SOUTH AFRICA: Flower desert and whales

This special 14-days trip to South Africa allows you to witness two spectacular natural events: the flowering of the desert and the passage of whales.

The period to make this trip goes from mid-August to mid-September, a period that coincides with the peak of flowering; while whales can be sighted in the months from August to October.

The coast North of Cape Town in this period gives the emotion of seeing the blooming desert, the perfect parks to admire this spectacle of nature are the West Coast National Park and the Namaqua National Park.

Every year the whales go back from Antarctica and go back along the coasts of South Africa, both from the Atlantic and from the Indian side; many of these cetaceans stop in the Bay located in front of the town of Hermanus, Walker Bay, to give birth to the puppies and to treat them during the first weeks of life; they prefer this bay for the warmer water sheltered from the currents.

During this trip to Western South Africa you will have the opportunity to also visit Cape Town and the Cape Peninsula, with its splendid beaches, breathtaking views, the Cape of Good Hope and Table Mountain, and the wine area of ​​Stellenbosch and Franschhoek.

You will also have the opportunity to reach the Southernmost point of the African continent: Cape Agulhas where, from a geographical point of view, the Indian Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean meet; finally, you will venture into a spectacular photographic safari at Addo Elephant National Park.

Visit to Cape Town and the Cape Paninsula

Cape Town is a beautiful city with an incredible and cosmopolitan atmosphere, nestled between the ocean and Table Mountain.

The climb to Table Mountain with the cable car is spectacular, the view from the top of the mountain embraces the whole city and Table Bay, that houses the famous Robben Island, the prison island where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for many years.

From Cape Town along Chapman’s Peak, one of the most scenic roads of the entire African continent, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean and set in the rock, it runs between curves, cliffs and beaches, you reach the Cape of Good Hope and Cape Point, the point where the waters of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans meet.

From the lighthouse, located on the top of the cape, you have a beautiful view of the coasts, the rocks that plunge into the water and the rough waters of the ocean; Bartolomeu Dias, when he doubled the Cape, named it Cape of Storms because of its troubled waters and the not always mild climate.

Some of the most beautiful beaches are located a few kilometers from the center of Cape Town such as the fabulous beaches of Camps Bay or Clifton Beach, Fishhoek Beach or Boulders Beach, where one of the African penguin colonies that can be seen in South Africa is located.

Visit to Stellenboch and Franschhoek wine areas

The romantic wine valleys of Stellenbosch and Franschhoek are a destination not to be missed, in this beautiful landscape you can visit numerous wineries, taste and buy their wines and have lunch in the restaurants among the vineyards.

Many wineries are beautiful Cape Dutch-style buildings, surrounded by large vineyards that create a suggestive atmosphere.

Visit to the Namaqua National Park and the West Coast National Park

The Namaqua National Park and the West Coast National Park are two scenically very beautiful parks, they are located in a semi-desert area called Succulent Karoo and protect an area of enormous biodiversity and pristine stretches of coast.

The main attraction of the parks is represented by the spectacular spring flowering that transforms the semi-arid landscape into a multicolored expanse.

The Namaqua National Park protects the area with the greatest concentration of succulent plants in the world while the West Coast National Park protects a lagoon habitat to numerous bird species, a stretch of the Atlantic coast and the areas affected by seasonal flowering.

In both parks there are no predators but only antelopes, zebras and other herbivores, this allows you to turn the parks, as well as by car, even by bicycle, you can also take different paths on foot, offering breathtaking views.

Visit to Hermanus and Cape Agulhas

The town of Hermanus, overlooking Walker Bay, is one of the most famous locations for whale watching on the African continent.

Hermanus is probably the best place in the world to observe whales directly from the mainland; in fact, you can take the Cliff path, a walk that winds along the coast, from one end of the city to the other, to spot whales.

Cape Agulhas is the Southernmost end of the African continent, here, in addition to the plaque that marks the Southernmost point, there is a beautiful lighthouse and several paths to do by car or on foot.

Safari at the Addo Elephant National Park

The Addo Elephant National Park was established to save the last Eastern Cape elephants in 1931; today it houses a large population of these huge mammals that are incredibly easy to spot.

A neighboring marine reserve has recently been added to the park and, thanks to this expansion, the park can now claim to host the Big 7 or the Big 5 on land: elephant, lion, leopard, rhino and buffalo, and the marine Big 2: whale and white shark.

Cape Town and the provinces of Western Cape and Eastern Cape enjoy a Mediterranean climate, with mild winters and hot, sunny summers.

Not to forget the camera and binoculars for safaris; as well as sunglasses and sunscreen.

This area is malaria free, so antimalarial prophylaxis is not necessary.

At Hermanus there is the possibility of going out by boat to get closer to the whales, in this case we recommend a windproof jacket and protections for the cameras, to prevent any splashes of water from causing malfunctioning.