January 2, 2024 • 23 mins
Get set for an exhilarating journey through South Africa's most awe-inspiring landscapes, as Andrei Von Ketz, director at Drive South Africa Car Rental Company, takes us on a virtual road trip.
We first cover the Cape Town area, from the haunting echoes of Nelson Mandela's imprisonment at Robben Island to the vibrant Victoria & Albert Waterfront, home to the largest museum of contemporary African art. We visit the colorful Bo-Kaap neighborhood, and the District Six Museum, a stark reminder of apartheid's brutal past. This journey culminates at the Cape of Good Hope, the junction of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans.
Then we focus on some of South Africa's best drives, including the renowned Garden Route and offbeat Route 62 through the Karoo region. Andrei, our steadfast guide, recounts his memorable family road trip during the COVID-19 pandemic. So tune in, get inspired, and gear up to hit the open road in South Africa!
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Andrei Von Ketz, lives in South Africa and is director at Drive South Africa Car Rental Company, and loves to hit the road.
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Podcast host Lea Lane has traveled to over 100 countries, and has written nine books, including the award-winning Places I Remember (Kirkus Reviews star rating, and 'one of the top 100 Indie books of the year). She has contributed to many guidebooks and has written thousands of travel articles.
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Our award-winning travel podcast, Places I Remember with Lea Lane, has produced over 100 travel episodes! New podcast episodes drop on the first Tuesday of the month, on Apple, Spotify, and wherever you listen. Check them out.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Lea Lane (00:00):
We'll be talking about Cape Town, but as South Africa
is one of the most beautifulcountries anywhere, with one of
the best road systems, we'llalso focus on traveling by car
the best way to experience therainbow nation.
With a good vehicle, a greatplaylist and stimulating company
, a South African excursionmakes for a wonderful vacation.
Our guest is Andrei Von Ketz,director at Drive South Africa
(00:24):
Car Rental Company.
Welcome, Andrei, to Places IRemember.
Andrei has rounded up some ofhis favorite South African
routes, beginning or ending inCape Town.
And before we talk about thatgreat city, can you tell me why
is South Africa especiallysuited for a driving trip?
Andrei Von Ketz (00:44):
Yes, South Africa has, as you mentioned, a
fantastic road network, reallygood quality highways connecting
the major hubs.
You can fly in to Cape Town inthe South, put Johannesburg in
the North.
You can get between the mainhubs relatively easily.
And geographically actually isthe gem of South Africa.
We're at the tip of a continent, two oceans either side.
(01:05):
On our east coast we've gotthese gigantic mountains, Zatara
, and in the west it's kind of asemi-desert area neighboring on
Namibia.
So it's the diversity of ourterrain, if I would have summed
it up in a sentence, that makesour country quite special.
Lea Lane (01:22):
I remember visiting there.
I thought you have everything.
Absolutely beautiful country.
Well, what sort of vehicle doyou recommend if you're going to
take a road trip in SouthAfrica?
Andrei Von Ketz (01:31):
It really depends where you're going.
But for the most part you canget around in a regular sedan or
SUV if you need a little bit ofextra luggage room or space to
move with your travelingcompanions or family.
And then there are a handful ofnational parks you go to or can
go to that require four by fourall-terrain vehicles.
Even those parks where you getto go off-road and get to go a
(01:53):
little bit rougher and tougherdo have gravel and tar roads
that you can see the wildlife,you can experience the majority
of that park wonders still onthe regular roads in a regular
car.
In fact there's plenty ofpeople that have been out there
on those little VW Beetle bugsand they go north to south Cape,
to Cairo, but of course we'retalking about South Africa today
.
So yeah, depends on where youwant to go.
Lea Lane (02:13):
Right, you do drive on the left side of the road.
I would say so.
People from the United Statesmight want to note that, but you
can get used to that.
Andrei Von Ketz (02:21):
Road signs are all in English.
English is the language spokenuniversally.
There are many other tongues.
In fact, South Africa, I think,has 11 official languages, but
sort of the common denominatoris English.
So yeah, I don't think there'sever much of a problem of
getting lost especially intoday's technical world with
Google Maps and whatnot.
So those fears can be laidquite easily.
Lea Lane (02:39):
What about food and accommodation along the way?
Andrei Von Ketz (02:42):
Of course you can expect hotels, the big
Marriotts, the Hilton, thebrands that you're familiar with
in the city centers.
Airbnb has grown tremendouslyin the last five to 10 years
here, so there's plenty of a tofind along the way.
Then, once you get into theparks, really the gems of South
Africa's national heritage,we've got a combination offering
(03:02):
that's very similar to the USnational park system.
I've traveled in Yellowstoneand a few other parks in the US
so it was quite nice to comparethe similarities and differences
.
In fact, driving throughYellowstone if anyone can relate
to that where you've got thebison right next to your vehicle
if you go walking at the righttime of year, you see the bears.
We have very similarexperiences here, very similar
combination types from modesthuts and camping we can pitch a
(03:26):
tent in certain areas due to thelodges with dining TV as a day,
all that kind of stuff.
So it's relatable for peoplewho have traveled and road trips
in the USA.
Lea Lane (03:36):
Do you suggest pre-booking?
I would think so, during busyperiods for sure, but in general
, if you can.
Andrei Von Ketz (03:42):
Yes, If you can spot where the South African
school holidays are, then youmust pre-book in the national
parks.
As soon as you're outside ofthose school holidays,
availability opens up.
Of course, last minute you maystruggle here and there, but
whether you can self-search thenational parks themselves,
they've got a great bookingsystem on their website.
A final, reliable operator thatcan help you, plan and guide
(04:02):
you on your trip, point you inthe right direction.
These are the things we adviseall of our guests that travel
with us.
Lea Lane (04:08):
Okay, so we put together a few of the most
special drives in South Africa,beginning or ending in Cape Town
.
But let's start with a briefdiscussion of what not to miss
in that great city, as you'lllikely spend some time there
before or after the road trip.
