Self drive

Reviewed 25 Mar 2007 by Steve Rose

Our visit to the Western and Eastern Cape areas of South Africa was nothing short of sensational. It far exceeded expectations. It was more beautiful, more interesting and more diverse than we'd imagined.

We visited five distinct areas - Cape Town (city life), the Winelands (gorgeous setting and superb food), Oudtshoorn (scrub desert), Plettenberg Bay (California-style coastline) and the game reserve at Pumba (for the wildlife). Each was fascinating in its own way, and we wanted to stay longer in nearly all of them. Driving between them was a pleasure - the first time I'd enjoyed driving in years.

The roads are excellent and virtually traffic-free. The Rand was low - so value for money was unbeatable. The most expensive meal (by far) was a gourmet dinner at the delightful Mont Rochelle Hotel in Franschoek - roughly £25 per head. We had sunshine and 25 degrees every day for 17 days in March.

The political situation, however, is another matter. Although the Cape areas are not subject to the levels of crime elsewhere in South Africa, you can see there are problems ahead. The huge and visible gulf between rich and poor is a recipe for trouble. There are abundant job creation schemes for black people and you can make a small contribution by tipping the numerous parking guides, petrol attendants and toilet cleaners. But there's no escaping the massive imbalance of the society, and the fact that hardly any of your tourist money will filter down to the people who need it most. So, things will have to change in the future. Meanwhile, it's unmissable.