Style

Comfort
We’ve smoothed away some of adventure travel’s rougher edges to craft a style of travel that has an added degree of, well… comfort. Enjoy a more relaxed pace of travel, comfortable accommodation, more included activities and many meals along the way.

Themes

Food
Food Adventures are about discovering new flavours while exploring the world. With a focus on street fare, local specialities, home cooking and urban food culture, these trips offer the authentic local experience that Travels and Chill is famous for, with an emphasis on cuisine.

Is This Trip Right For You?

Perfect for travellers who have a love for global cuisines and local dining.

Why We Love It!

Great experience to have the best dining experience in Cape Town!

Map

Itinerary

Day 1
Your culinary experience in Cape Town begins at the heart of South Africa’s most renowned Chef, Luke Dale-Roberts. Luke has started numerous successful restaurants around South Africa, all boasting modern creativity and innovation in his dishes. This day is solely devoted to Luke Dale-Roberts and tasting his fine cuisines.
Meals: 

• Lunch

Day 2
A flip from modern dining, your second day travels to the winelands of Stellenbosch to experience home cooking at it’s finest. The gorgeous scenery of vineyards and a cozy setting will take you back to your mom’s home kitchen. Your meal will be comprised with hearty dishes meant to feed the soul and delight the tastebuds. Each ingredient is hand-picked and locally grown in the garden to provide the freshest farm-to-table dining experience.
Meals:

• Lunch

Day 3
Feast your eyes on rows of street food, pastry vendors, and sizzling meats at Cape Town’s farmers market. The weekly morning market is one of the most popular, lively, and local foodie hotspots around Cape Town. Come with an empty stomach because you will be trying out numerous dishes!
Meals:

• Breakfast

Day 4
Cape Town’s best hidden foodie gem is the array of fine-dining restaurants. Fresh high-quality ingredients for creative dishes orchestrated with passion only sums up a fraction of the magnitude of the fine-dining scene. Don’t miss out the opportunity to experience what Cape Town’s culinary experts can offer.
Meals:

• Lunch

Day 5
Time to experience a cultural spin on dining by feasting on culturally rich foods which has influenced South Africa’s food culture. You’ll be presented with a meal that’ll hold true to it’s origin and present the flavours of that country as if you were there.
Meals:

• Dinner

Day 6
Cape Town is well known for their variety of tapas and their craft in creating small delicate dishes meant to share amongst friends. Dine at one of the best tapas restaurants in Cape Town and enjoy a lavish feast of mini platters and detailed entrees.
Meals:

• Dinner

Day 7
Cape Town’s ultimate foodie experience wouldn’t be complete without an adventure of desserts. End your food tour with sweets that go straight to the heart and make you feel like a joyous child again.
Meals:

• Dessert

Itinerary Disclaimer

Drive Times
The travel times listed in the day to day itinerary are a guide only. Please be aware that delays may occur and please be patient – it’s all part of the experience after all!

Restaurant Availability
Restaurants and available reservations may vary depending on time of tour booked. Restaurants are subject to change depending on schedule, however Travels and Chill will still provide with the best and most suitable venues for this tour.
Please note: For best possible availability of Travels and Chill’s recommended restaurants for the Foodie Experience, please book 3 months in advance.

Physical Rating

🔴⭕⭕⭕⭕
This trip is a relaxing break. You don’t have to worry about doing anything physically demanding unless you want to.

Cultural Rating

🔴⭕⭕⭕⭕
This is the least confronting of our product range. English is the native language and the food, customs and access to services will be similar to home.

Included Activities

• Luke Dale-Roberts
• Comfort Dining
• Market Foods
• Fine Dining
• Cultural Cuisine
• Tapas
• Desserts

Important Notes

*Schedule and restaurants may vary depending on time of tour booked.

Group Size

Maximum of 5 travellers per group.