I'll just mention a few of theobvious wonderful.
There are so many wonderfulthings in Cape Town, but let's
start with Table Mountain.
It's known for its flat top,which resembles a tabletop.
(04:31):
Do you know why it's flat likethat?
Andrei Von Ketz (04:35):
I hope I don't butcher the history of this, but
it's a mountain which actuallygrew out, I think, three times
the size it is today.
Over time it actually haseroded down and there's a
granite layer or hardersedimentary layer that resisted
some of that erosion and createdthat flat top.
And then, of course, all therain and the wind and the
(04:56):
weather that happens here at theCape of Storms has weathered
the ravines and the beautifulforests and streams that run off
Table Mountain that I, as atrail runner, explore once,
twice a week.
So, it's an absolute treasurefor anyone living here or
visiting that loves the outdoors.
Lea Lane (05:12):
Well, you can take an aerial tram to the top, which I
did.
It's misty in certain parts.
It's very, very beautifullymisty and you see everything the
whole vista.
It's a very good way to start,I think, to see the overview of
Cape Town from Table Mountain.
So that would be one thing Iwould recommend.
How about Kirstenbosch Garden,which is at the foot of Table
Mountain?
Tell me about that.
Andrei Von Ketz (05:33):
Yes, another one of our favorites, and as a
family I've got two young girlswe are constantly in
Kirstenbosch doing small hikes,climbing the trees there, going
on the nature trails and beyond-- a beautiful, secluded,
well-maintained park.
It's actually a real hub ofnatural biodiversity.
The biodiversity institute'sright there, the national
(05:54):
biodiversity institute's there,and you can learn a lot about
our biome, which has gothundreds of species that are
nowhere else in the world.
Lea Lane (06:01):
Yes, I think it has five of South Africa's six
different biomes right there, soyou get a good overview of the
country.
How about Robben Island?
Andrei Von Ketz (06:10):
Yes, it's obviously a iconic location.
What it represented to SouthAfrica in many years gone by and
what it represents to us now isstill a big part of South
African society.
It's imperative that weremember and honor and
understand our past so that wecan make sure things are: A not
to misrepresent it; and B, welearn from our mistakes.
(06:32):
This is society, and RobbenIsland provides it insights to
that, but it's something to beexperienced, not just seen or
read about.
Lea Lane (06:41):
This is where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned.
You take a tour from theVictoria and Albert waterfront.
It's about three and a halfhours.
They take you over by boat andthen by bus.
You see the cell where he wasimprisoned and it's very moving.
Our guide had been imprisonedhimself during apartheid and
knew Mandela.
It was memorable and it wasmoving and I highly recommend
(07:04):
taking the three-hour tour.
You won't forget it.
I just want to mention thewaterfront there.
It's a wonderful area.
It's been redeveloped.
It has all kinds of galleriesand shops.
It also has the new ZeitzMuseum of Contemporary Art
Africa, which is the largestmuseum of contemporary art from
Africa anywhere.
I haven't visited it.
Can you tell me a little aboutit?
Andrei Von Ketz (07:25):
Yeah, it's, I think, only about three or four
years old.
It opened sort of justpre-COVID, constantly changing
the galleries there or theexhibitions there.
It's actually the latestaddition to this waterfront that
every three or four yearsthey're rolling out and
expanding and offering newinteractive spaces.
The waterfront is quite aspecial part of Cape Town.
It's kind of where everyoneinteracts with each other, the
(07:49):
tourists and locals alike.
You'll find some places whenyou travel around the world, but
if you go to the Eiffel Towerin Paris, I think you're mostly
going to see tourists there,right?
Not so much the Parisians.
The waterfront is not that --you get to mix, you get to blend
, you get to see each other andsee how.
That's part of the charm and,of course, this is just one of
the many jewels that thewaterfront has.
Lea Lane (08:11):
As far as neighborhoods, I love Bo-Kapp,
which is a neighborhood of verynarrow cobble streets lined with
colorful houses.
I read that the colors wereattributed to the fact that the
houses had to be white when theslaves were living there many
years ago.
So when they got their freedom,they painted them these
gorgeous neon colors.
So for Instagrammers, this isone of the great places in the
(08:33):
city and it represents freedom,because it's a beautiful example
of what can come out ofsomething that wasn't so good.
Andrei Von Ketz (08:40):
Yeah, 100%.
And it's beautifully close tothe city center where you could
be at one of the premierrestaurants and just in fact,
there are many great restaurantsin the Bo-Kaap.
It's wonderfully close, it's awonderfully rich experience to
some wonderful Malay food, alldifferent nationalities.
Lea Lane (08:56):
It's a great, great area to walk in.
One museum which I want tomention, because again it
represents the past and comingforward, is District Six Museum.
It was declared in 1966 a whitearea only and the community had
to leave.
60,000 people were forciblyremoved to an area called Cape
(09:16):
Flats and their houses weredestroyed.
So there's a museum there nowrepresenting what happened, and
I think that's very important tonote, that there's a way to
honor this the people who hadto go through this and to think
about the past.
I think it's very moving to seethat as well.
What do you think?
Andrei Von Ketz (09:33):
100%.
I was there a couple of yearsago and even as a T ownian
sometimes you don't do all thetouristy things in your own town
, but of course, once I've beenthere it just opened your eyes a
little bit wider.
And displays, like street signsthat people had taken with them
when they left, when they wereforced to be removed, they have
brought back and you see thesereal, tangible artifacts and
(09:56):
stories displayed there They'requite wonderfully.
Lea Lane (09:58):
Well, let's end with a Cape of Good Hope.
I know that's kind of a drive.
We're sort of edging towarddriving.
It's so close that you couldjust take a tour from Cape Town.
But tell me about the road thatgoes to the Cape of Good Hope.
Is it a rocky headland on theCape Peninsula?
What do you see there?
Andrei Von Ketz (10:14):
It's part of the massive sprawling national
park that is the Cape Peninsula.
