2018 Primetime Emmy
& James Beard Award Winner

  • From the Future to the Dawn of Time

    Wonders of the Western Cape

    June 10-17, 2025

    ?

    From the future-facing heart of contemporary Cape Town to the winelands of Stellenbosch and Bot River, this is a weeklong journey across one of the most naturally abundant and culturally complex places on this planet. Our guide is none other than Reuben Riffel, one of the country’s most celebrated chefs whose success would have been unimaginable under the Apartheid system into which he was born. Joined by Roads & Kingdoms cofounder Nathan Thornburgh and the Angolan writer Cláudio Silva, Reuben will bring us behind the scenes of his culinary world—culminating in a hilltop Braai at sunset with descendants of southern Africa’s first people. 

    Chef, Author, Restaurateur

    Culinary Guide

    Reuben Riffel
    Chef, Author, Restaurateur

    Cláudio Silva

    R&K Guide

    Writer, Traveler, Entrepreneur
    Cláudio Silva

    Nathan Thornburgh

    R&K Host

    Co-founder, Journalist
    Nathan Thornburgh

Overview

Wonders of the Western Cape

First, forget the safari. From the future-facing heart of contemporary Cape Town to the winelands of Stellenbosch and Bot River, this is a weeklong journey across one of the most naturally abundant and culturally complex places on this planet. A place where, despite deep racial divides, an astounding food culture blends Malaysian, Indian, Zulu, and European culinary influences with indigenous traditions stretching back to the dawn of our species.

Our culinary guide is none other than Reuben Riffel, one of the country’s most celebrated chefs whose success would have been unimaginable under the Apartheid system into which he was born. Joined by Roads & Kingdoms cofounder Nathan Thornburgh and the Angolan writer Cláudio Silva, Reuben will bring us behind the scenes of his culinary world. From vanguard Afrikaner and Xhosa chefs, visionary urban farmers, and under-the-radar vintners turning out some of the best wines we have ever tasted, we’ll hear a story of plunder, liberation, and endless reinvention—culminating in a hilltop Braai at sunset with descendants of southern Africa’s first people.

  • South Africa
  • June 10-17, 2025
  • from $12,550
Map
  • South Africa
  • June 10-17, 2025
  • from $12,550
Wonders of the Western Cape Inquire Now

DISCOVER THE CAPE:
DAY-TO-DAY ITINERARY

Day
1

21ST-CENTURY CAPE TOWN

  • Gorgeous George
  • 118 St Georges Mall, Cape Town City Centre, Cape Town, 8000, South Africa
  • +27 21 612 0999
  • Private transfer from Cape Town International Airport to Gorgeous George, a funky boutique hotel in the heart of downtown
  • Welcome cocktails with your hosts Reuben, Nathan, and Cláudio
  • Dinner at the wildly imaginative Fyn, the second African restaurant to make it onto the “World’s 50 Best” list with its Japanese preparations of ingredients sourced from the fertile lands and waters at its doorstep. Plus a conversation with Fyn’s visionary chef-owner Peter Tempelhoff
Day
2

INTO THE WINELANDS

  • Gorgeous George
  • 118 St Georges Mall, Cape Town City Centre, Cape Town, 8000, South Africa
  • +27 21 612 0999
  • Leisurely breakfast at the hotel
  • Scenic drive into the Stellenbosch wine region, where the French Huguenots first planted vines in the late 17th century
  • Wine-tasting on the water at the family-run winery Stark-Condé with 360-degree views of the stunning Jonkershoek Nature Reserve 
  • Lunch at Mertia, where European technique meets the Cape’s natural bounty to exquisite effect at the hands of rising-star local chef Matt van den Berg and Zimbabwean sommelier Kudzai Beka
  • Tasting at Bosman Family Vineyards, a historic estate run for more than 200 years by the same Afrikaner family that is actively engaged in transforming the practices of the historically exploitative South African wine industry
  • Back to Cape Town for dinner at the daring, no-frills 30-seater Belly of the Beast. There are no menu options here or even a set number of courses—just take a seat and enjoy the ride.
Day
3

CHEF REUBEN’S WORLD

  • Gorgeous George
  • 118 St Georges Mall, Cape Town City Centre, Cape Town, 8000, South Africa
  • +27 21 612 0999
  • Languorous breakfast in Cape Town
  • Head to Chef Reuben’s native Franschhoek, the South African gastronomic hub set in a green valley in the heart of wine country, where we’ll do a deep dive into local history and spend the day meeting the food-makers, visionaries, and local characters who make up Reuben’s culinary world
  • Brief respite from wine-drinking at Reuben’s brewery, Franschhoek Beer Company
  • Laid-back dinner with our new friends in Franschhoek 
Day
4

FARM-TO-TABLE MOUNTAIN

  • Gorgeous George
  • 118 St Georges Mall, Cape Town City Centre, Cape Town, 8000, South Africa
  • +27 21 612 0999
  • Head to Meuse Farm, where many of Cape Town’s best chefs source organic vegetables and herbs grown by this diverse team of farmers on three lush acres in the Hout Bay valley below the back slopes of Table Mountain
  • Lunch on the farm with chefs and producers from the area, learning about the wonders of Cape soil and the local ecosystem
  • Foraging with chef Ryan Cole, the creative force behind the phenomenal Salsify at the Roundhouse
  • Dinner at Salsify, the award-winning seafood-led restaurant set in a stylish former hunting lodge between the mountains and the ocean
Day
5

