An SA trip including De Hoop Collection

An SA trip including De Hoop Collection (from a traveller's perspective)

As someone who loves diving headfirst into new places, this day in the Western Cape ranks right up there as one of my all-time favorites. I started early, heading out from Cape Town for about three and a half hours to a hidden gem called De Hoop Nature Reserve (I think the guide referred to it as "The Hope" in that charming local way). It's a stunning nature and marine protected area, and I’d booked a mini safari and boat tour - exactly the kind of mix of land and sea that gets my wanderlust going.

Safari Magic on Land: Zebras, Eland, and Cheeky Baboons

The moment we rolled in, the wildlife greeted us like old friends. Cape mountain zebras - unique to this region - grazed peacefully alongside massive eland and colorful bontebok (those "buntbock" as I’d say in German). But honestly, the real stars for me were the chacma baboons. These clever creatures roam the reserve in troops, and watching the little ones clinging to their moms' bellies for milk was adorable beyond words.

Our guide shared some eye-opening facts: baboons spend most of their time on the ground (unlike tree-loving monkeys), and they're frighteningly smart. He joked that the smartest baboon outsmarts the dumbest human - and after hearing how they’ve mastered breaking into houses (and even teach their kids the tricks), turning it into a full-on family "business," I believe it. Sugar in the windows? Guilty as charged, apparently. We laughed about how they raid hotels too - no wonder locals stay vigilant!

We wrapped up the land portion with some speedy ostriches strutting across our path like they owned the place. These birds hit 65 km/h and have zero regard for right-of-way rules - pure chaos and comedy in motion.

Relaxing on the Water with Unexpected Surprises

After the safari, we switched to water mode with a super chilled boat tour led by a guy named Dill (highly recommend booking him if you go!). It was the ultimate "relax boat" experience - him casually dropping life wisdom like "Survive in life: eat, sleep, and breed." Simple, but spot on.

Then, out of nowhere on the shore, something massive appeared that looked completely out of place: a dassie (rock hyrax). Dill called it the elephant's closest cousin - tiny, fluffy, and somehow related to the biggest land mammal on Earth. Mind blown. We all cracked up at the absurdity.

If you're planning a similar day, head to De Hoop and insist on Dill as your guide. The link to book is usually in travel vlogs or sites - worth every second for that perfect mix of relaxation and wonder.

Adrenaline Rush: Ziplining Through the Hottentots Holland Mountains

On the drive back toward Cape Town, I couldn't resist one of the most epic ziplines in South Africa: the Cape Canopy Tour in the Hottentots Holland Nature Reserve. After my ziplining adventures in Madeira, I thought I was ready - but this was next-level.

We started with a bumpy 4x4 Jeep ride up into the mountains (hello, African massage via rocky roads), then a short hike to the first platform. The setup includes hand brakes for control (though my group mostly ignored slowing down for maximum thrill), and the lines get seriously long - up to 330 meters, with one reaching heights comparable to Victoria Falls.

The views? Unbelievable: soaring over gorges, waterfalls, and fynbos-covered slopes in a UNESCO World Heritage site. The guides were hilarious too, cracking jokes the whole time and keeping the energy high. After the final slide, we hiked about a kilometer through the Cape Floral Region - pure magic.

If adrenaline and nature are your thing, this is a must. Check their site or booking links - totally worth the drive.

Wine Heaven in Franschhoek Valley

The day ended on a delicious high note in Franschhoek Valley. We hopped on the iconic Franschhoek Wine Tram - a hop-on, hop-off tram and bus system that cruises between estates without any driving stress. Perfect for someone like me who knows white from red but isn't exactly a sommelier.

We kicked off at Leopard's Leap - beautiful vineyards right behind the tasting area, wines known for being approachable and modern. Great entry-level picks if you're new to South African wines.

Next up: Chamonix, perched higher up for unique aromas. Their reds had bold berry notes with a spicy kick - definitely my favorite. (And yes, the cheese talk got me excited; nothing beats good Swiss-style, even in wine country.)