It's, I think the peninsulaitself is about 60 to 70
kilometers north to south.
So if you're doing a round tripfrom the city center or from
the waterfront, where many ofthe hotels are, you're driving a
good without stopping, twohours to the Cape of Good Hope,
(10:35):
the Cape Point, and two hoursreturn, but of course you make a
full day round trip of it.
So you stop for lunch there.
You can stop at multiplebeaches.
You get to visit the PenguinColony on the False Bay side,
Boulder's Beach exactly, andwhen you're at the Cape Point or
into the Cape of Good Hope park, you get to the .
Some people say it's the mostsouthern tip of Africa, which is
(10:57):
technically incorrect.
It's the most southwest tip ofAfrica, but it is where the two
great oceans meet.
Lea Lane (11:03):
The Atlantic and the Indian.
Andrei Von Ketz (11:06):
Correct.
The Atlantic and Indian Oceameet and you can swim on one
side of the bay and feel thetemperatures of I don't know
what is it Fahrenheit, but let'scall it 15 degrees centigrade.
You swim the other side, itcould be 12 degrees centigrade
and you've just walked I don'tknow five, one or two, a mile or
so from one side beach to theother beach and the temperatures
(11:26):
are different because thecurrents are different, the sea
life is different, it's gotbeautiful walking trails.
It can be wild and rugged andstormy, but that's all the charm
of it.
And I think it was called theCape of Storms too by all the
sailors First navigated aroundAfrica from Europe to try and
make it to the East, and thereare literally dozens or even
(11:47):
hundreds of wrecks along thatcoastline.
They're all from part of thestory, and even the slaves and
the people that became part ofthe Cape culture.
That point is a part of thatwhole story.
Lea Lane (11:58):
Yeah, wonderful thing to do when you're in Cape Town.
So let's go a little furtherafield.
Let's start on a nature drivecalled the Garden Route between
Cape Town and Gebera.
Tell us about when's the besttime to go and what do we see?
Andrei Von Ketz (12:12):
Sure, I'll tell you about best time, and this
might sound like a fence sittingon it, but because of the
climates along that coast it'sin the Mediterranean band.
All year round is the best time.
It actually has statisticallythe lowest variance of
temperature, rainfall and all ofthose things throughout the
year, so it doesn't get terriblyhot in summer and it doesn't
(12:33):
get terribly cold in winter, soit really is a great all year
round route.
It's scattered with smallvillages and towns.
It's beautiful green forestsand ravines and rivers All the
way from Cape Town to Gebera, topronounce it a little bit more
accurately.
Lea Lane (12:51):
Thank you very much.
Andrei Von Ketz (12:52):
Previously known as Port Elizabeth.
It might be a more familiarterm to some people who've
traveled before.
And on the eastern extent, asyou get past Nizner, Plattenburg
Bay, which are beautifulseaside lagoon type holiday
destinations.
To the east of that, as youhead towards Port Elizabeth, we
start encountering some of thegame reserves and game lodges
(13:15):
where you can see Big Five.
You can see Africa's wildlifein the natural environment and
the beauty of those parks isthat it's outside of the malaria
zone.
So if anyone's traveling andworried about malaria and that
type of thing which is a concernin East Africa and other parts
of Southern Africa, it's areally nice family friendly
route.
I think last year, the yearbefore, just as we came out of
(13:36):
COVID, I took my family, werented a motor home and we spent
10 days up and down the coastround trip.
So you drive two or three hours, stay a night or two, drive
another two or three hours, staya night or two and then the one
way route back from PortElizabeth or Addo National Park,
where we stayed, is sort of a10 hour drive one way.
So you break it up nicely inone direction and then you bomb
(13:58):
the home off to it.
Family had a great time.
Lots of diversity, lots ofexploring.
Lea Lane (14:03):
That's terrific for families.
Yes, now what about?
Andrei Von Ketz (14:06):
the.
Lea Lane (14:06):
Wine lovers route.
You got Route 62, it's famous.
It's considered the longestwine route in the world 850
kilometers between Cape Town andPort Elizabeth, connecting the
eastern West coast.
There's so much to see and dobesides drinking wonderful wine.
I know if you want to stayclose to Cape Town.
I did go to some of the areasvery close in.
You know Stellenbosch and someof those which are absolutely
(14:28):
wonderful.
But you're taking us all theway through, seeing much more
when we take a drive.
So let's say Parle.
What would you see in Parle?
That's a famous wine town.
Andrei Von Ketz (14:39):
Yes.
So Parle, Stellenbosch,Franschuk are the three kind of
top wine areas, all relativelyclose to each other and it's
almost hard to say that Parle ishere and Stellenbosch is there.
They're actually all just afamily that mingle and you can
move from one and there's nohard line to say now I'm in
Parle, now I'm in Stellenbosch,or now I'm in Franschuk.
Parle does have some beautifulwine farms.
(15:00):
I was actually camping in theParle Mountains this weekend
with the family.
Beautiful, beautiful spot withrock pools and streams,
excellent wine farms all aroundus.
Lea Lane (15:09):
Very good.
Andrei Von Ketz (15:09):
Towering mountains.
Lea Lane (15:10):
I remember some interesting chocolate and all
kinds of different specialtiesof different nationalities --
lovely meals as well in thatarea.
Andrei Von Ketz (15:20):
Absolutely yeah , and some really top notch
chefs and restaurants that havepopped up over the years.
Lea Lane (15:25):
Well, what I like about the long wine route, which
could take you a couple ofweeks if you really want to do
it right.
You have so many things.
You have a desert oasis inRobertson.
Tell us about that.
Andrei Von Ketz (15:36):
Yeah, so Robertson again is another deep
valley with painting wine farmsand orchards and fruits.
Yeah, it's just such a fertile,beautiful part of the country.
They have a I don't know ofthat oasis per se, but myself I
haven't been there.
I should say I can't reallycomment on it.
But I know every year they'vegot a wonderful wine festival
called Robertson Wine Festival.
