I saw this beauty on my very first day in Cape Town. Once upon a time in India, we had double-decker buses for commuting and though with time they were grounded, the child in me could never ever get over the way the world looked from the top tier of a bus! And a red bus, that too! I had seen pictures of such buses plying in various cities, but it was like a dream come true when I saw it in Cape Town. I just knew I had to be on that, one of these days!
As our days in the city rushed towards the end, the weather (the most unpredictable weather I have ever seen in my entire life) continued to play games with us and our expectations with the days to come! Luckily for me, it was nice and sunny, not to mention terribly cold, on the day I went for the Safari and a large part of the day that I went for the Peninsular tour. But I was waiting for that one sunny day when I would get on that bus and sit on the upper level and look at things around me from a wider and better angle. And then it happened! The last Saturday before we left the city, we finally took the hop-on-hop-off City Sightseeing bus!
The day started with a trip to the Old Biscuit Mill at Woodstock, about which I will talk in detail in another post. But today let me just talk about this most amazing tour that took me around Cape Town presenting me with an aerial view of everything, which for me (I am vertically challenged and hence almost always miss a decent view) was a fulfilling feeling! So, you can book your tickets online from the website; from any of the three main tour offices V&A Waterfront (stop 1), 81 Long Street (stop 5) and Camps Bay (stop 8), or from the driver once you get on one of these busses. We took the Blue Route Discovery Pass (the red bus classic route on the Mini Peninsular Tour with free entry to any three attractions from a list of 12 options). We chose Kirstenbosch Gardens/Groot Constantia, World of Birds and Cape Wheel, in the interest of time. Like all other City Sightseeing buses, these also have commentary (in some 10 or more languages) that keeps giving information about specific locations on the way or plays local music.
We got on the bus from Stop 5 and so started our drive down Long Street passing the innumerable restaurants and beautiful and intriguing buildings on both sides of the street. Crossing Stop 15 near the Long Street and Orange Street crossing, the bus continued on M3 and crossed a number of significant spots including the Long Street Baths and Turkish Steam Bath, Mount Nelson Hotel, Mostert's Mill and the University of Cape Town in the distance before reaching the Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden.
Cradled against the eastern slopes of the Table Mountain, Kirstenbosch is one of the greatest botanical gardens of the world. Spread over 528 hectares of land, flat and mountainous, this unique forest is now home to over 7000 species of plants from Southern Africa. A part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Kirstenbosch is a nature lover's paradise. Apart from the thousands of flowers of different types, it also gives a magnificent view of the Table Mountains. Remember to check out the Protea Garden, Cycad Amphitheatre and the Centenary Tree Canopy Walkway. While the Protea Garden is best viewed in spring, the Cycad Amphitheatre offers a most unique experience of walking through rare South African cycads. The Tree Canopy Walkway, also called Boomslang, is a 130-meter long curved steel and timber bridge inaugurated in 2014 that takes visitors from the forest floor into and through the trees and opens above the canopy to offer the most breathtaking view of the Table Mountain on one side and the Cape Flats extending to the sea on the other.
Once outside the garden, once again we got on to the bus from right outside and headed towards our next stop - the World of Birds. And this place was not like anything I had ever seen before! Birds, we see at the zoo, at lakes, or even randomly, but this place was indeed the world of birds! The largest bird park in Africa with over 3000 birds along with small animals of 400 different species, this park allows you to walk through fixed paths within spaciously landscaped aviaries where you can see the birds perched right next to you. Spread over 4 hectares of land close to the Hout Bay area, this place is a wonder with gorgeous omnipresent Table Mountain as the backdrop. Just name a bird that you can think of, and you will find it right there! From cormorants to barbets, owls to flamingos, emus to hornbills, peacocks to lovebirds, magpies to macaws, quails to peacocks...you name it and they have it! So, do not miss this paradise when you are there!
The World of Birds took much of our time and by the time we boarded the bus again, we knew the cruises were no longer a possibility so we decided to settle for the Cape Wheel once back at the Waterfront. But the journey to the waterfront was a rather beautiful and informative one as one by one we crossed the Imizamo Yethu township, Hout Bay, Camps Bay, down Kloof Road passing Clifton and Bantry Bay one by one as the apostles continued to guard us on the right. Further down we crossed Sea Point and Three Anchor Bay and then crossing the Cape Town Stadium we turned towards the V&A Waterfont stop. The bus offers, not just views but the most amazing and intriguing stories about different locations it passes through. And doesn't the world around look amazing as the rays of the setting sun fall on the beautiful city of Cape Town, especially when you look down from the top of the Cape Wheel!
As we walked past the heritage Clock Tower at the Waterfront, towards our dinner venue - Cape Town Fish Market I wished I had more time to see more of this beautiful city. With a million things to see and do while at Cape Town...we could just manage a few. But the beauty of not being able to do everything leaves a possibility...of going back!
If you are in the Western Cape region, you do not have any excuse for not being to at least one of the wine estates in the region. South Africa produces some of the best wines in the entire world and a wine estate tour along with wine testing is a must do if you are around Cape Town. South Africa's romance with wine dates back to 1659 when Jan van Riebeeck produced the first bottle of wine. Well, there are laws and rules governing production, marketing and selling of wines but, we can concentration only on the consumption part of it!
