#Moving Company Muizenberg

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Movers In Kraaifontein Get 4-6 Moving Quotes Right Here!

Perhaps, you are simply looking for some storage cubes to tidy your kid’s toys. Either way, you can see the perfect solution amongst our directory. Contact details similar Office Relocation Muizenberg to cellphone numbers, websites, handle and opening instances are offered, as well as feedback and valuations from different clients.

Having remained a household owned enterprise, nonetheless, has enabled us to add a personal contact to everything that we do, whether it is small local strikes or long-distance relocation. We have additionally been referred to as on sometimes to help with the logistical solutions of blue chip clients, affording them a safe method to distribute their cargo reliably and timeously. After 48 years establishing our name in the industry, we're an iconic brand within the transport business, well known Home Removals Muizenberg for our excellent service, and competitive costs. You can save as a lot as 33% in your furniture removals cost by midmonth strikes. As well as shared load companies as properly as speaking to your marketing consultant on any out there discounts. By moving during the middle of the month and in other off-peak periods you can save considerably in your furniture removal prices.

We’ll detach your blinds from their frames, ferry them to our factory and take away all dowels and strings. Depending on the fabric type, we’ll both hand wash or dry clear your blinds using an acceptable cleaning agent. We steam out any creases, reassemble the blinds and re-hang them in your house. Our group will pop in at your comfort, take down your soiled and stained drapes, and transport them to our manufacturing unit for a deep and thorough clean, using our specialised industrial tools.

For occasion, in 1974, the construction of Mitchell’s Plain commenced and people who have been forcibly removed from District Six have been relocated to Mitchell’s Plain. Those folks that were removed from locations similar to Mowbray have been relocated to Bonteheuwel and Heideveld. In 1975 the government commenced development of a ‘model’ industrial city in Atlantis 45kms from Cape Town to relocate colored folks forced out of Cape Town. This laws contributed to the establishment of Langa township and de-proclamation of the Ndabeni location to have the ability to drive Africans to maneuver to Langa.

At Infoisinfo we at all times work onerous to find a way to show you where to buy or rent one of the best services and products in Cape Town for you and your organization. We know how tough could be to kind out all our belongings, mainly when we've too many and not that a lot house. For this cause, we wish Moving Company Muizenberg to allow you to out by providing an inventory of the best storage companies in Cape Town. Maybe you are looking for momentary storage whereas moving your furniture to your new house, otherwise you want long run storage services for your corporation and pay a monthly storage unit price.

Among others, two items of legislation passed in 1950 played a pivotal function in enforcing residential racial segregation in Cape Town and elsewhere in South Africa. The first was the Population Registration Act of 1950 which classified people in accordance with government-defined and allocated racial categories. This Act offered for the issuing of identity playing Staff Relocation Muizenberg cards indicating the assigned racial group of bearer. People had been classified as Black, Coloured, Malay, Indians and Whites. This Act laid the muse for the implementation of the second Act which was the Group Areas Act also passed in 1950. When the Caldeon Code was repealed beneath Ordinance 50 of 1828, the carrying of passes by the Khoikhoi and different free persons of colour was abolished.

The Kaffir Employment Act which was also handed in 1857 provided for the registration of contracts between employer and Xhosa workers. Once the contract expired, black Africans, nearly all of whom have been Xhosa people had fourteen days to find other employment or leave Moving Company Muizenberg the colony. These legal guidelines turned the muse for inflow management laws that have been vigorously enforced in Cape Town to keep the Africans out of the town under the apartheid authorities.

We are skilled, skilled removal consultants who know the way to take care of all your moving situations, nevertheless, belief on us and also you wont be dissatisfied at all. Whether you are moving throughout town or to a unique city or continent, finding a dependable removal company will be important to ensure your personal home transfer runs easily. At Master Movers, we fully understand that no two moves Storage Solutions Muizenberg are the identical. That’s why our absolutely personalised method to removals has made us one of the popular decisions for moving home. We provide an extensive vary of packing services out there in the Muizenberg space, as properly as packing supplies, to help guarantee your valuables are expertly wrapped, packed and transported. This is something that is normally over seemed and brought flippantly.

[mastermover345]

Rondebosch Golf Membership: Heartbeat Of Town

Denominational custom regarded all distinctions void in Christ, and full equality was accorded to men and women in church life. CUSA was among the many first to ordain girls from the 1930's onwards. In 1937, Miss Emilie Solomon, a laywoman, was appointed because the Chair of CUSA, the very best office within the denomination.

In 2004 I qualified and began working for a niche boutique company selling properties to and for folks in the Rondebosch. After the Covid lockdown I joined Lew Geffen Sotheby’s International Realty still specializing in Rondebosch, and am thrilled to be part of this fine company. I will continue constructing relationships while providing caring professional service to my sellers and discovering the proper houses for families International Movers Rondebosch wanting to maneuver to the area. It is easy and a joy to promote the advantages of raising families in this neighborhood minded, academic belt of Cape Town. Some components of Walmer Estate, like Rochester Street, had been utterly destroyed, while some parts like Cauvin Road have been preserved, however the homes have been demolished.

Henry has given his assurance that the development will be amongst the most safe in the Western Cape. Its security measures will embrace electrified boundary walling, CCTV, security guards, a single manned entrance and fingerprint recognition for entry to the building itself. When the Cape Field Artillery fired their military gun in 2013, 19,525 entrants took to the streets of Cape Town, making the Gun Run the second largest Moving Company Rondebosch operating race in the country. About 30 minutes south of the city middle, Muizenberg seashore is taken into account to be the birthplace of surfing in South Africa. The route follows the Muizenberg — St. James Walk, passing breaking waves, fishermen, surfers and, in case you are lucky, whales.

This might usually be because of restricted cash reserves, smaller shopper bases, and fewer capability to manage a halt in trading. Outside Cape Town, costs drop off dramatically for almost everything. Can't assist but think these costs are pulling almost every thing on this record down. Having lived in San Francsico, London and Melbourne, Cape Town is actually cheaper, but not by so much. It’s further help, additional palms, and additional motivation, all designed that will assist you get stuff done in no time. #smallbusiness #supportsmallbusiness #professionalorganizer #smallbusinessowner #entrepreneur #supportlocal #business #localbusiness #errands #busi...

Safety and hygiene have turn into the hallmarks of pandemic-era trading. Having protocols seen front-and-centre of a customer-facing business has now turn out to be essential. Embracing technology has helped Fabrica pivot and discover new sources of income. Delivery service platforms have saved many eating places from having to close.

Through the Word and the Spirit God calls the Church into being and sustains it as a people gathered into fellowship in Christ. Its purpose and performance is to bear witness to his saving gospel to all the world, to construct up in religion, hope and love those who consider in him, to proclaim his sovereignty over all of life, and to work for his will in the Home Movers Rondebosch world. Rondebosch United Church is a congregation in a southern suburb of Cape Town referred to as Rondebosch. It was based in 1900 as a congregation of the Congregationalist denomination in South Africa.

We reside in what is thought round here as the “Southern Suburbs”, about a 15 minute drive south of what you’d call “downtown” Cape Town. We selected this neighborhood because Fiance can walk to his school, the University of Cape Town, and different reasons you’d choose a spot to stay, like it’s thought to be a secure and pleasant neighborhood. Under the Group Areas Act during apartheid, Rondebosch was declared a whites-only neighborhood. We live proper in the primary industrial space of the neighborhood, which is superior as a end result of the grocery store and my little health club are only about 500 toes out our entrance door. We are a quantity one world lifestyle management business with presence in 22 places of work globally and greater than 1200 staff. We use our expertise, technology and buying power to grant our members direct entry to the most effective travel, reside leisure, eating and luxury retail companies.

But believing of their unique promoting point, staying true to their mission of serving good food and feeding the group, has helped Fabrica pivot in a time of disaster. Yes, I would actually like extra data from Sotheby's International Realty. Please use and/or share my data with a Sotheby's International Realty agent to contact me about my actual estate wants. Surprised to search out this huge Storage for household or office Rondebosch empty plot of land - could possibly be utilised to supplied much wanted housing nearer to metropolis centre... We have so many consumers who've so many books it’s such a shame to do away with all of them. #bookproblems #declutter #clutterfreeliving #professionalorganizers #getstuffdone #organizing #organization #declutter #organized #getorganized #professionalorganizer #organizingtips #organi...

There’s not many properties in the marketplace atm in our value vary within the CBD space. We had a have a look at gardens, CBD, aswell as green point, sea level space but we haven’t had a lot luck discovering a place Corporate Office Movers Rondebosch that’s secure and not likely costly. I’m going to be working on the Two Oceans aquarium so would like to not be too far-off since I don’t have a car so will need to uber it.

As a customer-facing restaurant, the exhausting lockdown meant no operations for an preliminary period of two months. Thereafter, restricted opening instances and strict social distancing measures required a quick pivot and turnaround technique. "It was a very scary time not understanding whether we’d be succesful of work. We additionally worried about our workers and how we may take care of them and hold them employed," says Simal.

[secretcapetown]

TOP 10 COMPANIES – BEST CAR RENTAL CAPE TOWN

Although the public transport system in Cape Town is of high quality, the freedom to move around on your own schedule, is very appealing. To truly experience Cape Town, you must drive to the outskirts to enjoy the vast difference between areas.From the outstretched beaches of the Atlantic coast, to the forest-like feel of the Southern Suburbs, to the rocky mountains near Muizenberg. 

Each little hub of Cape Town has its own unique vibe. And cruising around in your own rental car, will offer you a much more holistic picture of the city.We’ve found the best car rental Cape Town has to offer. Some names are well-known across the country, and world. Others are local companies, passionate about offering you a reliable way of exploring the Mother City.

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[nicholade]

Simons Town to Muizenberg

We woke early, as today we had somewhere to be! Thanks to the World Wide Web I had managed to find someone to take me climbing. We made our way from Simon's Town to Muizenberg. We were given direction to wait in a convenient store carpark for our lift to arrive, we were then picked up and taken into the wilderness. The two men who had picked us up were; Simon the Swedish student, who had recently moved to Cape Town, and Willem the outdoorsman who would be our guide for the day.

The crag had amazing panoramic views looking back towards Muizenberg. I was stoked to be finally climbing in Africa! We spent the better half of the afternoon at the crag. Jade waiting patiently hanging with the numerous other climbers at the crag, as well as a cute crag dog, while I battled my way up a few routes. It was a great day with good company!

We found a lift back to Kalk Bay where we found some tasty pizzas and a red wine before making our way back to Simons Town to rest my weary body.

After Jade's patience the day before she was being rewarded with a day to do anything of her liking, so we were off to the beach.

Muizenberg is a vibrant little town most known for its surfing and colourful beach huts. We spent spent the day laying on the beach, shopping at the flea market and eating delicious food!

[angelmija-blog]

Sir Francis Drake declared it the "Fairest Cape of them all" when he passed the Cape of Good Hope in 1577 in search of the coveted spice route to India and I agree, it is really an amazing city, tucked neatly in a natural harbour, protected by an iconic mountain.

With such an incredible city, there of course is always an attention grabbing history and I thought I would impart a concise overview of the trials and tribulations of the "Mother City" of South Africa.

Although many sailed around the Cape of Good Hope, it wasn't until 1652 when the Dutch man Jan Van Riebeeck, a member of the VOC (Dutch East India Company) arrived in the Cape and settled down to set up a service station to provide fresh fruit and vegetables to all the passing ships that the European / colonial development really began in South Africa.

Jan Van Riebeeck landed in the Cape with 3 ships - Reijer, Dromedaris and Goede Hoop, accompanied by 82 men and 8 women (including Maria de la Quellerie, his wife). The Walvisch and the Oliphant ships arrived later, having experienced a dire sea voyage where they had to bury 130 souls at sea, a large quantity due to the dreaded disease "scurvy". Until their arrival the land had mainly been dominated by the Hottentots and Khoi San, local hunter gather tribes.

With the arrival of the new settlers, a whole new society was created in this new and exciting "De Kaap". A truly eclectic mix of cultures, races and religions.

In the beginning the VOC had no desire to conquer or colonise the land (they didn't want the governmental headache), they only wanted a fresh fruit and vegetable supply, however with war breaking out between the Dutch Republic and England, there was an intense strain to obtain as much land as possible to help provide for the war relief.

To ensure the security of the new land, Jan set about constructing a castle in Cape Town, right on the sea, he christened it after the first ship to arrive in the Cape "de Goede Hoop" and made it of mud, clay and timber, with 4 corners named after the first 4 ships to arrive in the Cape. (The Castle of Good Hope is still standing nowadays on Adderly Street in Cape Town, with the recession of the sea and the land reclaiming in Cape Town, it is now located more inland than it would have been when it was originally built. It is the best surviving example of VOC architecture and the oldest building in Cape Town)

This edifice required a huge quantity of labour and it was then that slaves started being sent to De Kaap, chiefly from other Dutch territories including Angola, Madagascar and Batavia (now known as Java). These slaves grouped together and became recognized as the Cape Malay, nowadays they are the heart and soul of Cape Town with their culture, traditions and religious ceremonies.

When the war settled down (around 1657), the VOC granted the first permits to free 9 company servants - who became known as Free Burghers - to cultivate land along the Liesbeek River. This was the start of permanent settlement in the Cape.

Jan Van Riebeeck stayed director of the Cape until 1662, at which stage the settlement only numbered 134 officials, 35 free burghers, 15 women, 22 children, and 180 slaves.

Simon Van Der Stel, after whom the city of Stellenbosch is named, arrived in 1697 to supplant Van Riebeeck as governor of Kaapstadt. Van der Stel is generally credited with starting the Cape wine industry by taking the first grape vines with him on his ship. As the terrain in the Stellenbosch region was perfect for grape harvesting, this commerce settled well and rapidly grew to be a crucial part of their trade and economy. Wines from the Cape were prized and were soon imported back to the Dutch Republic. Simon Van Der Stel also supported territorial expansion in the Colony.

