Valentine's Day in South Africa

The fourteenth of February falls in the middle of the South African summer: in Cape Town it is the driest and windiest month, and darkness comes around eight in the evening, so a sunset programme can be set for the evening of the day itself. The selection for this date is made up of private departures — all built for two, with no other travellers along.

The short formats fill an evening. The trike ride up Signal Hill lasts two and a half hours at 127 dollars; the road along Chapman's Peak, cut into the cliff, three hours at 159. An hour with a photographer costs 414 dollars, and these shoots run in both Cape Town and Johannesburg, so the date is covered whichever city you are in. Dinner is not part of these programmes and is booked separately.

To fill a whole day there are the wine valleys: eight hours in Franschhoek or Paarl at 120 dollars, with farm tastings and mountain passes on the way. GetExperience lists 6 programmes in South Africa for this date, from 120 to 414 dollars. February is high season and private vehicles for the 14th go early, so it is worth booking a few weeks ahead; confirmation arrives quickly. Each page states the pickup point and how long the drive takes.