South Africa News, Travel and fun Blog

Not so long ago the sun bronzed our skins and all Capetonians spent time on the lovely Cape Town beaches. Now when you wake up at 6 in the morning, its still dark outside, the nights are chilly and your toes feel like they are freezing off!

Yes, it’s that time of the year again- wintertime!

Many a traveller will ask “What exactly can I do in Cape Town when it’s cold and rainy outside?”.

Well, this Capetonian can vouch that there’s no need to worry! You will have more than enough things to do in and around Cape Town even when the rain is pouring outside.

Here’s some tips:

Shark Cage Diving
You can start by going Shark cage diving! Yes you heard right! Sharks tend to move around, but according to Shark experts, winter is definitely the best time to visit the icy waters. Are you brave enough?

Ten Pin Bowling in Cape Town
Some indoor fun to heat up your hands and feet! Ten Pin Bowling offers fun for both young and old. Best of all it’s cheap to do and you can still go for a nice cuppa hot chocolate afterwards. There are bowling alleys in Claremont (only 12km from Cape Town), Goodwood and Tygervalley (Bellville).

Two Oceans Aquarium
Take a trip down to the V&A Waterfront, but instead of shopping take a turn and head over to the Two Oceans Aquarium. The Aquarium offers visitors a view of more than “3000 living sea animals, including sharks, fishes, seals, turtles and penguins”- definitely a must see! Open every day of the year from 09h30 until 18h00.

Salsa Dancing in Cape Town
Have you ever wanted to learn Salsa Dancing? Well Cape Town gives you this opportunity. Saturdays marks the time for salsa dancing! Come on, be daring and give it a try- 7 Bree Street, Foreshore, Cape Town CBD

Indoor Rock climbing
CityROCK is known as South Africa’s largest 21st century indoor rock-climbing gym and is situated in Observatory, on the corner of Collingwood and Anson Street. One of the advantages of CityROCK is that they welcome kids from the age of 5 and up. Perfect for a family outing on a rainy day in Cape Town!

Win some money
Travel to GrandWest casino and experience an entertainment extravaganza! GrandWest Casino offers fun for the whole family. Ranging from fun for the kids to winning big for adults- GrandWest is a must visit!

Indoor Karting in Kenilworth
Feed your need for speed at the Indoor Karting track in Kenilworth. Expect to find a fully tarred 310 meter track and karts for both kids and adults. Come be a sport and join the fun today!

Ice-skating
There’s nothing better than ice-skating in the winter. Come to the Olympic sized ice rink in GrandWest and have a blast. Be sure to bring your mittens as it might be just a tad cold!

Here in Cape Town we can definitely feel the seasons-change in the air! The evenings are chilly and mornings definitely have a bite to them.

However, weather has never stopped any Cape Tonian from having fun and enjoying this beautiful city to the max!

It’s that time of the year again where we celebrate cheeses of all kinds- yes; it’s the South African Cheese Festival again! From the 25^th to the 28^th of April you have the chance to enjoy the delectable tastes of a range of different South African cheeses from all over the country.

If you love cheese, then this festival is a must! Guests get the chance to experience new varieties of South African cheeses, harmonising with South African delicacies like tantalizing wines, olives, and of course freshly baked bread- like only our ancestors could create.

There are only a limited number of tickets selling for R75 at Computicket. Be sure to book your tickets as soon as possible! Included in the fee is a nice shopping bag to put your goodies in, the festival program, tastings, and demonstrations by top chefs and food experts.

The festival will be held at the Bien Donné farm, a mere 55 km from Cape Town CBD. The gates will be open from 10:00 to 18:00 from Friday to Sunday and from 10:00 to 17:00 on Monday 28 April.

Don’t miss this - Be there!

Each year since 2001, local Cape Town radio station 567 Cape Talk have put on this literally star-studded event on Clifton 4th, arguably the most beautiful beach in the Mother City.

While the live band may not consist of household names, their excellent renditions of golden oldies from the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s were performed with class and energy this past Saturday night. The temperatures soared to the high-30s on the day and the South Easter which had been fanning veld-fires across the Peninsular for the past 2 weeks dropped, creating a balmy evening on the soft sandy beach.