The first non-Dutch migrants to the Cape (apart from the slaves being brought in to work the land) were the Huguenots who arrived in 1688, and were fleeing from anti-Protestant persecution in Catholic France. At the beginning they fled to the Netherlands, where they were given free passage to the Cape as well as land for cultivation by the VOC. This was an inherent move by the VOC to enhance the wine production in the Cape. The Huguenots who knew a lot about wine making made their home in an area they called "Franschhoek" (French Corner) and immediately set about making it home; including celebrating all their French Traditions. (Today, they still celebrate Bastille Day in Franschhoek.)

The settlement in the Cape grew quickly over the next few years and by 1754, the population of the settlement on the Cape had reached 5,510 Europeans and 6,729 slaves.

However, as usual, war had a great bearing on the fledgling Cape Colony and when in 1780, France and Britain went to war against each other, The Netherlands entered the war on the French side, and thus a small battalion of French troops were sent to the Cape to defend it against the British. They didn't stay long in the Cape and were soon transported back to France in 1784. As usually happens, old allies soon became adversaries and when in 1795 France invaded the Netherlands, the Prince of Orange was forced to flee to their old enemy England for safety.

As news took so long to travel to the Cape, and the Governor of the Cape only knew of this new agreement when the English arrive in Cape Town bearing a letter from the Prince of Orange stating that they be allowed to protect Cape Town from the French.

Sadly, the reaction from the commissioner was mixed and the English had to fight their way into the Cape in the Battle of Muizenberg. Typically, a period of backwards and forward began with the Cape being surrendered back to the Dutch in the treaty of 1803 and then returned to the English in 1806.

However, from 1806, once the English were decisively in, they took control of the town and set about making it a more advanced city to live in. They sent home for colonists and soon in 1820 the English began to arrive in their multitudes. With more people arriving each day, this initiated the expansionism (mainly by the original Dutch, now known as Afrikaner or Boer (farmer) settlers) into the inland of the country and soon colonies were set up in the Transvaal and Orange Free State.

Soon, conflicts between the Boer republics in the interior and the British colonial government in Cape Town ended in the Second Boer War of 1899-1901 being fought. Britain with its stronger military strength and man power eventually won the war, however, not without some considerable effort fighting against the Boer guerrilla warfare tactics.

In 1910, Britain established the Union of South Africa, which unified the Cape Colony with the two defeated Boer Republics and the newly recognized British Colony of Port Natal. Cape Town became the legislative capital of the Union, and later of the Republic of South Africa.

Over the next few years, both English and Afrikaans people resided in comparative harmony in this new union and many beliefs and values become common among the people in the Union of South Africa.

In the 1948 national elections, the National Party won an amazing amount of support based on their policy of Apartheid (racial segregation). They succeeded this under the slogan of "Swart Gevaar" (in English this means Black Threat). They taught people to beware of the Black people and wanted them to see them as a danger to their lives and their jobs. This soon lead to strategies such as the Group Areas Act being put in place, which meant that all people who lived in South Africa were classified according to their race and skin colour. Many severe tests were put into place to establish people were either black, coloured or white; one of the most ridiculous ones being the pencil test, where a pencil was inserted into a person of suspicious colours hair, and if the pencil stuck in the persons hair, it meant they were black as these people were more likely to have more woolly hair. This is quite logical of course!? And meant that same families were split amongst themselves being classified as both black and white in the same family which of course caused immense hardship and suffering to the whole family.

With the race classification, soon came the living segregation where people of colour and non colour were not authorized to inhabit the same areas. Formerly multi racial environs of Cape Town were purged of people of colour and their homes were demolished. One of the most infamous examples of this is "District Six" where in 1965 it was decreed a white's only area and more than 60,000 people were compulsorily removed and their homes destroyed. Nothing further was done with this land; it was just a declaration of segregation! Many of these residents were moved to areas such as the Cape Flats and Lavander Hill.

Under the Apartheid rule, Cape Town was considered a "Coloured Labour preference area" meaning that you could provide work for a coloured person, but you could not employ a "Bantu" black person. Whites obviously had first preference, but in serious need you could employ a coloured person.

As you can visualize, with this many rules, acts and forms of segregation, life for many people was truly tyrannical. However, not all white and coloured people supported the Apartheid regime and there were many, especially in the Cape Town area that started and joined the Anti Apartheid struggle.

Sadly, it took a long time and a lot of heartache and suffering before things began to make progress.

Robben Island, a former [penitentiary|prison] island 10 kilometres from the city, was [famous|well known|renowned] for its many political prisoners, some of whom were held for years. The most famous [inmate|prisoner|convict] was Nelson Mandela who was incarcerated for 27 years, yet in all that time, he never gave up [hope|faith|belief] that a "New" South Africa could be [achieved|created|established].

The end of the apartheid era was firmly symbolised, when Nelson Mandela made his first public speech in decades on 11 February 1990 from the [balcony|gallery] of Cape Town City Hall, just hours after being [released|set free] from Robben Island. His emotive speech, filled with passion and joy [heralded|announced|indicated] the beginning of a new era for the country.

The first democratic election in South Africa was held four years later, on 27 April 1994.

This was the beginning of the new Rainbow Nation, the land for everyone.

To me, South Africa really does symbolize the best of human spirit, the triumph of good over evil and the power of people and persistence. If you have faith in something hard enough and work at it, ultimately it will come to pass.

From 1994, with the new South Africa firmly in place, the people could concentrate on show casing their amazing city to the rest of the world. And amazing it is.

There is so much to see and do in Cape Town that you need a minimum of 4 or 5 days to explore this fantastic region. From the City itself, to Cape Point, to the winelands, to township tours, whale watching, sky diving, deep sea fishing, Harley Davidson riding, mountain biking, horse back riding, hot air balloon safaris, fine dining, museums, great shopping to just relaxing at the Victoria and Alfred waterfront and taking it all in. The service providers are amazing in this part of the country. Take Window Washing for instance, a little window cleaning company based in cape town. Excellent service just lie back home.

Although I currently live in England, my home country, South Africa, will always have my love and passion. It is a beautiful land with so much to offer everyone. I want to share my pride with everyone. I think everyone should be able to have incredible, magical memories that last them a lifetime! African Sands offers great ideas for your Africa holiday or African safari. Travel with African Sands, a complete South Africa travel service with detailed safari information, maps, South Africa hotels, lodges & tours on our website. ( http://www.africansands.com )

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/3923667

[tamboradventure]

Cape Town Itinerary: What to See and Do in 4 (or More) Days

Posted: 2/13/2020 | February 13th, 2020

Cape Town is one of those places I can never get enough of. Its natural beauty, climate, people, chill atmosphere, and delicious food scene always make my visits memorable.

Backed by Table Mountain, Cape Town is really one of the most beautiful cityscapes in the world.

There’s a lot to see and do in the city, so to help you make the most of your trip, here is my suggested itinerary for four (or more) days.

Suggested Itinerary Overview

Day 1: Table Mountain, City Center, Walking Tour, & more!

Day 2: Robben Island, Kirstenbosch Gardens, Lion’s Head, & more!

Day 3: Cape of Good Hope, Boulders Beach, Penguins, & more!

Day 4: District Six Museum, Muizenberg Beach, Hout Bay, & more!

Day 5 (or more): Kalk Bay, Signal Hill, Slave Lodge, & more!

  Cape Town Itinerary: Day 1

Take a Free Walking Tour For a thorough introduction to Cape Town, I recommend taking at least one free walking tour. As you know, I always do that when I arrive in a new city, to help me get a sense of the destination’s culture and history and orient myself. Some of my favorite walking tours are:

Free Walking Tours Cape Town

Ashanti Free Walking Tours

City Sightseeing

Just be sure to tip your guide at the end, as that’s how they make their living.

Explore the City Center Your next stop should be Cape Town’s city center. You’ll find all kinds of shopping, cafés, restaurants, and markets along Long Street. Take several hours to explore and see it all. To see more of Cape Town’s eclectic neighborhoods and get a feel for the local pace of life, here are some specific areas worth exploring:

Green Market Square – Right off Long Street, this is a perfect place to find local handicrafts and souvenirs. There are all sorts of crafts and gifts here. Don’t be afraid to haggle for a good deal!

Victoria and Alfred’s Waterfront – This is another impressive shopping locale, with a large variety of shops and entertainment. It’s on the historic working harbor, the architecture is quite charming, and it’s extremely popular with both tourists and locals alike. Grab a seat on a waterfront restaurant’s balcony, have a drink, and soak up the atmosphere.

Bo-Kaap – Not far from the city center is Bo-Kaap, a colorful Muslim neighborhood. This area, previously the home of Cape Town’s slave population, is known to be quite Instagram friendly (you’ve likely seen it on IG already!). Each home is painted a different color and you can tour the area on your own (although you’ll probably enjoy it a lot more if you take a free walking tour). If you don’t tour with a group, be sure to get a overview of the area’s history at the Bo-Kaap Museum. It’s small, but the staff is quite friendly and super knowledgeable. Admission is 20 ZAR ($1.36 USD) per person.

De Waterkant – A nice place to spend the evening is the De Waterkant neighborhood. Not far from Bo-Kaap, this trendy area (think NYC’s Greenwich Village) is the perfect place to stroll, window-shop, and enjoy an upscale dinner. The architecture is quite stylish in what is Cape Town’s “pink” (gay-friendly) district. The Cape Quarter shopping mall is here as well.

Woodstock – This is one of the coolest neighborhoods in Cape Town. In recent years, it’s become a hub for art galleries, co-working spaces, breweries, and hip restaurants. What was once an old, rundown industrial area is now one of the coolest places in town.

Visit Table Mountain A visit to Cape Town isn’t complete without taking in the view from Table Mountain. It’s a bit of a walk up there, but it’s totally worth it. The shortest trail takes about two hours, but if you’re short on time, you can take the cable car, which takes about five minutes each way (it’s a bit pricey at 330 ZAR ($22 USD) for a round-trip ticket, though). Up top, you’ll have a 360-degree view of Cape Town, the harbor, the mountains, and the beaches. Try to come up during sunset, or if you can, bring some food and drink and have a picnic!

Keep in mind that the clouds can move in really fast here, so be sure to check the weather before you hike up.

I suggest hiking up and then taking the cable car down if you’re short on time. If you want to extend your stay, hike both ways and spend some time relaxing and taking in the view. If you pack some water and snacks, you can easily make this a full-day activity. There are shops at the summit as well as several other hiking trails to explore if you’re looking to work up a sweat.

Note: I put this at the end of the day so you can do the walking tours in the morning, but you can also make this a full-day activity if you want! It’s worth taking it slow here if you have the time.  

Cape Town Itinerary: Day 2

Visit Robben Island Hop on a ferry from the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront and head to Robben Island, located about 8km from shore, where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 18 of his 27 years behind bars. Declared a UNESCO Heritage Site in 1999, the museum is an important symbol in South Africa, representing the triumph of democracy over apartheid. The tour guides are former prison inmates, and you can to sit in the cells where the political prisoners once lived.

No visit to Cape Town is complete without coming here. Do not skip this!

Ferries operate three times a day, starting at 9am (a fourth ferry operates during the summer season). Admission is 320 ZAR ($22 USD) for adults and 200 ZAR ($13.50 USD) for anyone under 18, which includes the ferry ride. Expect the entire trip to take at least four hours.

Visit Kirstenbosch Garden Located in the southern suburbs, these gardens were established over 300 years ago and have more than 22,000 types of plants found on the African continent. Spanning over 1,300 acres, this is unlike any other botanical garden you’ve seen! Be sure to do the tree canopy walkway. There are restaurants and cafés on-site, but they are expensive, so I’d bring your own food and have a picnic on the grounds.

Rhodes Drive, Newlands, +27 0800-434-373, sanbi.org/gardens/Kirstenbosch. Open daily 8am-6pm (7pm in the summer). Admission is 70 ZAR ($5 USD) per person (discounts available for students and children).

Watch the Sunset from Lion’s Head Table Mountain’s little sister, Lion’s Head, is perfect for an evening hike. It takes just 45 minutes to hike to the top, so time your trek so you’re at the peak for sunset. It’s one of the most scenic spots in town. Also, remember a flashlight for the trek back down.  

Cape Town Itinerary: Day 3

See the Penguins While you’re in Cape Town, you won’t want to pass up seeing the area’s cutest inhabitants: African penguins! This colony is home to over 3,000 penguins. They live at Boulders Beach Park, and you can view them from a raised boardwalk (further down the beach you can swim with them if you’re really bold — expect freezing water!). Just keep in mind that they are wild animals. The beach is their home, not yours — so keep your distance and don’t try to feed or pet them. They are wild animals after all.

Visit Slave Lodge Built in 1679, this is one of the oldest remaining buildings in Cape Town. It is where the Dutch East India Company housed their slaves until 1811. Over 60,000 African and Asian slaves were brought to the city, and almost 300 men and women were forced to reside in the lodge at a time. Today, the lodge is a museum where you can learn about the hardships slaves faced in their daily lives in Cape Town.

Corner of Adderley Street and Wale St, +27 2- 467-7229, slavery.iziko.org.za/slavelodge.

Tour Parliament Take a tour of the parliament of South Africa and learn about South African politics — including how the country was governed during the apartheid era. Dating back to 1884, the Houses of Parliament are National Heritage Sites; the original building was granted approval by Queen Victoria when Cape Town was a British colony.

Today, they host daily hour-long tours during the week, and you can even book a spot (at least one week in advance) to watch debates if you’re interested.