We wrapped at Rickety Bridge, a historic spot founded in 1797, famous for premium reds like their Cabernet Sauvignon. The place invites you to linger - snacks, great vibes, and we even met a spontaneous German couple who joined our group. Good people make good memories.

Even if wine isn't your expertise, the tram experience is unbeatable for the scenery, the relaxed pace, and the chance encounters. Highly recommend - no prior knowledge required, just an open mind (and stomach).

Final Thoughts

From baboon antics and dassie surprises to heart-pounding ziplines and vineyard bliss, this day captured everything I love about travel: wildlife, adventure, laughs, and incredible food and drink. The Western Cape keeps delivering surprises.

If any of this sounds like your kind of adventure, start planning a trip to De Hoop, Cape Canopy Tour, and the Franschhoek Wine Tram are easy to find online.

Have you explored this part of South Africa? Drop your tips in the comments - I'd love to hear!

Safe travels!

This is the subtitles to the video:

Traveling with Edelweiss, today I'm taking you to South Africa [music] into an animal world both on land and water, in a legendary dream through a valley full of juicy temptations and further into an adventure between the mighty Hottentots Holland mountains - and how I ended up here, that's in this video.

[music]

So my friends, we've arrived three and a half hours outside of Cape Town at The Hope. This is a nature and marine reserve, and here we've actually booked a little safari.

And after just a few meters, the reserve shows what all lives here. Cape mountain zebras are only found in this region, plus impressive eland and a colorful buck - in German, a bontebok.

[music] The bontebok casually strolls across the plain, but what fascinated me the most were the baboons living here in the nature reserve.

[music]

In South Africa only one species of baboon: the chacma baboon.

Chacma baboon. Chacma baboon. [music]

So sweet on the back.

When baby baboons are even smaller, by the way, they hang on the belly to be closer to the milk source.

Monkey a monkey usually spends most of time [music] inside of trees and baboons most time on the ground. And they also break in in our hotels, right? Yes. So they become so skillful that they've been taking out windows into the house. No way. They so smart. They are extremely clever. The smartest baboon is smarter than the dumbest human.

What is the reason that they break into the houses? Sugar the window sugar. Ja.

And hey, once baboons learn how to break in, they even pass it on to the kids. So basically a criminal family business. Haha.

At the end, these wonderfully funny birds crossed our path: ostriches, who by the way also break sprint records.

Running 65 km/h.

The ostriches aren't just fast, but also pretty ruthless.

We have right of way. You can't just, hey, you can't just cross the road like that.

After the tour, we switched to the water. Dill took us on a really relaxed boat tour.

Relax boat. Relax boat. You can drive everything, right? I do everything. The only thing that I still need to get is my pilot license. Pilot. Okay. Love to fly one day.

A mix of a bird and a duck. What's wrong with that guy?

The boat trip was super relaxed, and Dill casually threw a few life wisdoms at us.

Survive in life, eat, sleep, and breed. Yeah. Eat, sleep and breed.

And suddenly something moves at the shore that somehow doesn't seem to fit in here at all.

So, look. Oh, hey, that's a dy - people calling it but that's the cousin of the elephant. Elephant. What you talking about?

[laughter]

And people, if you want to experience exactly such a day, then you have to come here to The Hope and absolutely book Deal (Dill). He has to be your guide. Just check the link in the bio and then you'll have exactly such a beautiful day too.

Next stop: Cape Canopy Tour [music]. On the way back to Cape Town, we of course had to do one of the craziest ziplines in all of South Africa.

[laughter]

This zipline starts high up in the Hottentots Holland mountains. This mountain range reaches up to about 1590 meters in altitude.

highest point actually high actually the same Victoria for almost 120x

I'm actually already an advanced zipliner after Madeira, but what awaits us here today, I think this will be high-end.

[laughter]

The trip starts with a 4x4 Jeep ride up into the mountains. Bumpy, rocky, and with every meter more views and adrenaline. Oh hey, the guys weren't exaggerating. The ride really massages you through. That was the call. The African massage.

