Cycling The Cape & Winelands of South Africa

Our Clients’ Reviews

Here at Exodus we thrive on feedback from our customers. It's the only way we can ensure our trips continue to be the best they can be. So, for the real tales, twists and turns of the trip you're interested in, look no further than the reviews from our previous travellers. Any feedback collected (Good or bad) from Exodus clients is posted straight onto our website - totally unedited. Read more...

Average Review Rating: from 30 reviews.

Susan Hartley

CYCLING THE CAPE & WINELANDS

Written January 2010
It was a great holiday - and could have been outstanding with a few tweaks. Highlights were spectacular scenery, great weather, good food and wine, and a fantastic group of people. Things that would have made it better....less traffic, better bikes and more notification and thought about changes to the itinerary.
Read full review
What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Most of the climbs and scenery were stunning - I know everyone says it, but Chapman's Peak is amazing. Cycling into Camps Bay at the end of the trip felt like a real achievement at the end of a 90km day.
What did you think of your group leader?
Tallis is a nice guy, who was very knowledgeable about wildlife. Our driver, Sifiso, was always there with water and a smile at the stops. He also never complained about the weight of my bag which he had to lift twice a day!
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
If you go shark cage diving, take double doses of sea sickness tablets!
Be prepared for strong head winds, particularly if you go in December.
Mind those Castle Beer trucks as they pass you at 70mph - they don't stop for anyone!
Get fit before you go - we had a very fit and fast group and I think I would have enjoyed it even more if I'd have gone to a few more spinning classes beforehand.
Caroline Steele

CYCLING THE CAPE & WINELANDS

Written January 2010
This holiday was a fantastic experience: lots of varied cycling in spectacular scenery. The food was cheap and delicious – and so was the wine.
Read full review
What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
The final day through Chapman’s Peak was truly memorable – with the bonus that we had a tailwind for the first time on the holiday to accompany the most stunning views. Christmas Eve in that unique hotel at Barrydale was a real highlight.
What did you think of your group leader?
Tallis and Sifiso were friendly and supportive and planned some well-timed breaks. We possibly missed some sight-seeing opportunities around Stellenbosch and other areas due to the itinerary being altered at a late stage.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
This holiday was quite a tough cycle, particularly with what seemed to be ever-present headwinds and not very good bikes.
The roads were predominantly main roads and very busy because of the time of year. If you’re prepared to bring your own bike then do so!
Is there anything else you would like to add?
As well as living up to our expectations of being a real adventure, the holiday was made for us by being with such a fantastic group of people.
The hotel accommodation, however, was more varied than we were expecting given the price of the holiday.
Claire Holloway

CYCLING THE CAPE & WINELANDS

Written January 2010
Overall this was a great holiday, with a fantastic group of people and some spectacular scenery. It was unfortunate that we missed some of the high spots in the published itinerary - including New Year on the Cape Town Waterfront - because of numerous changes, about which we had no warning.
Read full review
What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Carols in Barrydale on Christmas Eve - and the decor in the Barrydale Karoo Hotel; cycling Tradouws Pass to Suurbrak on Christmas Day; cycling up Chapman's Peak with - finally - the wind behind us. And the first Windhoek at the end of every day.
What did you think of your group leader?
Tracker Tallis (with the occasional guest appearance from his dad) looked after us well, taught us about African wildlife, and cooked a mean braai - and all in the face of South Africa's defeat in the second test at Durban. Make sure you push him for information, especially if the itinerary changes.
Sifiso drove the bus in style, carried our bags, our booze, our water, our snacks, our cameras and always kept smiling.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Be aware that there are very few quiet country roads on this trip, so don't expect to meander along chatting. You are mainly cycling along highways and whilst the traffic might not always be as heavy as at Christmas, what there is travels very fast and has no regard for cyclists. And when the guidebooks say that the Western Cape is very windy - they mean it.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
The timing of Christmas and New Year is pretty predictable, and this trip was confirmed in October, so it was surprising that Exodus' local agents Mask didn't seem to have planned for seasonal peaks and closures. The accommodation varied from excellent to bleak - unfortunately the Maribula Lodge, where we spent our last three nights, fell into the second category.
However Exodus have responded fully to issues we raised, so I hope that as a result this doesn't happen to others.
Aidan Lawrence

CYCLING THE CAPE & WINELANDS

Written November 2009
An excellent trip - good time of year, good conditions. Only one morning of rain and more tailwinds than headwinds (even allowing for the hurricane along Franschoek pass!) - As for the wine - I've never drunk such good quality at such a cheap price. Bloomin' marvelous.
Read full review
What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Cycling Chapman's peak coastal road - every cyclist should do this at least once. Getting into the shark cage and realising just how big those mouths are....
What did you think of your group leader?
Tallis was pretty good - seemed experienced for his years. Had a good balance in terms of looking after the different abilities/personalities in the group. Would be happy to be on one of his trips again.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
If you are used to road bikes rather than mountain bikes then bring your own bike - free of charge with South African airways. The trip is 99.9% tarmac roads with some big sweeping downhills - I probably pedalled the least of the whole group by just rolling along.
If you are an inexperienced cyclist then this is a good trip - good support and easy cycling. Don't worry about the distances - there always the option of catching a ride in the support vehicle for a few miles. The hills will turn out to be your friends :-)
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Don't feed the baboons!
Mark Hilton