120 Plein St, +27 (021) 403 2266, parliament.gov.za/visiting-parliament. Tours are held daily, but advance booking is required. Admission is free.

Hike Signal Hill For some beautiful sunset views, hike up to the top of Signal Hill. The climb is tiring and takes around 90 minutes, but the views are worth it (you can also drive or take a taxi up to the top). You’ll get a sweeping vista of Cape Town, including a view overlooking Table Mountain too. Just be sure to give yourself lots of time, so that you don’t miss the sunset.  

Cape Town Itinerary: Day 4

Visit the District Six Museum In 1867, District Six was established for freed slaves, immigrants, and marginalized individuals. Under apartheid (1948–1994), the district was declared a “white area” and the existing residents were forced out. Over 60,000 people were forced from their homes, and this museum highlights their struggles and stories. It provides important context to the city’s modern history and ongoing struggles.

25A Albertus St, +27 21-466-7200, districtsix.co.za. Open Monday-Saturday 9am-4pm. Admission is 45 ZAR ($3 USD) or 60 ZAR ($4 USD) for a guided tour.

Hit the Beach Cape Town has some incredible beaches, so make sure you spend at least part of a day on one of them. Clifton Beach is probably the most popular. The sand is super white and the water a bright blue. Unfortunately, it’s cold pretty much year-round, so don’t expect warm tropical waters. The scenery is gorgeous though, with the mountains behind you and mansions and upscale restaurants lining the beach road.

Another option is Muizenberg Beach, which is a 30-minute drive from the city center. This beach has a famous boardwalk and is great for surfing.

Check Out the Wildlife If you head down Muizenberg Beach, be sure to stop at Hout Bay. This harbor is home to tons of seals and seabirds. If you’re visiting between June and November, keep your eyes peeled for the migrating whales. Right whales, humpback whales, Bryde’s whales, and dolphins can all be found here.

If you’re looking for a meal, the fish and chips in this area of town are to die for. And don’t miss the Bay Harbour Market on the weekend: vendors sell everything from fresh fish to jewelry to local art, and there are often live bands too.

Explore the South African National Gallery The Iziko South African National Gallery is home to an extensive collection of both South African and African art, as well as English, Dutch, and French pieces. The collection focuses on works from the 17th to 19th centuries, including paintings, sculptures, sketches, and lithographs.

They also facilitate an ever-changing rotation of contemporary artwork from both locals, as well as visiting exhibitions from across Africa and around the world (visit the website to see what temporary exhibitions are available during your visit).

Additionally, the gallery has a lot of insightful information about art and censorship during apartheid.

Government Ave, +27 21 481 3970, iziko.org.za. Open daily 9am-5pm. Admission is 30 ZAR ($2 USD).  

Cape Town Itinerary: Day 5 (or More!)

If you have more than four days in Cape Town, here are some other fun things to see and do during your trip. Most of these will take you out of the city, so you can see more of this beautiful region of the country. Consider renting a car to make things easier!

Visit Kalk Bay This fishing village makes for a nice spot to go window-shopping (or actual shopping if you want some souvenirs). There are plenty of seaside cafés you can relax in for a few hours, away from the busy city center.

Journey to the Cape of Good Hope The Cape of Good Hope is where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans meet, and the drive there from Cape Town is one of the best on the continent. You’ll want to take the route along Chapman’s Peak, a winding and scenic road along the Atlantic coast. It’s a toll road, but the views are very much worth the price.

The Cape of Good Hope is located in Table Mountain National Park, which stretches all the way from Table Mountain in Cape Town to the tip of the continent. This nature reserve is home to numerous birds and animals, including antelope, Cape mountain zebra, eland, and baboons. Keep in mind that, while the baboons may look cute, they are still wild animals, so be careful around them and keep your food secured and out of sight.

There is a lot to see, so plan for a full-day excursion. If you don’t have your own car, you can book a tour with the Cape Point Explorer for 740 ZAR ($50 USD).

Enjoy Some Wine If you love wine, head to the Stellenbosch area. If you have a car, it’s just 45 minutes outside of the city and is home to hundreds of vineyards. The wine from this region is world-famous, and the scenery is breathtaking, offering towering mountains and lush valleys. Tastings typically run about 60-75 ZAR ($4-5 USD), and food pairings are available as well. Some suggested wineries to check out are:

Spier Wine Farm (one of the oldest in the region)

Marianne Wine Estate (offers a classic French winery experience)

Waterford Wine Estate (they pair their wines with decadent local chocolates)

If you don’t have a vehicle and want to take a tour, expect to pay at around 1,000 ZAR ($68 USD) per person for a half-day tour of the region and its wineries. Many hostels run their own tours to the region or have partnerships with local tour guides who can take you as well. Be sure to shop around!

Learn to Surf Cape Town is a super place to learn how to surf (though it’s also terrific for experienced surfers). Surfer’s Corner at Muizenberg Beach is known for its beginner waves, and there are plenty of surfing schools around where you can rent a board and take lessons. Expect to pay around 500 ZAR ($34 USD) per person for a 2-3-hour lesson.

***

Cape Town is one of my favorite cities on the African continent. With its terrific hikes, beautiful scenery, and important history, Cape Town has something for everyone. And, thanks the rand’s value, it’s affordable enough, so it’s easy to visit without breaking the bank.

Let this Cape Town itinerary help you make the most of your visit there.

Map of Activities

P.S. – Want to meet other travelers in real life? This year we launched The Nomadic Network, a platform created to help travelers connect, learn, and get inspired in real life! Here are our upcoming events if you want to take part: Seattle (2/17), Austin (2/18), Fort Lauderdale (2/19), Portland (2/19), San Francisco (2/20), Los Angeles (2/23), Detroit (2/24), Boston (2/24), Dublin (2/24), San Diego (2/24), London (2/25), Chicago (2/25), and NYC (3/10).

Book Your Trip to Cape Town: Logistical Tips and Tricks

Book Your Flight Find a cheap flight by using Skyscanner or Momondo. They are my two favorite search engines, because they search websites and airlines around the globe, so you always know no stone is being left unturned.

Book Your Accommodation You can book your hostel with Hostelworld as they have the most comprehensive inventory. If you want to stay somewhere else, use Booking.com, as they consistently return the cheapest rates for guesthouses and hotels. My favorite places to stay in Cape Town are:

The Backpack Cape Town – A fair-trade hostel with a swimming pool and garden, as well as activities most nights. They do a lot of good work for social change!

Ashanti Lodge Gardens – You can hang out at the pool or the landscaped gardens here, or in the awesome Kumasi Bar, with its views of Table Mountain. They have a great bar menu too!

91 Loop – When you stay here, you get a free breakfast, free city walking tours, the opportunity to take part in organized activities, and discounts on the Honey Badger restobar.

Don’t Forget Travel Insurance Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it, as I’ve had to use it many times in the past. I’ve been using World Nomads for ten years. My favorite companies that offer the best service and value are:

World Nomads (for everyone below 70)

Insure My Trip (for those 70 and up)

Looking for the best companies to save money with? Check out my resource page for the best companies to use when you travel! I list all those I use to save money — and I think they will help you too!

Looking for more travel tips for South Africa? Check out my in-depth South Africa travel guide for more ways to save money, tips on what to see and do, suggested itineraries, informational reading, packing lists, and much, much more!

The post Cape Town Itinerary: What to See and Do in 4 (or More) Days appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.

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[hauntsofmissouri]

The Flying Dutchman is one of the most famous ghost ships in the world. There are many theories to the history and legend of the ship.

On the third of August, 1942, H.M.S. Jubilee was on the way to the Royal Navy base at Simonstown, near Cape Town. At 9 p.m., a phantom sailing ship was seen. The second officer, Davies, was in charge of the watch. Sharing this duty was the third officer, Nicholas Monsarrat, author of The Cruel Sea. Monsarrat signaled to the strange ship, but there was no response. Davies recorded in the log that a schooner, of a class that he did not recognize, was moving under full sail, even though there was no wind. The Jubilee had to change course, to avoid a collision. During the war, Davies’ superiors would have been in no mood for nonsense, and he must have had to weigh that against the dangers, especially in wartime, of not recording the strange things that he saw. In an interview, Monsarrat admitted that the sighting inspired him to write his novel The Master Mariner. According to Admiral Karl Doenitz, U Boat crews logged sightings of the Flying Dutchman, off the Cape Peninsula. For most or all of these crews, it proved to be a terrible omen. The ghostly East Indiaman was also seen at Muizenberg, in 1939. On a calm day in 1941, a crowd at Glencairn beach saw a ship with wind-filled sails, but it vanished just as it was about to crash onto the rocks. During the war years, there was plenty of room for bad omens. Spectral ships in other parts of the world are sometimes generically called “The Flying Dutchman”, but the one that still tries to round the Cape of Good Hope is the original. The ship’s captain is Hendrik van der Decken, who, in 1641, swore to round the Cape of Good Hope even if it took him till Doomsday. (Lawrence Green quoted a date of 1680 as appearing in records of the Dutch East India Company, but he was not writing at first hand. He later acknowledged that there was no record of Captain Van der Decken in the diary of the Cape Colony’s governors. However, the colony was not founded until 1652. The year 1729 is quoted even less frequently). Some sources say that the voyage was from Amsterdam to Batavia, in the Dutch East Indies, but the historian Eric Rosenthal was sure that it was on the return journey to Amsterdam that the ship was lost. In some versions of the legend, the ship’s captain is called Falkenburg. Sir Walter Scott wrote of the Flying Dutchman “She is distinguished from earthly vessels by bearing a press of sail when other vessels are unable, from stress of weather, to show an inch of canvas.” According to one account, the ship was painted yellow when it left Batavia, but it must have been much weathered by the time that it reached the Cape. All agree that Van der Decken tries to pass letters home to other ships, but to accept these letters is certain doom.In what was then the British Museum library, Lawrence Green found an anonymous account of a passenger ship which did allow Van der Decken to send across a boat with four men. A Dutch seaman tried to hand letters to the passenger ship’s chaplain, who wisely declined to take them. The Dutch seaman left the letters on the deck, weighted down with an iron bar, and returned to his ship. Fortunately, the passenger ship lurched, dislodging the bar, and the letters were blown overboard. The passengers survived. The most famous Royal Navy sighting, however, was recorded by King George V, who in 1881 was a midshipman on H.M.S. Bacchante. In his diary, for July 11, he unequivocally wrote “At four a.m., the Flying Dutchman crossed our bows.” The lookout on the forecastle, and the officer of the watch, also saw the ghost ship off the port bow. Prince George described “a strange red light, as of a phantom ship, all aglow in the midst of which light the mast, spars and sails of a brig two hundred yards distant stood out in strong relief as she came up.” The ghost ship was sighted from other ships in the squadron, the Cleopatra and the Tourmaline. Thirteen crewmen, in all, witnessed the phenomenon. The squadron was commanded by Prince Louis of Battenberg, great uncle of the present Prince Philip. The seaman who first reported the ghost ship died from a fall, only seven hours afterwards. With the help of the Reverend John Neale Dalton, Prince George published his account as The Cruise Of H.M.S. Bacchante. Before publication, naval authorities at the Admiralty checked the manuscript, to ensure that it contained no errors.There is a story that the phantom ship entered Table Bay, and was fired on by the garrison, but there appears to be no record of this. Many other sightings have been recorded, however. Keepers of the Cape Point lighthouse often reported seeing her during storms. In 1835, R. Montgomery Martin, South Africa’s first statistician, described a personal encounter with Van der Decken’s vessel. In 1879, the steamer S.S. Pretoria changed course, after the passengers and crew saw lights which they thought to be a distress signal. A strange sailing ship was seen, but it vanished when the steamer approached it. In 1911, an American whaler almost collided with the ghost ship, off the Cape Peninsula, and as recently as 1959, the crew of the freighter Straat Magelhaen reported a near collision with the Flying Dutchman.