It's five or six days with themusic and wine tastings and
(15:59):
brandy tastings and good foodand it's just a little bit
further out of Cape Town.
So you know you choose thatdestination when you've got a
little bit more time on yourcalendar.
Lea Lane (16:09):
Well, it's semi-arid.
It isn't probably desert likeyou would think in the Sahara,
but it has this feel to it, andit also has river rafting, which
is a nice thing to do beforeyou drink some wine.
I think you'd better drink itafter.
Andrei Von Ketz (16:21):
Yeah, on the Brita River there's some
wonderful rapids and not sort ofextreme rapids, but yes, river
rafting is one of the manyactivities you can do.
Lea Lane (16:29):
Very pleasant, and then you have hot springs a
little further on in MontagueAgain, there's so many wonderful
different things besides thewine.
You have wonderful little towns.
They're called Karoo Dorpes Isthat the name for a small town?
Is that how I pronounce?
Andrei Von Ketz (16:45):
The area is called the Karoo, which is a
semi-arid area, and a Dorpe is atown for like a little village,
yeah, and the offer constantfor a small village.
Lea Lane (16:54):
There's a place in a town called Kalisdorp, called
Ronnie's sex shop, and it's verywell known.
Why is that?
Andrei Von Ketz (17:02):
Yeah, it kind of popped up, I don't know how
many years ago.
It's almost a place of legends,but you know it's perfectly
positioned for a road triplunchtime stop.
Some people claim you must havea beer and a burger there.
Lea Lane (17:14):
But it's not a sex shop.
Andrei Von Ketz (17:16):
But when you walk inside it's just got.
I'm not going to give too muchof the fun away, but it's got
lots of interesting regalia andparaphernalia on the walls for
you to enjoy and chuckle at.
Lea Lane (17:27):
Yeah, I read that it was a prank that the sign was
put up where it was really justa pub.
And they put the sign up and itsort of developed after years.
But it was kind of fun so Ireally love that idea.
You also have caves in the areaand mountain passes.
It's just a wonderful area tofind the whole terrain of South
Africa gain coming in from CapeTown.
(17:49):
Is it about two weeks?
Would cover the whole thing ifyou were taking your time.
Andrei Von Ketz (17:53):
Yeah, absolutely, and in a one way
direction, taking the time tostop everywhere 10 or 12 days
and it's basically, if you go toGarden T an which we spoke
about earlier, that follows thecoast from Cape Town eastwards
and if you wanted to do thereturn journey, it's likely
inland, just inland of themountain range and through that
more arid Karoo Dorphees and soforth.
(18:15):
So you could attend 12 days inone direction and 10, 12 days
coming on inland and you've donea beautiful week that really
exposes you to all of sort ofthe southern parts of our
country.
Lea Lane (18:27):
That's beautiful.
Well, we have to mention thecoastline road trips.
We mentioned the Cape of GoodHope, but I just want to talk
about Chappie, (the Chappies)Chapman's Peak Drive, which I
have been on and is magnificent,and also you have the other
road, Clarens Drive.
These are two drives that, ifyou want to see the magnificent
mountains to the sea, this iswhat you would do; nine
(18:47):
kilometers from downtown CapeTown.
I think one of them isAbsolutely so.
Andrei Von Ketz (18:51):
Yeah, Chapman's Peak Drive connects Hougt Bay
and Nurruk Beach, or the suburbof Nurruk with a beautiful long
white beach.
I don't know exactly what yearit was built but it's, I think,
over a hundred years old now.
It's carved into a near cliffface, not quite a cliff face,
but near cliff face.
It's westward facing.
So in the evenings, drivingalong Chapman's Peak Drive, you
(19:16):
have glorious sunsets, the sunreflecting off the ocean, the
Atlantic Ocean, and thenlighting up the sandstone rock
cliff faces that just gloworange every evening.
Lea Lane (19:28):
It's a magnificent and you can see whales.
I saw whales when I was driving.
You can see them out in the bay.
Andrei Von Ketz (19:34):
And speaking of whales, Clarens Drive, the
other one you mentioned earlier,is the road you take.
It's just a little bit hugs theocean a little bit more closely
.
It's not as high and sort ofcliff-ish, but that's the road
you take to get to Hermonus,about an hour and a half drive
from Cape Town.
All along that drive you do getto see whales and other sea
life.
And then when you get toHermonus, it's known for being
(19:54):
one of the world's largestbreeding grounds of southern
rights and other whale species.
So what makes it so special isthey actually come really close
into the bay on these protrudingrocks and walkways that you can
walk along and look down atthese mothers calving with their
young.
I assume you've been there,seen it.
stopped at Sparks I remember alittle coastal town called
(20:17):
Sparks Bay where you hadbarbecue and you could watch the
whales along that route as well.
Absolutely yeah, it's justmagical yeah.
For any sea i nature, love it.
It's a wonderful place to go,and a road to drive.
Lea Lane (20:29):
Well, the name of the podcast is Places I Remember.
So, Andre, would you pleaseshare one memory of one of your
South African road trips?
Andrei Von Ketz (20:36):
Yeah, it's kind of hard to pick one, but you
know, it forced to.
I would say the trip I tookwith my young family, wife and
two daughters through COVID Justtwo, three years ago, it was
after the immediate restrictionshad been lifted but we still
couldn't gather in large groupsand all of those kinds of things
.
And that's when we said, right,let's hire this motorhome,
(20:56):
let's all bundle into it, we'llcreate our own little tight
family bubble, as we call it.
You know, everyone spoke inthose terms through that era and
we went out there and afterbeing kind of getting out there
a lot less than we used to forsix or nine months I think it
was, we actually took the kidsout of school a week early just
so that we could be on the roadwhen it was slightly less busy.
We had campsites to ourself.
(21:16):
We went to the National Parksand there was a third of the
other vehicles and people youwould normally expect.
