Travel & Lifestyle for Oil and Gas: A recommendation of sites to visit, places to eat & hotels to stay in to make the most of your visit to Cape Town and beyond for the 26th Africa Oil Week.
GEO Lifestyle: Making the Most of Your Trip to Africa
In collaboration with Wide Africa we’ve pulled together a selection of top restaurants and things to do while visiting Cape Town for the 26th Africa Oil Week. Whether you want to sit down to a traditional Bobotie, take a scenic city tour, test your bravery by getting close to the sharks or if that’s all too much for you perhaps you just want sit back and enjoy the renown liquid produce of South African grapes. Whichever it is, we’re sure to have something for you here!
Your journey needn’t end in South Africa either! As you’re already making the trip to the great African continent, why not extend your stay and visit some of the surrounding countries – see our staff pick for more inspiration!
Top 5 Recommended Restaurants in Cape Town
Photo credit: Wide Africa
It is of course with upmost importance that we keep our tummy’s filled during these conferences; giving us the vitality we need to push through each day and secure the deals we need to! Here are some recommendations we have pulled together of places to eat.
Chef’s Warehouse Beau Constantia
Harbour House Kalk Bay
Sea Breeze
The Food Barn Noordhoek
FYN Restaurant
Staff Pick for Places to Eat in Cape Town
Nelson’s Eye Restaurant
Although perhaps not best suited for vegetarians, pescatarian or vegans, Nelson’s Eye Restaurant has been hand picked by our Sales & Marketing Director, Kirsti Karlsson, to feature as the staff pick for GEO Lifestyle Cape Town.
Serving quality sourced and expertly cooked steaks since the early sixties, Nelson’s Eye steaks are guaranteed super grade beef! It is hung on the carcass for up to 7 days and is then packed by professional butchers. The meat is wet-aged for up to 21 days and then put before your very eyes to order where you are welcome to observe the chefs in action as they cook your steak to perfection on the grills.
The management, on request, will willingly show you the cool room where their stock is rotated! If that’s not confidence in quality, then we don’t know what is!
Top 5 Wine Lands Around Cape Town
Of equal importance to keeping fed, is to keep watered, or ‘wined’ if we are to be specific to this section of recommendations. Scattered across the shelves of supermarkets and liquor stores around the world, is often a generous section dedicated to wines originating from the wine lands of South Africa. To indulge first hand and in their country of origin, we have compiled a list of recommendations to help you achieve just that.
Le Motte (Franschhoek)
De Grendel
Delaire Graff
Jordan
Babylonstoren
Top 5 Things to do Whilst Visiting South Africa
Photo credit: Wide Africa
Rightly so, it’s not all work and belly-busting indulgence. South Africa is home to many world wonders and experience spectaculars. Whether it be 4-wheel cruising on a safari, revelling in the awe of Table Mountain or fluttering on the city horizon during a sky-high helicopter tour. We, of course, cannot ignore that one particular adrenaline filled, submarine experience of play time with the lord of ocean; and we’re not talking about Aquaman!
Concert on Sunday Night @ Kirstenbosch Gardens
The Old Biscuit Mill Day & Night Organic Food Market (only open until 4pm)
Cape Town Historical City Tour with Table Mountain
15 Minute Scenic Helicopter Tour Over Cape Town
Cage Diving with Sharks
For more information on these tours and experiences or to make any bookings, please contact Brigitte Walsh (brigitte@wideafrica.co.za) or visit www.wideafrica.co.za
Staff Pick for Things to Do When Visiting Africa
The ‘Smoke That Thunders’ – a sunrise shot of the god-like Victoria Falls. © Nathan Young-Ziolkowski.
We didn’t get to see the falls at full capacity, but the water sure did thunder – creating quite the surreal experience! © Nathan Young-Ziolkowski.
A bright an early stroll along the divine Victoria Falls. © Nathan Young-Ziolkowski.
A herd of wild elephants cooling in the waters of the Zambezi river. © Nathan Young-Ziolkowski.
The sunset toward the end of a magical cruise on the Zambezi River. © Nathan Young-Ziolkowski.