Your Fellow Travellers

As you travel on a group trip you will be exposed to all the pleasures and maybe some of the frustrations of travelling in a group. Your fellow travellers will probably come from all corners of the world and likely a range of age groups too. We ask you to be understanding of the various needs and preferences of your group – patience with your fellow travellers is sometimes required for the benefit of everyone’s travel experience. Remember too that you have responsibilities to the group.
If you are requested to be at a place at a certain time, ensure that you don’t keep the rest of the group waiting. We have found time and time again that the very best trips we operate are those where the dynamics within the group work well – this takes just a little effort on your part. Due to privacy reasons we are unable to provide you with contact details and any personal information about your fellow travellers booked on your trip prior to departure.

Meals

1 Breakfast, 3 Lunches, 2 Dinners, 1 Dessert

Transport

• Minivan

Money Matters

When it comes to money matters on the trip, every traveller is a little different. You know your spending habits better than we do, so please budget a sensible amount for things like meals not included, drinks, shopping, optional activities, and tipping. It’s always better to bring a little more than you think you’ll need.

Also make sure you’ve read your trip details thoroughly so you know what’s included in the trip price and what isn’t. This should make budgeting a little easier. You’ll find this info in the Inclusions section of your Essential Trip Information (that’s this document).
Please note: all recommendations for additional costs, tipping etc. are in USD. You will need to convert these into the relevant local currency.

Meals Not Included
For lunches not included, a budget of $10 USD to $15 USD per meal will be more than sufficient.
For dinners not included, a budget of $12 USD to $25 USD per main entree is expected.

These are indicative prices only. If you are in a tight budget or are happy to try local food, you can eat cheaper than this.
If you want to try just the finest food at the finest restaurants, then you can expect meals to cost as much as in western countries.

Tipping
Gratuities aren’t compulsory on your trip, but they can make a big difference to locals employed in the tourism industry. If you are happy with the services provided, a tip is an appropriate way to thank them. While it may not be customary to you, it is of great significance to the people who will take care of you during your travels, inspires excellent service, and is an entrenched feature of the tourism industry across many Travels and Chill destinations.

Usually the equivalent of around $5 USD to $10 USD per person, per day to cover tips is fine. Over the years we have found that many of our travellers find the need for tipping to be both tiresome and embarrassing, especially if they don’t have the correct small change. To overcome this, your leader might raise the idea of a group tipping kitty. At your group meeting, your tour leader may discuss the idea of running this kitty, whereby everybody contributes an equal amount and then your tour leader pays the tips as you go. The leader will keep a running record of all monies spent (except restaurant tips). The record can be checked at any time and any money remaining at the end of the tour returned to group members. This kitty does not include tips for your leader and crew.

Tipping Guide
To give you a bit of guidance, we’ve put together the following tipping notes. These are just suggestions, based on feedback from past travellers and our staff on the ground.

• Basic Restaurants – When checking the bill, if there’s an addition of 10% service charge, there’s no requirement for tipping. Otherwise, 10% of the total bill amount is appropriate.
• Local Guides – Throughout your trip you may at times have a local guide in addition to your leader. We suggest $2 USD to $3 USD per person, per day for local guides.

Emergency Funds
We try to plan for every eventuality, but there are still some things beyond our control. Please make sure you bring an extra $500 USD for emergencies (e.g. natural disasters or civil unrest). Sometimes these things necessitate last minute changes to our itineraries, and we can’t guarantee there won’t be some extra costs involved.

Credit Cards, ATMs, and Money Exchange
Credit cards are generally accepted in tourist shops and some restaurants across Africa. Visa and Mastercard are generally preferred over American Express, Diners, etc. Smaller venues take cash only. Foreign currency is easily changed at exchange bureaus and they generally offer the best rates.

With ATMs being increasingly available in the many major towns and cities and even some campsites, credit or debit cards are a convenient way to access money. Be aware that your withdrawing limit may vary from country to country (regardless of your withdrawing limit in your home country) and it can be as low as the equivalent to USD100 per day. Throughout Africa, cards with the Visa logo are most readily recognised, although MasterCard is also accepted in most places. A charge is made for each international transaction – please check with your bank how much this fee will be. Check with your bank before leaving home that your card can be used as a debit card in Africa. You may also want to notify your bank that you are visiting Africa as it’s not unknown for banks to freeze cards which show sudden transactions in other countries. If you’re on a multi-country tour, your tour leader will be able to give you an approximate idea of how much money you may need for your stay in each country.