I don't know if this isabsolutely true, but there's
some people that say that duringCOVID, when there's few
visitors to the National Parks,the animals actually sort of
came out a bit more and theywere enjoying the freedom from
the vehicles and the people thatwere there to see them.
So we kind of got out therebecause we needed to get out.
(21:39):
We were feeling cooped in andwe got to experience South
Africa again, often not havingdone it for a while, and it was
just to me that's a specialmemory.
We haven't stopped pretty muchsince then.
Oh, that's great.
Lea Lane (21:48):
We just keep going.
That's great.
Well, thank you, Andre Von Ketz, for reminding us once again
that the freedom of the openroad and the ability to go off
the beaten track can create aunique, unforgettable journey,
especially in a great countrylike South Africa.
Thank you very much.
Andrei Von Ketz (22:05):
It's an absolute pleasure.
Thanks, Léa.
We'll be talking about Cape Town, but as South Africa
is one of the most beautifulcountries anywhere, with one of
the best road systems, we'llalso focus on traveling by car
the best way to experience therainbow nation.
With a good vehicle, a greatplaylist and stimulating company
, a South African excursionmakes for a wonderful vacation.
Our guest is Andrei Von Ketz,director at Drive South Africa
(00:24):
Car Rental Company.
Welcome, Andrei, to Places IRemember.
Andrei has rounded up some ofhis favorite South African
routes, beginning or ending inCape Town.
And before we talk about thatgreat city, can you tell me why
is South Africa especiallysuited for a driving trip?
Andrei Von Ketz (00:44):
Yes, South Africa has, as you mentioned, a
fantastic road network, reallygood quality highways connecting
the major hubs.
You can fly in to Cape Town inthe South, put Johannesburg in
the North.
You can get between the mainhubs relatively easily.
And geographically actually isthe gem of South Africa.
We're at the tip of a continent, two oceans either side.
(01:05):
On our east coast we've gotthese gigantic mountains, Zatara
, and in the west it's kind of asemi-desert area neighboring on
Namibia.
So it's the diversity of ourterrain, if I would have summed
it up in a sentence, that makesour country quite special.
Lea Lane (01:22):
I remember visiting there.
I thought you have everything.
Absolutely beautiful country.
Well, what sort of vehicle doyou recommend if you're going to
take a road trip in SouthAfrica?
Andrei Von Ketz (01:31):
It really depends where you're going.
But for the most part you canget around in a regular sedan or
SUV if you need a little bit ofextra luggage room or space to
move with your travelingcompanions or family.
And then there are a handful ofnational parks you go to or can
go to that require four by fourall-terrain vehicles.
Even those parks where you getto go off-road and get to go a
(01:53):
little bit rougher and tougherdo have gravel and tar roads
that you can see the wildlife,you can experience the majority
of that park wonders still onthe regular roads in a regular
car.
In fact there's plenty ofpeople that have been out there
on those little VW Beetle bugsand they go north to south Cape,
to Cairo, but of course we'retalking about South Africa today
.
So yeah, depends on where youwant to go.
Lea Lane (02:13):
Right, you do drive on the left side of the road.
I would say so.
People from the United Statesmight want to note that, but you
can get used to that.
Andrei Von Ketz (02:21):
Road signs are all in English.
English is the language spokenuniversally.
There are many other tongues.
In fact, South Africa, I think,has 11 official languages, but
sort of the common denominatoris English.
So yeah, I don't think there'sever much of a problem of
getting lost especially intoday's technical world with
Google Maps and whatnot.
So those fears can be laidquite easily.
Lea Lane (02:39):
What about food and accommodation along the way?
Andrei Von Ketz (02:42):
Of course you can expect hotels, the big
Marriotts, the Hilton, thebrands that you're familiar with
in the city centers.
Airbnb has grown tremendouslyin the last five to 10 years
here, so there's plenty of a tofind along the way.
Then, once you get into theparks, really the gems of South
Africa's national heritage,we've got a combination offering
(03:02):
that's very similar to the USnational park system.
I've traveled in Yellowstoneand a few other parks in the US
so it was quite nice to comparethe similarities and differences
.
In fact, driving throughYellowstone if anyone can relate
to that where you've got thebison right next to your vehicle
if you go walking at the righttime of year, you see the bears.
We have very similarexperiences here, very similar
combination types from modesthuts and camping we can pitch a
(03:26):
tent in certain areas due to thelodges with dining TV as a day,
all that kind of stuff.
So it's relatable for peoplewho have traveled and road trips
in the USA.
Lea Lane (03:36):
Do you suggest pre-booking?
I would think so, during busyperiods for sure, but in general
, if you can.
Andrei Von Ketz (03:42):
Yes, If you can spot where the South African
school holidays are, then youmust pre-book in the national
parks.
As soon as you're outside ofthose school holidays,
availability opens up.
Of course, last minute you maystruggle here and there, but
whether you can self-search thenational parks themselves,
they've got a great bookingsystem on their website.
A final, reliable operator thatcan help you, plan and guide
(04:02):
you on your trip, point you inthe right direction.
These are the things we adviseall of our guests that travel
with us.
Lea Lane (04:08):
Okay, so we put together a few of the most
special drives in South Africa,beginning or ending in Cape Town
.
But let's start with a briefdiscussion of what not to miss
in that great city, as you'lllikely spend some time there
before or after the road trip.
I'll just mention a few of theobvious wonderful.
There are so many wonderfulthings in Cape Town, but let's
start with Table Mountain.
It's known for its flat top,which resembles a tabletop.
(04:31):
Do you know why it's flat likethat?
Andrei Von Ketz (04:35):
I hope I don't butcher the history of this, but
it's a mountain which actuallygrew out, I think, three times
the size it is today.
Over time it actually haseroded down and there's a
granite layer or hardersedimentary layer that resisted
some of that erosion and createdthat flat top.
And then, of course, all therain and the wind and the
(04:56):
weather that happens here at theCape of Storms has weathered
the ravines and the beautifulforests and streams that run off
Table Mountain that I, as atrail runner, explore once,
twice a week.
