South Africa Cape Town
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Boomer Travel In South Africa
Continuing the theme of debunking the bad press that has plagued South Africa in recent years, and highlighting in fact how safe it is to travel in SA, let’s have a look at the Boomer market, and why South Africa and surrounding region is the perfect destination for comfort loving oldies with a hankering to touch the wild.
Ease of Travel
African travel in general can be a multi-layered experience with the roughest of rough travel rubbing shoulders with displays of ridiculous opulence and splendor. Tour packages are usually insulated from the seething poverty of the outside, and tourists rarely touch the quintessence of Africa. In South Africa this is also true, but the contrast does not seem so striking here.
On the surface South Africa is one of the most sophisticated societies in the world, with an industrial and communications infrastructure that is comparable with anywhere in the developed world. In keeping with this the tourist industry is highly developed, efficient and sophisticated. Not only are the most obvious sights and sounds of Africa showcased and made easily available to the visitor, but the entire spectrum of a nation that enjoys incredible cultural, social and ecological diversity is in some way or another packaged in a manner that is both accessible and affordable.
Date: October 8th, 2008 |
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Stargazing In The Cederberg
Cederberg Astronomical Observatory
In a country with more angles on tourism than on a cut diamond, I was interested to discover the existence in the South African Cederberg of a private observatory that offers the opportunity for stargazer and astro-enthusiasts to indulge in some southern hemisphere observations. The Cederberg Astronomical Observatory was established in 1980 by British astronomer Peter Mack who was at that time employed by the Astronomical Society Of South Africa. Mack visited the Cederberg and recognised immediately the potential in the region for a local observatory.
Since then the site has been developed and is now run by a consortium of partners with headquarters based in Cape Town. Any of these good people can be contacted via the web page, and are available for consultation on matters of astronomy, or for advice on any phenomenon or particular events being held at the observatory.
Date: June 30th, 2008 |
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The Wild Coast
In the modern world, ‘wild’ as far as nature is concerned is a relative concept. It is enough, perhaps, that an area of natural beauty is not utterly trampled by urban development, or destroyed by irresponsible land use, for it to deserve the term ‘wild’. Certainly this is the case in the developing world, and most particularly along the earth’s tropical coastlines. The Wild Coast of South Africa’s KwaZulu/Natal, although hardly wild, is by comparison to the KNZ South Coast in a different world altogether. It is a gorgeous natural environment, comprising the signature open grasslands and hill country of the south coast, with deep cut ravines peppered with groves of aloe, and deep tidal estuaries cloaked on either bank with rich and unsullied riparian forest. There is no sign anywhere of mock Tuscan gated developments, of strip malls or the blanket sugar estates so ubiquitous throughout the region. It is moreover an environment fiercely protected by both a large cohort of outside environmentalists and significant numbers of local community members. The latter, almost uniquely, have successfully resisted the temptation to climb into bed with property developers and sell the long term integrity of their landscape for short term profit.
The Environmental Frontline
Currently, however, the issue is less property development and more highway construction and strip mining. The controversy in the first instances involves the extension of the ubiquitous toll road system, that is the pride of the South African transport infrastructure, through the Transkei, and secondly whether to grant Australian mining conglomerate, Minerals Commodities Limited, and Local Black Economic Empowerment group Xolobeni Empowerment Company, license to dune mine substantial base metal reserves along the coast. While the intricacies of this contest are beyond the scope of this narrative, they do broadly pit local concerns against central and international financial interests. At the core is the question of land ownership, which, in the case of the wild coast, is land owned by the state and held in trust for the people.
Date: March 24th, 2008 |
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2 Chicago gals in Muizenberg dinghy fiasco.
Yesterday, two girls from Chicago found the waters in False bay not as friendly as those of Lake Michigan.
The two set off from Muizenberg beach apparently to take photo’s in a store bought dinghy, barely big enough for the both of them. With only a dustpan tied to a broom as a paddle, the girls quickly found themselves in trouble. A friend on shore tried to rescue them, but with the rip current and offshore breeze he was unable to reach them on a surfboard.
