Being from Cape Town, I’m a huge fan of wine tours but the problem I’ve discovered is that I don’t enjoy every aspect of a wine tour. When on a tour with a group of people, unless you’re incredibly lucky to find people with exactly the same taste and interests as you, you usually have to sacrifice some of your vino desires in order to ensure that the entire group has a great experience. Now, I may be selfish but let’s be honest, I want to have a good time as well, after all that’s why I decided to book said tour. Well, Sideways Tours is set to change the way that tours to the Cape winelands are booked and experienced.
The first of its kind, this innovative platform offers a simple, user-friendly and centralised booking portal that allows users to discover and book bespoke wineland tour itineraries according to personal interests.
A variety of tours that uncover hidden gems and offer truly personalised and memorable experiences are already available on the platform. Along with historical and MCC tours, more obscure and unexpected experiences, such as active and adventure tours, bachelor party tours and boutique, privately guided tours, are available, with more being added every day.
Lovers of all things gastronomical, for example, would love the Foodie Tour – a half day flavour adventure exploring the hidden corners of Stellenbosch, known only to locals, including cheese and wine tastings, artisan ice-cream sampling and wine/biltong pairings.
Those looking for a bit more excitement may find the Waves and Wine Tour more to their liking. After an epic surf at South Africa’s famous Surfer’s Corner and visiting Dungeons, the site of surf superstardom, guests get to sip the wines of surfing winemakers.
The platform addresses the challenges that people often experience when organising a Cape winelands tour – primarily the lack of a central set of planning, review and booking tools. Traditionally, tours are booked manually (by phone, email, or even fax), which may well result in a frustrating and confusing experience.
“For people used to the convenience and simplicity of innovative applications such as Airbnb and Uber, it makes sense to have one centralised and streamlined experience booking platform which is accessible and easy to use,” explains Sideways CEO Brittany Hawkins.
“It also taps into the trend of experience-driven travel, where people look for unique experiences and unforgettable moments, rather than generic, set itineraries in “one-size fits all” tours,” she continues.
As well as “match-making” the right customers with the right experiences, the Sideways Tours booking platform streamlines the booking process and uses a two-tier system for ensuring the highest quality tours. Firstly, all tour operators are insured and TGCSA certified. Secondly, all tours are “Sideways approved”, meaning they have been personally experienced and vetted by the Sideways team.
For further information on Sideways, visit www.exploresideways.com