So, it's an absolute treasurefor anyone living here or
visiting that loves the outdoors.
Lea Lane (05:12):
Well, you can take an aerial tram to the top, which I
did.
It's misty in certain parts.
It's very, very beautifullymisty and you see everything the
whole vista.
It's a very good way to start,I think, to see the overview of
Cape Town from Table Mountain.
So that would be one thing Iwould recommend.
How about Kirstenbosch Garden,which is at the foot of Table
Mountain?
Tell me about that.
Andrei Von Ketz (05:33):
Yes, another one of our favorites, and as a
family I've got two young girlswe are constantly in
Kirstenbosch doing small hikes,climbing the trees there, going
on the nature trails and beyond-- a beautiful, secluded,
well-maintained park.
It's actually a real hub ofnatural biodiversity.
The biodiversity institute'sright there, the national
(05:54):
biodiversity institute's there,and you can learn a lot about
our biome, which has gothundreds of species that are
nowhere else in the world.
Lea Lane (06:01):
Yes, I think it has five of South Africa's six
different biomes right there, soyou get a good overview of the
country.
How about Robben Island?
Andrei Von Ketz (06:10):
Yes, it's obviously a iconic location.
What it represented to SouthAfrica in many years gone by and
what it represents to us now isstill a big part of South
African society.
It's imperative that weremember and honor and
understand our past so that wecan make sure things are: A not
to misrepresent it; and B, welearn from our mistakes.
(06:32):
This is society, and RobbenIsland provides it insights to
that, but it's something to beexperienced, not just seen or
read about.
Lea Lane (06:41):
This is where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned.
You take a tour from theVictoria and Albert waterfront.
It's about three and a halfhours.
They take you over by boat andthen by bus.
You see the cell where he wasimprisoned and it's very moving.
Our guide had been imprisonedhimself during apartheid and
knew Mandela.
It was memorable and it wasmoving and I highly recommend
(07:04):
taking the three-hour tour.
You won't forget it.
I just want to mention thewaterfront there.
It's a wonderful area.
It's been redeveloped.
It has all kinds of galleriesand shops.
It also has the new ZeitzMuseum of Contemporary Art
Africa, which is the largestmuseum of contemporary art from
Africa anywhere.
I haven't visited it.
Can you tell me a little aboutit?
Andrei Von Ketz (07:25):
Yeah, it's, I think, only about three or four
years old.
It opened sort of justpre-COVID, constantly changing
the galleries there or theexhibitions there.
It's actually the latestaddition to this waterfront that
every three or four yearsthey're rolling out and
expanding and offering newinteractive spaces.
The waterfront is quite aspecial part of Cape Town.
It's kind of where everyoneinteracts with each other, the
(07:49):
tourists and locals alike.
You'll find some places whenyou travel around the world, but
if you go to the Eiffel Towerin Paris, I think you're mostly
going to see tourists there,right?
Not so much the Parisians.
The waterfront is not that --you get to mix, you get to blend
, you get to see each other andsee how.
That's part of the charm and,of course, this is just one of
the many jewels that thewaterfront has.
Lea Lane (08:11):
As far as neighborhoods, I love Bo-Kapp,
which is a neighborhood of verynarrow cobble streets lined with
colorful houses.
I read that the colors wereattributed to the fact that the
houses had to be white when theslaves were living there many
years ago.
So when they got their freedom,they painted them these
gorgeous neon colors.
So for Instagrammers, this isone of the great places in the
(08:33):
city and it represents freedom,because it's a beautiful example
of what can come out ofsomething that wasn't so good.
Andrei Von Ketz (08:40):
Yeah, 100%.
And it's beautifully close tothe city center where you could
be at one of the premierrestaurants and just in fact,
there are many great restaurantsin the Bo-Kaap.
It's wonderfully close, it's awonderfully rich experience to
some wonderful Malay food, alldifferent nationalities.
Lea Lane (08:56):
It's a great, great area to walk in.
One museum which I want tomention, because again it
represents the past and comingforward, is District Six Museum.
It was declared in 1966 a whitearea only and the community had
to leave.
60,000 people were forciblyremoved to an area called Cape
(09:16):
Flats and their houses weredestroyed.
So there's a museum there nowrepresenting what happened, and
I think that's very important tonote, that there's a way to
honor this the people who hadto go through this and to think
about the past.
I think it's very moving to seethat as well.
What do you think?
Andrei Von Ketz (09:33):
100%.
I was there a couple of yearsago and even as a T ownian
sometimes you don't do all thetouristy things in your own town
, but of course, once I've beenthere it just opened your eyes a
little bit wider.
And displays, like street signsthat people had taken with them
when they left, when they wereforced to be removed, they have
brought back and you see thesereal, tangible artifacts and
(09:56):
stories displayed there They'requite wonderfully.
Lea Lane (09:58):
Well, let's end with a Cape of Good Hope.
I know that's kind of a drive.
We're sort of edging towarddriving.
It's so close that you couldjust take a tour from Cape Town.
But tell me about the road thatgoes to the Cape of Good Hope.
Is it a rocky headland on theCape Peninsula?
What do you see there?
Andrei Von Ketz (10:14):
It's part of the massive sprawling national
park that is the Cape Peninsula.
It's, I think the peninsulaitself is about 60 to 70
kilometers north to south.
So if you're doing a round tripfrom the city center or from
the waterfront, where many ofthe hotels are, you're driving a
good without stopping, twohours to the Cape of Good Hope,
(10:35):
the Cape Point, and two hoursreturn, but of course you make a
full day round trip of it.
So you stop for lunch there.
You can stop at multiplebeaches.
You get to visit the PenguinColony on the False Bay side,
Boulder's Beach exactly, andwhen you're at the Cape Point or
into the Cape of Good Hope park, you get to the .
Some people say it's the mostsouthern tip of Africa, which is
(10:57):
technically incorrect.
It's the most southwest tip ofAfrica, but it is where the two
great oceans meet.