The Flying Dutchman is without a doubt the most well-known of all ghost ships. Although much of its story is legend, it is based on fact – a vessel captained by Hendrick Vanderdecken who set sail in 1680 from Ams0terdam to Batavia, a port in Dutch East India. According to the legend, Vanderdecken’s ship encountered a severe storm as is was rounding the Cape of Good Hope. Vanderdecken ignored the dangers of the storm – thought by the crew to be a warning from God – and pressed on. Battered by the tempest, the ship foundered, sending all aboard to their deaths. As punishment, they say, Vanderdecken and his ship were doomed to ply the waters near the Cape for eternity. What has perpetuated this romantic legend is the fact that several people claim to have actually seen The Flying Dutchman – even into the 20th century. One of the first recorded sightings was by the captain and crew of a British ship in 1835. They recorded that they saw the phantom ship approaching in the shroud of a terrible storm. It came so close that the British crew feared the two ships might collide, but then the ghost ship suddenly vanished. The Flying Dutchman was again seen by two crewmen of the H.M.S. Bacchante in 1881. The following day, one of those men fell from the rigging to his death. As recently as March, 1939, the ghost ship was seen off the coast of South Africa by dozens of bathers who provided detailed descriptions of the ship, although most had probably never seen a 17th century merchantman. The British South Africa Annual of 1939 included the story, derived from newspaper reports: “With uncanny volition, the ship sailed steadily on as the Glencairn beachfolk stood about keenly discussing the whys and wherefores of the vessel. Just as the excitement reached its climax, however, the mystery ship vanished into thin air as strangely as it had come.” The last recorded sighting was in 1942 off the coast of Cape Town. Four witnesses saw the Dutchman sail into Table Bay… and disappear.The legend of the Flying Dutchman is said to have started in the year 1641, when a Dutch ship, of that name, sank off the coast of Sourhern Africa, while attempting to round the Cape of Good Hope:The Captain, a man of evil repute, named Henrik van der Decken was pleased. The trip to the Far East had been highly successful and at last, they were on their way home to Holland. As the ship approached the tip of Africa, the captain thought that he should make a suggestion to the Dutch East India Company (his employers) to start a settlement at the Cape on the tip of Africa, thereby providing a welcome respite to ships at sea. He let out a scream out in terror, did he realize that they had sailed straight into a fierce storm. The captain and his crew battled for hours to get out of the storm and at one stage it looked like they would make it. Then they heard a sickening crunch – the ship had hit treacherous rocks and began to sink. As the ship plunged downwards, Captain van der Decken knew that death was approaching. He was not ready to die and screamed out a curse: “;I WILL round this Cape even if I have to keep sailing until doomsday! God, himself, cannot keep me from rounding this cape.” So, even today whenever a storm brews off the Cape of Good Hope, if you look into the eye of the storm, you will be able to see the ship and it’s captain – The Flying Dutchman. Don’t look too carefully, for the old folk claim that whoever sights the ship will die a terrible death and be damned to join van der Decken’s crew… sailing forever into the teeth of a raging storm. It is also said that the Flying Dutchman appears to those who have led particularly evil and debauched lives… with the same terrifying result. Many people have claimed to have seen The Flying Dutchman, from the crew of a German submarine during World War II to cruise boats filled with vacationers. On 11 July 1881, the Royal Navy ship, the Bacchante was rounding the tip of Africa, when they were confronted with the sight of The Flying Dutchman. The midshipman who logged the initial shighting… a prince who later became King George V… recorded that both the lookout and the Officer of the Watch had seen the Flying Dutchman and he used these words to describe the ship: A strange red light as of a phantom ship all aglow, in the midst of which light the mast, spars and sails of a brig 200 yards distant stood out in strong relief." It’s pity that the lookout saw the Flying Dutchman, for soon after on the same trip, he accidentally fell from a mast and died. Fortunately for the English royal family, the young midshipman survived the curse. In June, 1944, Jack Loggins, then Chief Machinist’s Mate on the U.S.S. Knight, a United States Navy Destroyer, serving as a convoy escort en route to South Africa from Norfork, Virginia, was standing on deck, smoking with a friend when they saw the Dutchman sailing directly toward their convoy. This sighting of the Flying Dutchman is unusual, in that it occurred in broad daylight, rather than at night, when such sightings usually take place. “It was about three o’clock in the afternoon… We were making seventeen to twenty knotts, I guess,”  he stated. “and were zig-zagging. We had just sailed out of a pretty bad blow. I looked up and saw her… an old sailing ship with tattered, ragged sails… She looked like she was beating into a force five gale. I motioned to my buddy… a deck ape named Jackson… and pointed it out to him… He saw it too. As we watched, she came within about two thousand yards of us… and then… just vanished…” Loggins still has chills when he recounts sighting the “ghost ship”. He is convinced that he and his friend actually saw the Flying Dutchman..”We didn’t report it.” he continued. “Nobody would have believed us… I wish we had, now. Maybe somebody else saw it (the ship) too.” Jack Loggins now spends much time thinking about this experience of some half a century ago… concerned with the fate of his soul… The difference in the fate of the witness seems to lie in the nature of the sighting. If one only sees the ship, then results could range from simple bad luck to the disastrous… but not necessarily to damnation. If one is unfortunate to see van der Decken, or any of his phantom crew, the fate of the victim, in both this world and the next, seems to be sealed. It is widely reported that famed U-Boat Ace Otto Kretchmer, now nearing his ninetieth birthday, once sighted the Flying Dutchman… but unlike another, less fortunate officer in his “wolfpack” did not see van der Decken or any of his crew. Recent reports of sightings of the Flying Dutchman range from an Australian Aircraft Carrier, HMAS Anzak, which sighted the infamous ghost ship in the fall of 1996, and promptly warped a propeller shaft, causing major at-sea repairs and several injuries, to a South African excursion boat full of holiday sightseers which foundered and sank after sighting the Dutchman, killing some 17 of the hapless vacationers in the Summer of 1999. Is the Flying Dutchman real, or is it just another “legend” of the sea? Those who ride the waves, in the parts of the world that she is said to frequent, tend to think it better not to look too closely into the eye of a storm or the dark of the night… unless it is absolutely necessary…

The Flying Dutchman The Flying Dutchman is one of the most famous ghost ships in the world. There are many theories to the history and legend of the ship.

[laurenborrelli]

Lekkerrrr

When I moved to Boston 3 years ago, I got a text within my first 48 hours saying Kate and Daniel had booked a trip to visit the following weekend.  The weekend of their visit, I distinctly remember Dan telling me he was interested in applying to University of Pittsburgh because of their study abroad program in Cape Town, South Africa.  And then 3 years later he was attending that program through Pitt and I booked a flight to visit!

Dan is my childhood neighbor and 5 years younger.  So I had to mentally prepare to be around kids that were barely 21 years old...AND tackle it as my first semi-solo trip.  Not to mention I was able to use credit card points and fly for FREE!

Itinerary:

Wednesday, November 29th 2017:  My flight departed Boston in the evening and I arrived at my layover destination in the AM.  With a 9 hour layover in Munich, I ventured outside the airport to the Christkindlmarkt in the city center.  With a full belly of sausage, one (ok two) gluhwein, and new cashmere scarf to keep me warm during the snowfall, I headed back to the airport nice and tired.  Topping off with more hefeweizen (best type of beer to drink solo!) at the airport, I at least boarded verrrry sleepy for my 12 hour flight to Cape Town.

Friday: FINALLY arrived in South Africa around lunch time!  Since Dan’s semester had just ended, the school let us stay there for a crazy affordable price.  Would have been good to know that before we booked the airbnb in CBD...(theme with 21 y/o’s lol).  A couple dead cockroaches in the kitchen and no central wifi BUT I had an incredible view of table mountain from my bedroom window.  We spent most of this day booking tours / airbnb’s for the rest of the trip.

Saturday: We went to the Woodstock Market in the late morning.  Half is local food vendors and the other half is local artists selling jewelry, household goods, clothes, you name it!  Oh yeah and there was a DJ in the center right next to an aperol spritz station.  I mean...what could be more perfect?!? Started with an amazing pour over and some stuff avocado.  Then moved on to a spritz while I bought some awesome jewelry and a vegan leather clutch.  I could have stayed here alllll day!  And i probably spent less then $30 USD total.  Then we headed to the central business district (CBD) to check out the Company’s Gardens.  It is a beautiful public with a really awesome natural irrigation system for their vegetation.  AND super cool mega sized whicker baskets as swings and tree houses.  We grabbed fresh Juice on Long Street and ordered flights to try from brewery Beerhouse.  A quick freshen up and we grabbed dinner on the waterfront meet up with some of his friend’s.

Sunday: Dan was super sweet in arranging a day to hang to check out the newly finished Zeitz Contemporary Museum of Art!  It’s superrrr sick - a restored grain factory turned into museum.  Concrete was cast around the old silos, which created a traditional deceiving form on the exterior.  While the interior is just the reverse - a HUGE curvilinear entrance with a skeleton of a pterodactyl very Game of Thrones like in the center.  A guy who worked in Dan’s study abroad office was a recent architecture grade from the University of Cape Town - so he joined us on our day of touring architecture!  In fact, he is the one that told me there was a bit of an uproar of a British architect being selected for Africa’s first contemporary art museum.  The attention to detail and design was immaculate in the city - makes it hard to believe there were no African-based architecture offices that couldn’t have tackled the challenge... We then checked out the watershed project.  It’s an old industrial boat storage facility turned host for local artist vendors on the ground floor and communal “we work” style offices on teh second floor.  Once again, a SUPER cool space!!!  (BTW - this will be the theme of my architecture comments for this trip).  The enclosed food market next door was a perfect stop for lunch.  After walking around the waterfront some more, we made our way over to Camp’s Bay to watch the sunset.  This area reminded me a lot of Southern California w/o the prices plus mountains in the background.  Truly it was the most stunning sunsets I have ever enjoyed (and wth a spritz too!).  Quite possibly my favorite day in Cape Town of the trip!!

Monday: It was a big weekend of activities for Dan so he slept in while I wandered around a bit on my own!  Started with trying the world’s strongest cup of coffee at Haas Coffee (great I would only need one cup this morning!).  Then went to the District Six Museum - which is a museum dedicated to the district segregated and then bull-dozed down during apartheid.  Really heartbreaking but an excellent intro to how it has only been 50 years since this epidemic happened!  To put into perspective, my parents were born before this happened (sorry for the age exposure mom and dad)! I then grabbed lunch and took the scenic route from the V/A Waterfront allll the way down to Clifton Beach.  Stunning views, beautiful weather, and a good opportunity to see what South Africa’s non-working people are doing along the water at this time of day.  They consisted of surfers, mothers and sitters pushing kids in strollers, LOTS of people running or roller blading, and a handful of “lookers” that suddenly stop what they are doing when you walk by.  The beach is tucked between a bunch of wealthy homes in a pretty private location.  A great spot to water-color the ocean crashing into seals on the rocks beyond!  After much relaxing, I headed home for a quick change before Dan and I headed to hike Lion’s Head at sunset.  An easy hike but the views are stunninggggg.  Ended the evening with take-out of a Cape Town quintessential BFA (bacon feta avocado) pizza.

Tuesday: Walked to grab coffee in the nearby neighborhood of Rondebosch and then took a car to the beautiful, traditional Bo-Kaap neighborhood!  Vividly painted stucco buildings line the streets and are very well preserved amongst the expanding urbanism surrounds.  We took a cooking class with Cape Malay cuisine.  The culture descends from Southeast Asian, but brought to Cape Town through the Dutch Indian Trade Company.  So the cuisine has a interested blend of all three cultures - deep curry flavors with just enough spice for white people to tolerate LOL.  Great day learning more about the history and making amazing, brand-new dishes!  With very full bellies and a very strong sun overhead, we noodled to Camp’s Bay beach with a handful of Dan’s classmates.  They were a bit of a handful and we had to lay on every piece of clothing so it wouldn’t get swept up in the immense ocean wind, but the views were stunning!  We ended the night with trivia at a local bar.  Luckily we had a couple South Africans on our team, so they were able to help us answer “what is the most played African song in foreign films.”

Wednesday: Dan and I headed to CBD to pick up a rental car for our trip outside of the city!  We drove along swerve-y, cliffy edge road from Camps Bay, down through Hout Bay, down to the Cape of Good Hope!  It’s basically a national park with...wild baboons roaming around!  We went to the lighthouse at the Cape Peninsula and it was so windy I was scared to take my phone out in case it would fly away!  Awesome perspective of the peninsula if you had a strong enough grip of the railing surrounding you!!  I did a bit of hiking around the rocky cliffs while Dan and his friend Allie took lots of selfies around the water.  We then checked into out ocean-front apartment  in St. James that was so. freaking. BEAUTIFUL!  Unreal views, unreal price, unreal sunsets/sunrises.  Even got to see whales breaching form the balcony!!  We finished the day by grabbing dinner and drinks from the great restaurant Tiger’s Milk in Muizenberg.

Thursday: I started with a sunrise run along a beautiful ocean-front path that went right by all the morning surfers in Muizenberg and the super man-made formed but naturally resourced ocean pools in St. James.  We then hopped in the car for a morning snorkeling with seals, to only find the currents and wind were too strong. :(  Instead we headed to check out the legendary warm-weather penguins at Boulders Beach.  I grabbed some coffee, and a meat/cheese delicious hot-pocket style snack for lunch, and we headed the immaculate Noordhoek Beach.  Bright white sand, turquoise water with minimal waves - never seen a more beautiful beach!  So stunning and barren, for some very strange reason...maybe the large number of horse flies?  LOL despite getting swarmed it was so hard to not want to get swallowed up in the beautiful vista.  Even if I did leave with over twenty bites on my legs alone.  We headed home and while those two napped, I walked down to check out the shopping in Kalk Bay.  Also shops and the store owners were all super friendly - one woman’s husband photographs architecture professionally!  After stirring them awake we headed to Muizenberg to watch the surfers at sunset and check out the infamous painted beach shacks. We bounced around at a couple out door bars before ending up at the great Tiger’s Milk.

Friday: Another sunrise run and yoga on the deck.  I grabbed coffee at the super cute shop blonde + beard in Muizenberg, then we jumped in the car to head back to Cape Town.  We moved into a different university student housing buildling upon our return...and this is the point where I decided it was worth spending the money for a nice apartment not in the college area of the city.  We went to a natural watering hole only known to locals/students.  Amazing views of table mountain and the water was super clean and hella refreshing.  We grabbed dinner at an Indian restaurant close by then headed to drinks at Yours Truly on Kloof Street.  My. Favorite. Bar. HANDS DOWN!  Different DJ each level, awesome craft brews and cocktails, beautiful string lights and plants climbing up the terraces, super funky furniture, and people rocking all different trendy outfits.  Dan’s friends felt out of place but I freaking loved it!!  Finally I caved with how much they were itching to leave, and we grabbed Italian food down the block.  We then stopped at their favorite 21 y/o hangout sgt pepper on Long Street and I hung on the smoker’s deck with Dan while his friends had a couple items stolen from them on the sweaty dance floor.

Saturday: Time for our wine tour!  $60 for a round-trip bus to the infamous wine town of Stellenbosch. Tasting #1 included an array of cheese.  Tasting #2 was in a beautiful outdoor garden.  Tasting #3 tour of a cute farm where we tried wine from the syringe!  Plus a fullll traditional braai (barbeque).  Tasting #4 tiny little private winery.  Tasting #5 pairing with Chocolate!  Best part was bonding with everyone else on our tour!!  An american couple on grad school holiday, an older couple with one descendent of Upper Saint Clair, super cool British couple my age, older British couple who have travel to 80% of the world, and a British dad with his daughter about my age who works in an art gallery.  Great convos about how crazy Trump is but it humanized the U.S. to not be this great country anymore, to why haven’t I signed up to do bungee jumping yet, to you are crazy for staying with a bunch of 21 y/o’s up until now!  Left with lots of souvenirs and great memories!!  Brought my stuff to my new adorable apartment downtown and crashed during the sunset while watching elf on Netflix.

