It's all in the course of research

More at home cycling through the Tuscan vineyards or strolling through the cork trees of Andalucia. How would researcher, Rachel Goldrick, find a walk on the wild side in South Africa?

Launching South Africa was one of my most exciting yet most terrifying projects yet. I knew we needed to find more than just Mediterranean destinations as a break from the British winter, but where to start? Would we find Headwater style hotels in a continent as vast as Africa? Would there be walking paths to follow? Did the concept of walking guides even exist where classic safaris were the norm?

I was encouraged however by my initial reading up on South Africa with its varied national parks, great wildlife and wide choice of hotels. The only problem was which bit - a country several times the size of France can’t be visited in one go! I settled on the Southern Cape. The chance to visit Table Mountain and Cape Town, watch penguins bathing at Boulders Beach, savour the 17C charm of the Cape vineyards, and go on safari on one holiday seemed too good to miss.

And so after nearly three months of desk research, I finally boarded the overnight flight to South Africa. The following morning I met Darrin, the walking guide who we’d hoped would lead our tours. We began at Kariega Private Game Reserve. It felt surreal to be driving through savannah spotting giraffe and zebra just 24hrs after leaving home. At dusk we enjoyed the local snack biltong (cured, dried meat – anything from impala to zebra!). Then – an unforgettable scene – a herd of elephants bathed in moonlight. We marvelled at their huge silhouettes, before regretfully setting off again. But then another surprise! A white rhino ran across our path. Seeing its powerful hind legs up close was a humbling experience.

Next stop, the Garden Route – a strip of alternating dry forest and sandy beaches. We made stunning coastal hikes here - we saw sea lions basking on the rocks and spotted blesbuck (small antelope) tracks as we walked along white sand beaches buffeted by the Indian Ocean.

As perfect as the Garden Route is for hikers, it also attracts South African beach lovers so I was concerned that we might not find any suitable hotels. But we made some pleasant discoveries. I was entranced with Michelle’s plush 9-room guesthouse. From her terrace we saw dolphins leaping in the turquoise, horse-shoe shaped bay below.

Onwards across the red rocks of the semidesert we reached the Cape wine lands. Settled by 18C French immigrants, the area has a Gallic twist. You’ll find gracious avenues lined with pastel coloured brasseries. The wine however could only be South African. French grapes grown here produce a much higher alcohol volume so we paced ourselves on our vineyard walk!

Leaving the vineyards, we emerged under the slate grey shadow of Table Mountain to reach Cape Town; the last stop on my tour. Just because we’d arrived in the city, the walks were not over. Cape Town has a lot of green spaces and you can ramble for hours on Table Mountain. Just beyond the city lies the mythical Cape of Good Hope. When I visited however it lived up to its original name of the Cape of Storms. The mist descended as the Atlantic and Indian Ocean met so I never did see South Africa’s Lands End. Oh well, at least I’ve an excuse to go back...