The nearest safari park to see the big five (also malaria-free) is Fairy Glen, one hour from Cape Town. Despite its rather limp name delivers the requisite lions, elephants, rhinos, buffalos and leopards. Other species include giraffe, zebra and an assortment of bucks. All animals are free roaming except for the lions, which are kept in a separate area of the reserve.
The Boland
The Boland reveals a world of dramatic mountain ranges, crystal clear rivers, beautiful valleys, the winelands and some delightfully quaint old towns.
Constantia Wine Route
A scenic drive of less than an hour brings you to the Cape’s abundant winelands, with a choice of more than a dozen wine routes each taking in a selection of different estates. Constantia Wine Route is one of the closest, with Constantia Valley dominated by top estates such as Groot Constantia, Klein Constantia, Buitenverwachting, Constantia Uitsig and Steenberg.
Cape Point
Part of the Cape Peninsula National Park, Cape Point is an 8000-hectare (19,770-acre) narrow promontory of land jutting into a stretch of open sea popularly believed to be the meeting point of the Atlantic and Indian oceans. That's incorrect, as they actually meet at Cape L'Agulhas to the east.
Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens
These a magnificent sprawling gardens boast 5,000 indigenous plant species, justifying its rating as one of the top botanical gardens in the world. Beautiful formal gardens are dotted with African sculptures, while other areas include a forest trail for the blind, a protea garden, water-wise garden, a useful plants garden and a fragrance garden.