South Africa 2004 Part 1: Cape Town

We flew to Cape Town in November with KLM via Amsterdam. The service was very good and there was plenty of room in economy. We were lucky as we were on board a new Boeing 777 and there was a huge choice of movies and games to keep us busy. We had booked into the Holiday Inn Waterfront (now the Southern Sun) as we had stayed there last time and it is in a great location. This was our second visit to Cape Town, so we were a little more confident and decided to hire a car. We had booked 5 nights in Cape Town before flying to Durban, so we decided to explore a little more than we had done on a previous trip.

We booked tickets to go up Table Mountain, and although we had been before, the view is just amazing and we never get bored. It is better to pick a clear day when there is no wind (Monday morning is recommended as there tends to be less smog around after the weekend). You will find that if it is windy, the cable cars will not operate. There are hundreds of species of flowers and plants on the mountain as well as nature trails. If you are feeling energetic or brave, you can walk up the mountain or abseil down the mountain!!!!!

The next day we were heading for Hermanus, which is known as one of the best places in the western cape for Whale Watching. The drive is mainly all coastal and is a beautiful scenic route. We stopped off at Bettys Bay and Stony Point en route to Hermanus. Betty's Bay is situated in between Kleinmond and Pringle Bay and is about 45-60 minutes away from Cape Town. You can visit the Harold Porter Botanical Gardens at Betty's Bay or just walk around and take in the beautiful views. Stony Point is at Betty's Bay and there is a Penguin Colony and old Whaling Station which is also worth a visit. The colony at Stony Point is smaller than that at Boulders Beach and it is off the beaten track a bit so there are usually much less people around and it can be a good way to avoid the coach tours.

Hermanus, which is in Walker Bay, has a Whale Crier who blows a horn when there are whales in the area so that whale watchers can hurry to the sea front and try and catch a glimpse. As well as being popular for whales, Hermanus is a lovely seaside town which has lots of shops, cafes and restaurants. There are market stalls selling mostly whale and African souvenirs. There are other areas close to Hermanus where whale watching at close range can be seen such as De Kelders, Gansbaai (famous for shark diving in a cage!!!) and Kleinmond among others.

There are lots of Hotels and B&Bs in the Hermanus area should you want to spend a few days there, but we like to base ourselves in Cape Town as it is handy for the motorway. Just 10 minutes drive from Cape Town is the beach resort of Camps Bay. This is where the wealthy have their homes. It has a beautiful beach and has plenty of shops, restaurants, cafes and bars. There are plenty of beach activities such as volleyball, Windsurfing and water skiing. There are also lots of spas and wellness centres here. It is the place to be seen and you don't feel like you are in Africa in fact it reminded me a little of Ocean Drive in Miami.

The next day we were visiting Boulders Beach Penguin Colony and Simon's Town which is a former Naval Base. On the way we stopped at Muizenberg which is known for its colourful beach huts (we were told that this was the setting for Atomic Kitten's cover of The Tide is High!!!!). Muizenberg is in False Bay Muizenberg is popular with families and adults and is quite often used for fashion shoots as it has white sandy beaches and turquoise blue sea. There are lots of Hotels, B&Bs along the promenade and former Grand Mansions.

We arrived at Boulders Beach next and paid to go into the Penguin Colony which is definitely worth a visit. It is a conservation and educational centre and you can see the penguins at close range. There is a quite a long walk to get to the actual beach where the penguins are. There is an area now where you can swim next to the penguins, which was not there when we were last there. We next went to Simon's Town which is only a few minutes drive away.

Among the attractions in Simon's Town is the Naval Museum. There are Ocean activities such as cruising, whale watching, fishing and African Shark Eco Charters with companies such as the Simon's Town Boat Company. There are lots of cafes and restaurants selling seafood, and cuisine from all over the world. If you are missing English pub grub, you should visit the Two and Sixpence Tavern which is a traditional English Tavern. The best way to explore Simon's Town is on foot, but there are buses and taxis as well.

That evening back in Cape Town we decided to eat at one of the many restaurants at the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront. There are loads of cafes, bars and restaurants selling every kind of food from Seafood, Pizza, Italian, Belgian, French and many more. One of our favourites is the City Grill Steakhouse, in my opinion they have the best steak and they also sell African specialities such as Springbok, Ostrich, Crocodile and much more and the Green Dolphin which has live jazz bands and booking is recommended. The Waterfront is popular with tourists as there are lots of shops, Galleries and Hotels. The Robben Island Ferry also leaves from here. The main Tourist Information office is based at the Waterfront where you can get maps and book tours, safari and fishing trips. It is also home to luxurious Hotels including the Cape Grace and the Victoria and Alfred. There are street entertainers and the Two Oceans Aquarium is at the Waterfront.

