Dates: 2-8 November 2019 (5 places left) |29 February – March 6 (9 places left)
Price: £990pp
EXPLORE THE ATLANTIC SEABOARD AND DISCOVER THE DELIGHTS OF LANGEBAAN LAGOON ON THIS UNIQUE & CHALLENGING south african SWIMMING HOLIDAY.
Known by many for its Robben Island Freedom swim, South Africa is a swimming destination many are curious about. We are extremely excited to be teaming up with South Africa’s most experienced open water safety team at Big Bay Events to bring you a unique, exclusive swimming vacation in this stunning part of the world. Explore some of the most spectacular swimming spots along the Atlantic Seaboard, including the stunning 12 Apostles, Seal Island and Clifton Bay, before travelling up to Langebaan Lagoon for two nights on board a luxury houseboat with beautiful serene swimming. To finish the week, we will (weather pending) swim in relay to Robben Island, and after an island tour and celebratory braai, we will stay the night. Expect fantastic accommodation, great food and the opportunity to complete swims you wouldn’t be able to complete under your own steam.ABOUT ROBBEN ISLAND
Robben Island lies 7km west of the coast of Bloubergstrand in Cape Town. Nelson Mandela was imprisoned on Robben Island for 18 of the 27 years he served behind bars before the fall of apartheid, and the island is now a South African National Heritage Site as well as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is important to highlight that the Robben Island swim in our itinerary is extremely weather dependent. Much like an English Channel swim, conditions need to be right in order to attempt the crossing. If you would like to stay on in Sputh Africa and attempt a solo crossing the following week, we are very happy to put you in touch with Big Bay Events who can organise this for you.IS THIS FOR ME?
This is a trip suitable for experienced open water swimmers. You should be comfortable swimming 2.5 - 3km / hour or more, be able to swim for two hours without stopping, and should have ample open water swimming experience (you are welcome to swim with or with out a wetsuit, but must be acclimatised if you choose to swim without). The water temperature is usually between 14 and 16C, and potentially turbulent conditions mean that some of the swims will be challenging. If you’re unsure, please don’t hesitate to contact the office for a chat. Throughout the week, you are more than welcome to swim both or just complete one swim a day – it is your holiday. Each swim will be escorted by a main boat and an additional tender that will have ample room for anyone wishing to watch or simply take in the scenery.AT A GLANCE
- Places available from £1,190pp
- This trip is ideal for anyone looking for a week of adventure, with challenging swims, wonderful food and time to relax
- This trip runs from Saturday – Friday
- Non-swimmers are welcome to join the trip and can be on the boat if they wish. A 10% discount is offered to non-swimmers
- Max group size 12
- Water temperature is between 14oC and 16oC in March
- Everything is included except transport to and from the guesthouse, plus three evening meals (we will take you to local restaurants)
- You will need to fly to Cape Town airport (flights from Europe usually between £400-600)
WHAT’S INCLUDED?
- Six night's accommodation (three nights at the Guesthouse in Cape Town, two night's Langebaan Lagoon and one night on Robben Island, see accommodation tab for details)
- Breakfasts and lunches
- Two evening meals: we will cook a braai for you on the Langebaan houseboat and on Robben Island
- A packed swimming itinerary, with full safety boat escort
- SwimQuest & Big Bay Events guides who will work as a team to keep you safe
- Opportunity (weather permitting) to complete the famous Robben Island swim as a relay
- A tour of Robben Island
- Transfers to and from all swim locations during the week
- Optional stroke video analysis and one-to-one swim coaching sessions
- A 10L SwimQuest dry bag and a SwimQuest swim cap
- VAT
ACCOMMODATION
albatross green point guesthouse
The Albatross Green Point Guesthouse is a comfortable guest house situated in Cape Town, where we will spend three nights (Saturday, Wednesday and Thursday). The guesthouse is well located for our swims and the itinerary, and close to the beautiful Sea Point pool should you wish to sneak in some pre breakfast dips!
Kraalbaai Luxury Houseboat (Monday evening)
On Sunday morning we will take a transfer to Langebaan Lagoon, where we will stay two nights on a Kraalbaai Luxury Houseboat. Complete with flush toilets, large pentagonal showers, comfortable twin rooms and spacious lounges with fireplaces - this is a beautiful place to stay and swim. Finish the evenings on the large, wind-free foredeck and dine with a view.
ROBBEN ISLAND (WEDNESDAY EVENING)
On Wednesday evening we have secured the unique opportunity to stay in the original Robben Island Guesthouse.
OPTIONAL SINGLE SUPPLEMENT
Accommodation is allocated on a twin share basis. If you are travelling on your own, we will pair you up with a guest of the same sex, or you can choose to pay a £380 supplement to take a room of your own.THE ITINERARY
N.B. Please note, this is a rough guide to the week. We will adapt the week carefully for each individual and the prevailing weather. All swim activities are planned with safety as the paramount concern. We will try our best to stick to the itinerary, however, should weather conditions dictate, we may need to cancel swims or provide alternative swims in calmer waters.
Enjoy dinner on the deck as the sun sets over Langebaan Lagoon.
SATURDAY
Your SwimQuest representative will meet you at the Albatross Green Point Guesthouse. If possible, we advise guests to arrive between 3 and 5pm. You can settle into your room, and meet your fellow guests and guides before an evening meal and your safety briefing.
