The nearest airport to Franschhoek (the location of the wedding) is Cape Town. Flights can be direct or indirect (with indirect being more reasonable and generally going through Qatar, Dubai, Paris, Addis Ababa or Amsterdam). At the time of writing, direct flights are just under £600 and indirect flights are considerably less.
We recommend hiring a car for your stay (although it will not be needed during the wedding), it will be handy if you plan to stay on in South Africa. A short walk from Cape Town airport are numerous car rental companies (Bidvest, Hertz, Avis etc.) and, although booking in advance is a good idea, it is possible to secure a same day rental (which is what we did when we discovered Joe had made a booking for collection from Johannesburg rather than CT). Bidvest is usually cheap but aggregator websites such as Kayak or Skyscanner may have better discounts - so have a look online.
A few tips about travelling in South Africa in October.
Late October is on the cusp of, but not quite, the high season, so the accommodation should in theory be cheaper. As there are some good deals to be had, you should BOOK AS FAR IN ADVANCE AS POSSIBLE! Jonathan-come-latelys will garner no sympathy.
The weather in October can be quite variable, usually around 20C (and hopefully dry) during the day, but on the chilly side at night, so please remember to bring some warm clothing (i.e. a shawl/jacket) to wear in the evenings, particularity as all of the events will take place outside.
Re safety, although Franschhoek is a sleepy village and the Winelands are comparatively safe, please do not walk home alone, even if a short distance. TIA after all.
DO NOT PICK UP HITCHHIKERS.
Re more safety, please remember to lock your cars/rental homes/windows etc. at night as there are thieves operating in Franschhoek. There are also often people who hang around Franchhoek's main street (and in Cape Town) and will ask for money to 'look after' your car. The amount paid is usually small. Sometimes we have paid and other times we have not - however, the results have been the same and our car has been fine.
Re restaurants and bookings, Cape Town and Franschhoek are quite unusual insofar as you may need to put down a deposit for a particularly popular restaurant (which you will forfeit if you fail to attend your booking). This is usually around £5-10 and is deducted from your final bill.
If you arrive early and are staying in Cape Town for any time, we would recommend the following:
The Glen Boutique Hotel: Awesome boutique hotel in Sea Point with the world’s best breakfast. We really loved this hotel and would highly recommend it for a couple of nights (https://glenhotel.co.za/).
Silo Hotel: Modern hotel built in a grain silo in the heart of Cape Town – go for a drink on the roof if you don’t stay at the hotel - sister hotel to La Residence in Franschhoek (https://www.theroyalportfolio.com/the-silo/overview/).
Cape Heritage Hotel: Quaint hotel in central Cape Town, reasonably priced and conveniently located on Bree St - (www.capeheritage.co.za/).
Cape Town is such a vibrant city, full of excellent bars and restaurants. You should definitely take some time to visit before or post wedding. Here are some of our favorite options for dining:
Codfather: AMAZING fresh seafood restaurant in Camps Bay, reasonably priced and very generous. Stop for lunch on the way back from driving through Chapmans Peak and the Cape of Good Hope (www.codfather.co.za/).
Pot Luck Club: Delicious cocktails and food, on top of an old biscuit mill in Woodstock. Highly recommended but need to book ahead. Arrive early and do some bouji shopping in the surrounding area (www.thepotluckclub.co.za/).
Shortmarket Club: Sister restaurant to Potluck Club, just off Bree St. Slightly more formal (www.theshortmarketclub.co.za/).
Here are some options for how to spend your time in Cape Town:
Table Mountain: Get up (very) early and hike up to the top of Table Mountain (part of a range even older than the Himalayas) before the clouds descend, taking in Kirstenbosch, the botanical gardens, if possible. You can then take the cable car down (www.capetown.travel/five-table-mountain-hikes-to-try/). Alternatively, try Lion's Head for a slightly less taxing but equally stimulating option, especially at sunset.
Chapmans 'Chappie' Peak: One of the world's most famous drives and spectacular views. Highly recommended (www.chapmanspeakdrive.co.za/).
Cape of Good Hope/Boulders Beach: After driving Chapman's Peak, continue all the way to the (nearly) most southern point of Africa and play 'avoid the syphillitic bite' with the local baboons while climbing some slippery stairs (or the creaking funicular) to the lighthouse at the top. On your back to Cape Town, look out out for the Twelve Apostles and make sure you stop off at Boulders Beach, home to 3,000 endangered penguins. Drop by the Codfather for lunch (see eating recommendations) (www.lonelyplanet.com/south-africa/cape-town/attractions/boulders-penguin-colony/a/poi-sig/1438013/355612).
Zeitz MOCAA: Modern art museum on the V&A Waterfront, itself a good place to visit (particularly the seal platform near the Mandela pier). Afterwards, go for a drink at the Silo Hotel, which is next door along the canal.
Other points of interest include Robben Island, Camps Bay beachfront, the apartheid focused District Six museum and Long Street, the main strip for nightlife.
Although we advise spending time in Cape Town and the Winelands, there are so many amazing places that are easily accessible from the Cape Town which you should explore if you have time:
Safari: The most widely known safari park is obviously Kruger, although that is a two hour flight and five hour drive away. If you want something a little more local, we visited Addo National Park which is short 45 minute plane ride from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth. Alternatively, Port Elizabeth is also the last stop on the Garden Route.
The Garden Route: The Garden Route is less of a route and more of a 300km stretch of coastal road between Cape Town and Port Elizabeth, which is often viewed as the most beautiful region in the country and is home to almost a dozen nature and marine reserves. Here are just some of things you can do:
Oudtshoorn: Oudtshoorn has the most sunny days of any spot in South Africa and is primarily famous as the town where ostriches outnumber humans 16:1. A notable attraction is to ride and race ostriches at one of the ostrich farms (eg, https://highgate.co.za/). Another is Cango Caves (https://www.cango-caves.co.za/), one of the world's finest cave-diving sites. Try the Devil's Post Box.
Knysna: Knysna (pronunced Ny-znah) is, together with Hermanus, one of the world's best places to see whales, from humpbacks and orcas to the more ubiquitous Bryde's whale. However, Knysna is also a beautiful laid-back town in its own right, full of hiking trails, nature reserves and lively restaurants and bars.
Addo National Park: Addo is the nearest true safari park to Cape Town (albeit it is about one hour from Port Elizabeth) and is the only park with the Big Five in the South of South Africa (www.sanparks.org/parks/addo/), although pretty much guaranteed you will not see the one leopard they pretend to have. While other parks (such as Aquilas) are closer to Cape Town, they tend to be the smaller private game reserves which, although they guarantee sightings (and therefore serve a purpose), cannot claim to be true safari.