On a previous visit to Cape Town, we had booked a Culture Tour which took us to the District Six Area and museum and on a Township Tour of Langa where we visited the Chris Hani Community School founded my Mrs Maureen Jacobs. The classrooms were old ship containers, and Mrs Jacobs and her teachers gave the children an education but had no help from the government. I had enquired before travelling if there was anything the school may find useful such as stationary. I was told that any donations would be most welcome.

Working in the travel Industry, we are always being given pens, and other airline stationary so I decided to get my work colleagues to help. I asked them for any spare pads, pens, rulers and I scrounged some freebies from some of the Airlines we deal with. The school were really grateful and it was wonderful to see the kids again. It gave me great pleasure to be able to help!!!!. I have heard that a few months after our visit, Oprah Winfrey visited the school en route on a visit to see Nelson Mandela and has given the school a building and the kids all now have their own books.

We also visited the Khayelitsha Township where Vicky Ntozini has opened her shack to visitors to give you a taste of a real Township experience in Vickys B and B. I have met Vicky twice and she is a wonderful woman who gives profits back to her community. Cape Town is like two different worlds, as you travel from the airport to the Waterfront the first sights you see are the shacks in the townships on one side of Table Mountain, and then other side it is all luxury hotels and high rise buildings.





We had two days left and decided that we were going to spend one day at the winelands and the last day visiting Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope. The winelands are famous in South Africa, and there are lots of routes such as Stellenbosch, Franschhoek, Constantia and Paarl to name a few. It is a beautiful drive and there are lots of Wine Farms where you can stop and visit the cellars and do wine tasting (booking a tour is probably better if you like wine so you do not have to drive!!!!). I am not really a wine drinker so my hubby did the tasting and I did the driving!!!! [This is the way it should be - hubby] Stellenbosch was home to the first wine route and is probably the best known. You can also buy the wine from the farms.











Our last day was spent at Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope national Park. The park is huge and you will see Baboons and Ostrich's. The view along the coast is beautiful. At Cape Point, you can walk up to the lighthouse (not for the faint hearted) as there are loads of steps or ride the Funicular. Whichever you choose, you will be rewarded by the view!!!! There are signs all around warning you not to feed the baboons, do so at your own risk!!!!! We saw some silly woman giving one baboon some food and its family then came over and became aggressive because she wasn't' sharing any more and they then started jumping on the car!!!!


After another tiring day. we had to pack for our flight to Durban the next day. Even though we explored more of Cape Town this time, we are still not done as there are so many more places we want to go to, so I will have to plan my next visit when I get home!!!!!


Coming Soon..... Durban

South Africa 2002 Part 3: Cape Town (Excursions)

We booked a few trips while in Cape Town as we were not quite brave enough to drive on our first visit to South Africa. So we did our homework and decided to go to Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens about a 20 minute drive from the Waterfront.

Kirstenbosch is more than just Gardens and has nature trails, walks and hikes as well as cafes, shops and even concerts in the summer. It has 528 hectares and houses beautiful flowers and plants. It costs about ZAR30 (Approx £2.50) to get in and is worth every penny.

Whilst we were down that way we decided to take a tour of the Newlands Stadium. At Newlands there is a cricket and Rugby Stadium (the Rugby stadium is also used by Ajax Cape Town Football Team). We could only visit the Rugby stadium as the Cricket Stadium was being prepared for the Cricket World Cup the following year. The stadium holds 40,000 and is a smart stadium. We were shown the dressing rooms, leisure facilities, the pitch and trophy room.

The Football teams do not have their own stadiums as Rugby is the main sport in South Africa so the football teams tend to use the Rugby Stadiums. Newlands is one of the stadiums that will be used in the 2010 World Cup

Another trip that I highly recommend visitors to do is a visit to see the penguins at Boulders Beach which is in Simon's Town. You should go and visit the Penguin Colony and see the Jack-Ass Penguins. There is a boardwalk around the beach so you can get close without disturbing them. There is also an Education Centre within the colony that you can learn more. The penguins are really funny and fascinating to watch. Simon's Town is a really nice small town to wander round when you have finished at Boulders. It is an ex Naval Town and has lots of shops, restaurants and museums. There are many companies that offer all these trips while in Cape Town, but the one we booked through was Springbok Atlas

Springbok Atlas will pick you up and drop you off at your hotel and it is normally only small groups. These tours can be booked direct before you travel, via your Concierge or at the Waterfront in Cape Town.

