certainly do the trick.

On a Cape Winelands tour with Hills of Africa Travel, expect  . . .

• Personal tours given by expert guide, Pam McOnie of Cape Fusion Tours. Pam is a spectacular tour guide, equipped with an infinite knowledge of Cape Winelands and is a treat to anyone’s itinerary. With an obvious passion for food, wine, and Cape Winelands, Pam ensures her tours are culinary affairs, which are often the highlight of our clients’ itineraries.

• VIP access to some of the Winelands’ most prestigious estates including: Rust en Vrede, Bruwer Raats, Le Riche, Thelema, De Torin, and many others. The De Torin estate—open by appointment only—is a rare treat, which Hills of Africa Travel guests are able to enjoy. Visitors on their African safari trip are able to meet De Toren’s winemaker and enjoy a private tour and tasting. De Toren is no ordinary winemaking estate. They use the traditional way of making wine—using basket presses instead of pumping the wine.

• An invite to the Morgenster estate to enjoy world-renowned olive oil and wine tasting. The estate is one of the best examples of Cape Dutch Architecture in Cape Winelands, and it is a delightful treat to observe such a spectacular work of art.

• A gourmet feast at a picnic in Vergelegen’s Forest. The land owners spread white cloth decorated tables throughout the forest and serve a mouth-watering lunch to guests as they soak in the peaceful serenity of nature.

• Tailored services around your every individual preference. For example, if you fall in love with a delicious wine you tasted at dinner in Cape Winelands, you can expect Pam to book an appointment the very next day with the winemaker of that particular wine. Interested in visiting the top Cabernet Sauvignon producers in South Africa? We can make it happen. Whatever your desire, Hills of Africa Travel will accommodate.

Rejoice in the flowing wines of Cape Winelands while on an African honeymoon safari or family safari. Hills of Africa Travel strives to ensure each guest has a life-altering wine tasting trip, which is why all of our itineraries are crafted around your personal tastes and preferences. Contact us today at (877) 845-4802.  We’re looking forward to making your dreams come true . . .