In the photos are whales frolicking in the bay. Whales come to give birth to their calves here in winter and the shoulder months. The bay becomes full of whales and baby whales. There are also seals, dolphins, penguins, sharks and plenty bird life. A boat trip around the bay is the perfect way to see our beautiful coastline, the mountains from afar and local marine life. The waterfront has a good selection of boat trips or you can head out to Simonstown or Gordon’s Bay to find a boat excursion. Visit the Dyer Island Conservation Trust for what work they do with sea creatures and their tours – Dyer Island Conservation Trust. They also have a great photo gallery.
Whale tails
On the subject of drinking tap water. Tap water in Cape Town is safe to drink. Read here for the SA Tourism report Blue Drop report on tap water in South Africa. Since we run a guest house we are always amazed at how many people insist on drinking bottled water and how much they throw away untouched or barely consumed.
Refilling a spent water bottle a few times helps to reduce garbage. Tap water is often purer than bottled water, since bottled water is frequently found to have contaminates. We use water filters on our taps and allow the water to stand in a glass jug so the chlorine can evaporate. Personally I think that is the best water.
South Africa is a water scarce country. We do have water restrictions every now and again. People from water rich countries probably don’t know what it’s like not to be able to water a garden or wash a car. Don’t try it, if we are having restrictions, you may get a fine.
Photographs Katja Vinding Petersen
South Africa has a couple of budget internal airlines you may not have heard of before. They have some really good specials so before you rush to use SAA or BA to get about South Africa, you should have a look at these local airlines.
First place to look for bargain flights is Mango.
The next airline we look to for specials is 1time Airline.
And the other handy and well priced local airline is Kulula.
I forget which one of them, but one of these budget airlines has a habit of making funny announcements. If you are the sort who has heard them a million times and ignore them, you may miss some unique safety announcements.
Of course you forgo your usual complementary airline meal and drink but I prefer to have something at the airport before the flight. They do sell basic food and snacks on the flight. Here are some hopefully helpful tips for long haul travelers. I am vegetarian and always book a special meal. I get my meal way before everyone else. The only thing I always do is confirm my meal when I book on-line. When I am seated on the plane I check again that my meal has been ordered. The special meal shows up with the other details on your print-out which you can show the flight attendant of there is any confusion. The reason I make extra sure they know I am expecting a vegetarian meal? Once I was told I hadn’t booked it when I knew I had and was left to go hungry. And that’s not all, someone who did not book a veg meal asked for one and when they got to me – my veg meal was gone!!!
Another I hope useful tip, is that I check in on-line as the bookings open 24 hours before. Some airlines charge to let you book earlier. Some let you choose your seat when you buy your ticket. But for most you can only check in 24 hours before. I bag myself a seat near the front so I get served and get off before the rest of the folk on the plane. And I prefer an aisle seat so I can move about without disrupting people. The best seats are those near the emergency exits. There you have extra leg room but you gotta be fast for them.
Bon voyage!
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.
Our mountains are home to the famous, or sometimes infamous, Cape Baboon. His proper name is Chacma Baboon. They are less prevalent in the city centre but if you head out toward Cape Point, you should see them sitting on the sides of the roads or on rocks.
They hang out in troops and the cutest little babies hang onto their mother’s tummies. They look harmless and sweet. And visitors frequently get out their cars to take photos or worse, get up close and personal with these apes.
Human fascination with these creatures is actually harming them and their numbers are being carefully monitored. By giving food to baboons, people have taught them to become too lazy to scavenge for their own food. If they see food in a car, they will attempt to take it.
Warning sign
Residents on the south peninsula have big problems with these creatures. They come into their homes and steal food. They turn over garbage bins and they get highly aggressive. They bite!
A drive around the peninsula is a lovely day out but do exercise caution with these animals. Observe them from the safety of a car. They are not cute pets. Don’t try and touch them.
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.
A nice day trip out without having to hire a car is the trip to Blouberg. There is a dedicated cycle lane and all you need is a bicycle.
Cape Town Cycle Hire will deliver a bike to your front door. It’s a lovely ride out. The sea is on your left and you pass Milnerton Lagoon, Sunset beach and Blouberg beach.
Flamingo Vlei is on your right, which is a wetland area full of bird life. On Sundays you can pop into the car boot market in Milnerton or have lunch at one of the cafes next to the lighthouse at Milnerton Beach.
Blouberg Beach is a mecca for sea sport lovers. Kite surfing, windsurfing, stand up paddle surfing, regular surfing, if you can think of it, they are doing it. Maybe book a lesson before you head out? Use the words – Kite Surfing School – to find local teachers and equipment.
If you are after a bit more action, then keep the bike a day longer and do a spot of mountain biking. Downhill Adventures will show you the ropes.
And for those who prefer a more sedentary approach to sight seeing, don’t forget the My CiTi bus heads out to Blouberg. You can get on an off as you wish.
First lets deal with visas. Some nationals may require visas and others not. You will need to refer to either your local embassy. Another handy site is this SA Tourism.
You could also utilise an agent who deals with foreign visas and they do all the leg work for you. For a fee of course, but hey, they know the business.
Next vaccinations. Depending on how you enter South Africa, you may require a yellow fever vaccination. Do an Internet search for a list of possible entry countries. If you have travelled through them, then you need the jab.
The list includes most of Africa and a few South American countries.
Malaria does occur in South Africa but not in Cape Town. It’s possible to find maps showing high, medium and low risk areas as well as maleria free areas.
As a rule of thumb, the tropical bush camp areas on the east coast are where you need to be cautious. The recent high profile case of Cheryl Cole is proof that malaria does happen to visitors. That said, I will not take some of the new generation anti malarials.
I have seen too many people get very, very ill on them. The older generation anti-malarials are no longer effective against the new strains of malaria so you can’t rely on them. I prefer to practise extreme vigilance and take my chances. I do not recommend my approach. However I refuse to be struck down by medication and ruin a holiday.
Here’s how I do it.
Always cover your arms, neck and legs with light cotton clothing. Rub insect repellent gels and lotions all over exposed body parts regularly. I like Citronella oil. You won’t smell good to your travel mates but the mosquitos will be put off you as well.
Sleep under a net. Eat loads of garlic and drink gin and tonic. Apparently tonic water has quinine which is supposed to be an anti malarial. I also take a few drops of the herbal extract of Artemesia three times a day in water.
Lastly I take homeopathic China. You can use search terms such as Cinchona bark or China malaria to find out more.
You should have plenty ideas to keep safe from malaria.
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.