SUNDAY
On Sunday morning after breakfast at the guesthouse, we will head to Camps Bay for a short swim before travelling to Langebaan Lagoon, where we will complete our afternoon swim and settle in for a sunset BBQ.
MONDAY
Today we will complete two beautiful swims on Langebaan Lagoon, returning for sundowners and a braai on the houseboat deck.
TUESDAY
After a sunrise swim at Langebaan, after breakfast, we will return to Cape Town and catch a ferry across to Robben Island. We will be given a tour of the island, and uniquely, we will stay the night.
WEDNESDAY
Your guides will get you up early for breakfast and (weather pending) prepare you for your Robben Island swim. Once we reach Cape Town, we will return to the guesthouse. there will be some time Wednesday afternoon to relax after your swim and explore the local area.
THURSDAY
Today, weather pending, we will either swim with the seals at the Apostles, or combine multiple swims on the Cape Point road trip before settling in for our final sundowners and a final group meal.
FRIDAY
Wake up and enjoy a leisurely breakfast before you depart.TRAVEL & TIMINGS
This trip officially begins on Saturday at 3pm, when you can check into the guesthouse and settle into your room. The trip finishes on Friday morning after a leisurely breakfast. Check out is at 10am.FLY TO CAPE TOWN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
British Airways (ba.com) and Virgin Atlantic (virgin-atlantic.com) offer direct flights to Cape Town. You may wish to consult a flight comparison website such as www.skyscanner.net to find the best travel options for you. Flight time is around 12 hours, but with a mere one-hour time difference (two hours during daylight saving), there is no jet lag. Once you arrive in Cape Town, several official operators offer shuttle services, and have desks in the airport terminal, though we recommend prebooking so that you have someone waiting for you with your name on a board at arrivals. Expect to pay around R270 (270 South African Rand – about £17) for the first person and R30 (under £2) for every additional passenger thereafter to the City/Waterfront area. Centurion (00 27 21 934 8281; info@centuriontours.co.za; centuriontours.co.za) are reasonable and reliable.CHECK OUT
Check out from Atlantic Oasis Guesthouse is at 10am on Friday morning.
WHAT TO PACK
In addition to your everyday
clothing and personal travel items, we would also recommend packing:
- At least two swimming costumes
- A wetsuit should you wish to wear one
- Two pairs of swim goggles
- Swim ear plugs if you are used to wearing them
- A beach / swim towel (the villa provides room towels)
- Sandals, aqua shoes or flip flops which you would be happy to get wet if necessary
- Warm clothes for evenings
- Suncream, sunhat and sunglasses
- Insect repellent
- Comfortable sportswear (optional - running / stretching / yoga)
PASSPORTS AND VISAS
Non-residents of South Africa require a full passport to enter the country, which should be valid for at least six months beyond the expected length of stay. Your passport should have at least 2 blank pages when you present it at immigration to enter or leave South Africa.Visas
If you’re visiting South Africa for tourism or business purposes for a period of up to 90 days from the UK, you don’t need a visa, however we strongly recommend you check visa requirement prior to travel as requirements are subject to change. For more information on visas contact the South African High Commission or the South African Department of Home Affairs.VACCINATIONS
Check whether you need a yellow fever certificate by visiting the National Travel Health Network and Centre’s TravelHealthPro website.INSURANCE
As a SwimQuest guest, you are required to have in place travel insurance that covers you for all activities you will be taking part in during your trip. It is your responsibility to ensure that you are fully covered for these activities.Whatever travel policy you decide on, you will need to bring a copy of your current Certificate of Insurance to the safety briefing at the start of your SwimQuest holiday. Your swim Guides will need to take a note of your insurer, policy number and the number to call in case of an emergency claim.
If you are looking for a travel insurance policy, we love worldnomads.com because they make choosing the right policy as painless as possible.
Worldnomads.com do not offer cover over 65s, however if you are over 65 and looking for insurance, please feel free to contact us and we can put you in touch with alternative providers.
READY TO BOOK?
We’re excited about meeting you on tour. To book your South Africa trip, simply fill in the booking form below. Once you have submitted the form, Charlotte (our bookings co-ordinator) will be in touch to request payment and to help you with any additional requirements. A deposit of 30% is required to secure your place, and the final payment is due 8 weeks prior to departure. Payments can be made by debit / credit card, by cheque, or by bank transfer.
In booking with us, you accept our terms and conditions, which can be found here. If at any point you have any questions, feel free to contact us:
Charlotte Benton | +44 7743 233803 | charlotte@swimquest.uk.com
Alice Todd | +44 7825 301443 | alice@swimquest.uk.com
TRAVEL INSURANCE
As a SwimQuest guest, you are required to have in place travel insurance that covers you for all activities you will be taking part in during your trip. It is your responsibility to ensure that you are fully covered for these activities. Whatever travel policy you decide on, you will need to bring a copy of your current Certificate of Insurance to the safety briefing at the start of your SwimQuest holiday. Your Swim Guides will need to take a note of your insurer, policy number and the number to call in case of an emergency claim.If you are looking for a travel insurance policy, we love worldnomads.com because they make choosing the right policy as painless as possible. Click here for more information >