Lea Lane (11:03):
The Atlantic and the Indian.
Andrei Von Ketz (11:06):
Correct.
The Atlantic and Indian Oceameet and you can swim on one
side of the bay and feel thetemperatures of I don't know
what is it Fahrenheit, but let'scall it 15 degrees centigrade.
You swim the other side, itcould be 12 degrees centigrade
and you've just walked I don'tknow five, one or two, a mile or
so from one side beach to theother beach and the temperatures
(11:26):
are different because thecurrents are different, the sea
life is different, it's gotbeautiful walking trails.
It can be wild and rugged andstormy, but that's all the charm
of it.
And I think it was called theCape of Storms too by all the
sailors First navigated aroundAfrica from Europe to try and
make it to the East, and thereare literally dozens or even
(11:47):
hundreds of wrecks along thatcoastline.
They're all from part of thestory, and even the slaves and
the people that became part ofthe Cape culture.
That point is a part of thatwhole story.
Lea Lane (11:58):
Yeah, wonderful thing to do when you're in Cape Town.
So let's go a little furtherafield.
Let's start on a nature drivecalled the Garden Route between
Cape Town and Gebera.
Tell us about when's the besttime to go and what do we see?
Andrei Von Ketz (12:12):
Sure, I'll tell you about best time, and this
might sound like a fence sittingon it, but because of the
climates along that coast it'sin the Mediterranean band.
All year round is the best time.
It actually has statisticallythe lowest variance of
temperature, rainfall and all ofthose things throughout the
year, so it doesn't get terriblyhot in summer and it doesn't
(12:33):
get terribly cold in winter, soit really is a great all year
round route.
It's scattered with smallvillages and towns.
It's beautiful green forestsand ravines and rivers All the
way from Cape Town to Gebera, topronounce it a little bit more
accurately.
Lea Lane (12:51):
Thank you very much.
Andrei Von Ketz (12:52):
Previously known as Port Elizabeth.
It might be a more familiarterm to some people who've
traveled before.
And on the eastern extent, asyou get past Nizner, Plattenburg
Bay, which are beautifulseaside lagoon type holiday
destinations.
To the east of that, as youhead towards Port Elizabeth, we
start encountering some of thegame reserves and game lodges
(13:15):
where you can see Big Five.
You can see Africa's wildlifein the natural environment and
the beauty of those parks isthat it's outside of the malaria
zone.
So if anyone's traveling andworried about malaria and that
type of thing which is a concernin East Africa and other parts
of Southern Africa, it's areally nice family friendly
route.
I think last year, the yearbefore, just as we came out of
(13:36):
COVID, I took my family, werented a motor home and we spent
10 days up and down the coastround trip.
So you drive two or three hours, stay a night or two, drive
another two or three hours, staya night or two and then the one
way route back from PortElizabeth or Addo National Park,
where we stayed, is sort of a10 hour drive one way.
So you break it up nicely inone direction and then you bomb
(13:58):
the home off to it.
Family had a great time.
Lots of diversity, lots ofexploring.
Lea Lane (14:03):
That's terrific for families.
Yes, now what about?
Andrei Von Ketz (14:06):
the.
Lea Lane (14:06):
Wine lovers route.
You got Route 62, it's famous.
It's considered the longestwine route in the world 850
kilometers between Cape Town andPort Elizabeth, connecting the
eastern West coast.
There's so much to see and dobesides drinking wonderful wine.
I know if you want to stayclose to Cape Town.
I did go to some of the areasvery close in.
You know Stellenbosch and someof those which are absolutely
(14:28):
wonderful.
But you're taking us all theway through, seeing much more
when we take a drive.
So let's say Parle.
What would you see in Parle?
That's a famous wine town.
Andrei Von Ketz (14:39):
Yes.
So Parle, Stellenbosch,Franschuk are the three kind of
top wine areas, all relativelyclose to each other and it's
almost hard to say that Parle ishere and Stellenbosch is there.
They're actually all just afamily that mingle and you can
move from one and there's nohard line to say now I'm in
Parle, now I'm in Stellenbosch,or now I'm in Franschuk.
Parle does have some beautifulwine farms.
(15:00):
I was actually camping in theParle Mountains this weekend
with the family.
Beautiful, beautiful spot withrock pools and streams,
excellent wine farms all aroundus.
Lea Lane (15:09):
Very good.
Andrei Von Ketz (15:09):
Towering mountains.
Lea Lane (15:10):
I remember some interesting chocolate and all
kinds of different specialtiesof different nationalities --
lovely meals as well in thatarea.
Andrei Von Ketz (15:20):
Absolutely yeah , and some really top notch
chefs and restaurants that havepopped up over the years.
Lea Lane (15:25):
Well, what I like about the long wine route, which
could take you a couple ofweeks if you really want to do
it right.
You have so many things.
You have a desert oasis inRobertson.
Tell us about that.
Andrei Von Ketz (15:36):
Yeah, so Robertson again is another deep
valley with painting wine farmsand orchards and fruits.
Yeah, it's just such a fertile,beautiful part of the country.
They have a I don't know ofthat oasis per se, but myself I
haven't been there.
I should say I can't reallycomment on it.
But I know every year they'vegot a wonderful wine festival
called Robertson Wine Festival.
It's five or six days with themusic and wine tastings and
(15:59):
brandy tastings and good foodand it's just a little bit
further out of Cape Town.
So you know you choose thatdestination when you've got a
little bit more time on yourcalendar.
Lea Lane (16:09):
Well, it's semi-arid.
It isn't probably desert likeyou would think in the Sahara,
but it has this feel to it, andit also has river rafting, which
is a nice thing to do beforeyou drink some wine.
I think you'd better drink itafter.
Andrei Von Ketz (16:21):
Yeah, on the Brita River there's some
wonderful rapids and not sort ofextreme rapids, but yes, river
rafting is one of the manyactivities you can do.
Lea Lane (16:29):
Very pleasant, and then you have hot springs a
little further on in MontagueAgain, there's so many wonderful
different things besides thewine.
