The Island Explorer

We finally end our trip to South Africa. We spent a total of 12 days here, traveling from Johannesburg all the way to Cape Town. Now, even though we didn't make it to Kruger National Park and experience a true safari, we were quite satisfied with what the Eastern Cape had to offer. So, here are a few tips if you want to visit this wonderful country: 1. CHOOSE YOUR SAFARI. Safaris range from the budget ones (you drive and explore on your own) to guided luxury (tour with all the comforts). You don't have to spend a lot of an lavish camp inside the park. If you're on a budget, you can spend your nights outside the parks. And again, you can drive through the reserves. Addo was a good choice for kids. Kruger is huge, and you have to plan your location there. The Sabi Sabi Reserve is said to be the best, but can also be the most expensive. 2. LIVE THE GARDEN ROUTE. If you can, get a car. Drive across the country. The roads are world class and can be easily navigated.  R...

I have fallen in love with Cape Town that I wanted to buy a house here. Thus, it is only fitting to end my posts on South Africa at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town , which is the perfect Cape Town urban complex. Situated at the heart of the historic harbor of Cape Town, the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront is a bustling myriad of entertainment attractions, shops, restaurants, cafes and even historical sites. Thus, it is the most visited tourist destination in the entire South Africa. The V&A Waterfront   It houses the Nelson Mandela Gateway which offers boat trips to Robben Island that weren't able to visit. Robben Island was where Nelson Mandela was held captive. There are also museums in the compound, such as the Chavonnes Battery Museum and the SAS Somerset . There is a mall of course, but the shops are quite limited. You get some high end boutiques but they were quite hidden in the 2nd floor area. Since I was with my kid, we...

Long Street is known in Cape Town as a bohemian hang out and a venue for arts and culture. With its Victorian buildings with wrought iron balconies, Long Street is charming and has a very diverse selection of restaurants, cafes, bookstores and shops. It's not a long street though, and one can easily walk it from end to end. It is located in the City Bowl area, hence it is in the city center. Some office buildings are located at the streets parallel to it. I admired the eclectic art that dressed up facades of buildings. They looked so vibrant and gives character to an otherwise normal Cape Town street. It was our last two nights in South Africa, so we decided to book an apartment style accommodation. Hence, we ended up at  Flat Rock Suites , just off Long Street. We have stayed at almost all types of accommodations in South Africa, from chalets, to country farm guesthouses, to a villa in a vineyard, a boutique hotel and now, an apartment. ...

The most popular attraction of Cape Town is its heart - Table Mountain. When we entered Cape Town, I was struck with awe at the sight of the mountain. It was impressive, imposing and calming at the same time. Cape Town is built around the Table Mountain, one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature. We were lucky that the day was quite clear when we drove up to the park entrance. Sometimes, Table Mountain has a cover (table cover as they call it) of thin clouds that block the view of the city from the top. We rode up the high speed cable car up to the summit. There are only 2 cable cars operating, but each can accommodate up to 65 people. The ride was around 5 minutes long, and the floor of the cable car rotated to provide 360 degree views. The view from the top was breathtaking as expected. At one point, you can see the 12 Apostles lined up all the way to the end of the cape. On the other side, you will see Signal Hill and Cape Town in all its glory. The Cape Town Stadium at C...

As mentioned in my previous entry, we checked in our Agoda booked hotel at 6:30PM. There was still sun over Cape Town as we had an hour before sunset. We booked a hotel the night before, so we really didn't know where it was. Finally, after some navigating using GPS, we made it to our hotel. To our surprise, the hotel didn't allow children. They politely declined us, and even offered to help look for a replacement. I was quite pissed, because I was already tired. But since they were kind enough, we tried to look for a nearby hotel. That was how we ended up in Dys Art Boutique Hotel . That was a long intro, but I was happy that we got kicked out of our previous hotel (I don't even remember the name). We made it into Dys Art, and was met by the owner of the boutique hotel who personally led us to our room. We were pleasantly surprised again that we have been upgraded. It really pays to book at the last minute, and arrive late. We were led in the only room that ope...

Finally. After 2 days of driving, we finally made it to Cape Town from Franschhoek. Cape Town was beautiful with its villas, cafes and beachside restaurants. Of course, Table Mountain made a huge impression. But the first thing that popped in my head was the beach. I was itching for sand. We got off the M4 highway and followed the signs for Camps Bay, the most popular beach in Cape Town. The area was very busy, and had a bit of a traffic jam as I exited the highway. Cape Town seemed to be my kind of city, very laid back and has the best of both worlds - mountains and beaches. Camps Bay is the epitome of a South African beach. There were several beachcombers laid out on the ash colored sand, with the mighty Atlantic crashing onto the shore. Though I yearned to visit Zanzibar first, I guess, I have to make do with the beaches of Cape Town. Despite the cold waters, people were swimming in the safer parts of the bay. Camps Bay is also Cape Town's largest beach,...

I knew this was going to be an exciting destination, but I wasn't prepared for what was ahead of us. We arrived in the Cape of Good Hope National Park hungry and agitated. Nevertheless, the anticipation was so intense that we wanted to explore as much of the park as we can.