Please note: Many businesses and banks in Africa, especially East Africa, do not accept US dollar notes older than 2006. If you are bringing USD, we strongly recommend large bills in good condition, 2006 series onwards only. Any old or damaged notes may not be accepted.

Group Leader

On this trip you will be accompanied by a Group Leader and a Driver. (Depending on your group size – from time to time your leader will also be your driver)

Your Group Leader’s role involves organizing the overall operation and smooth-running of the trip and managing trip logistics.

Your Group Leader will work towards making the trip as safe and enjoyable as possible for all travellers. Our trips are built around the co–operation and participation of all the group members under the supervision of the group leader.

While not being guides in the traditional sense you can expect them to have a broad general knowledge of the countries visited on the trip, including historical, cultural, religious and social aspects. We also use local guides where we think more specific knowledge will add to the enjoyment of the places we are visiting. Our Group Leaders are chosen for their leadership skills and are wonderful ambassadors for our company and our beautiful continent and its people.

Your Driver’s main responsibility is to get you to your destination safely; they are also responsible for the maintenance of the vehicles along the way.

We endeavour to provide the services of an experienced leader and driver; however, situations may arise where your leader is new to a particular region or training other group leaders.

Safety

Many national governments provide a regularly updated advice service on safety issues involved with international travel. We recommend that you check your government’s advice for their latest travel information before departure and ensure that your travel insurance covers you for all areas your itinerary covers.

We strongly recommend the use of a neck wallet or money belt while travelling, for the safe-keeping of your passport, air tickets, cash and other valuable items. Leave your valuable jewellery at home – you won’t need it while travelling.

Your leader will accompany you on all included activities, however during your trip you’ll have some free time to pursue your own interests, relax and take it easy or explore at your leisure. While your leader will assist you with the available options in a given location, please note that any optional activities you undertake are not part of your Travels and Chill itinerary, and Travels and Chill makes no representations about the safety of the activity or the standard of the operators running them. Please use your own good judgement when selecting an activity in your free time. Please also note that your Leader has the authority to amend or cancel any part of the trip itinerary if it’s deemed necessary due to safety concerns.

Joining Point

Cape Town, South Africa

Finish Point

Cape Town, South Africa

Emergency Contact

While we always endeavour to provide the best possible holiday experience, due to the nature of travel and the areas we visit sometimes things can and do go wrong. Should any issue occur while you are on your trip, it is imperative that you discuss this with your group leader or our local representative straight away so that they can do their best to rectify the problem and save any potential negative impact on the rest of your trip.

We recognise that there may be times when your group leader/local partner may not be able to resolve a situation to your satisfaction – if this is the case, please ask the leader to speak to their direct manager.

You may also choose to provide details in your online feedback, which we ask you to complete within 30 days of the end of your trip. But we do ask you to be aware that it is very difficult for us to provide any practical help after the trip is complete.

For general enquiries or questions about your booking, please contact your agent or adventure specialist, or visit us at www.travelsandchill.com/contact

Visas

Passport
As a general rule most countries expect that your passport has a minimum of 6 months validity remaining. Please ensure the name on your passport matches the name on your booking and airline tickets. Take a copy of the main passport pages and other important documents with you, and leave another copy at home with family or friends.

Visas
Visas are the responsibility of the individual traveller. Entry requirements can change at any time, so it’s important that you check for the latest information. Please visit the relevant consular website of the country or countries you’re visiting for detailed and up-to-date visa information specific to your nationality. Your consultant will also be happy to point you in the right direction with acquiring visas. Visas can take several weeks to process, so familiarise yourself with any requirements as soon as you have booked your trip to allow for processing time.

We keep the following information up to date as much as possible, but rules do change – it’s important that you check for yourself. Residents from countries not listed below must consult the relevant embassies or your travel agent.

South Africa
Australia: No visa required
Belgium: No visa required
Canada: No visa required
Germany: No visa required
Ireland: No visa required
Netherlands: No visa required
New Zealand: No visa required
Switzerland: No visa required
United Kingdom: No visa required
USA: No visa required

Citizens of the above countries do not need visas to visit South Africa as a tourist. Upon arrival you will be given a free three-month multi-entry visa stamp. For all other nationalities please reconfirm your visa requirements with your travel agent. Please note that you require six blank pages and your passport needs to have a minimum of six months validity to enter South Africa. Also note that to enter South Africa you may be required to show proof of onward travel plans and a valid yellow fever certificate.

Entry Requirements

Passports
Please note that non-machine readable passports are no longer accepted by South African immigration. All visitors to South Africa must have a machine readable travel document (e-passport). Failure to present an e-passport will result in denied entry. Passengers with a valid visa issued in a non-machine readable passport will be handled on a case by case basis, but a fine will still be applicable.

Yellow Fever Certificate
As of October 1st 2011, A valid Yellow Fever Vaccination Certificate is now required for all passengers over one year of age who arrive or are transiting through South Africa, from a country or region listed by the World Health Organization as infected by yellow fever. Travellers unable to present a valid yellow fever vaccination certificate issued at least 10 days before arrival in South Africa will be refused entry. There is no option for travellers without a vaccination certificate to be vaccinated on arrival. Please note this also includes transiting through an infected country or region.

Travelling with Children
A new immigration regulation will take effect from 1st October 2014, whereby parents will need to produce an original unabridged birth certificate if they are travelling with children. The new regulation has been put in place to protect children from being abducted, kidnapped and preventing child trafficking. The Department of Home Affairs has urged all parents to apply for unabridged certificates for their children. Additionally, further documentation including permission to travel, may be required if only one parent is travelling. These are requirements of the immigration regulation 6 (12)(a) for parents travelling with children. We recommend travellers check requirements before travel as they can change. More information can be found here: http://www.nwivisas.com/nwi-blog/south-africa/grace-period-for-parents-travelling-with-children/#sthash.VKZSSlHE.dpuf.

What to Take

What you need to bring will vary according to the trip style you have chosen, the countries you are visiting and when you are travelling.

Below are some ideas and helpful tips on what you specifically need for this trip.

Essentials

• Lightweight clothing. You will need to bring a mixture of lightweight clothing, some warm items for the evenings.
• Sun protection – hat, sunscreen, sunglasses

Recommended

• Warm fleece and beanie for morning and evening activities.
• Camera with spare batteries. You’ll take more photos than you think.

Optional

• Ear plugs to guard against a snoring room-mate.
• A good book, a journal or an Ipod for the long drives.

Luggage Limit
Please keep your luggage to a minimum. One small soft-sided bag plus a day pack (no more than 15-20kgs in total per person) is essential. If your trip is beginning and ending at the same location, excess luggage can usually be stored at your arrival/departure hotel and can be collected after your trip.

Valuables
Please try to avoid bringing unnecessary valuables, and use your hotel safe. It’s also a good idea to purchase a money belt or pouch that is easily hidden. We strongly recommend that you photocopy all important documents e.g. air tickets, passport, vaccination certificate, etc. and keep the copies separate from the originals. While not valid, a photocopy makes it very much easier to obtain replacements if necessary.

Batteries/Power
We always recommend that you carry an extra battery for your camera just in case. Batteries may also be recharged from hotel room wall sockets. Hotels and lodges have electricity and charging of batteries is advised before checking out the following day.

Climate and Seasonal Information

Yes it is Africa, however the winter months can be very cold. Please bring warm winter clothing such as thermals, wool pullover, fleece, jacket, gloves and a woolly hat.

Health

All travellers need to be in good physical health in order to participate fully on this trip. When selecting your trip please make sure you have read through the itinerary carefully and assess your ability to cope with our style of travel. Please note that if, in the opinion of our group leader or local guide, any traveller is unable to complete the itinerary without undue risk to themselves and/or the rest of the group, we reserve the right to exclude them from all or part of a trip without refund.

