Where to start….?
The last 2 weeks have been a bit of whirlwind, so writing this blog I am hoping will allow me to experience the wedding, food, animals, scenery and everything else South Africa has to offer all over again! Not sure if I am going to be able to find enough different adjectives to describe it all though….

Pre Wedding Week
We chose to fly out to South Africa with Emirates – having the additional 7kgs (30kgs per bag of luggage in economy) made a huge difference, plus we are skywards members. Very last minute an email came through from Skywards offering an upgrade to business class for a small fee – we decided as it was our wedding and honeymoon we should not hold back – and we are so glad chose to upgrade!

What an experience – from being greeted at the check in desk, to being assisted with my wedding dress, champagne in the lounge followed by a delicious dinner before boarding to the flat beds with optional chair massager, 3 course dinner, a great nights sleep and 5 star service all the way – it is well worth the additional money!

We arrived into Cape Town and picked up our car hire from Avis – we decided on a Group C rather than a Group B – which was a good decision as the extra boot space was needed with all the extras we managed to pick up on our way! We drove from Cape Town Airport to Sea Point – just a quick 20 minute drive, which was easily sign posted – to arrive at our hotel – Cape Royale. Cape Royale is a 5 star luxury hotel, situated opposite the Football Stadium and a 10 walk to the waterfront. We were greeted by the doorman who immediately helped unpack the car, and took our luggage up to our room. On check in we found out that we had been upgraded to a 2 bedroom suite, with fully equipped kitchen and large, spacious dining room and lounge. The hotel has a roof top swimming pool, spectacular views of the mountain and waterfront as well as an in house spa. They also offer complimentary shuttles within 5km of the hotel.

The Cape Royal Hotel, Cape Town

Our 2 days in Cape Town were fairly hectic – meeting with our minister, photographer and DJ, hair and makeup trial and sorting out the suit hire! However – throughout this very busy time the staff at Cape Royale were amazing! So attentive and willing to help. They took all the pressure off and managed to help fit the following into our hire car on check out  - 4 large suitcases, a wedding dress, 4 suits, 48 bottles of wine, a cake, 3 small bags, our table plan and my sister!
We decided to take the N2 to Hermanus rather than the scenic coastal route passed Gordons Bay – it took 2 hours, but we did stop for dinner on the way. We spent the next 3 day staying in the small town of De Kelders in self catering accommodation. Whale season runs from June – November, but there is still plenty to do within this area outside of whale season from local wine farms, 4×4 trails and exploring the nearby town of Stanford.

As a joint hen and stag day out, we decided to go shark cage diving. Ten of our guests joined us for the 15 minute boat ride from Klein Baai Harbour out to Dyer Seal Island, where we spent the next 2 hours in 12 degree water, watching 5 enormous Great White Sharks! Such graceful animals, and such an amazing experience. We booked through Shark Diving Unlimited who have hosted the likes of Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio and Halle Berry. Included in the rate is breakfast or lunch before hand, refreshments and snacks on the boat, dry beach towels and then lunch and afternoon tea when you return to the club house to watch your DVD. I would highly recommend this experience for people who like a bit of adventure and who are happy to brave the cold waters of the Western Cape.

Shark Diving, South Africa

For more information on booking Emirates Flights, AVIS car rental, The Cape Royal and Shark Diving please do not hesitate to contact us