One other tour that you must take on a visit to Cape Town is the Robben Island Museum Tour.

Robben Island is where Nelson Mandela spent most of his sentence during Apartheid. Most of the prisoners were 'Political Prisoners' who were imprisoned because of their objection to Apartheid. The tour is very moving as you are shown around the prison including the cells, yard and where the prisoners had to work outside all day with no shelter or shade in the burning heat!!! The 'Political Prisoners' were segregated even down to the food they were given!!! Most of the Tour Guides are ex Political Inmates, Guards or staff. There is even a school on the Island for the worker's Children. It is hard to believe when you hear their stories that all this happened just because of different beliefs or colour of skin!!!!!

"Robben Island was also a training and defence station in World War II and a hospital for leprosy patients, and the mentally and chronically ill. Political and other prisoners were still on the Island, but as there was no cure for leprosy, mental illness and other chronic illnesses in the 1800s, Robben Island was a kind of prison for the hospital patients too." (This is from the official website!!!!!)

The boat takes about 30 minutes from Cape Town Harbour and you can get fantastic views of Table Mountain from the boat and the Island. The tour is 3 and a half hours in total and cost is approx ZAR150 (£12.00 Approx!!!)

The fourth and Final part coming soon: Pilansberg Game Reserve and Sun City...

South Africa 2002 Part 2: Cape Town

We stayed at the Holiday Inn Waterfront at Cape Town (Now the Southern Sun Waterfront). It is very handy for the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront. which is the main area for tourists with lots of shops restaurants and street entertainers. There is a shuttle bus to and from the waterfront but it is only a 10 minute walk away. Walking is fine during the day, but we were advised against it at night as it is working harbour and as there are a lot of homeless it would not be a good idea to walk about in the dark.

The holiday Inn is a really nice hotel and would not break the budget and is very handy if you are intending to drive in Cape Town as it has an underground Car Park and is on the main road in Cape Town next to the convention Centre. We love it around the waterfront as there are so many great restaurants and shops to choose from. One of our favourites is the City Grill as they have lots of great choices such as springbok, Kudu and lots of other Africa Favourites as well as steaks - my hubby loves the mixed grill and the beef carpaccio.

I am very fussy when it comes to Steak and mine has to be very well done all the way though with no pink or blood and very few restaurants do this for me. I get sick of sending food back, but here it is always perfect.!!!!! The prices are very reasonable in Cape Town where they use the Rand. You can eat at the best restaurants for very little.

We went up Table Mountain and this is a must for any visitor to Cape Town. You are best going in the morning as there are sometimes large Q's. It takes about 10 minutes to get to the top and has a 360 degrees revolving platform as it travels up the mountain. It is ZAR130 (approx £10) or if you are feeling very energetic you can hike up although this is recommended with a guide and not alone.

If the weather is windy or stormy the cable cars may not run, so it is best to check before going. It was also recommended to us that we try and go up the mountain on a Monday morning (weather permitting) because the pollution is less evident then. The view from the top is second to none. You can see Robben Island where Nelson Mandela was incarcerated, and all over Cape Town. There are also thousands of different species of flowers and plants - more than are indigineous to the UK.

There are lots of restaurants and shops in the centre of Cape Town just a short cab ride away and you should go to Greenmarket Square where they have a market selling all sorts of African souvenirs, bags, clothes and even food. I would recommend this as you can pick up some bargains just be wary of pickpockets.

We had another trip booked which was a cultural tour to District Six and a town ship in Khayelitsha. District Six was a cultural area where all races lived peacefully together until Apartheid. All the 'Non Whites' were forced out to the Cape Flats which is where the Townships are. The white people left were not happy so they all moved away also and the only building still standing is the white Church. We were taken to District Six and the small museum which is there.

They have a huge map which covers the floor in the museum and past residents have marked where they lived. When the buildings were demolished the street signs were also saved. This is definitely worth a visit. On the tour we were taken to the Chris Hani School in Nyanga. This is run by Maureen Jacobs and provides an education for the children of the Townships who cannot afford to pay for their education. The school relies on donations.

Vickys' B and B is in Khayelitsha and gives people the opportunity to experience a real Township. It is a small community and everybody looks out for each other. We have met Vicky and her children and they are all very friendly and welcoming. You can email Vickys' B and B at vickysbandb@yahoo.com

If you want the stay in the best hotels in Cape Town or if money is no object, stay at the Cape Grace which is a 5* luxury hotel and every room has a view of the mountain. Or as an alternative, our friend Heinrich works at the luxurious Winchester Mansions in Sea Point, Cape Town.

Part 3 coming soon...