- Cape Town
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South Africa
For quality accomodation with a difference - self catering accommodation at lighthouses.
September 2005 we stayed at two, Danger Point near Gansbaai/Hermanus - excellent location with a good restaurant a few minutes away, very handy for shark and whale watching, lighthouse keeper couldn't have been friendlier.
CapeColumbine, Northern Cape, another excellent location with the village of Paternoster nearby with a choice of quality eateries. Lighthouse keeper's a real character.
Accommodation very high quality and we would say good value from a European viewpoint. Danger Point - sleeps 4, from R581 per night not per person.
Danger Point, by the way, was the site of the wreck of HMS Birkenhead which gave us Birkenhead drill, ie women and children first.
This is a little nature treat off the beaten track about 30 minutes south of Cape Town.
Hike to 'Elephant's eye' and enjoy stunning views over Hout Bay or go for a swim in the dam.
Take the M3 South to its end, turn right and take the Oulde Kaapse Weg left into the mountain. At the mountain top, turn off right (follow signs for Silvermine).
Visit the Penguin Colony and get close (as close as the boardwalk and fencing will allow you, which is within a few metres) to lots of penguins. They strut their stuff for the tourists and their cameras. When you're done, leave the colony itself and turn left on along the footpath to the other side of the Boulders Bay. Here you can sit and watch the penguins parade by a few feet away, or, if you're really lucky, swim with them.
For those not quite energetic enough to walk up Table Mountain, take the cable car. As it goes up the car rotates through 360 degrees, so you get all of the view without moving. At the top the views can be spectacular - depending on the weather. Keep an eye on the weather, as the cable car can be closed at short notice, if bad weather is expected. While you're up there, take a guided walk with one of the volunteer guides. You will hear about the flora and fauna but also a lot of information about the rest of the mountain and Cape Town
Beautiful scenery and wild in the winter months (our summer!). Easy walking routes and great food at the Two Oceans restaurant at Cape Point (avoid the tour bus rush and before you go for a walk, book a table for a late lunch and your chances of getting a window seat are far better). Watch out for the wild baboons that occasionally get in and leap on to your table for sugar supplies!
Kalk Bay Harbour - reminiscent of a Cornish fishing harbour. Arrive about lunchtime to watch the fishing boats come in with their catch of the day. It's fun watching the catch being landed and then auctioned off. The seals come right up to the harbour edge to pick up the scraps thrown overboard.
Kalk Bay
In Cape Town you're spoiled for choice when it comes to beaches, but if you're looking for something a bit different try Boulders - it has it's own colony of penguins which mingle with the beachgoers. The beach itself is nice, although the water is a little cold in winter.
Unsure of the exact address, but as the neighbouring penguin colony is a major tourist attraction it should be easy to find
An organised drive through the vineyards and estates of Paarl and Stellenbosch. You get to taste wines at the estates, and can buy wine directly from them. A great way to see these delightful towns, the mountains and vineyards, and get some advice on SA wines. A picnic at Boschendal is highly recommended, but there are many other places to eat.
Drive yourself, or go on an organised tour. The local tourist board will have details
Stay in nearby Hout Bay or Constantia for cheaper accommodation. Visit the marina and take a boat trip to the seal colony. Travel to Hermanus and in season, there are whale-watching boat trips and scuba diving as well as a reasonable drive to the southernmost tip of Africa - Cape Aghulas.
Try Grootbos nature reserve at www.grootbos.com
A short trip from the centre of town is Cape Point - where two oceans (the Atlantic and the Indian) meet. Amazing views over some of the roughest and most feared seas in the world. Plus, at some times of year, whales can be seen.
They can be seen at Boulders Beach.
There are antelopes and plenty of birds, as well as ‘fynbos’, a fine-leaved plant kingdom unique to the southern tip of South Africa.
Buffels Bay is in the Cape Point Nature Reserve. Turn left from the access road just before reaching Cape Point itself. The beach is extremely quiet and has seawater pools for swimming, colourful rockpools for the kids and a collection of braii machines (concrete firepits for bbq'ing).
The view is magnificent and with very few people the beach is teeming with wildlife including buck, ostrich and baboons. The baboons can be pretty persistent trying to steal your sausages from the fire so ask a local about borrowing a baboon whip to scare them off if they come round!
Location - location - location. I haven't found a place in the Cape which feels so quiet and so yet close to the sea - it is so beautiful. The sea has a unique colour at this side of False Bay - just magical. The restaurant has great seafood. The 3 times I have been there the service has been really friendly. Almost the ideal lunch spot for those on trips to or from Cape Point or the penguins in Simonstown (3 miles away). The only warning is that it is quite exposed so if the wind is blowing you may need a sheltered outside spot. I really hope you go and enjoy it as much as we did.
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