2023 got off to a flying start for Marlene, as she flew off to Cape Town, South Africa! It was definitely a trip of a lifetime with some truly unforgettable moments. The trip was organised by DMC Grosvenor Tours and hosted by Mundus Representation. So, sit back, grab a cuppa, and get inspired for Cape Town by Marlene… 

Day One – Landing in Cape Town & Exploring the City  

After a long 11-hour flight with the bespoke All About Flights company, Marlene was straight into holiday mode as she arrived at Cape Town International Airport. After quickly applying her suncream she was ready for the 40-degree heat she was about to get hit with in beautiful Cape Town.  

Shortly after her arrival, she met the hosts not far from Table Mountain and was handed a cold glass of champagne. Table Mountain is an iconic flat-topped mountain which overlooks the city of Cape Town and is an unmissable experience for visitors. Unfortunately, there was a ‘table cloth’ over the landmark, this is when there is a cloud sitting on top of the mountain. It is folklore that one mustn’t travel up the mountain when the cloud is there, meaning they had to postpone. Instead, the host talked them through the itinerary for the day and shortly after a side car pulled up, offering Marlene a leather jacket to wear (in 40-degree heat). She jumped into the side car which gave her a tour around Cape Town, where she saw some fantastic views.  

On the journey, they stopped off at The Twelve Apostles Hotel, an award-winning 5-star hotel – part of the Red Carnation hotel group. After a short visit, they jumped back into the sidecar going further round Cape Town, then stopping for a glamourous 5-star lunch on the beach at Bungalow restaurant.  

The cloud cleared from Table Mountain in the afternoon, so Marlene jumped on a cable car where she was met with spectacular views surrounded by South African flora and fauna. They then spent the evening at the One & Only Cape Town. 

Day Two – Team Challenges & an Insight into Local Culture 

With a 7am wake up call, another busy day was on the horizon for Marlene as she started her day with an ‘Amazing Race’ team-building activity. This outdoor activity consisted of the hosts planting cryptic clues around the city which leads team members to famous and historic sites, monuments, landmarks and places of interest in Cape Town. Marlene said, “it was a fantastic way of experiencing the local culture and an ideal way to see tourist attractions.” During the Amazing Race challenge, Marlene’s team went kayaking which was a great way to see the canals and more of the area you cannot see by foot.  

Next, Marlene visited the District Six Museum which is a very deprived area with lots of history and poverty. From this, she gained an insightful view as to the background of the place and the community who live there.  

Marlene also visited one of the oldest coffee shops in town, where she made her very own coffee from scratch and was taught how to be a barista – she really is multi-talented! Afterwards, Marlene did some homemade cooking in ‘Aunt Shaamila’s’ kitchen, in the Bo Kaap district, who offers tourists an experience to taste traditional South African cuisine. Interestingly, Harry and Meghan also did the same experience and had afternoon tea with Aunt Shaamila in 2019, during their visit to Cape Town. Marlene’s second day came to an end as the group headed back to Mount Nelson, a Belmond Hotel, one of Africa’s most comfortable hotels, where they stayed the night.  

Day Three – Rib Boats & Scenic Lunches  

The third day of the trip began by departing Cape Town City on a rib boat, to go in a southernly direction to the village of Hout Bay. Marlene and the group meandered over the spectacular Champans Peak, along Misty cliffs and Scarborough into the Cape Point Nature Reserve where they reached their turning point at the Cape Point Light House. After soaking up the breath-taking coastline, they enjoyed a picnic style lunch and stopped at the Village of Macassar, where they met the Macassar Pottery Family and participated in a music session. They finished the day by heading to their final hotel destination The Erinvale Hotel, ready for dinner and drinks with the group – sharing stories and making memories.  

Day Four – Wine Tasting Tours & South African Wildlife  

The fourth and last day of the trip was not short of an adventure, as Marlene made the most of her last day of exploring Cape Town. The day began with a trip on a rib boat in 30-degree heat, where Marlene learned a lot about the history of the place and even caught a glance of some sea lions. You can’t visit South Africa without experiencing its fine wine. Marlene went on a wine tasting tour of Stollenbosch and Vergelengen vineyards where she was able to taste a variety of local wines and sample olive oil and olives too.  

A few glasses of wine later, and to finish the trip on a high, the group jumped onto a jeep and headed to the Cape of Good Hope, a rocky headland on the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula in South Africa. During the trip they discovered some amazing animals unique to South Africa, including Bontebok, Eland and the very rare Rau Quagga – and had a fantastic picnic with amazing views.  

After the busiest trip, Marlene and the group unwind as their flight home drew closer and sunbathed in Boschendal Orchards before they travelled back to the airport.  

Highlight of Marlene’s Trip  

“The highlight for me was experiencing Table Mountain, it was truly an unforgettable experience. Getting to experience the local culture by using side cars and RIB boats was also amazing as I had never done anything like it before. This trip was definitely once in a lifetime, and it was such a different way of doing site visits there compared to here in the UK. I loved it because I learnt so much about South African culture in such a fun way.” 

So, who is ready to book a trip to Cape Town? If you’re looking for inspiration for a company incentive trip, get in touch, we’d love to share more on this and other experiences.