An hour's drive northeast of Cape Town will land you right in the heart of the Cape Winelands. This is the home of the most sublime countryside to be found anywhere in the world - a land of high mountains and green valleys, of vineyards and scented orchards, heavy with a mellow fruitfulness.

The Cape Winelands were the first rural areas to be taken over by the early white colonists of South Africa who turned the land over to pasture, the growing of wheat and increasingly, the cultivation of wine grapes. As the farms prospered, the colony expanded and a number of small towns were founded: Stellenbosch in 1679, Franschhoek 11 years later, followed by Paarl, Wellington and Tulbagh, all worth visiting for their history, beauty and award-winning wine estates.

Over and above the award-winning wine estates, restaurants and scenic beauty throughout the Cape Winelands, there are vineyard hiking trails, fly-fishing and fine golf courses too. Helicopter flips, aerobatic flights and tandem paragliding can also be arranged.