I happen to know someone in AVIVA and have a relative who did volunteering through AVIVA. Therefore I would recommend that anyone wanting to make a difference or add volunteer work to their CV consider AVIVA. See their logo for the website.
AVIVA have a wide range of volunteer options from working with wildlife, to nature conservation through to learning new skills with children in need or spending time with abandoned babies and children.
You could get up close and personal with a lion, learn to surf, tag a penguin, teach a child how to read or end up falling in love with an abandoned baby. What you will do is make a difference and leave South Africa a better place for your visit.
AVIVA arrange airport transfers, accommodation and they have their own tour bus and shuttle bus so you get to see Cape Town as well. Both accommodation centres have housekeepers as well as laundry and catering facilities. People come from all over the world, are of all ages and all walks of life. Lifelong friendships are formed and some people end up staying far longer than they intended. Many come back year after year.
If you happen to drive into Cape town and you see the huge white dome on the foreshore with Zip Zap circus written on it, that is where children in need are taught to circus arts. Now how cool is that!
Go to – My Holidays and Trips – at the top of this page to read about other places we have visited. Or just click on – this link.
Since we run a B and B Cape Coast Views we have a fair idea as to what our guests like to see in Cape Town. Most of them want to visit Robben Island and most also want to do Table Mountain. Both those experiences are subject to good weather and are very popular. We advise our guests to get them done early in their holiday to make sure they get tickets and have a spare day in hand should the weather prevent them from doing the trip on the day.
Both these attractions can be booked via the internet and prices at present are R170 for Table Mountain and R200 for Robben Island. Please confirm these prices as they may fluctuate seasonally and for the Soccer Cup period. They can be booked via – Webtickets.
In the picture is a cold front heading in from the sea. One can see a front while it is still far out and watch it slowly move in toward land and eventually engulf the city in thick mist.
Since I can only really speak English properly I can’t discern accents in other languages. But English language accents vary considerably. Some are easier to understand such as American or Australian. The Scots and Jamaicans are difficult to understand. My ear can’t easily tell the difference between a Canadian and an American or an Australian and a New Zealander.
In South Africa our accents are largely to do with home language. You can hear someone who speaks Afrikaans or Xhosa at home when they speak English. But apart from that it’s not easy to tell which region someone is from based on accent.
I get to travel a bit every year and forget that not every one uses the same words we do here.
Our English is peppered with words from other local languages. A flying insect is a gogo (pronounced with a gutteral g); a walking insect is a nunu and a centipede is a shongalolo. Eina means ouch.
But we also use terms that don’t make sense to others. Just now actually means not now. So if someone is meeting you just now. Find out exactly when or you could end up waiting a while.
Local boys have a hand shake that would make free masons envious. It’s a combo of twists and turns. I can’t remember them but certainly interesting to watch. The greeting process can become quite protracted and flamboyant.
One other thing. If you happen to be standing on the side of the road. And you happen to point up. A local taxi will break the land speed record and in a blur of shrieking tyres and cars almost crashing, swing open their doors, while moving, to give you a lift. That is how we summon a mini bus taxi here. And as said in previous posts, our local taxis are “one more busses”. Always room for one more.
Travelling with children? Here are some ideas to keep kids amused in Cape Town.
Starting at The Waterfront you can take a boat trip to go whale, seal and dolphin spotting. If you out of luck you can always head to the Two Oceans Aquarium which has 88 species on display including predators.
A day drive out to Cape Point along False Bay will give kids a chance to see penguins on Boulders beach and the baboons along the way. Coming back along the Atlantic Coast, take in The World of Birds in Hout Bay.
At Canal Walk is the MTN Science Centre which has over 300 interactive displays. That should keep them busy for a while. If they are still bouncing, then next door is Ratanga Junction which has scary rides for the braver children. (Check when they are open)
A visit to The Company Gardens gives children a chance to feed the squirrels and to visit the Natural History Museum close by. It showcases fossils and skeletons and gives the story of evolution. There is also the Holocaust Museum in the vicinity allows much older children to understand how racism can be a destructive force.
The Spur chain of steakhouses have supervised play areas at most of their branches. Kids can play computer games or jump on a bouncing castle. Birthday kids get a special sparkler with their meal and the staff come to the table to sing to the birthday child.