Young and old, black and white, locals and foreigners all congregated en masse from late afternoon to find themselves a space on the sand, enjoy a sunset picnic and cool off in the icy water. Meanwhile, the band got themselves together and ran through a few practice numbers, giving a melodic hint of what was to follow.

The yachts and catamarans of a local marine club dropped anchor in the bay, creating an off-shore event of their own as their lights reflected on the darkening waves below and echoed the emerging stars above.

The event, sponsored by BP Garages, is in aid of the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI). One of their helicopters did a fly-by before the entertainment kicked off at 18h00, with the crowd standing to salute the work of the men and women who save numerous lives in Cape Town each year.

The MC for the night, Aiden Thomas, introduced a marimba band to start the night’s entertainment. The group warmed up the crowds with some traditional African tunes before the main band got many dancing on the sand under the stars with hit after hit, beautifully performed and accompanied by stringed, wind, brass and percussion instruments.

The spectacular sunset stole the crowd’s attention for a few breath-taking minutes, then candles and glow sticks (sold by the NSRI) took on the job of lighting up the relaxed revelers. As no alcohol was allowed, the event was extremely mellow, with no unpleasant incidents to mar the family-friendly fun.

The night drew to a close on schedule at 20h30. We left the beach with happy memories, vowing to return to next year’s Moonstruck.

For a relaxed, free evening with fantastic music and a great Cape Town vibe, look out for Moonstruck 2009 which will be, as always, in the month of February, a perfect way to get into the mood for Valentine’s Day.

It may be hot in the city, but this summer in Cape Town locals and visitors will be able to cool down without heading for the icy waters off Clifton beach.

The hottest new venue to open at the V&A Waterfront received a warm reception despite the chilly atmosphere – in fact that was the whole point!

Welcome to The Ice Lounge – a first for South Africa, which opened its doors on 1 November to 400 patrons eager to try something different.

The chilled out venue is under the management of Mr. Dave Cussen- himself an ice-sculptor. During the day families enjoy the novel experience while children fly down the slope of a slide carved in the shape of a whale. Other sculptures on view include an intricate image of Nelson Mandela.

Cussen hopes to continue drawing the crowds to make the venture financially worthwhile, as the venue cost a cool R3 million to create. The entire bar as well as the sculptures, walls and even the glasses are all made from ice, which is prevented from melting by the room temperature which is kept at around 6°C.

On arrival patrons are provided with mittens, ponchos and booties to wear over their own clothes – which means you don’t need to dress for winter while making your way through a steaming hot Cape Town to get there!

Expect to pay R50 for daytime entrance, while your R75 evening cover charge includes a cocktail.
With this novel venue, Cape Town maintains its status as South Africa’s most-chilled destination.

Too, too cool!

A clock made by human acrobats.

Need the time:
Click here

This amazing astronaut photograph (ISS006-E-22939) shows a unique view of the metropolis of London, Britain’s capital city. Revealed by the image is the sprawling city’s electrical lighting, which offers insight into the urban density and infrastructure. 

It is fair to assume that the most brightly lit areas have the largest population, and one can see that the density lessens as the light intensity dwindles outward from the core towards the London Orbital. This is the circular motorway that encircles the city. 

Scattered in the darker area around are bright spots which are indicative of towns and smaller cities, as far as Hastings on the coast. 

The two major International airports of Heathrow and Gatwick are indicated, visible as more intensely lit-up areas. Images such as this one are useful for observation and updating information on the urban regions of the world, through the correct interpretation. 

Of course, weather and precipitation patterns can also be viewed. For instance the heat from the city has burned off or not allowed the development of low cloud or fog which is visible as smudges over some of the smaller, cooler populated places on the outskirts. 

The image was captured on digital camera by the crew of the International Space Station on the evening of 4 February 2003, at 19h22 local London time. It was released by the Earth Sciences and Image Analysis Laboratory at the Johnson Space Centre.

View similar images of other areas at the NASA-JSC Gateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth.