Dates: 2-8 November 2019 (5 places left) |29 February – March 6 (9 places left)
Price: £990pp

SWIM TO ROBBEN ISLAND, 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 swim to Robben Island, and after an island tour and celebratory braai, we will stay the night. Expect fantastic accommodation, magnificent 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. We are very fortunate to be able to include both a Robben Island swim and an overnight stay in our SwimQuest itinerary.

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, in particular the 7.5km Robben Island crossing (though you can choose to swim this either as a relay or as a solo.) 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 £990pp
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 14^oC and 16^oC in March
Everything is included except transport to and from Atlantic Oasis 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 (four nights at the Atlantic Oasis Guesthouse, one night 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
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

The only costs that are not covered are your travel to and from Cape Town, any alcohol purchases, four evening meals, wetsuit hire (please bring your own wetsuit if you would like to swim in one) and any additional items or activities you wish to participate in outside of the tour schedule.

ACCOMMODATION

Atlantic Oasis Guest HousE

The Atlantic Oasis Guest House is a spacious, modern and comfortable guest house situated in Table View, Cape Town and will be our base for the week. Even though we will stay in Langebaan on Monday evening and on Robben Island on Wednesday evening, you are welcome to leave your belongings at the guesthouse for the duration of your trip. The guesthouse is just 400m from the beach and equally close to shopping centres and MyCiti bus stations, this is a fantastic place from which to explore the surrounding area. There will be opportunities to explore Cape Town and Table Mountain on Thursday should you wish. Atlantic Oasis Guest House has its own splash pool and entertainment area where you can enjoy sundowners and watch spectacular and breathtaking sunsets.

Kraalbaai Luxury Houseboat (Monday evening)

On Monday morning we will take a transfer to Langebaan Lagoon, where we will stay the night 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 evening 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 Atlantic Oasis 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 the Atlantic Seaboard for our first swim underneath the stunning 12 Apostles (3km). After a picnic lunch, we will transfer to Clifton for our second swim of the day (2-3km). Returning to the guesthouse, there will be time to shower and change before we head out for dinner at a local restaurant.

MONDAY

This morning after breakfast at the guesthouse, we will gather for a transfer to Langebaan Lagoon. We will take you to our room on the houseboat, and then prepare for our Postberg swim. Back to the boat for lunch, after which we will complete another swim in the lagoon, returning for sundowners and a braai on the houseboat deck.

TUESDAY

After breakfast, we will complete a lagoon swim. There will be time to collect your belongings and for a spot of lunch before we return to the Atlantic Oasis Guesthouse. In the afternoon, we will visit Cape Town's Seapoint Pool, situated on the ocean front - with views of the mountains behind and Robben Island out to sea. We will head to a local restaurant for dinner before a much needed sleep ahead of tomorrow’s big swim.

WEDNESDAY

Your guides will get you up early for breakfast and prepare you for your epic Robben Island swim (7.5km). Once we reach the island, we will check into our rooms for the night and settle in for lunch. In the afternoon, you will receive a private tour of the island, as your guides prepare the braai.

THURSDAY

We take the easier option this morning and jump on the ferry back to Cape Town. Today is a day at leisure, allowing you time to explore Cape Town, or Table Mountain, and to recover from yesterday. This evening we will settle 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.

SwimQuest Swimming Holidays

Open water swimming holidays

SOUTH AFRICA