You have wonderful little towns.
They're called Karoo Dorpes Isthat the name for a small town?
Is that how I pronounce?
Andrei Von Ketz (16:45):
The area is called the Karoo, which is a
semi-arid area, and a Dorpe is atown for like a little village,
yeah, and the offer constantfor a small village.
Lea Lane (16:54):
There's a place in a town called Kalisdorp, called
Ronnie's sex shop, and it's verywell known.
Why is that?
Andrei Von Ketz (17:02):
Yeah, it kind of popped up, I don't know how
many years ago.
It's almost a place of legends,but you know it's perfectly
positioned for a road triplunchtime stop.
Some people claim you must havea beer and a burger there.
Lea Lane (17:14):
But it's not a sex shop.
Andrei Von Ketz (17:16):
But when you walk inside it's just got.
I'm not going to give too muchof the fun away, but it's got
lots of interesting regalia andparaphernalia on the walls for
you to enjoy and chuckle at.
Lea Lane (17:27):
Yeah, I read that it was a prank that the sign was
put up where it was really justa pub.
And they put the sign up and itsort of developed after years.
But it was kind of fun so Ireally love that idea.
You also have caves in the areaand mountain passes.
It's just a wonderful area tofind the whole terrain of South
Africa gain coming in from CapeTown.
(17:49):
Is it about two weeks?
Would cover the whole thing ifyou were taking your time.
Andrei Von Ketz (17:53):
Yeah, absolutely, and in a one way
direction, taking the time tostop everywhere 10 or 12 days
and it's basically, if you go toGarden T an which we spoke
about earlier, that follows thecoast from Cape Town eastwards
and if you wanted to do thereturn journey, it's likely
inland, just inland of themountain range and through that
more arid Karoo Dorphees and soforth.
(18:15):
So you could attend 12 days inone direction and 10, 12 days
coming on inland and you've donea beautiful week that really
exposes you to all of sort ofthe southern parts of our
country.
Lea Lane (18:27):
That's beautiful.
Well, we have to mention thecoastline road trips.
We mentioned the Cape of GoodHope, but I just want to talk
about Chappie, (the Chappies)Chapman's Peak Drive, which I
have been on and is magnificent,and also you have the other
road, Clarens Drive.
These are two drives that, ifyou want to see the magnificent
mountains to the sea, this iswhat you would do; nine
(18:47):
kilometers from downtown CapeTown.
I think one of them isAbsolutely so.
Andrei Von Ketz (18:51):
Yeah, Chapman's Peak Drive connects Hougt Bay
and Nurruk Beach, or the suburbof Nurruk with a beautiful long
white beach.
I don't know exactly what yearit was built but it's, I think,
over a hundred years old now.
It's carved into a near cliffface, not quite a cliff face,
but near cliff face.
It's westward facing.
So in the evenings, drivingalong Chapman's Peak Drive, you
(19:16):
have glorious sunsets, the sunreflecting off the ocean, the
Atlantic Ocean, and thenlighting up the sandstone rock
cliff faces that just gloworange every evening.
Lea Lane (19:28):
It's a magnificent and you can see whales.
I saw whales when I was driving.
You can see them out in the bay.
Andrei Von Ketz (19:34):
And speaking of whales, Clarens Drive, the
other one you mentioned earlier,is the road you take.
It's just a little bit hugs theocean a little bit more closely
.
It's not as high and sort ofcliff-ish, but that's the road
you take to get to Hermonus,about an hour and a half drive
from Cape Town.
All along that drive you do getto see whales and other sea
life.
And then when you get toHermonus, it's known for being
(19:54):
one of the world's largestbreeding grounds of southern
rights and other whale species.
So what makes it so special isthey actually come really close
into the bay on these protrudingrocks and walkways that you can
walk along and look down atthese mothers calving with their
young.
I assume you've been there,seen it.
stopped at Sparks I remember alittle coastal town called
(20:17):
Sparks Bay where you hadbarbecue and you could watch the
whales along that route as well.
Absolutely yeah, it's justmagical yeah.
For any sea i nature, love it.
It's a wonderful place to go,and a road to drive.
Lea Lane (20:29):
Well, the name of the podcast is Places I Remember.
So, Andre, would you pleaseshare one memory of one of your
South African road trips?
Andrei Von Ketz (20:36):
Yeah, it's kind of hard to pick one, but you
know, it forced to.
I would say the trip I tookwith my young family, wife and
two daughters through COVID Justtwo, three years ago, it was
after the immediate restrictionshad been lifted but we still
couldn't gather in large groupsand all of those kinds of things
.
And that's when we said, right,let's hire this motorhome,
(20:56):
let's all bundle into it, we'llcreate our own little tight
family bubble, as we call it.
You know, everyone spoke inthose terms through that era and
we went out there and afterbeing kind of getting out there
a lot less than we used to forsix or nine months I think it
was, we actually took the kidsout of school a week early just
so that we could be on the roadwhen it was slightly less busy.
We had campsites to ourself.
(21:16):
We went to the National Parksand there was a third of the
other vehicles and people youwould normally expect.
I don't know if this isabsolutely true, but there's
some people that say that duringCOVID, when there's few
visitors to the National Parks,the animals actually sort of
came out a bit more and theywere enjoying the freedom from
the vehicles and the people thatwere there to see them.
So we kind of got out therebecause we needed to get out.
(21:39):
We were feeling cooped in andwe got to experience South
Africa again, often not havingdone it for a while, and it was
just to me that's a specialmemory.
We haven't stopped pretty muchsince then.
Oh, that's great.
Lea Lane (21:48):
We just keep going.
That's great.
Well, thank you, Andre Von Ketz, for reminding us once again
that the freedom of the openroad and the ability to go off
the beaten track can create aunique, unforgettable journey,
especially in a great countrylike South Africa.
Thank you very much.
Andrei Von Ketz (22:05):
It's an absolute pleasure.
Thanks, Léa.
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