OFF THE BEATEN PATH

  • Thatch House
  • R43 Stanford Road, Hermanus, 7200, South Africa
  • +27 28 314 0555
  • Last breakfast in Cape Town before heading out to the Bot River Valley, the lesser known, more rugged wine region that’s putting out some of the best wines in the world
  • Wine-tasting at Luddite with winemakers Niels and Penny Verburg
  • Lunch at Luddite by Xhosa chef
  • Check in to Thatch House, a rustic-chic boutique hotel on the Hermanus Lagoon in the shadow of the ancient Cape Fold Mountains that we have to ourselves for two nights
  • Cocktails on the lagoon
  • Private chef’s dinner with wine pairings at the Thatch House
Day
6

VINTNER’S PARADISE

  • Thatch House
  • R43 Stanford Road, Hermanus, 7200, South Africa
  • +27 28 314 0555
  • Leisurely breakfast at Thatch House
  • Wine-tasting at Bosman Hermanus in the Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley overlooking the rolling fynbos fields
  • Relax on the lagoon
  • Open-air dinner with the region’s vintners at Farro on the picturesque wine estate of Gabrielskloof in The Overberg, talking wine, landscape, and life
Day
7

BACK TO THE BEGINNING

  • Last breakfast at Thatch House
  • Head to Beyond, the latest restaurant of imaginative locavore-savant Peter Tempelhoff, for a farm tour and lunch
  • Arrive at the Kwa Tuu San Heritage Center for an extraordinary 24-hour experience with descendants of the original southern Africans, beginning with tea, springbok, and freshly churned butter around the fire, learning how their customs influenced the human race as a species, how their diets fed the evolution of our brains
  • Forage with the Kwa Tuu San and join them in preparing an unforgettable Braai on the hill at sunset, looking out on this roaring expanse of ancient landscape and endless ocean
Day
8

Farewell to the Cape

  • Wake up in our hilltop farmstead bungalows at the Kwa Tuu San Heritage Center, then come together for a farewell breakfast
  • Private transfer to Cape Town International Airport

What’s Included

  • All breakfasts, lunches, and dinners, as well as snacks and beverages between meals
  • Expertise and services of our experienced trip leaders: at least one guide and one host per trip
  • Additional guides and experts from the region
  • All transportation during the trip except when taking a taxi or ride app independently during unscheduled time
  • Transfers to and from the airport or wherever you are on the day the trip starts and ends
  • Daily Roads & Kingdoms gifts related to the themes, activities and narratives of each trip
  • All gratuities for accommodations, meals, guiding or transport

What’s Not Included

  • International airfare to and from the journey (note: some trips begin and end at different airports)
  • Personal bar tabs (when not with the group)
  • Personal laundry or spa services
  • Personal travel insurance

Meet Our Hosts

Reuben Riffel

Culinary Guide

Reuben Riffel

Chef, Author, Restaurateur

Reuben Riffel is a celebrated South African chef, restaurateur, author, and media personality known for his innovative take on traditional South African cuisine. He has won numerous awards and appeared on many television productions, including The Martha Stewart Show and The Today Show. His popular culinary establishments in his native Franschhoek include Reuben’s, Franschhoek Brewing Company, and Let’s Frite.

Cláudio Silva

R&K Guide

Cláudio Silva

Writer, Traveler, Entrepreneur

Cláudio Silva was born in the Angolan capital of Luanda, grew up in the United States, and moved back to Luanda 20 years later to found LNL, Angola’s largest food and tourism platform, where he is the managing director. He’s written for a variety of travel, lifestyle, and economic publications, including CNN Travel, The Guardian, The Africa Report, The Continent, and of course Roads & Kingdoms. He’s an avid traveler and doesn’t believe you can own too many cookbooks.

Nathan Thornburgh

R&K Host

Nathan Thornburgh

R&K Co-founder, Journalist

Nathan Thornburgh, a former TIME Magazine senior editor and foreign correspondent, co-founded Roads & Kingdoms in 2012 and ran the independent media company with Matt Goulding and Anthony Bourdain for years. He is an Emmy- and National Magazine Award-winning producer and editor and has reported everywhere from Russia to Iraq. R&K’s League of Travelers is his latest attempt to marry travel, journalism, and la dolce vita.

Where You’ll Stay

Gorgeous George

Gorgeous George

Cape Town Funk

The funky little urban hotel of your dreams, Gorgeous George is the work of local architects who melded two beautifully restored heritage buildings to make this hip downtown living room for 21st-century Cape Town. Each of the hotel’s 32 rooms features exposed concrete and steelwork, blended with modern Victorian design elements and hand-painted wall art by David Brits. We especially love the rooftop bar and Pink Room (pictured), perfect for welcome drinks or an after-dinner nightcap.

Thatch House

Thatch House

Lagoon Luxury

Our private oasis overlooking the Hermanus Lagoon with expansive views over the water to the Cape Fold Mountains, Thatch House is ours alone for two nights as we explore deeper into the Western Cape’s wine country. Seven large and luxurious suites offer indoor-outdoor living areas leading to sprawling gardens and the wetlands at our doorstep.

Kwa Tuu San Heritage Center

Kwa Tuu San Heritage Center

Lodge at the Edge of Everything

From human origins to contemporary San life, Kwa Tuu San Heritage Center tells the story of the San, the first people to inhabit southern Africa, and of their 100,000-year-old culture. The center also rents out extraordinary eco-cabins among the fynbos, where we can wake up in luxury at the edge of a landscape roamed by zebra, eland, springbok, and night hares. One of our all-time trip finales.

  • It was the savvy hosts, delicious food, curated experiences, and cooking together in a small group setting that made it magical.

    Nalini S.
    Morocco from Sky to Sea 2024
  • The connections R&K has in the community made this trip feel like a once-in-a-lifetime experience that could not be replicated by any other company.

    Amanda C.
    CDMX Under the Volcano 2024
  • We’re so happy that we took a leap of faith and invested in this adventure with Roads & Kingdoms.

    Jean M.
    Asturias Unconquered 2023

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