A Guide to the South Africa Food Scene: Away from the Norm

• Shark Cage Diving: Gansbaai is the best place in the world for shark cage diving. There are companies that offer this activity with scuba equipment or with snorkels. Grootbos, is a great place to stay to enjoy this activity without the 5 am pick-up from Cape Town.

• Whale Watching: Hermanus whale watching season starts in late September. Whales are visible from the shore, but there are also Marine safari tours by boat. Staying at The Marine is a great option for this town.

• Spring wildflowers: The Northern Cape and North Western Cape break out into a blanket of colorful blooms during the spring months (September to November). These areas offer great hiking opportunities and border the wild west coast, which is too cold to swim in, but is gorgeous and perfect to sit and enjoy some great South African food. Bushmans Kloof is a great remote accommodation option as a base to explore the area.

• Desert Safari: Although I wanted to show the lesser-known aspects of South Africa, I want to highlight Tswalu Kalahari, which is a safari in the Kalahari desert. It is a very different landscape to traditional South African safaris, and you get to see unusual animals such as the Aardvark or the Cape Fox.

• Wine tasting: Everyone who has been to South Africa knows Stellenbosch and Franschhoek, which I adore. But the wine scene is so much bigger than that. Robertson, Hermanus, Bot Rivier and Tulbagh are all full of amazing wineries waiting to be explored. The New Cape Central Railway is a wine tasting steam train leaving from Robertson.

• Eat a Bunny Chow: This simple food (curry stuffed in a quarter-loaf of bread) was created by Indian immigrant miners and continues to be popular among the Indian diaspora and South Africans in general. No visit to Durban would be complete without experiencing this at a casual eatery.

• Apartheid Museum: While Johannesburg is seen mainly as a business center or a starting point to get on a safari, there is a lot of history in the city. Visiting the Apartheid Museum and/or Constitution Hill are musts, especially for history buffs!

Western Cape (excluding Cape Town):

• La Petite Colombe a sister restaurant to the well know La Colombe in Constantia. Offering an immersive experience of South African food, using local ingredients and inventive displays, this is a restaurant worth a visit for a special occasion.

• Wolfgat is based in Paternoster, a little fishing village on the west coast. It is well known as a restaurant that delivers tasting menus packed with flavor. The restaurant only seats 20, and is right on the shore, offering a view of the traditional fishing boats coming in. The food features a lot of indigenous ingredients and preparations, offering insight into the South African food culture, with a fine dining twist.

• Die Strandloper is a more casual meal on the west coast, offering a community feel and plenty of food. Die Strandloper invites guests to kick off their shoes and plant their feet in the sand while many courses are prepared on a fire in the sand in front of them. There are 10 courses, heavy on the seafood, live music, BYOB or cash bar, and a lot of entertaining conversation during the meal. This is not fancy but is definitely fun!

• Bramon Wine Estate is in Plettenberg Bay on the Garden Route. Not a traditional area for wine production, it is growing in popularity. Bramon makes a great Sauvignon Blanc based MCC. They have tables set in their vineyard and offer a great menu for a casual afternoon snack, or light lunch. Fresh baked breads, local cheeses and cured meats (as well as some larger plates for a full meal)

Kwazulu Natal:

• The Oyster Box is a historical hotel on the beachfront in Umhlanga. It's signature red and white pool loungers are a symbol of the luxurious experience here. From a food perspective, they have multiple restaurants offering great meals (including a noteworthy high tea), but being in KZN, going for their Curry Buffet is a must! There are at least 11 curries on offer, and it gives a taste of how Indian culture has been incorporated into the South African food environment.

• Mozambik is a chain in Kwazulu Natal featuring Mozambican food, particularly well known for their peri peri prawns and chicken. While it is a chain and is casual, it is a great stop after a day out for a relaxed meal with African flavors.

Gauteng:

• Fermier is based in Pretoria in a rustic building, with a refined menu. The menu features local ingredients and cooking, with influences from traditional South African and Afrikaans cultures. It is a tasting menu and I always recommend adding on the wine pairing to experience some smaller farm South African wines.

Northern Cape:

• Klein JAN is an onsite restaurant at Tswalu and is owned by Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen (a South African Michelin starred chef with his other restaurant JAN in the south of France). Concentrating on local flavors and bringing the vibe of the surroundings out through the food, this is a fantastic way to end the day after a desert safari game drive.