The pair drifted as far as two miles out before being rescued by the NSRI. At …
Date: November 9th, 2007 |
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Wake up on Table Mountain at Overseers cottage.
A fantastic opportunity to spend a night on Table Mountain in comfort and wake up to jaw dropping views of the entire peninsula. (weather dependant:) With the recent spate of crime on Table Mountain, these portered and secure tours seem to be the way to go until the police round up the baddies.
This new “Table mountain trail” tour with Hoerikwaggo , is a 3 day mini-tour including Robben Island, the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront, District six museums, Kirstenbosch gardens and culminating in a night’s luxury …
Date: November 1st, 2007 |
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The Bo-Kaap: A Show Piece of Cape Town Culture
One of the most picturesque quarters of a beautiful city is Cape Town’s Bo-Kaap. Once known as the Malay Quarter, the area was in fact the home of a predominately Muslim population drawn from many quarters of the eastern world, and imported to The Cape predominately as slaves or bonded workers during the 16th and 17th centuries.
Cape Malay
Most of the original inhabitants of the Bo-Kaap derived from areas of Dutch overseas influence, with the majority being Indian, but with influences also from Malaysia, Indonesia, Madagascar – itself populated largely by migrant and bonded groups from the Indian Ocean trading axis – Ceylon, Indo-China and Japan. These, in combination with the original Dutch settlers, merged and melded and in due course laid the foundations of the unique Cape/Dutch, or Cape/Malay culture that has over the years tended to be most obviously manifest in architecture and cuisine.
Date: July 8th, 2008 |
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Ons Skrik Vir Niks: Exhibitions of Race
Black On Black
In an action rich in irony this week a certain Mr Black successfully brought legal action against the notorious ‘whites only’ South African holiday resort, Broederstroom Vakansie-Oord, situated near the Hartebeespoorte Dam in Gauteng Province. In common with a handful of other facilities, notably the Orange Freestate, an element of white society in South Africa has, and continues to attempt to retain what racial exclusivity the liberal constitution of South Africa will allow. On 5 March this year Mr Black and his wife, who are white but who have two adopted black children, were evicted from the resort thanks to the mixed race status of their family. This enraged Mr. Black, causing him, with some justification, to lodge a complaint against Broederstroom with the South African Human Rights Commission, which in turn initiated proceedings in the Equality Court in terms of the Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Act of 2000.
Date: April 19th, 2008 |
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Shark Bay, Langebaan: Kitesurfing paradise.
Although the name spells doom, beautiful Shark Bay in Langebaan got its name from it’s numerous and harmless sand-sharks, not the greater and whiter variety.
Shark Bay is part of Langebaan lagoon, next to the West Coast National Park and is a quiet haven of shallow blue water, good fishing and fantastic kite surfing conditions.
If you like many visitors are planning on learning to kitesurf while you are here, there is no better place in South Africa to learn, with flat water, consistent wind and relatively warm water compared to the …
Date: December 12th, 2007 |
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Cape Town Suburbs: Greenpoint
This series is especially for those coming to Cape Town, and planning on staying for longer than the average holiday, and would like to know in advance which area they wish to stay.
Hopefully I can answer some questions you might have about which suburb of Cape Town is best suited to your interests, age group and tolerance level.
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Greenpoint:
As far as being central is concerned Greenpoint is perfectly situated between town and the Atlantic Seaboard, which gives convenient access to the Waterfront, and our most popular beaches: Clifton and Camps Bay. Town is but a 5-10 minute walk as is the Waterfront and transport in the way of minibus taxis are constantly zooming up and down the main road.
Date: November 6th, 2007 |
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Sleep with the lions, 30 Minutes from Cape Town.
The Drakenstein Lion Park was recently brought to my attention as offering close contact with lions only 50km from CT.
5 minutes from Paarl (straight up the N1) the park is a sanctuary for captive bred lions that are unable to be reintroduced to the wild.
A number of opportunities exist for coming into close contact (but no touching), casual day trips, Volunteering and overnight tented accommodation within earshot of the blood curdling bellows.
Drakenstein Lion Park is privately funded and does not rear lions commercially for hunting or further captivity. You can also …
Date: October 29th, 2007 |
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