While a complete Wine Tour of the Western Cape would be incomplete without a visit to Stellenbosch, Franschhooek, Worchester and Constantia combined, in the interest of time, just a trip to Constantia should leave you happy, but fo course wanting to more! We did not have much time for an extensive trip as we had only about half a day. And so Constantia being the closest to where we were during the first part of that part windy part rainy Saturday winter morning, we decided to cover the Groot Constantia, Constantia Glen and Steenberg estates.
Constantia can boast of being the oldest wine-growing region in the country, with the Groot Constantia being the oldest wine estate in South Africa. In it's 333rd year of producing signature wine, Groot Constantia welcomed us with open arms. At ZAR50 you can taste 5 wines as per your choice and what wine they are!!!! Choose from among the best from the elaborate and exquisite wine menu and titilate your senses.
Our next stop was the Constantia Glen. Another beautiful estate with plush rolling vineyards all around. As pictureque as Groot Constantia, Glen offers a view of the Table Mountains Range close by, being closest to Cape Town. Constantia wine produces only 4 types of wines - Constantia Glen TWO, Constantia Glen THREE, Constantia Glen FIVE, and a special Sauvignon Blanc. You have to try all four with a cheese platter, as we did...and the rest is bliss!
We had our dinner at the Steenberg Farm and it was already dark by the time we reached there and so we couldn't really look around. Not to forget, we were tired as hell and rather cold, thanks to the rains! Steenberg Farm offers a huge list of fine wines classified into the Sparkling Range, Fleet Range, Estate Range, Flagship Range, and Icon that has the Steenberg Vintage wine.
To sum it all up, do not miss Gouverneurs Reserve White, Sauvignon Blanc/Semillion, Blanc de Noir, Merlot, Pinotage, Shiraz and Grand Constance from Groot Constatia; Constantia Glen TWO and Constantia Glen Sauvignon from Constantia Glen; and Steenberg Chardonnay, Steenberg Ruby Rose, Steenberg Semillion and Steenberg Magna Carta from Steenberg Farm.
Just a word of advice following a rather funny but uncalled for incident - try not to step into a black shiny path while at the Steenberg Farm...it is possibly a beautifully maintained waterbody that might not exactly be a welcome thought on a cold and rainy night.
Remember the names "Vasco Da Gama" and "Bartolomew Dias"? Apart from them being in our school books, what is the other thing that links me to them? Why, their association with the Cape of Good Hope, of course! While they passed it, and almost discovered the location for the world, on their way to India from faraway Portugal, I went straight there as a part of my most recent life adventure - CSC Deployment! Officially, I was in Cape Town for a month on work with 4 weekends to breeze through the most exotic locations ov this beautiful country. So, let me take you through a virtual Cape Peninsular Tour that actually took me to the South-Western most tip of the African Continent, often mistaken as the "Southern" most!
Although, it is not a part of the tour, we started with Bo-Kaap. While the name might not ring a bell, the pictures will definitely do that!
Yes, now it does, doesn't it? Bo-Kaap is one of the oldest and most distinct neighbourhoods in Cape Town. The colourful homes once used to be white and were leased to slaves brought in from Malaysia, Indonesia and rest of Africa. Once the rule was lifted, people chose their own colours to brighten their houses, as an expression of freedom. Each colour symbolized the trade of the person living in it. The trades may have dissolved but the colours have remained, though specifically hurt by the gentrification that is gradually seeping in through this age old neighbourhood that houses the oldest mosque in the country.
The next stop on our route was Camps Bay. This posh upmarket locality earns its name from its beach of the same name. Fine white sand, row of palm trees, natural rock swimming pools, swanky and expensive restaurants marks this area as the back of the Table Mountains, known locally as the 12 Apostles stand guard in the background. Named by Governor Sir Rufane Donkin, there are different versions to the story on why they are called the 12 Apostles, when there are actually 18 distinct rock faces.
We then moved on towards Hout Bay. With it's distinct location, the Mariner's Wharf at Hout Bay is the oldest harbourfront emporium in Africa. And that is just the tip of the iceberg. Known locally as the Republic of Hout Bay, it covers a large section of the peninsula and was settled by the Dutch as a settlement for timber industry. The bay area now is a tourists' and shoppers paradise for local stuff and memorabilia. You can also come accross groups of musicians of various age singing and dancing to local tunes.
Hout Bay is also the gateway to the Seal Island. A boat ride with one of the local charters can take you close to this island in about 20ish minutes, through rather choppy waters! Located about 5.7 kilometres off the beaches of the False Bay, this 5 acre landmass is home to close to 64,000 Cape fur seals, the most adorable looking creatures, who are to be found all over the little landmass. The landmass is also home to a large number of cormorants or other varieties of non-marine bird specied who come here for breeding.