My afternoon with the elephants, supporting an initiative dedicated to providing these wonderful beings with shelter and safety from neglect and poachers. We were allowed up close to the elephants as you can see, but at all times we respected their space and they made the decisions! If they didn’t want us close – no one forced it. They roamed free, fed and watered themselves – but had a helping, rehabilitating-hand from their minders. © Nathan Young-Ziolkowski.
During my visit to South Africa last year, I took the opportunity to make of my journey by flying to Zimbabwe (okay, so we’ve left South Africa) to witness for myself the great Victoria Falls, where the grand Zambezi river thunders and plummets across the boundary of Zimbabwe and Zambia. I also enjoyed an afternoon with the elephants – supporting an initiative dedicated to rescuing and providing shelter to these majestic mammals and an idyllic sunset cruise on the Zambezi river – spectating a heard of wild elephants joyfully playing in the cool waters under the evening sun.
I can say, with hand-on-heart, I have never felt so connected to nature than during my visit to these sensational places!
World Renown African Safaris
Photo credit: Wide Africa
It would of course be criminal to publish a tourism article on South Africa without a mention of these exotic splendours. Cruise through South African wilderness guided by experts and narrated along a tale of adventure, revelling in some of Mother Nature’s awe-inspiring creations such as elephants, lions, leopards, gorillas & giraffes all within their natural habitat. Wide Africa confidently recommend the following safari trips and locations, while visiting South Africa and from what we’ve seen – we can hardly dispute that!
Wide Africa’s top 5 safai locations are:
East Africa Safari (Tanzania with gorillas)
South Africa (focus on Cape Town, – Kruger Safari – Kalahari Safari)
Okavango Delta – Victoria Falls – Kruger Safari
Cape Town – Kruger Safari & Mozambique Beach
Zimbabwe Safari
For a full itinerary on each of these tours, or to make bookings and enquire about pricing please contact Brigitte Walsh (brigitte@wideafrica.co.za).
Recommended Hotels in Cape Town, South Africa
Photo credit: Wide Africa
A selection of hotels to choose from, ranging from luxurious lodges to affordable, yet high quality accommodation. For reservations, and preferential rates, please contact Brigitte Walsh (brigitte@wideafrica.co.za) or visit www.wideafrica.co.za
These might not fall under your company approved budgets but getting out there a few days earlier or staying on for a little longer means you could take advantage of a little extra luxury to make you stay extra special!
Luxury Hotels In & Around Cape Town
Morukuru Beach Lodge
Babylonstoren
Birkenhead House
The Silo
Ellerman House
Hotels In & Around Cape Town
Kensington Place
Manna Bay
Tintswalo Atlantic
The Last Word The Long Beach
Leeu House
GEO ExPro in Cape Town
We’re delighted to be representing our global publication at both the 26th Africa Oil Week later in the year in November 2019. The magazine will be in circulation throughout the conference. Be sure to pop by to say hi and grab a free copy of the latest issue of GEO ExPro Magazine. In the meantime, happy browsing and we hope you get the chance to embark on at least one of these many recommendations and we look forward to hearing all about it when we see you in Cape Town!
More information on Africa Oil Week can be found via our Events Page.
It would be a lie if I were to say I wasn’t jealous of all those that get to attend the 26th Africa Oil Week, and to rub it in even more – here’s a look back at the wonderful sights of South Africa experienced by our team in the past.
GEO ExPro Editor in Chief at Cape of Good Hope. Photo credit: Jane Whaley.
Near Sea Point it is possible to traverse exposures of Malmesbury Group shales, hardened and darkened by heat from the intruding Cape Granite (right), before moving into the contact zone, where the shales are distorted and folded by the magma (centre). Walking on, the granite predominates (left), although containing many large xenolithic fragments of metamorphosed country rock, before the granite alone is exposed. All over a mere 150m of coastline. Photo credit: Jane Whaley
Hout Bay, 15 km south west of Cape Town, is presided over by the impressive peak of Sentinel Mountain, composed of Ordovician Table Mountain Group Rocks. Whales are commonly seen basking in the calm waters of the bay. Photo credit: Jane Whaley
2. Horizontal bedding near the town of Montagu, western Cape. Photo credit: Jane Whaley.
Dramatic folding on northern side of the Swartberg Pass. Photo credit: Jane Whaley.
At the welcoming reception of 25th Africa Oil Week in 2018, I had the honour of meeting Zondwa Mandela – grandson to the late and great Nelson Mandela.