Sunday: Headed out solo to grab coffee/breakfast and then check out the Castle of Good Hope.  Strangely enough there was a cross fit competition taking place in the main courtyard, so that was a bit entertaining to peak at in between taking in all the history.  It was a dutch fort along the East India Trate Route to Indonesia - but more specifically acted as the home base during teh British invasions.  Free tours are given by of the military museum and the inter-workings of the castle which turned out to be very light and engaging!  I think picked Dan up and we went to the Kirstenbosch botanical gardens.  Amazing variety of wildlife here and a good chance to hang with Dan one-on-one.  We went to Moju Market and drove by a crowd letting out for the Springbok Rugby game.  Now those fans where some crazy costumes!  The market was superrrr lekker (va bene in Afrikaan).  There was a station for trendy oysters, a “salad bae” stand, local wines shop, curry shop - everything plus an elevated ocean view.  Awesome way to fuel up before Dan and I conquered a Table Mountain hike the next day.

Monday: I grabbed breakfast at the adorable Skinny Legs cafe and then coffee and beans at Origin Coffee Roastery.  Both make my mouth water thinking about them (and their beautiful interiors too!).  Then when to meet Dan at Kirstenbosch, where the beginning of our hike up Table Mountain began.  Started pretty steep, up wooden ladders in woodsy areas.  At the top we stumbled upon a completely barren water source.  It looked to be a collection spot for a small reservoir.  The water was unnaturally a rainbow gradient and was in a bit of a small canyon - making it seem like people were going to jump out at any moment like the hunger games.  We randomly heard a siren here too, making us jumping in our pants even more!  We then continued along the top of table which is mostly huge boulders - but it started to get windier.  We soon found that it was too windy at the top for the gondola to take us down!  So we had to bare the exposed edge by foot!  This was seriously soooo hard because any time we would hear a huge wind gust coming, we would have to duck and hold onto any possible branch around us.  Took a while it felt such a  rush of accomplishment as we ate at an Indian buffet afterwards!

Friday: Last day!  My flight was leaving in the evening, so i tried to squeeze in as much as I could!  Morning at Clifton Beach then lunch of mussels and a glass of chenin blanc at the waterfront with Dan.  Was able to do a little shopping at the artist in the waterfront too - most sold awesome sustainable home goods too!  Probably did the most shopping / consuming of good food/drink this trip - but thats because it was all my style, amazing flavors, accessible, and reallllly affordable!  I’m already counting this as one of my top 3 favorite cities and I can’t wait to go back and visit!!!

What brought me excitement:

Design Aesthetic: Yes the city is BUMPING with architecture, both new and old.  Now this may sound crazy, but when i walked into a basic enterprise office in the CBD, something struck me.  I followed the datum of the square floor tile, that then aligned with the line of small stair landing, that then aligned with the rectangular wall base, that then aligned wth the curtainwall mullion.  MY JOB IS TO ALIGN FINISHES FOR A MUSEUM!  How do these simple alignments just happen in the least design conscious interior spaces?! Still blows my mind the attention to detail and craft the culture just exudes.  And it is oh so clear in every interior of every store, restaurant, coffee shop, boutique, refurbished space.  Really inspiring as someone in the design field!!  Nothing boujee or over the top either, all very minimalist, modern, simple, earthy designs - amazing!

Cultural Blend: My first day at the beach, there were a bunch of middle school age kids that all playing soccer together.  A girl in a hijab kicking a ball to a blonde haired boy kicking to a black boy .  The integration of the future generation was so heart-warming to see it made my eyes ACTUALLY well up!  I’m not kidding too!!  It’s location is an ideal spot for not just europeans on holiday, but a great stretch of immigrants from the middle east and asian as well!  I can’t wait to come back in just 5 years and see how progressive it will be!!

What left me uneasy:

White Guilt: Learning how recent apartheid and many racist epidemics had occurred, it really left a sinking feeling in my stomach.  I felt guilt vacationing here because I didn’t want any locals (no matter their ethnicity) to feel like I was taken advantage of their home.  I didn’t want it to seem like I had some money to spend so I was creating a larger economic divide and taking anything away from the locals.  It was probably the biggest guilt I have ever felt, even though it wasn’t me personally who had done those hurtful injustices.  But it is up to me to stand up for those that are still getting hurt today.  It certainly empowered me to not bat an eye and turn a shoulder when something is happening you don’t believe in.

Water Crisis:  At first I was wondering why toilet’s in the student housing were never flushed!  Then i realized it was to preserve water.  They were in a serious crisis and I didn’t fully understand it still we were at our airbnb in St. James.  I remember standing at the sink washing my hands, looking straight ahead at the 180 degree ocean view.  After drying my hands, I stepped on the balcony to take in the view even more.  A line of people about 100′ away caught my eye and I realized they were waiting at a public water source.  The government has shut down water to certain neighborhoods - unfairly.  These people weren’t stumbling out of overcrowded buses - they were coming with buckets out of private cars in nice clothes.  I felt sooooo guilty that I had a water source right here yet these people are waiting for this small spigot down the street.  Would the airbnb host downstairs be pissed if set a couple of buckets of water outside for these people?  But also, how could the host bat an eyelash and not be wanting to do the same thing?  This tore at my gut throughout this entire trip.

Safety: Cape Town is a very walkable, and even bikable city!  Unfortunately i didn’t realize how much I had to worry about safety even during the day.  I do look like the native Afrikaan, as many people spoke it to me before I spoke English back.  However, I think the economic divide is still too much for there to not be some animosity between the various parties.  It made me feel a little limited, that I couldn’t safely take the public train to the beach or rent a bike along the coast - all things I take for granted in my day to day life.

[armpitsniffr-blog]

Cape Town situated at the most south western point of the African continent is known as the gateway to Africa.

It was from this point that the early settlers colonised firstly the Cape and then the rest of South Africa.

From its early beginnings as a Dutch settlement Cape Town has developed into a modern city with highways, hotels, harbours shopping centres and an airport that compares with anything in the world.

For the uninformed there are no lions roaming the streets as many people who have not visited the city believe.

What does Cape Town have to offer you?

The city of Cape Town is a mixture of old and new. In between the new skyscrapers that line the city centre are numerous older buildings with facades that one would expect to find in London and Europe.

The oldest building is the Castle of the Cape of Good Hope which was built in the 1660's, closely followed by the Grootte Kerk which is the mother church of Dutch Reformed church in South Africa.

The reason for Cape Town being here is the Company gardens which were established to provide fresh vegetables and meat to ships rounding the Cape way back in 1652.

Although now, only a fraction of its original size it provides a green area in the centre of Cape Town where one can sit and relax and watch the world go by.

Dominating the skyline is Cape Town's most important attraction, Table Mountain.

On its slopes which are covered with fynbos there are numerous walking trails and climbs to the top.

For the not so energetic there is a cable car which whisks you to the top in a few minutes from where you can gaze out in all directions to see the most breathtaking scenery Cape Town has to offer.

Table Mountain forms part of the Table Mountain National Park which stretches all the way to Cape Point at the most southern point of the Cape Peninsula.

The mountain itself is one big wild flower garden and has more species of plants on it than can be found in the whole of Great Britain.

Cape Town is known for its spectacular scenery, none better than that found along the Atlantic coastline through Chapman's peak drive with its vertical cliffs and drops into the sea.

Our spectacular unspoilt beaches with their pristine white sands are a holidaymakers dream and can be utilised for swimming, tanning, surfing and walking or for just chilling out.

At the Cape of Good Hope the most south western point of Africa one can breathe some of the cleanest air in the world from winds that originate in the roaring forties and enjoy some of the unspoilt splendour that moved explorer Sir Francis Drake to call the area "The fairest Cape in all the world."

False Bay named by Portuguese mariners is one of the biggest bays in the world and is home to a large variety of sea life.

From August to November every inlet and bay along the coastline is filled with Southern Right whales who visit our placid waters to mate and give birth to their young. Many of them come so close inshore that you can almost touch them.

The great white sharks which frequent the beaches along the Muizenberg coastline can sometimes be spotted from the slopes of the mountains surrounding False Bay.

Simonstown one of the oldest suburbs of Cape Town has many buildings that date back to the early 19th century. Recently it has become home to a colony of African penguins which have taken over an area known as " The Boulders".

For wine lovers the Cape Peninsula and its surrounding area is a place of plenty as in any direction one chooses to travel one can visit wine estates and enjoy their fine wines and cuisine.

The winelands of Stellenbosch, Paarl and Franschhoek produce our finest wines which are available at bargain prices to visitors.

The Franschhoek valley has five of the top 100 restaurants in South Africa within its borders so is an area not to be missed by people seeking culinary delights.

Many visitors come here for a wildlife experience as there are many small game reserves within a couple of hours drive of Cape Town where one can see some of it not all of the big 5.

Creature comforts are one of the main things people look for when going abroad and here in Cape Town one is spoilt for choice. We have many spectacular hotels situated in and around Cape Town, many of which are rated five star.

Smaller hotels, game lodges, B& B's, back packers lodges are readily available all over CapeTown and offer excellent accommodation for those not wanting to stay in the upmarket hotels.

For those seeking a holiday of thrills Cape Town is the place to come to. Extreme sports such as shark cage diving, bungee jumping, sky diving and para gliding are readily available.

Cape Town, the Las Vegas of the south and has four casinos within an hours drive of the city centre.

Private hospitals in Cape Town provide excellent medical facilities where visitors can avail of medical procedures at a fraction of the price one might expect to pay at home.

From Cape Town one can visit the West Coast, the Garden Route and the Karoo which are all within an hour or two of Cape Town and offer a completely different experience to what you find in Cape Town.

Cape Town is the best city in all the world.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/678818

[primrosetransport]

High Muizenberg Furniture Movers

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[apsbicepstraining]

Boarding academy: How studying to be a channel-surf teach in ten weeks – in South africans

A 10 -week surf safari and volunteering platform along South Africas coast culminates in an teachers qualification that could developed you up for life. We assemble the brand-new intake

Its a bright afternoon on Cape Towns Muizenberg beach and Im hastening down the sand in a wetsuit, stopping to leap or star-jump as tutor Nikita roars prescribes. I may want to lie down and sob as I overheat and struggle to keep up, but different groups encouragement gets me through the bootcamp-style exercising before we plod into the brandishes for a two-hour channel-surf lesson.

This is day five of a 10 -week South African surfing adventure with Ticket to Ride, a British busines that runs surf vacations and cliques of all the countries. Im here to sample its longest tour( too run in Morocco ), which offers the chance of preparing as an school at the end and fitness qualify is high on the agenda.

South Africa surfing delineated

Some beings just come for the experience, but most end up doing academic qualifications regardless, says Chris Bond, TTR head of operations. Weve had terminated novices characterize its dazing to realize the mental and physical changes defendants go through in 10 weeks of being in the ocean every day. Plus its a great infinite to realise South Africa.

After two weeks in Cape Town, the 16 -strong group will jaunt east along the coast, the irrigate warming and smothering changing, and coming to an tip northward of Durban two months later. Its a roadway that the companys founders, Linley Lewis and Will Hayler, did independently while backpacking before university, and went on to recreate as a group safarus, pertaining best available local managers and surfer-friendly accommodation.

Besides surfing and training courses, theres abundance of span for researching. Community work with NGOs and goodness is another key part of the timetable, with daytimes dedicated to anything from comprising classrooms to discovering English or scavenging beaches.

Muizenberg beach. with golden sand and long, allaying brandishes.

Giving something back lies at the heart of which is something we do, says Chris.

Muizenberg, with its surfy vibe, golden sandy beach, long, gentle gestures and mountain backdrop is a perfect recognise to embark. Were staying at the oceanfront African Soul Surfer hostel, a bright, enjoyable locality with dormitories and a couple of private arenas. After a tough afternoon in the waves, we kick back on the terrace with a beer, exchanging channel-surf memoranda and playing pool.

Youd perhaps expect such a long expedition to lure children on a chink yah, shall be financed by wealthy mothers. But its a mixed knot, aged between 18 and 30, and some have been doing two jobs for months to save enough to come. Were predominantly Brits, with a sprinkling of Canadians, Dutch women and a guy from Dubai, and of mixed abilities; some ought to have channel-surf for years while others, like me, have scarcely held up on members of the board before. Innumerable are touring post- or pre-uni, but others precisely require a separate from daily life, like Taha from Buckinghamshire, a junior physician who is stepping out of the real world for a little bit. Some are scheming a job change hoping to swap relevant agencies for their own lives by the sea.

Its a shining desegregate of backpacking, volunteering and channel-surf and whats even better is you might get a qualification at the end of it, says Jennifer Snell, 20, from Wiltshire, who compounded an office plaza with driving as a fishmonger in Tesco to raise the money. Theres enough discretion, but everythings to arrange you so you can really focus on surfing.

Jane, on the left, contemplates for the wavings in Muizenberg

The next day were out early on the high seas again. As a novice, I practise popping up on my timber on the sand before taking to the motions. The education is patient and promoting and after numerous neglected strifes, I briefly stand up and wobble towards the beach. “Theres” tattered mansions alerting surfers to look out for sharks and a hilltop watchtower overlooks the duct but in the irrigate I soon forget my panics .( Chris, who has channel-surf here for 23 times, assures me hes plainly “ve ever seen” one and not while channel-surf .) More defendants expire taking selfies( falling off cliffs, being hit by prepares ), or from coconuts falling on their fronts, than in shark assaults, he tells me.

