A really nice day trip to make, without a hired car, is the train ride from the the city centre to Simonstown. As you can see in the picture, the train runs right next to the sea from Muizenberg all the way to Simonstown.
I would stop and wander around places like Muizenberg, St James and Kalk Bay. They have loads of craft shops, antique traders, cafes and museums.
At Simonstown the line comes to an end but you can take a walk up to Seaforth where you will find the penguins. Unfortunately they have come under serious threat in recent times. There are lots of initiatives to try and address the causes of their demise and to encourage breeding again.
Kalk Bay main road
For more on the train trip Google – Cape Metro Rail. The train timetables should be there.
I would make it a day out and take a lunch hamper and a swimming costume for a day on the beach. Just remember alcohol consumption is forbidden on public beaches in South Africa.
Or you could take in a meal enjoy our fabulous wines at one of the restaurants overlooking False Bay. The view across from False Bay to Cape Hangklip is breathtaking. And the water in False Bay is warmer than the Atlantic Ocean on the other side of the peninsula. Click here for the Travel Archive page.
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.
We have done a fair bit of traveling and we run our own guesthouse, so I feel somewhat confidant to talk about the standard of accommodation in Cape Town.
You get pretty much the same old selection of options that one finds anywhere in the world in Cape Town. Hotels, hostels, back-packers, B and B’s and guesthouses. And South African accommodation is probably much the same.
Except, I would say, that on average, room sizes are bigger than you would find in other large cities such as London, Paris and New York. Usually the rooms are clean. You should find your South African hosts are friendly to a fault.
The feedback we get from guests is that accommodation is well priced. Sure you get high end luxury digs, if that’s what you are after, but if you want comfort at bargain prices, they’re not hard to find.
I will list the websites we use to market our B and B. The first link is for Hostel World aka Webres – Hostel World. Next try Safari Now and their link is here – Safari Now. Roger and Kay have Travel Selection and you can visit them by clicking on this link – Travel Selection. The A A are a tried and trusted group and I can assure you they do regular inspections to make sure standards are maintained. Click here – AA Accommodation South Africa. The other website we use is Rooms for Africa. And the link for them is here – Rooms for Africa.
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.
The Cape coast is notorious for washing ships ashore and the Seli 1 is yet another casualty. She went aground on 18th September 2009. You can see in the photo she lies just off Blouberg beach. What tends to happen with wrecks is the crew and insurers abandon them and they become our problem. The coal cargo, which was bound for Europe was, thankfully, safely removed. As was the crude oil fuel. The ship is slowly being broken up as, I’m sure you will agree, it is a bit of an eyesore on our beautiful beach.
The causes of wrecks off our coastline are combination of weather, mechanical problems and insufficient knowledge of our local coastline. If you are into mysteries of the deep, you might be interested in the killer, superimposed or rogue wave phenomenon that exists off the east coast of South Africa. Ships vanish, sometimes never to be seen again. Google – Death Waves – and – Rogue Waves – to find out more.
We have a lovely chart which was purchased at the Bredasdorp Maritime Museum, which shows the locations of 379 marine casualties in Southern African waters that occurred between 1914 and 1945. Make a point of visiting the museum if you are in the area. See the link for Bredasdorp shipwreck museum for more. And for wiki’s more recent list of wrecks click Wiki list of shipwrecks in Southern Africa. I wrote about how the wreck of the HMS Athens ended up in Mouille Point in this post – RMS Athens wreck. If you are driving our coastlines and keep an eye open, you are highly likely to spot a wreck or three.
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.
The My CiTi bus service is now well under way. The first route to get going was from the the airport to the city centre. At R50 for the trip, it’s a bargain. We’ve used the bus a few times now, and I can see no reason to spend, what in comparison is a fortune, on one of the shuttle bus services or taxis. A shuttle bus or taxi costs around R250 to R300 for the same trip. The embarking process is designed so that you can roll a wheelie suitcase right into the bus. Perfect!
More good news is that the next route which is from Table View to central Cape Town is about to open. Interim fares are also excellent value at R10 per trip.
The My CiTi bus is based on a similar concept that has been in effect in Brazil for a while. The buses will ultimately run in and around the city and to Hout Bay. Can’t wait.
For more on what the Cape Town City Council have planned and plenty of useful information for visitors or potential investors, visit their website Cape Town City Council. Train timetables, news, a map of all green services such as public parks, farmers markets and more can be found on their website. Very handy!
Golden Arrow bus
Lastly you could also take one of the Golden Arrow buses to get around. Visit the – Golden Arrow Bus – website for timetables. I don’t find the website particularly user friendly but maybe it’s just me.
Find the link at the top of this page for travel tips relating to Cape Town in particular and travel in general.
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.
Photo of My CiTi bus c/o City of Cape Town website
Cape Town has such great weather that outdoor activities are almost the norm. But then that is the case for most of South Africa. Our temperatures are neither too hot, nor too cold. Cape Town has dry summers which gives us perfect days to pursue outdoor activities.
If you are in SA and want to participate in something active, you could visit one of these websites for the latest news and events – Entrytime or Magnetic South. For more information on hikes and national parks follow this link SAN Parks or this one Table Mountain walks. Or simply join the locals for a walk at the end of the day along Sea Point Promenade.
The Atlantic Ocean, I will concede is cool. Too cool for me. But that doesn’t stop people swimming to Robben Island most weekends. Without wetsuits! Brrr. It might be more your style to languish on one of our Blue Flag beaches. We have 14 here in the Western Cape, find them here – Blue Flag beaches.
Perhaps you are taking a drive around Cape Point or going up Table Mountain. Pack a picnic basket and enjoy your food al fresco. The best deli for yummy foods to fill your picnic basket is Giovanni’s Deli in Green Point. Find them here – Giovanni’s Deli world. Why don’t the other supermarkets stock such great food? If you are stuck for a bottle of wine and it’s after hours, Harleys in Wale Street doesn’t seem to ever close. Find Harleys Liquors here.
Should you want to view the city from the bay then head to the Waterfront. There you will find all sorts of boats to take you out. You could sail on an old pirate style boat or enjoy your evening meal on a sunset cruise.
There are also plenty of bicycle and even sidecar tours you can take. Try this link for more – bike tours. I could go on and on but I’m going to stop here. My advice? Hire a scooter from Big Boys in Sea Point and make your way around the city unhindered by traffic and free from parking restraints. Read more on Big Boys on this link Big Boys scooters. We use them to service our bikes. Lastly I had to share this great video of Cape Town from their tourism home page – Cape Town video.