After the Jeep ride, there's a short walk on foot. The moment when you realize: now it's really about to start.

Yes, this will be our first zipline. Start button now.

[laughter]

The hand brakes are there so you have to - well, in front you're secure and in back you have to stabilize a bit. You sometimes have to take a bit of speed off, which we absolutely won't do.

Conne Ferrari backup backup. back

[music]

Man like a... Alr, how's it going good

Building during ziplining with the guys, you don't just get the adrenaline. With their cheeky lines, you're constantly laughing.

Alr people, this is the highest point, as high as the Victoria Falls. Okay, let's go. Can I go? Alr

[music]

Wow, look at that. Wow, that was the highest point. How many times have you done this before? I can't. Yo, man. So, I've been doing it for nine years. Most of the time we do it twice a day. But yeah, you do the M.

Last round and also the longest stretch: 330 m and you ride for about half a minute.

Last stretch: Ar klingt noch beye bye. ist aber actually halt dich fest.

Now we can Ach, bro. Yes. Wu.

[music]

A

[music]

[music]

ja. Ja. H we go.

That was the last time. Ach, that was a shame.

[laughter]

At the end there's still a kilometer hike. Once right through the Cape Floral Region, a real UNESCO World Heritage site. Reminds me a bit of the old - first sled down [music] and then a cool hike ahead.

Yumy [laughter] was pretty cool. So lucky that we - that was insanely awesome.

And if you want to experience that too, definitely check the link in the bio.

Last stop today: Franschhoek Valley. We get into the tour bus and cruise comfortably from winery to winery without having to drive ourselves.

[music]

We start with Leopard's Leap. Back here are the wine grapes. So if you guzzle/enjoy the wine, you know exactly where they come from. Everything back here. Here they get picked.

Cape Town's wines live from sun, sea air, and incredibly fertile soils.

So, I need wine now. Bring me wine. If I were a real wine connoisseur, I could now drop impressive defects about this wine. I know when one is white and when one is red, but hey, what isn't yet can still become, or we don't make such a fuss.

The wines from Leopard's Leap are especially known for being accessible and modern. And that's exactly why they belong here among the most popular entry-level wines in Franschhoek Valley.

We'll take that one.

We have to move on now. We have to get to the next destination. We can't lose time.

The next stop is significantly higher than most wineries here and is supposed to have its very own aroma profile because of that. Stop number 2: Chamonix. Cheese now we talking.

Yes, that's now something I can talk about.

So nothing comes close to Swiss cheese. Yeah, we're here for the wine, right?

Was a good swing, right? I can... is not so my...

The Chamonix red wines are said - according to one online wine expert - to have strong berry aromas and a pleasant spicy note. Oh wow. Nah, that's mine.

Now we were just in France in Chamonix. Now back in the bus and then back onto the tram, where we haven't been yet. In the tram. What kind of in tram?

In the tram, the tram, especially what for the tram. Now it's onto the tram.

The Franschhoek Tram runs on one of the oldest narrow-gauge tracks in South Africa. Today converted for a hop-on hop-off tour through the entire wine valley.

[music]

Here it's even equipped with a cup and I of course hope that the first wine is already being tasted in here.

On the way to the winery Rickety Bridge we even met a German couple who spontaneously joined us.

Rickety Bridge is a real piece of wine history. Founded 1797 right in Franschhoek Valley and known for its premium red wine, the Bridge Cabernet Sauvignon.

A great wine here. You stay sitting longer than you actually wanted. And on top of that you can snack wonderfully.

So my friends, we've had three destinations behind us. I think this is exactly the perfect moment to call it a day. I think it's better.

But if you're up for it too, even if you have absolutely no clue about wine, then you should definitely try it out - especially to meet good people like those over there.

[laughter]

And now we're driving back to the terminal and back to Cape Town.

In the next video, come with me on a downhill mountain bike tour. A little knight at the beach and then high up above the clouds of Cape Town. If you don't want to miss that, subscribe to our channel now and bye.