The buzz from catching a wave is amazing and I soon acknowledge the others addiction to surfing.

Staying a week or longer in each of the 7 demises indicates theres time to get out and do touristy situations. We call the penguins at Boulders Beach and hang out at a neighbourhood grocery one evening. Clambering Table Mountain and altering the nightlife are the order of the day more, as well as channel-surf Cape Towns more challenging marks, from Long Beach to Kommetjie.

Jennifer Snell with adolescents from the Billows For Change foundation. Photograph: no recognition

But a big part of the programme is working on community activities in each direction. In Cape Town, its Billows for Change, a footing would like first of all an former TTR employee, Tim Conibear, which gallops HIV awareness and youth leadership curricula in the townships, hiring surfing as a pulpit for education.

We join the girls for a warm-up on the beach before they jump into the ocean to practise their channel-surf insight with the assistance of the TTR group. Factor of the slew is that the children must go to establishment, and attend after-school assignments at development projects centre.

These teens come from wall st., from mob and devastated mansions, says Tim. We help them gain confidence, find a sense of belonging and learn important life the competences and they get a red-hot snack, terribly. There needs to be something red-hot to get them interested and channel-surf has that cool factor.

Our group will be back next day to facilitate colour the shipping containers is available as classrooms.

The beach at Plettenberg Bay. Epitome: Peter Unger/ Getty Images

Sadly, I dont have the indulgence of ten weeks at my dumping, so the next morning I set off ahead of the group with Chris to check out a few of the other targets on the itinerary. Its a beautiful drive to Plettenberg Bay, the next stop, and en route different groups will get the have opportunities to test the worlds highest connection bungee leap, at Tsitsikamma. Plett has a long arc of unspoiled sandy beach and the adaptation, Albergo for Backpackers, is a significant place with an open braai in the evenings.

Further along the coast, Jeffreys Bay is a channel-surf mecca a stop on “the worlds” tour and backdrop to Bruce Browns seminal 1966 surf movie The Endless Summer .( It was also the locate where surf champ Mick Canning formerly got attacked by a shark but we wont dwell on that .) Island Vibe, the hostel relied upon by TTR, sits on a headland overlooking Kitchen Windows, one of J-Bays most well known progress, and I can imagine the levity different groups will have here.

Plettenberg Bayalbergo for backpackers

Etienne Venter, manager of the South African surf team, will be working them hard too. Swim training in neighbourhood reserves, video analysis of channel-surf aptitudes, employs in surf politenes and lifesaving disciplines are all taught along the way. This is a turning point in their move, says Etienne. Theyll certainly start to put into practice and fine tune what theyve learnt so far.

Time will too be were included in township academies here, facilitating with maintenance and belief, as well as with the Supertubes Surfing Foundation, a community-run upkeep programme with a brilliant recycling initiative.

All too soon, the working day for me to run home from Port Elizabeth, sad not to have time to visit the most remote ends on the itinerary, but keenly mindful how just being out into the sea every day for 10 weeks must have a profound change on a person. As they go further around the coast the landscape will change again, the drastic rocky vistum of the Western Cape altering into the more tropical, luxuriant east coast.

Island Vibe hostel, Jeffreys Bay

Chintsa on the Wild Coast north of East London recalls warmer oceans( as the Indian Ocean heats up, wetsuits are cast aside ), drain motions and the chance to visit activity ballparks. Then theyll thought to Coffee Bay in the Transkei, another Africa wholly, with conventional villages and rolling mountains, where adjustment is at the Coffee Shack camp, run by Dave Malherbe, one of the countrys most successful competitive surfers. Durban, South africans channel-surf metropoli and Ballito, 45 minutes to the north, where the lifesaving and instructor exams take place, round off the trip.

Weeks afterwards, back in the UK, I email Jennifer learning about how the rest of the passing became. She prepared and is now schooling with Ticket to Rides Newquay office over the summer, be expected to eventually work for a surfing or ocean management charity.

Catching curves alongside dolphins, the glamour of the Transkei, calling traditional Xosha categories, channel-surf famous Jordy Smiths home break, constituting lifelong sidekicks shes hard-pushed to mention the foreground of the tour. I simply had the time of “peoples lives”, she concludes.

The post Boarding academy: How studying to be a channel-surf teach in ten weeks – in South africans appeared first on apsbicepstraining.com.

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[theglobediary]

Since moving to Edmonton, we’ve been pretty luck to have been able to travel so much more. And even though we have yet to cover the entire world, we think Cape Town is still the most beautiful city in the world out of all the places we have visited thus far (obviously, besides our love affair with Paris). But we’re not the only ones that think this city is so great — it made Travel + Leisure’s List of Places to Travel to in 2017. And several others! Here’s a list of things I think every visitor should do and see:

#1: Take In The View From Table Mountain

The iconic mountain towers over the entire city and cannot be ignored as a top tourist sight to see. Buy tickets ahead of time online and head to the mountain early-ish to avoid the crowds. The cable car has a rotating floor which means you get to enjoy the view going up and down too! Watch for the infamous blanket clouds that cover the mountain like a tablecloth — they can come out of nowhere and you’ll have to quickly catch a cable car down.

A post shared by CAPE TOWN 🇿🇦 (@capetown.southafrica) on Jan 14, 2017 at 3:11am PST

#2: Enjoy The Wine Regions By Day OR (Better Yet) Overnight

Back in South Africa, we call vineyards, ‘wine farms’ — and we have some beautiful ones at that. There are a few different wine regions in the Western Cape within an hour of the city. If you have enough time, I would definitely consider making it an overnight stay. That way, you can taste all the wine you want and retire nearby to a stunning hotel or guesthouse.

Franschhoek is my favourite, and also happens to be where my ancestors, the Huguenots, landed, and started so many of the wine farms we see there today. Sadly, we do not own any of the wine farms today, but it does explain my love for wine — it is clearly in my blood. Check out our blog post on what to do in this tiny French-inspired town — including a Wine Tram Tour, the Best Foodie Spots and my Favourite Wine Tastings.

Stellenbosch is another beautiful wine farm town as well as a very busy student town — home to the highly ranked, University of Stellenbosch. Then there is also Paarl, another wine farm area between the two wine regions above. And lastly, Constantia, which is a little closer to Cape Town City Bowl. In fact, it is considered one of Cape Town’s most affluent areas.

A post shared by Leigh Candice Dorkin (@lcdorkin) on Jan 30, 2015 at 9:43pm PST

#3: Take In The Incredible Beaches:

My personal favourite for tanning and swimming is Clifton 4th. But bear in mind, the water is pretty cold! Muizenberg beach, is a little more out of the way, but there you will find the well-known (and often-pictured) colourful huts on the beach that make a stunning photo op.

A post shared by CAPE TOWN 🇿🇦 (@capetown.southafrica) on May 29, 2016 at 6:48am PDT

#4: Sunrise Hike Up Lions Head

It is so worth the early morning rise. In my opinion, it is a relatively easy hike, although near the end it almost feels like a direct incline and you do have to climb a few ‘ladder’ steps. That said, the view is incredible and it’s a great way to get out and be active while on holiday. If you really need anymore reasons to add this to your to-do list then check out Non Stop Destination’s Blog Post on her hike here.

A post shared by Cape Town | South Africa (@cityofcapetown) on Jul 1, 2016 at 6:55am PDT

#5: Explore The V & A Waterfront

The V & A Waterfront boasts restaurants on the harbour-front, incredible boutique and designer shops and even an aquarium that the kids will love! You can even grab a sunset cruise from here.

A post shared by Cape Town | South Africa (@cityofcapetown) on Dec 8, 2015 at 6:47am PST

#6: Have A Spa Day

Craig and I used to visit a spa once a month when we lived in Cape Town. It was our little treat! And if you’re on holiday, you should #treatyoself too. Cape Town has some of the best spas we’ve been to in the world. Get ready to be pampered! Here’s a list of 10 spa experiences you should try. We love the 12 Apostles Spa. The hotel is located along the coast and the view is out of this world. You might have seen it on our blog post list of the best hotels in Cape Town.

A post shared by The Twelve Apostles Hotel (@12apostleshotel) on Jul 11, 2017 at 6:36am PDT

#7: Enjoy The Amazing Outdoor Markets

Visiting Farmer’s Markets in each city I visit is one of my favourite things to do — and Cape Town does Markets well! In fact, my love for Markets started when I moved to this beautiful city and first visited the Old Biscuit Mill Neighbourhoods Market. I also love the Oranjezicht City Market and the Hout Bay Market. But if those don’t spark your fancy, try one of the 26 markets.

#8: Kirstenbosch Botanic Gardens

Kirstenbosch is one of the most beautiful botanical gardens I have ever been to. It is a bit of a distance from the Waterfront area, but if you decide to take the Hop-On-Hop-Off Bus, Kirstenbosch is conveniently one of the stops! A new-ish feature to the Gardens is an aerial, Tree Canopy Walkway — look at the beautiful photos here. If you happen to visit in the summer, you should go to one of the many outdoor concerts lined up! They’re mostly local bands but one or two of the acts are usually international. With the beautiful mountains as your backdrop, you probably will not find a more scenic concert venue. If none of that sparks your fancy, just layout a blanket, pack a Woolies picnic lunch and enjoy the scenery.

A post shared by CapeTownMagazine.com (@capetownmag) on Jun 29, 2017 at 4:04am PDT

#9: History Geek? Go to Robben Island.

Take a boat ride to Robben Island from the Waterfront to see where Nelson Mandela was held in prison for nearly 20 years before becoming our first black, and democratically elected President. You can find all the tour info online here.

#10: Animal Lover? 

You can whale watch in Hermanus or Swim with Penguins at Boulders Beach or Take A Boat Ride out To Seal Island. If you’re visiting with kids, they would also love the Waterfront Aquarium (as mentioned above), or even a stroll through the Company Gardens to feed the squirrels.

A post shared by CAPE TOWN 🇿🇦 (@capetown.southafrica) on Aug 6, 2016 at 6:52am PDT

#11: Notable Foodie Spots

The Test Kitchen, but it’s more causal sister restaurant, the Potluck Club is also amazing and has stunning views of the city! Kloof Street House is also a goodie. But NOTE: You should definitely book a restaurant as soon as you know you’re visiting — some restaurants are booked months in advance!

#12: Cape Town’s Coffee Culture Is A MUST!

Seriously, though, it is! TRUTH Coffee was named the best coffee in the world. They have a vibey industrial-feel cafe in the middle of the CBD with a divine breakfast and lunch menu. But there are lots of other great coffee shops all over the city — check out some on this list. My personal favourites are TRUTH, Deluxe Coffeeworks and Origin. TRUTH even offers barista courses which I would highly recommend if you’re a coffee snob like me.

A post shared by CAPE TOWN 🇿🇦 (@capetown.southafrica) on May 26, 2016 at 4:27am PDT

Let me know if you’re visiting Cape Town or have any other questions! I’d love to help you plan a once in a lifetime trip!

~ Leigh

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Things You Must See & Do in Cape Town, South Africa Since moving to Edmonton, we've been pretty luck to have been able to travel so much more.

[fadingfartconnoisseur]

Touring the Cape Peninsula by Sidecar

On our first trip to Cape Town back in 2015, Sam and I explored the Cape Peninsula on a bike tour. While it was a nice outing thanks to our upbeat guide, the weather did not cooperate and the scenery was marred by fog, rain and grey skies; so when we were planning our most recent visit to Cape Town, we knew we wanted to do a Cape Peninsula tour again.

For this day trip, we teamed up with TripAdvisor who invited us to experience their offerings. We’ve been using TripAdvisor for years, mostly on our quest for delicious food (their app is great for finding the best restaurants in the area!), but this time around, we wanted to do something a little different.

With our hearts set on experiencing the Cape Peninsula, we started browsing the options. There were private tours, bus tours, biking tours and hiking tours, but then something a bit more unusual caught our attention: a sidecar tour!

Having gotten a quick taste of the riding life on our visit to Stellenbosch earlier that week, we jumped at the idea of spending the whole day cruising the Cape Peninsula in style and hit book right away.

We booked our tour with a day’s notice, and the following morning our guide Bradley was waiting for us ready to ride. The first thing he did was ask us if there were any places we really wanted to hit up on our Cape Peninsula tour so that he could personalize the itinerary accordingly.

We chose to skip Hout Bay since we had already been there and done a boat tour to Seal Island, but we wanted to see all the highlights. With that in mind, we got into our new biker outfits, and let Bradley take the lead.

The Route

Our first stop of the day was a lookout point over Muizenberg. This is a beach-side suburb of Cape Town, best known for its colourful beach huts. While a trip to the beach was not on the itinerary, we enjoyed the views over False Bay.

From there it was just a short drive over to the Shark Spotter’s, which is another popular lookout point, named aptly so for the shark spotter who sits in a booth, carefully scanning the waters below. The spotter operates on a 4-flag system: green means spotting conditions are good, black means spotting conditions are poor, red means there is a high shark alert, and white means a shark has been spotted and everyone needs to get out of the water immediately. Talk about a stressful job!

We then continued straight towards Cape Point Nature Reserve to try and beat the crowds. This turned out to be a good move because by the time we left the reserve in the afternoon, there was a lineup of vehicles waiting to get in, all the way down to the main road!

We paid our admission fee to the park (135 Rand per person) and made a beeline straight for the Cape of Good Hope – the southwesternmost point on the African continent. It still feels a bit crazy to have made it to the ends of the Earth not once, but twice!

