Spirit Tasting at Spice Route Destination in Paarl, South Africa

Cape Town, South Africa is known for its sprawling landscapes, picturesque views and most especially its amazing wines in the popular areas of Stellenbosch and Franschhoek. However, about 30 minutes outside of Cape Town in neighboring town, Paarl, is Spice Route Destination, a one-stop shop that the whole family can enjoy.

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The name is a bit misleading, as there weren't many spices to taste. However, on this one property lies areas for wine, beer, grappa and chocolate tasting, two restaurants with various cuisines, a glassblowing shop, and places for children to play.

Photo Credit: Spice Route Destination

Above is a map of the entire grounds, where you can literally spend the entire day eating and drinking your way to happiness. While I toured the entire property, I am going to highlight a few of my favorite spots.

Wine Tasting

We hit the ground running and opted to begin with wine tasting.  The tasting area is very quaint and offers a marvelous view of Paarl.  Sit at a table or if you bring your own, you can lie on a picnic blanket on the grass. 

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Spice Route offers three tasting options: 

1. Swartland Wine Journey at R50 per person includes a selection of five (5) Spice Route wines;
2. Malabar Tasting at R30 per person includes a tasting of their flagship red blend; or
3. Wine & Charcuterie Journey at R85 per person which includes a selection of four (4) Spice Route wines paired with four (4) Richard Bosman Cured Meats.

I chose the Swartland Wine Journey because I felt like I got the most for my rand. And it offered me a chance to try a variety of their wines. My favorite was their Chakalaka.

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Cape Brewing

I didn't get to spend much time here, but there were several Cape Brewery Company beers to taste. Beer lovers are able to follow the production process and then taste the beers on tap or at the tasting stations.

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DV Artisan Chocolate

I am a chocolate fiend, so I had to check out this cottage.  There were chocolate food and drink options from all around the world. There were also chocolate tastings available.  This place is a chocolate lover's dream.

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La Grapperia

This may have been my favorite stop of the tour. I learned so much about grappa and gained a new-found appreciation. There are two (2) tastings available: Standard for R30 and Master for R50. Again, we opted for the Master Tasting...because why not?

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The Master Grappa Tasting included three (3) grappas, each about 47.5% alcohol and from various countries. Grappa definitely packs a major punch!  

Pro-Tip: After wine and grappa tasting, definitely eat at one of the restaurants for balance. We ate at La Grapperia and the pizza was delicious.

Red Hot Glass

I loved this colorful and unique shop. You're able to stand and watch the glassblowers create unique pieces of art with glass. Items such as vases, ceiling light fixtures, and everything in between were available for purchase.

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How could you not love Spice Route?  If ever in Cape Town and want to check out a place that has everything under one roof for everyone in your family, Spice Route Destination is the place for you.  It's also a great place for a get together with friends or a date with a significant other. Check out more pictures from my visit below!

Pro-Tip: Get there early so you can enjoy the calmness of the property. Later in the day it becomes crowded and while still fun, you won't be able to take in all of the beauty it has to offer.

Why It's OK to Dislike Solo Travel

There are tons of blogs that hardcore advocate for solo travel. They'll tell you it's the best thing since sliced bread. They'll tell you that you're missing out on one of the greatest experiences ever in the history of your life and that you're a terrible person if you can't go on a trip alone to be one with yourself. Sound familiar?

Don't listen to them.

It's a perfectly natural feeling to be hesitant about traveling alone. We're human. We need interaction. We need to feel like we belong to something or someone in most facets of our lives. Travel is no different.

I've traveled alone to a couple of places. I'm traveling mostly solo through Zambia right now. I did not know anyone when I arrived a month ago. I even have a solo trip coming up this weekend to Cape Town, South Africa. I am going alone because:

1. I've always wanted to go;
2. There's a long weekend so I don't have to use any vacation days; and
3. I'm already in Zambia, so why not? 

But is this my preference? No.

I like having someone to talk to when sightseeing and to have a drink with, to people watch and laugh with, and frankly, someone who's inherently built-in to take my pictures (Not kidding!).  I like sharing the overall experience of traveling with someone. 

Does this invalidate any of my other experiences or make me a less-experienced traveler? No, it doesn't. 

Now, I'm not saying that there is something wrong with solo travel. Quite the opposite. I think solo travel is perfectly fine if that's your cup of tea. You should absolutely do it without apologies. But I refuse to be discouraged because it's not my shot of tequila.

I'm also not saying that you shouldn't travel alone because you're scared to. If this is your fear, my suggestion is to conquer it head on and to take a weekend trip to a nearby destination to see if you can. You may actually like it. But if it turns out that you don't, don't beat yourself up. There are plenty of other people out there who feel the same way you do. 

How do I know that I don't like solo travel? Because I've traveled solo. 

Now if your fear or lack of desire to travel solo is keeping you from traveling and living your life...then, we have a problem.