Reasons to Embrace Winter in South Africa

Whale Watching

REASONS TO EMBRACE WINTER

1. Whale Watching
   Whale Season starts mid-June (and con­tin­ues till November) and offers loc­als and for­eign­ers alike an oppor­tun­ity to mar­vel at the size of the Southern Right Whales. Consider the 5-day Whale Trail in the De Hoop Nature Reserve or for a day trip drive up the Cape Whale Coast.
2. Namaqualand Flower Route
   Spring wild flowers start bloom­ing from July to October. This spec­tacle can be enjoyed along the west coast of South Africa (in the Northern Cape and north of Cape Town).
3. The Sardine Run
   The Sardine Run takes place between May and July each year, along the coast of north­ern Eastern Cape and south­ern KwaZulu Natal. Millions of sardines and all of the pred­at­ors they attract (sharks, birds, game fish, etc). Surface watch­ing, snorkel­ing and scuba diving.
4. Numerous Winter Events and Festivals
5. Discounted accom­mod­a­tion – week­end breaks for less!

SOME ACTIVITIES ARE BETTER IN WINTER

1. A trip to Seal Island offers a spe­cial spec­tacle in Winter. Great White Sharks are more act­ive in Winter and you can view them hunt­ing from the safety of the sur­face. For adren­alin junkies, get a little closer – Shark Cage Diving in Gansbaai or Mossel Bay.
2. Hiking on a sunny winter’s day is exquis­ite and you don’t have to be up at the crack of dawn to avoid the mid-day sun which can make the most beau­ti­ful of Hiking Trails seem tedi­ous. Take a warm jumper and make sure you have a cell phone and emer­gency num­bers at hand (just in case the weather comes in). Also remem­ber water – dehyd­ra­tion is dan­ger­ous any time of year.
3. White water raft­ing is more enjoy­able (read: bear­able) dur­ing the cooler winter months. In the Cape the rivers are less dry which means more excite­ment on the rapids.
4. Winter is dry sea­son in most of the coun­try which makes for excel­lent game view­ing. Animals con­verge on water­holes and there are no tall grasses for anim­als to hide in. Days are warm, but not unbear­able, so hip­pos don’t sub­merge them­selves to escape the heat of the day (you’ll be more com­fort­able too – but a warn­ing, nights are frosty, so go pre­pared). Find game reserves close to home and spoil your­self for a weekend.
5. Enjoy our beaches without the crowds! At Cape Town beaches, swim­ming may not be the best idea (though I have seen some try) but our long expanses of white sandy beach in Cape Town offer a dif­fer­ent appeal in Winter. After being indoors for a few days, what bet­ter way to clear your head than by breath­ing in the crisp ocean air. KwaZulu Natal beaches boast much warmer waters, so take a dip.
6. The Protea Garden at Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden is most mag­ni­fi­cent in Winter when the pro­teas, con­eb­ushes and ser­rurias are in flower.

Build a snow­man in Ceres

SOME THINGS TO DO WHEN THE WEATHER REALLY IS AWFUL

1. Build a snow-man in Ceres (check the weather fore­cast before you travel).
2. Watch the waves crash against the prom­en­ade in Mouille Point and Sea Point. We’d recom­mend get­ting cosy with a hot chocol­ate at a beach­front café.
3. Celebrate the cold … go ski­ing in South Africa at Tiffindel Ski Resort (Eastern Cape)
4. Book into a health spa for a day of indoor pam­per­ing. Think sauna and heated swim­ming pool!
5. Enjoy a game of rugby at a sports bar / pub. Go Bokke!
6. Tapas and Sushi give way to com­fort food! Try a tra­di­tional Bobotie in the Cape, an Indian curry in Durban or a steak in one of our spec­tac­u­lar res­taur­ants, while you sip on one of South Africa's renowned reds. Roaring fire at some ven­ues, a bonus.
7. If all else fails … start plan­ning your Summer hol­i­day. Go to www.SA-Venues.com

We’re based in Cape Town, so we’d like to invite loc­als in other towns around the coun­try to sug­gest their favour­ite Winter past-time. Please leave your com­ment below for all to enjoy.