Sam then had a failed attempt at befriending an ostrich (much to our guide’s delight!) and after grabbing a quick lunch while scanning that no baboons snatched food off our plate (this almost sounds like a safari!), we hiked up to the lighthouse for views of Cape Point. This outcrop of land caused sailors such great torment and even gave rise to the legend of the Flying Dutchman, a ghost ship that can never make port and is doomed to sail the oceans for all eternity.

We then hopped back in the sidecar and made our way towards Simon’s Town. This little harbour town sits on the shores of False Bay and is a popular weekend destination with lots of little restaurants serving up seafood. We were there on Mother’s Day, so everything was packed!

With Boulders Beach being so close by, we couldn’t resist the opportunity to go visit the penguins again, so we did! This place gets its name from the giant granite boulders dotting the beach, but the main attraction are the curious penguins who make their home on the pristine stretch of sand.

And now for what may be my favourite part of the whole drive: Chapman’s Peak. This is a winding drive that hugs the near-vertical mountains along Hout Bay. With bright blue skies above us, turquoise waters glistening under the sun, and a wall of rock rising to our right, the setting was nothing short of idyllic.

Our last stop on the way back to town was Camps Bay, one of the most iconic neighbourhoods in all of Cape Town. Camps Bay is framed by the Twelve Apostles mountain range, and like most places along the peninsula, it’s about as postcard-perfect as it gets. We rode down Victoria Road which is lined with palm trees, seaside cafes, and on this particular day, merry crowds.

I think back to our rainy Cape Peninsula tour two years ago, and we seriously could not have asked for a better do over!

Our tour booking experience

We’ve done tours with TripAdvisor before and one of the things we most value is the quality of their product. Our guides have always been outstanding, the experiences personalized, and you either go on a private tour or with a small group. That is what keeps us coming back.

I did a lot of budget tours in my early twenties often ending up disappointed with what I paid for. However, if there’s one lesson I’ve learned in this past decade of travel, it’s that you get exactly what you paid for, and these days, I’m willing to pay a little extra for an experience I’ll truly enjoy.

When booking this activity, we made sure to read through the reviews to see what fellow travellers had to say. This particular tour company had 89 reviews on TripAdvisor and nothing but 5-star ratings, so we felt very confident in terms of what we were getting.

So would I recommend the Cape Peninsula sidecar tour?

Absolutely!

As you can probably tell from the cheesy grins on our photos, riding a sidecar was a blast. Just be prepared to wave at passersby – this ride is going to make you popular!

Have you ever ridden in a sidecar? Would you do a Cape Peninsula sidecar tour?

This article was written in partnership with TripAdvisor, but all opinions expressed are mine alone.

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[foamingkitty]

Weekend Getaway: Cape Town, South Africa

I have never been to South Africa, but it’s most definitely high on our list of places to visit. Especially now that I’ve read this beautiful, extensive guide from local mama Sophie Pirlot de Corbion.  Sophie is originally Belgian, is a mum of three girls, and has been living in South Africa for four years now — she moved when her youngest was just two months old. She and her family are keen travellers — she told me they have slept in the middle of the Kruger Park looking for the Big Five, camped on Mozambique’s deserted islands, seen the Okavango Delta in Botswana, visited the Zululand, gone on horse riding safaris, and have flown above the majestic Victoria Falls (to name just a few of their adventures!). She is a travel writer for various travel sites and has just started her own travel blog Poesy by Sophie. She has very kindly offered to write a guide for us on beautiful Cape Town, and no doubt it will inspire some travel inspiration for you as well…

On the Southern tip of Africa, perched between two oceans and the mountains, Cape Town sits in one of the world’s most spectacular settings. It’s a place of iconic beauty, diversity and vitality offering the perfect mix of nature and culture. Cape Town is also an amazing family destination with kid-friendly accommodations and restaurants and so many things to do either inside the city or within a short drive.

DO

Enjoy Cape Town beaches! The Ocean is freezing cold but kids won’t care and will have hours of fun! Our favourite family beaches are Camps bay, Clifton 4 and Llandudno. Outside of the city, Kommetje has a long white and secluded beach. On the Indian ocean side (with few more degrees in the water), Muizenberg, with its colourful beach houses is a surfers’ paradise and at Boulders’ Beach, you can swim surrounded by penguins! Cape Town is also great for all the water sports and you can book for the kids a surf lesson, a stand up paddle session or even take part on an adventure tour on sea kayak.

We love to rent Up Cycles bikes at the Sea Point Swimming pool and enjoy a nice family ride along the Promenade. They have kids bikes, child seats and child trailers. Sea Point promenade is an easy ride along the ccean with numerous playgrounds to stop. You can also go inside the Green Point Urban Park, have a coffee at the Tea in the Park and finish your ride at the V&A Waterfront where there is another Up Cycles station.

The Two Oceans Aquarium, situated on the V&A Waterfront, is an absolute family must-do and also a very good option when it’s raining. There are many different exhibits, touch pools and microscope experiments. For children over eight, you could even book a private penguin’s encounter. The V&A Waterfront is home of many other indoor or outdoor kids activities like the Cape Wheel, a pirate boat cruise, Scratch Patch or Art Jamming.

If you are in Cape Town on the first Thursday of the month, take the kids to a nice cultural walk in the central district and explore freely exhibitions, art galleries and shops which stay open late.

We often take a short drive from Cape Town to spend the afternoon at the Imhoff Farm  in Kommetje or at the Noordhoek Farm Village. They are both charming with a relaxed and family friendly atmosphere and so many things to do for the little ones! Petting farm, pony rides, snake park, camel rides (!) and huge playgrounds. Take a seat at the Blue Water Cafe or at Cafe Roux and enjoy a perfect lunch when the kids have fun.

SEE

We love to take a walk from the famous colourful streets of Bo-Kaap to the vibrant Waterkant. Formerly known as the Malay Quarter, Bo Kaap is a real sensorial feast: you will be enchanted by the bright colourful houses, the fragrant spice shops and the sounds resonating from the local mosques or from children playing in the streets. Few streets away, the Waterkant is a small and laid-back village with charming streets, art galleries, creative shops and design cafés. Finish your walk with a savoury lunch on the shady square of the Cape Quarter Lifestyle village, home of very nice shops.

Kirstenbosh, classified as one of the “Seven Magnificent Botanical Gardens of the World”, is a great family getaway! Enjoy the numerous pathways and trails, the impressive tree canopy walkway (known as “the Boomslang”), chose the perfect spot on the lawn for a lazy picnic or take a lunch at Moyo, a kid-friendly African themed restaurant. During summer, don’t miss the Sunset Concerts on Sunday and the open air cinema nights!

Table Mountain is perhaps the greatest landmark of Cape Town. Kids love the cable car ride (with rotating floors and huge windows) and the view from the top is the most extraordinary in all of Cape Town. You can enjoy an easy walk and finish with a lunch or a coffee at the panoramic Table Mountain Coffee. For the most adventurous, book a Scootours ride!

Take at least a full day to visit the Peninsula of Cape Town. The roads are scenic and there are plenty of nice stops that the kids will love. Start with the breathtaking Chapman’s peak drive and continue all the way down to the Cape Point Nature Reserve, a fauna & flora paradise. Spot the baboons, zebras and ostriches (you can even visit The Cape Point Ostrich Farm), take the Flying Dutchman Funicular to the old lighthouse and maybe a lunch in the panoramic Two Oceans Restaurant. Continue your day to the Indian Ocean side of the Peninsula with a visit to the Boulders Penguin colony, the old naval base of Simon’s Town and the picturesque fishing village of Kalk Bay (we love the Live Bait restaurant!).

The Cape Winelands are world-famous and also very kid friendly. Visit century old architecture estates surrounded by mountains and lush valleys. Most of them organise wine testing (and grape juice testing for kids), scrumptious picnic or offer the best tables of the country. Our absolute favourite is Babylonstoren, an incredible vegetable garden and working farm and we also love the picnics of Boschendal. At La Motte, you can enjoy a gastronomic lunch while the kids are painting under the shade of old trees.

Closer to Cape Town, you can also visit the wines estates of Constantia, have a lunch at Simon’s or a savoury picnic at Eagles’ Nest.

EAT

Company’s Garden restaurant is one of our favourites! The park, right in the heart of the city, is beautiful and offers a real feeling of peace within a buzzing urban metropolis. The surroundings of the restaurant are an unlimited playground for the kids with giant chessboard, a series of whimsical oversized weaver nest-style structures that hang from the trees, swings and plenty of open green spaces for running and relaxing on. After a nice lunch, you can bring the kids to the South African Museum, which is also in the park.

Located just off Sea Point’s promenade, Strolla (pictured above) offers a relaxing all-day long place for friends and family. The place is fresh and funky, with a nice terrace, kiddies menu, the opportunity for the kids to make their own pizza and an amazing playroom (with toys, colouring, Xbox…) supervised by child-minders!

Situated just adjacent to the V&A Waterfront, on a private beach, Grand Africa Café & Beach  is perfect to take a lunch or a drink facing the Ocean wiggling your toes in the white sand while kids have fun on the beach. If you are there on a Saturday, make a tour in the charming Oranjezicht City Farm Market just next door.

Rumbullion @ Roundhouse has stunning views, nice food and a very laid-back atmosphere. Kids can run around on the lawns while you enjoy a relaxed picnic-style cuisine or a sunset drink.

Situated on Hout Bay Beach, with a nice sandy playground, Dunes is one of the most popular kid-friendly restaurants in Cape Town. From there, you could visit the nice Bay Harbor market open on the weekends.

Cape Point Vineyard is always a good idea. It offers breathtaking views between the mountains and the ocean. You can choose between the fancy restaurant, the delicious deli or book a picnic basket and enjoy a relaxing afternoon on the wine farm. There is plenty of open space to walk, run and have fun for hours! On Thursday Afternoon, they also organise a very popular market which is the perfect place to meet friends and enjoy sunset drinks and nice food.

SHOP

Woodstock is one of the oldest suburbs in Cape Town and it is also one of the trendiest. An incredible mix of diversity and cultures combine to make the neighbourhood a vibrant, bustling blend of food, fashion, arts and design. Take a walk from the Woodstock Exchange – a collection of workshops, boutiques, cafés and galleries – to the Old Biscuit Mill, an ancient factory converted in a design village, home of nice shops and restaurants. Every Saturday morning, the Old Biscuit Mill hosts the Neighbourgoods Market, one of the hippest markets in Cape Town.

Kloof Street is the perfect place if you like to discover small trendy fashion and designers shops. For women, I especially like Mr&Mrs, a nice jewellery and clothing boutique. Ashanti is a fun and colourful shop adapting local traditions to contemporary tastes. Their handcrafted striped cushions and bean bags are a must have in any kids room! You’ll also find nice independent shops in and around the Lifestyle on Kloof complex. And for a sweet treats, stop at Myog frozen yougurt or Unframed Ice cream.

Situated on the V&A Waterfront, The Watershed is a unique hub where you will find the best of local design and quality craft. It’s nice to walk and discover all the little boutiques and stalls full of beautiful jewellery, home décor, toys, clothes….

For my three girls, I love the two famous Australian brands Country Road and Cotton On kids. It’s fun, colourful, affordable and kids love it as much as their parents.

STAY

La Grenadine is a really charming guesthouse situated in the heart of busy Cape Town. We love the peaceful garden, the eclectic interior full of French antiques and local design and the relaxed atmosphere. They offer perfect options for families like a two-bedroom cottage or a three-bedroom private house.

The Belmond Mount Nelson is one of the most iconic hotels of Cape Town which combines timeless luxury, refinement and a real care for the happiness of families. Located just in front of Company’s Garden, it’s really easy to explore the city by foot. Kids can play and run in the magnificent gardens, play tennis, swim or spend hours in their amazing fully supervised playrooms!

The Grand Daddy is certainly Cape Town’s most original place to stay. Above their classic suites, they created a rooftop Airstream Trailer Park. All the trailers have their own individual decor theme and you can choose to sleep in the Safari trailer, the Beach trailer, the Winelands trailer (the biggest one)…. Children love it! Even if you don’t sleep there, take the kids to their Pink Flamingo Rooftop Cinema located in the middle of the Airstream trailer Park.

Camps Bay Retreat is a peaceful paradise with amazing views across the Ocean. With its magnificent rolling gardens, swimming pools, the tennis court and the hanging bridge, the property lends itself for ample exploration and outdoor family fun.

More Quarters is situated in one of our favourite area of the city. The concept is perfect for family: You will enjoy the total privacy of your own fully equipped apartment coupled with the convenience of a luxury hotel’s services. They really love kids and your apartment will be filled full of toys, magnets, colouring books & bath toys…

Renting a beach villa is certainly a great family accommodation! Airbnb is full of beautiful options and for something more selective, I always recommend Perfect Hideaways and Cape Villa Collection.

from kid games toys http://ift.tt/2mSb8is via kid games toys

[misterjudemartin]

Weekend Getaway: Cape Town, South Africa

I have never been to South Africa, but it’s most definitely high on our list of places to visit. Especially now that I’ve read this beautiful, extensive guide from local mama Sophie Pirlot de Corbion.  Sophie is originally Belgian, is a mum of three girls, and has been living in South Africa for four years now — she moved when her youngest was just two months old. She and her family are keen travellers — she told me they have slept in the middle of the Kruger Park looking for the Big Five, camped on Mozambique’s deserted islands, seen the Okavango Delta in Botswana, visited the Zululand, gone on horse riding safaris, and have flown above the majestic Victoria Falls (to name just a few of their adventures!). She is a travel writer for various travel sites and has just started her own travel blog Poesy by Sophie. She has very kindly offered to write a guide for us on beautiful Cape Town, and no doubt it will inspire some travel inspiration for you as well…

On the Southern tip of Africa, perched between two oceans and the mountains, Cape Town sits in one of the world’s most spectacular settings. It’s a place of iconic beauty, diversity and vitality offering the perfect mix of nature and culture. Cape Town is also an amazing family destination with kid-friendly accommodations and restaurants and so many things to do either inside the city or within a short drive.

