9 a.m Learn about the history of South Africa
The Castle of Good Hope it was built as a fort starting in 1666 by Dutch East India Company settlers. It now stands as the oldest colonial building in South Africa. It has served many purposes over the years, including a military base, a slave port, and a government headquarters. Today, the castle houses nine mini-museums that tell the story of the diverse people who shaped the Cape and the nation. The Cape Heritage Museum was created by Igshaan Higgins, a human rights lawyer, during the pandemic. With artefacts collected by Mr Higgins over 25 years, the museum tells the stories of settler colonialism and the various groups who struggled through this oppression, including the Khoi and San indigenous people, the Cape Muslims and the Xhosas. The castle also houses the William Fehr Collection, a collection of oil paintings and decorative art created by settlers that reflects on subjects such as slavery and deprivation wars.
10:30 am Travel beneath the surface
Tune out the noise with an underground trip. In the Earthboxwhich opened last year as an immersive art exhibition at Lawrenceford Wine Estate in the suburb of Somerset West, visitors enter a shelter carved into the ground. High mud walls, changing mood lighting and a relaxing soundtrack provide a perfect opportunity to relax, meditate or simply let your mind wander. Tickets range from 170 Rand to 250 Rand. For an additional 50 rand, you can purchase an audio guide — there’s one for meditation and another that teaches about the ancient rocks and sediments that surround you. Earthbox hosts regular music concerts and private dinners with top quality local chefs. After your visit, you can wander around the winery, which includes restaurants, a tasting room, and a market with live music, food stalls and arts and crafts vendors.
12 pm Lunch in wine country
Lose yourself in the serenity of wine country Kitchen Harry, at Topiary Wine Estate, with one of the best meals in the Franschhoek Valley. Chef and owner Munashe Kwaramba did not attend culinary school, but learned the Afro-fusion style of cooking by observing high-end chefs and cooking with his grandmother in Zimbabwe. Another option just down the road is Klein Goederust, the first fully black-owned winery in Franschhoek. On weekends, you can combine a wine tasting with a Cape Malay buffet (R495 per person) where the spit-roasted lamb is the highlight. Or on Franschhoek’s picturesque high street, step inside Reuben’s Restaurant and Barwhere chef and owner Reuben Rieffel serves sophisticated dishes like dukkah-spiced lamb and pickled fish inspired by the culinary traditions of families of color like his own.