A drive connecting Hout Bay to Noordhoek along the most dramatic 9 kilometres of marine routes, is the Chapman's Peak Drive. This stretch with rocky mountains on one side and picturesque marine drive on the other, skirts 114 curves with the Chapman's Peak standing imposingly halfway down the drive. The drive invites cyclist, bikers, and motorists alike and offers a wonderful panomaric view of the Hout Bay.
Our next stop was the Cape Point Ostrich Farm, located on Route M65 South about 400 meters north of the entrance to the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve. Set up in 1996 by Dr. and Mrs. Coelle, this 65 hectare farm is an ostrich breeding farm. It also houses a restaurant - The Hatchery that serves the most amazing food, an ostrich leather store selling the most exquisite goods made of ostrich leather, an ostrich egg store that is sure to mesmerize any visitor by its sheer diverse use of hatched or used ostrich eggs. The Farm houses about 40 ostriches in 40 camps and brings them together during the breeding season. Beautiful Dutch style buildings form the landscape of the farm now run by Catherina Coelle, the daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Coelle.
With our stomach full of Ostrich and Springbok meat, we headed for the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve that covers the Cape of Good Hope and Cape Point. As mentioned at the very beggining of this post, Cape of Good Hope is one of the most beautiful looking tips of the continent. Rough waves, steeply rising rocky mountains and an abundance of flora and fauna makes this area a geologists and botanists delight. Originally named the Cape of Storms by Bartholomew Dias, it was later renamed as the Cape of Good Hope by King John II of Portugal due to its role in opening the trade route to India and the East.
Just over 1km east and about 20 minutes away is Cape Point with a peak slightly higher than the one at the Cape of Good Hope. Cape Point is often mistakenly claimed to be the place where the Atlantic Ocean and Indian Ocean meets. The meeting point lies another 150 kilometres (93 mi) to the east-southeast at Cape Agulhas and that is hardly a location you would like to miss.
The last stop for the day was the Boulders Beach off Simon's Town, home to the super cute African Penguins, also known as Jackass Penguins, thanks to the strange braying noise they make. These awesomely cute creaturesm found only along the coastlines of Southern Africa are found to be roaming, walking, and looking after their children. The African penguins are currently on the verge of extinction and to save them from becoming history, they are directly under the protection of the Cape Nature Conservation.
The Cape Peninsular tour actually covers a few more spots, but we were running terribly late, largely owing to our huge group size (11 of us) and the rains started pouring rather hard, apart from it getting too dark to try any other locations. So after a quick cup of coffee from a roadside diner, we headed back. But the tour should also necessarily include Kalk Bay and the very sandy and beautiful Muizenberg beach with its instagram-esque multicoloured wooden beach huts.
As we headed back, tired and ready to crash, Cape Town and the world around it remained etched in our minds and will possibly be so, forever.
Having grown up on "Chander Pahaar", how can I not romanticise about Africa? Alright, it is South Africa, but it is the continent that matters and so since I am in the continent right now, how could I go back without doing a Safari. Ok, it is not Kruger, but it is a game safari for heaven's sake!
The Aquila Game Reserve is a two-hour drive from Cape Town along the Karoo Mountains in the most picturesque Renosterveld and Mountain Fynbos landscape close to the Touws River. This private game reserve is a resort with multiple options, doing a day safari being just one of them and with a high probability of meeting the big 5 - Lion, Leopard, Rhinoceros (both black and white species), Elephant, and Cape buffalo! Well, I was short of time and hence, a day safari is all I could manage and what a day it turned out to be! And no, I did not get to see all the 5 but whatever I saw was a "first" for me!
How do I write about it? A safari is hardly an experience to put into words, but yes, having done the same back home at the Corbett National Park, the one difference that I could very easily decipher was the distinct difference in the landscape. The region is a part of a semi-desert natural region with stretches of the Savannah grasslands. This meant lesser tall trees and more bushes or shrubs. Strange how the giraffes survive here without being able to stretch their necks further up! Well, as we realized and as the guide shared, they stretch their long legs to bend their necks down, resulting very slowly to shorter heights.
The safari took about 3 hours and we travelled through various parts of the reserve area encountering Hippos, Ostriches, Rhinos, Elephants, Giraffes, Elands, Zebras, Wildebeests, Springboks, and or couse Lions. And no, I had never seen an untamed free lion from this close, EVER!
And God, it was cold! I mean, yes I know it is winter but how the hell does it get soooooooooo cold! So, if you ever plan a winter visit to South Africa with a safari planned to any of the reserves, be prepared! The wind can kill!
The best part was something I noticed on my way out. Incidentally, they randomly put up flags from various countries along with the South African flag and for some strange reason, the Indian tricolour was fluttering that day! Well, once an Indian, always an Indian. And to think this was the weekend before Independence Day! The little joys of life!
We got on the bus from Stop 5 and so started our drive down Long Street passing the innumerable restaurants and beautiful and intriguing buildings on both sides of the street. Crossing Stop 15 near the Long Street and Orange Street crossing, the bus continued on M3 and crossed a number of significant spots including the Long Street Baths and Turkish Steam Bath, Mount Nelson Hotel, Mostert's Mill and the University of Cape Town in the distance before reaching the Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden. 