GEO ExPro Sales & Marketing Manager and Digital Editor, Nathan Young-Zioklowski, pictured with Zondwa Mandela, at the welcoming reception of AOW 2018 on Cape Town’s Waterfront.
Acknowledgements
GEO ExPro would like to thank Brigitte Walsh at Wide Africa and Charles Thomas at Electromagnetic Geoservices (emgs) for their contribution to the content of this article and providing recommendations to help make your trip to South Africa extra special.
Further Reading on Oil and Gas in Africa
Brush up on your African oil and gas knowledge with some recommended GEO ExPro articles relating to oil and gas activity in Africa.
Côte d’Ivoire: Undiscovered Opportunities and New Data in Open Blocks
Christine Roche, Project Geoscientist; PGS
PGS modern broadband seismic coverage of Côte d’Ivoire now provides complete coverage of the area from source to sink.
This article appeared in October, 2018
Future Success for Oil and Gas in Africa
Siva Prasad, Senior Analyst; Rystad Energy
Africa is struggling to convert discoveries into producing fields however further hydrocarbon discoveries will shape the future success for oil and gas production in Africa.
This article appeared in Vol. 15, No. 5 – 2018
Victoria Falls: The Smoke That Thunders
Lon Abbott and Terri Cook
With an annual average of 1,100 cubic metres of water plunging down its 108m-high face each second, Victoria Falls is unquestionably one of the world’s greatest natural wonders.
This article appeared in Vol. 15, No. 5 – 2018
Strike Slip Tectonism and the Evolution of East Africa
Andrew Long, Director; Subterrane Ltd.
Strike slip faults can extend for thousands of kilometres, and envelop many of the typical geological structures we use in basin exploration to define different petroleum play systems in particular in the tectonic evolution of East Africa.
This article appeared in September, 2018
Spectacular Swartberg
Jane Whaley
The Swartberg Mountains in the Western Cape province of South Africa are considered to be one of the finest exposed fold mountain chains in the world. Two dramatic passes afford the geologist unparalleled views of Paleozoic quarzitic sandstones folded spectacular fashion.
This article appeared in Vol. 13, No. 3 – 2016
Building Africa’s Oil and Gas Future
Duncan Clarke. Global Pacific & Partners
Commercial and organisational reforms together with sound advice and networks are needed to move Africa forward in the present challenging environment.
This article appeared in Vol. 12, No. 5 – 2015
Shale Gas in South Africa
James Mullins
Could shale gas migrating through dolerite sills provide the answer to South Africa’s energy needs?
This article appeared in Vol. 12, No. 3 – 2015
Duncan Clarke: Economics and the Oil Game in Africa
Jane Whaley
Duncan Clarke is one of the best known names in the upstream oil industry as an advisor to governments and oil companies, the author of a number of books, founder and chairman of Global Pacific & Partners, and the co-host (with senior partner and chief executive, Babette van Gessel) of the landmark and highly-popular annual Africa Oil Week/Africa Upstream Conference, held in Cape Town. But how did an economist from Southern Africa get involved with the oil industry at all?
This article appeared in Vol. 11, No. 4 – 2014
The Cape Peninsula
Jane Whaley
Spectacular, extraordinary, awe-inspiring: Table Mountain and the Cape Peninsula in South Africa are more than just a list of superlatives, with much of interest to offer the visiting geologist.
This article appeared in Vol. 7, No. 1 – 2010
About the author…
Nathan Young-Ziolkowski
GEO ExPro Magazine | Sales & Marketing Manager + Digital Editor
Nathan graduated from Plymouth University with a BSc Hons in Applied Geology, followed by an MSc from Aberdeen University in Petroleum Integrated Geosciences and two years of post-grad research in geophysics. After 7 years in the industry as a geoscientist, Nathan turned his creative passion to Product Marketing at GeoTeric and is now Sales and Marketing Manager for GEO ExPro Magazine. His role as Digital Editor for geoexpro.com means he can also bring his keen interest in travel and food into the world of oil and gas.
This article was originally written in advance of the AAPG ICE 2018 and 25th Africa Oil Week when both events were held at the same time in Cape Town in 2018. We updated this article in August 2019.