DO

Enjoy Cape Town beaches! The Ocean is freezing cold but kids won’t care and will have hours of fun! Our favourite family beaches are Camps bay, Clifton 4 and Llandudno. Outside of the city, Kommetje has a long white and secluded beach. On the Indian ocean side (with few more degrees in the water), Muizenberg, with its colourful beach houses is a surfers’ paradise and at Boulders’ Beach, you can swim surrounded by penguins! Cape Town is also great for all the water sports and you can book for the kids a surf lesson, a stand up paddle session or even take part on an adventure tour on sea kayak.

We love to rent Up Cycles bikes at the Sea Point Swimming pool and enjoy a nice family ride along the Promenade. They have kids bikes, child seats and child trailers. Sea Point promenade is an easy ride along the ccean with numerous playgrounds to stop. You can also go inside the Green Point Urban Park, have a coffee at the Tea in the Park and finish your ride at the V&A Waterfront where there is another Up Cycles station.

The Two Oceans Aquarium, situated on the V&A Waterfront, is an absolute family must-do and also a very good option when it’s raining. There are many different exhibits, touch pools and microscope experiments. For children over eight, you could even book a private penguin’s encounter. The V&A Waterfront is home of many other indoor or outdoor kids activities like the Cape Wheel, a pirate boat cruise, Scratch Patch or Art Jamming.

If you are in Cape Town on the first Thursday of the month, take the kids to a nice cultural walk in the central district and explore freely exhibitions, art galleries and shops which stay open late.

We often take a short drive from Cape Town to spend the afternoon at the Imhoff Farm  in Kommetje or at the Noordhoek Farm Village. They are both charming with a relaxed and family friendly atmosphere and so many things to do for the little ones! Petting farm, pony rides, snake park, camel rides (!) and huge playgrounds. Take a seat at the Blue Water Cafe or at Cafe Roux and enjoy a perfect lunch when the kids have fun.

SEE

We love to take a walk from the famous colourful streets of Bo-Kaap to the vibrant Waterkant. Formerly known as the Malay Quarter, Bo Kaap is a real sensorial feast: you will be enchanted by the bright colourful houses, the fragrant spice shops and the sounds resonating from the local mosques or from children playing in the streets. Few streets away, the Waterkant is a small and laid-back village with charming streets, art galleries, creative shops and design cafés. Finish your walk with a savoury lunch on the shady square of the Cape Quarter Lifestyle village, home of very nice shops.

Kirstenbosh, classified as one of the “Seven Magnificent Botanical Gardens of the World”, is a great family getaway! Enjoy the numerous pathways and trails, the impressive tree canopy walkway (known as “the Boomslang”), chose the perfect spot on the lawn for a lazy picnic or take a lunch at Moyo, a kid-friendly African themed restaurant. During summer, don’t miss the Sunset Concerts on Sunday and the open air cinema nights!

Table Mountain is perhaps the greatest landmark of Cape Town. Kids love the cable car ride (with rotating floors and huge windows) and the view from the top is the most extraordinary in all of Cape Town. You can enjoy an easy walk and finish with a lunch or a coffee at the panoramic Table Mountain Coffee. For the most adventurous, book a Scootours ride!

Take at least a full day to visit the Peninsula of Cape Town. The roads are scenic and there are plenty of nice stops that the kids will love. Start with the breathtaking Chapman’s peak drive and continue all the way down to the Cape Point Nature Reserve, a fauna & flora paradise. Spot the baboons, zebras and ostriches (you can even visit The Cape Point Ostrich Farm), take the Flying Dutchman Funicular to the old lighthouse and maybe a lunch in the panoramic Two Oceans Restaurant. Continue your day to the Indian Ocean side of the Peninsula with a visit to the Boulders Penguin colony, the old naval base of Simon’s Town and the picturesque fishing village of Kalk Bay (we love the Live Bait restaurant!).

The Cape Winelands are world-famous and also very kid friendly. Visit century old architecture estates surrounded by mountains and lush valleys. Most of them organise wine testing (and grape juice testing for kids), scrumptious picnic or offer the best tables of the country. Our absolute favourite is Babylonstoren, an incredible vegetable garden and working farm and we also love the picnics of Boschendal. At La Motte, you can enjoy a gastronomic lunch while the kids are painting under the shade of old trees.

Closer to Cape Town, you can also visit the wines estates of Constantia, have a lunch at Simon’s or a savoury picnic at Eagles’ Nest.

EAT

Company’s Garden restaurant is one of our favourites! The park, right in the heart of the city, is beautiful and offers a real feeling of peace within a buzzing urban metropolis. The surroundings of the restaurant are an unlimited playground for the kids with giant chessboard, a series of whimsical oversized weaver nest-style structures that hang from the trees, swings and plenty of open green spaces for running and relaxing on. After a nice lunch, you can bring the kids to the South African Museum, which is also in the park.

Located just off Sea Point’s promenade, Strolla (pictured above) offers a relaxing all-day long place for friends and family. The place is fresh and funky, with a nice terrace, kiddies menu, the opportunity for the kids to make their own pizza and an amazing playroom (with toys, colouring, Xbox…) supervised by child-minders!

Situated just adjacent to the V&A Waterfront, on a private beach, Grand Africa Café & Beach  is perfect to take a lunch or a drink facing the Ocean wiggling your toes in the white sand while kids have fun on the beach. If you are there on a Saturday, make a tour in the charming Oranjezicht City Farm Market just next door.

Rumbullion @ Roundhouse has stunning views, nice food and a very laid-back atmosphere. Kids can run around on the lawns while you enjoy a relaxed picnic-style cuisine or a sunset drink.

Situated on Hout Bay Beach, with a nice sandy playground, Dunes is one of the most popular kid-friendly restaurants in Cape Town. From there, you could visit the nice Bay Harbor market open on the weekends.

Cape Point Vineyard is always a good idea. It offers breathtaking views between the mountains and the ocean. You can choose between the fancy restaurant, the delicious deli or book a picnic basket and enjoy a relaxing afternoon on the wine farm. There is plenty of open space to walk, run and have fun for hours! On Thursday Afternoon, they also organise a very popular market which is the perfect place to meet friends and enjoy sunset drinks and nice food.

SHOP

Woodstock is one of the oldest suburbs in Cape Town and it is also one of the trendiest. An incredible mix of diversity and cultures combine to make the neighbourhood a vibrant, bustling blend of food, fashion, arts and design. Take a walk from the Woodstock Exchange – a collection of workshops, boutiques, cafés and galleries – to the Old Biscuit Mill, an ancient factory converted in a design village, home of nice shops and restaurants. Every Saturday morning, the Old Biscuit Mill hosts the Neighbourgoods Market, one of the hippest markets in Cape Town.

Kloof Street is the perfect place if you like to discover small trendy fashion and designers shops. For women, I especially like Mr&Mrs, a nice jewellery and clothing boutique. Ashanti is a fun and colourful shop adapting local traditions to contemporary tastes. Their handcrafted striped cushions and bean bags are a must have in any kids room! You’ll also find nice independent shops in and around the Lifestyle on Kloof complex. And for a sweet treats, stop at Myog frozen yougurt or Unframed Ice cream.

Situated on the V&A Waterfront, The Watershed is a unique hub where you will find the best of local design and quality craft. It’s nice to walk and discover all the little boutiques and stalls full of beautiful jewellery, home décor, toys, clothes….

For my three girls, I love the two famous Australian brands Country Road and Cotton On kids. It’s fun, colourful, affordable and kids love it as much as their parents.

STAY

La Grenadine is a really charming guesthouse situated in the heart of busy Cape Town. We love the peaceful garden, the eclectic interior full of French antiques and local design and the relaxed atmosphere. They offer perfect options for families like a two-bedroom cottage or a three-bedroom private house.

The Belmond Mount Nelson is one of the most iconic hotels of Cape Town which combines timeless luxury, refinement and a real care for the happiness of families. Located just in front of Company’s Garden, it’s really easy to explore the city by foot. Kids can play and run in the magnificent gardens, play tennis, swim or spend hours in their amazing fully supervised playrooms!

The Grand Daddy is certainly Cape Town’s most original place to stay. Above their classic suites, they created a rooftop Airstream Trailer Park. All the trailers have their own individual decor theme and you can choose to sleep in the Safari trailer, the Beach trailer, the Winelands trailer (the biggest one)…. Children love it! Even if you don’t sleep there, take the kids to their Pink Flamingo Rooftop Cinema located in the middle of the Airstream trailer Park.

Camps Bay Retreat is a peaceful paradise with amazing views across the Ocean. With its magnificent rolling gardens, swimming pools, the tennis court and the hanging bridge, the property lends itself for ample exploration and outdoor family fun.

More Quarters is situated in one of our favourite area of the city. The concept is perfect for family: You will enjoy the total privacy of your own fully equipped apartment coupled with the convenience of a luxury hotel’s services. They really love kids and your apartment will be filled full of toys, magnets, colouring books & bath toys…

Renting a beach villa is certainly a great family accommodation! Airbnb is full of beautiful options and for something more selective, I always recommend Perfect Hideaways and Cape Villa Collection.

from children toys http://ift.tt/2mSb8is via children toys

[artsvark]

Piano artistry with a Spanish flourish

Antonio Galera. (Copyright C Mangas)

Hailed for his unique talent, pianist Antonio Galera López will be sharing his passion for Spanish music with South African audiences in February.

The young Spanish musician will embark on his debut tour of South Africa in February 2017, with performances in the Western Cape, the Eastern Cape and Gauteng.

This promises to be a rare treat for lovers of fine music, as Galera López has garnered widespread critical praise and standing ovations for his warm sound, his beautiful musical sensibility, his expressiveness and his faultless technique.

Tour itinerary:

Saturday, 11 February 2017: Piano Recital at Villa Wahnfried at 18:00; 27 Bree Street, McGregor. Tickets cost R120 pp. Enquiries: 072 601 1616

Sunday, 12 February 2017: Piano Recital at Talani Lounge at 16:00; 63 Bakkerskloof Road, Helderberg Village, Somerset West. Tickets at the door. Enquiries: 021 855 4774

Friday, 17 February 2017: A Spanish Evening with Antonio Galera (featuring dancers from the Bovim Ballet) at the Oude Libertas Amphitheatre at 20:15; Adam Tas Road, Stellenbosch. Tickets cost R190 pp. Book at Computicket or at the theatre box office 021 809 7473

Saturday 18 February 2017: Piano recital at Villa Casa Labia, 192 Main Road, Muizenberg at 19:00 for 19:45, under the auspices of the Embassy of Spain in South Africa. Tickets cost R280 pp. Enquiries: Events Manager on 021 788 6068

Thursday 23 February 2017: Piano Recital at The Drill Hall, St. Andrew’s College at 19:30; 1 Somerset Street, Grahamstown. Tickets at the door. Enquiries: 083 442 3322

Friday 24 February 2017: Piano Recital at Richmond House Museum, at 18:00; 19 Wesley Hill St, Port Alfred. Tickets cost R80 pp. Enquiries: 082 654 4326

Saturday, 25 February 2017: Piano Recital at Da Capo Concert Chamber at 19:30, 182 Kent Avenue, Ferndale, Randburg. Tickets cost R120 pp. Enquiries: 082 458 3522

Sunday, 26 February 2017: Piano Recital at Tauromenium Concert Chamber at 16:00, 330 Derrick Avenue, Waterkloof Ridge, Pretoria. Tickets cost R100 pp. Enquiries: 082 770 6138

He is fast distinguishing himself as one of the most exciting young performers in Spanish music, and has won several competitions and continues to perform to great fanfare around the world.

As is the case with Galera López’s compatriots, the Carles & Sofia Piano Duo, who visited South Africa last year, he is devoted to showcasing the stirring music of Spanish composers, complemented by others from the classical canon.

Among the composers from his homeland to whom he will be paying homage during his South African tour is Enrique Granados, a beloved son of the Spanish soil whose works are intimately infused with the distinctive flavours and textures of Spain. This year marks 150 years since Granados’s death.

Another Spanish composer he will be highlighting during his South African recitals is Manuel de Falla, acclaimed for pieces with a strong Spanish character that are deeply rooted in flamenco, and also for his jewels inspired by the music of Chopin, Fauré and Satie.

One of the highlights of Galera López’s South African tour will be a sparkling recital concert, titled A Spanish Evening with Antonio Galera, at the Oude Libertas Amphitheatre in Stellenbosch on Friday, 17 February.

Dancers from the Cape Town-based Bovim Ballet Company will share the stage in giving expression to exquisite Spanish-themed pieces – including De Falla’s Cancióne and Nocturne and Granados’s El fandango de candil (Candlelit Fandango). The fandango is a lively Spanish dance for two people, usually accompanied by castanets or tambourine.

Moving to Cape Town, on Saturday, 18 February, the pianist will perform at the historical Villa Casa Labia in Muizenberg, hosted and presented by the Spanish Consulate in Cape Town.

The recital programme will also feature another work by Granados, including two more red-blooded excerpts from the Goyescas piano suite for solo piano, as well as works by Chopin.

Other stops on Galera López’s first – but hopefully not last – South African tour will be McGregor, Somerset West, Grahamstown, Port Alfred, Randburg and Pretoria, where audiences can immerse themselves in his memorable piano artistry with a Spanish flourish.

Don’t miss this opportunity to experience one of Spain’s most gifted young pianists, bringing the beauty, drama and fiery passion of Spanish music to vivid life right here in South Africa. For more information, visit www.hannieheferpromotions.co.za or call 082 458 3522.

  Piano artistry with a Spanish flourish was originally published on Artsvark