CYCLING THE CAPE & WINELANDS

Written September 2009
A good holiday overall, with lovely scenery, great wine, lots of whales (late Sept) etc. but a bit spoilt by some wet weather and significant head winds early on, some badly maintained bikes and some disorganisation on the part of the tour leader resulting in chaos on the final day's cycling.
Read full review
What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Seeing whales in Hermanus and the coast rides in general. Going up Table Mountain and visiting a township near Cape Town.
What did you think of your group leader?
Really nice and very sociable guy, who made great efforts re. the cooking and dealing with my gluten free allergy, but .... he made a series of mistakes which resulted in us missing parts of the itinerary and some potentially serious health and safety issues.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
This is a great trip but be prepared for some pretty hilly and windy rides and unpredictable weather (in Sept at least). Make sure the tour leader sticks to the itinerary and that bike maintenance issues are dealt with properly!
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Things need tightening up re. the tour operator Mask. They need to take bike maintenance and health and safety and contingency planning more seriously rather than just winging it!
Exodus Response
Hi Mark

Thank you for taking the time to write a review on our website. I have discussed your comments with our Manager in Cape Town as we take the issues of health and safety very seriously.

Regarding your comments about bike maintenance, I have been assured that all bikes are fully serviced and in good working order before the start of every trip. In an activity like cycling, damage can inevitably happen to the bikes while on the road. To deal with this we carry two spare bikes on every trip.

I am sorry you felt out operator was “winging it”. I have read the report from the leader and we do always try to follow the itinerary as detailed in the trip notes. Unfortunately in South Africa regulations can change at late notice and we do our best to manage these unexpected changes as they happen.

Kind Regards

Elaine (Exodus Trip Manager)
- Exodus Staff
Naomi Hawkins

CYCLING THE CAPE & WINELANDS

Written April 2009
A very well organised trip, cycling on good roads. It was a great introduction to South Africa.
Read full review
What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Here are just a few...
Working our way back to Cape Town via the coastal route. Cruising up and down sweeping hills in refreshing breezes and brilliant sunshine, constantly in awe of the stunning scenery. This was towards the end of our trip and also when we did our longest day of cycling - about 95km.

Almost every cycle we did was rewarded with an opportunity to observe every day life. For example, stopping in Fishhoek to watch in anticipation as a group of fishermen slowly brought in their nets to reveal an enormous catch of yellowtail.

Reaching the southern most point of Africa where the Indian and Atlantic oceans meet – looking out across a swirling of the seas, and a seemingly endless horizon, feeling as if you were at the end of the world!

Wine tasting – especially good when you didn’t have to get back on the bike afterwards!
What did you think of your group leader?
Peter is a fantastic guy - he has run this trip many times before and clearly set out to make the whole experience as memorable as possible for everyone, ensuring that we got the most out of our cycling. He is passionate about cycling and had a good sense of the group’s requirements in terms of what we wanted to achieve on a daily basis. He was also very easy going – and nothing was too much trouble.

Peter’s sense of pride in his country means that he has fantastic local knowledge and he was keen to for us to learn about the environment we were cycling in.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
This trip is graded as 'moderate' and I think it fair to say there was a lot of cycling involved, including one or two ‘monster’ hills! But don't be put off - after a couple of days of acclimatisation, you’ll find yourself wanting to do more and continually challenge yourself. The longer rides were broken up into sections, the support vehicle was always around, ready with water and the appropriate snacks!
The sense of achievement you feel at the end of trip is something else. That, and you see hills in a totally different light!
Is there anything else you would like to add?
The standard of accommodation throughout the trip was very high – mostly 3 star B&B’s and lodges but every place had its own character, along with all the basic amenities and more.

We had a fantastic group of like-minded people, all wanting to achieve the same goal of completing the cycling challenges, whilst having fun at the same time – which we did (I hope everyone else agrees!). It was my first organised cycling holiday and one of the most amazing trips I’ve ever been on – I’m already planning the next one ;)
rUTH gRIFFITHS

CYCLING THE CAPE & WINELANDS

Written March 2009
A well organised....classic road cycling trip with a few hills thrown in for fun......The hotels/lodges were all great...food was great and south african wine even greater.....
Read full review
What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Cycling through Little Karoo...in intense heat..I loved it
What did you think of your group leader?
Peter was a great guy...organised, resourceful and good fun
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
The cycling was good....though it is graded as a moderate.... do not be put off .....the heat and the occasional hill add to the challenge and the enjoyment of the cycling
Also...like a previous person I think I would have like to have gone in the whale watching season at Hermanus

Is there anything else you would like to add?
Go on this trip...this was my 12th Exodus trip ... my 9th biking trip and most probably the best