You should consult your doctor for up-to-date medical travel information or for any necessary vaccinations and anti-malarial requirements before departure. We recommend that you carry a first aid kit as well as any personal medical requirements (including a spare pair of glasses) as they may not easily be obtained at the locations on this trip. For legal reasons our leaders and guides are prohibited from administering any type of drugs including headache tablets and antibiotics. Please ensure that you are adequately prepared.

Yellow Fever
A valid international certificate of vaccination against Yellow Fever is required in many countries. You may need to present this on arrival at the airport or border crossing. Some countries will refuse entry if you are unable to present your certificate. It’s also quite common for your home country to request a Yellow Fever certificate on your arrival back home.

It is your responsibility to check with your doctor well in advance of leaving home about the Yellow Fever requirements for the countries you’ll be visiting.

Travel Insurance

Travel insurance is compulsory for all our trips. We require that, at a minimum, you are covered for medical expenses including emergency repatriation. We strongly recommend that the policy also covers personal liability, cancellation, curtailment and loss of luggage and personal effects.

If you have credit card insurance your group leader will require details of the participating insurer/underwriter, the level of coverage, policy number and emergency contact number rather than the bank’s name and credit card details. Please contact your bank for these details prior to arriving in-country.

A Couple of Rules

Illegal drugs will not be tolerated on our trips. Possessing or using drugs not only contravenes the laws of the land, but also puts the rest of the group at risk. Smoking marijuana and opium is a part of local culture in some parts of the world but is not acceptable for Travels and Chill travellers. Travels and Chill’s philosophy of travel is one of respect towards everyone we encounter and in particular, the local people who make our destinations such special places. The exploitation of prostitutes is completely contrary to this philosophy.

Everyone has the right to feel safe and secure on their trip. We don’t tolerate any form of sexual harassment at Travels and Chill, either between passengers or involving our leaders or local operators. Sexual relationships (consensual or otherwise) between a leader and a passenger are unacceptable. If you ever feel another person is behaving inappropriately please inform us immediately by contacting the emergency contact number detailed in these trip notes.

Responsible Travel

Travelling responsibly is all about making good choices. It’s about ensuring you have an incredible trip while also having a positive impact on the local environment, community and economy you’re travelling in. How can you be a Responsible Traveller? See our tips below:

• Choose to travel with a responsible travel company like us! We’ve already offset the main carbon emissions of your trip, so your footprint is already lighter.
• Consider offsetting your flights when you book your trip/flights with us or your travel agent.
• Bring a refillable water bottle and some water purification tablets (or a Steripen) to cut down on plastic bottle waste.
• Be an animal-friendly traveller. Only go to venues that respect animals by allowing them to live normally in their natural environment. Steer clear of venues that use animals for entertainment or abnormal activities and/or keep animals in poor and unnatural conditions.
• Eat at local restaurants, buy from regional artists and support social enterprises so you can contribute directly to locals and their economy.
• Always be respectful of local customs and ask permission if you want to take a photo of someone.
• Learn a few words of the local language and engage with the people around you.
• Carry a cloth or re-usable bag so you can avoid plastic bags.

Share your thoughts with us by completing your feedback form after your trip. This helps us to continue to improve our commitment to responsible travel.

You may notice businesses offering an optional ‘Walk with the Lions’ experience. We ask all travellers to avoid this activity as it is contrary to our Responsible Travel policy. While wildlife viewing is a big part of many of our itineraries, we strive to only view animals in their natural habitats and to do so with the greatest level of respect. The lion walking industry directly contributes to the captive breeding and canned hunting of lions. While activities like lion walking may appear fun and educational, or even claim to be working in the name of conservation, they are unnatural and stressful for the animals involved. Professional wildlife conservation organisations, including Born Free and the World Society for Protection of Animals (WSPA), advise that habituating lions to humans often shortens their life and may result in lion-human conflict issues.

Feedback

After your travels, we want to hear from you! We rely on your feedback. We read it carefully. Feedback helps us understand what we are doing well and what we could be doing better. It allows us to make improvements for future travellers.

http://www.travelsandchill.com/feedback