LION SANDS
Town’s young neighborhood, and to
Super Fisheries. That’s the home of the
gatsby, a sandwich with baloney, French
fries and atchar (a spicy condiment
with roots in South Africa’s Indian
cuisine); it’s Cape Town’s favorite late-night street food.
Another must-stop is Torino
Chocolate. This place is almost hidden
on Kloof Nek Road, just past Rafiki’s
(a nearby restaurant and bar), but well
worth the visit. It stocks over 100 artisan
truffles and creams, all made on-site.
From Cape Town, it’s a short trip to
the Winelands and, in particular, one of
my favorite destinations, Franschhoek.
The Cape Winelands region takes justifi-
able pride in being the culinary capital of
South Africa, with a number of excellent
restaurants. Le Quartier Français ranks
as one of my favorite restaurants in
the world. My advice: Come hungry.
And—most importantly—while you
can always order off the menu, my advice
is to opt for the tasting menu and be
amazed. La Petite Ferme is also excellent.
In addition to amazing dining, this
restaurant offers one of the best views
over the Franschhoek Valley.
And then there’s the safari itself.
Touring a game reserve in an open safari
vehicle gives you the chance to see the big
five—elephants, leopards, lions, buffalos
and rhinos—as well as many other animal
species, including giraffes, hippos and
zebras. On game drives, you are accompanied by highly skilled game rangers,
who provide interesting information and
anecdotes about the inhabitants of the
bush. There are typically morning and
afternoon/evening drives, so you get a
chance to see not only the creatures of
the day, but the completely different
nocturnal species.
These days, safaris are anything but
African safari excursions typically
result in up-close encounters with
wildlife. Below: Cape Winelands
region is considered the culinary
capital of South Africa.
Signature safari
In addition to several
regularly offered Afri-
can safari excursions,
Costco Travel has put
together a Kirkland
Signature™ “Once In a
Lifetime” African safari
adventure.
Designed exclu-
sively for Costco
Travel, this package
begins in Cape Town
for dinner with Christo
Brand, a close friend of
Nelson Mandela, and
a Cape Malay Cooking
Experience with local
celebrity chef Cass
Abrahams, and a full-
day Cape Winelands
Tour. Then you are off
on safari to the Lion
Sands Game Reserve.
During your stay you
will have a Soul of
Africa massage and a
Treehouse Experience
that includes one night
in an open luxury
treehouse under the
stars. You’ll end your
vacation at the majes-
tic Victoria Falls, where
you’ll take a guided
walking tour of the falls
and a river cruise on
the Zambezi River.
—T. Foster Jones
COSTCO CONNECTION
Costco Travel offers safari trips, cruises,
vacation packages, rental cars and
hotel-only options for destinations in
the United States and around the world.
To learn more, click “Travel” at Costco.
com or call 1-877-849-2730.
rough and rugged. Elegant accommodations such as lodges, treehouses and
opulent tents provide privacy, luxury
and safety.
After the safari, another highlight
of a visit to southern Africa is Victoria
Falls, a UNESCO World Heritage site,
whose mist can be seen from more than
20 miles away. Fly to Zimbabwe and
cap your experience by dining at the
MaKuwa-Kuwa Restaurant, which
has a prime view over a watering hole
where elephants, impala and warthogs
regularly hang out. Timing is, of course,
everything. Plan your arrival around
sunset, to watch the animals’ procession
to its banks.
SOUTH AFRICAN TOURISM
