South Africa News, Travel and fun Blog

The streets of Cape Town were a riot of colour and excitement today (Monday, 29 October 2007) as the victorious South African Rugby Team, the Springboks, ended their country-wide victory tour in the wake of winning the Rugby World Cup 2007.

Revelers and well-wishes of all colours, creeds and ages donned green and gold-hued clothing in honour of their national team, thronging the sidewalks as the open topped bus bearing the beaming team and their hard-won Web Ellis Trophy left the Grand Parade and rolled through the city.

Children and adults shouted, cheered and blew vuvuzelas, while in the office windows above the streets young girls whistled and even flashed to get the attention of Percy Montgomery, Bryan Habana and Captain John Smit and the rest of the boys.

In an atmosphere reminiscent of the 1994 world cup victory, Cape Town’s citizens celebrated in harmony and no incidences of crowd violence or crime were reported.

Looking head to the 2010 FIFA World Cup, to be hosted in South Africa, Cape Town mayor Helen Zille said in an interview on Cape Talk that she felt the signs were all pointing towards a successful and peaceful celebration, based on what has been a memorable day for the Mother City, for all the right reasons.
 

Those people who call South Africa’s Mother City home already know that Cape Town is the top South African city to visit – numerous national and international tourism-based surveys have been saying so for years – usually in relation to the city’s exquisite natural beauty and the many Cape Town activities and Cape Town tours that appeal to people from all walks of life.
But now it has also been named the best city in which to live. And that’s not just because of the palm tree-lined beaches and relaxed lifestyle. A recent study undertaken by local government online-information service, Municipal IQ, shows that the citizens of Cape Town are better qualified and more productive than those of the other major South African cities.

And it isn’t just the city itself – residents of the West Coast town of Saldanah Bay, also in the Western Cape region, expressed the most satisfaction about their town in the survey.

So what criteria were gathered to determine productivity among the 283 metro councils, district councils and local municipalities on Municipal IQs site?

Among other factors, the way in which local authorities dealt with poverty, the basic amenities made available to citizens (such as water and electricity) and the economic activity and infrastructure in each region.

Johannesburg and Tshwane (previously Pretoria) came in second and third place respectively. 

What gave Cape Town the leading edge? According to Municipal IQ’s MD, Kevin Allan, it was down to the training of its citizens.
He said, “…Cape Town does more with what it has, and what it has is also better than the other big cities in our land.” 
According to the site, ‘Municipal IQ’ is “based on a unique methodology that combines an extensive set of socio-economic and financial factors, denoted by a range of variables, to provide a comprehensive review of the attractiveness and success in service delivery of individual municipalities compared to all others in the country.”

Which is all very interesting, and good to know…but as any self-respecting Capetonian will tell you, whatever way you look at it, Cape Town is simply the best city on the planet!

Cape Town is one of the most beautiful cities in the world and the breathtaking geographical scenery provides a stunning backdrop to the numerous cultures that are represented by the people of the Cape.

A group of amateur photographers who are passionate about their Mother City have put together an impressive exhibition which runs for a week this October at the popular V & A Waterfront’s Clock Tower. The images selected showcase the nature of Cape Town and feature places and people as seen through the lens of locals.

One of the organisers of the event, which is called Expressions of Cape Town, explains:

“These are all amateur photographers, hoping to get exposure for their photographs and to instil in you the beauty of Cape Town as they see it through their lenses…. we feel certain that this exhibition will promote our beautiful mother city to locals and visitors alike, and that it will demonstrate to anyone with a digital camera that photography is not just about recording images; it can become profoundly interactive, where the photographer’s deepest passions are sometimes reflected in his or her images.”

The geographical region depicted stretches from Hermanus in the Overberg to Langebaan on Cape Town’s West Coast, and everything in-beween.

Why not support local talent and enjoy viewing images of the greater Cape Town area? Contact details of the artists will be available should you wish to purchase prints of any of the photographs – a great gift idea for family who live abroad.

Dates: 12 – 19 October 2007
Venue: The Clock Tower, V & A Waterfront

Once a year during the height of the flower season along Cape Town’s West Coast a special rock music concert is held in the beautiful countryside around the town of Darling.

This year, Rocking the Daisies, the only Cape Town music festival on the local festival calendar, is set to supersede all previous years in terms of both an incredible line-up of local artists, as well as location.

What better way could there be to spend a week end than camping on a beautiful wine estate, soaking up the sun, lazing about in daisy-laced fields and enjoying live performances by some of South African’s hottest bands, cooling off in the dam and sipping fine wines sold on site?

With kids under twelve incurring no charge, this is a family-friendly festival which allows everyone to hang out together under the blue African sky.

This year’s line-up includes well-known acts such rockers The Dirty Skirts, funk-fusion band The Rudimentals and the hotter-than-hot Cassette who supported Pink during her recent South African tour. Other popular bands are Flat Stanley, Max Normal TV who have developed quite a cult following, Bed on Bricks and Love Jones.

Most of the bands are getting loads of airplay on Radio 2000 and Five F.M.

In addition, an impressive list of comedy acts will be keeping the crowds entertained between all the music.

Priding itself on being a ‘green’ event, the organisers are offering concessions to those who cycle from Cape Town to Darling for the weekend. In addition, no glass may be brought to the site and there is a park and ride system to lessen the impact of the vehicles on the land. So why not pack your tent and head off to Cloof Wine Farm this weekend (28 - 30 September 2007) for a rocking good time among the daisies?

The city of Cape Town has some of the most beautiful stretches of coastline to be found anywhere in the world. With the icy cold Atlantic on one side and the welcoming waves of the Indian on the other, Cape Town cannot be beaten for its variety of beaches. From powdery white sand to enormous smooth boulders, oval pebbles to rugged cliffs, this coastline is inviting and exciting, both treacherous and tame, and the perfect playground for activities from kayaking to kite surfing and beyond.

If you are visiting South Africa’s Mother City, chances are your Cape Town accommodation will be near the coast as these areas are the most popular for visitors.

Each Cape Town beach has an ambiance of its own. Here is our pick of the bunch.

Best Cape Town Beaches
 
Boulders Beach

Situated near the quaint naval village of Simons Town, Boulders Beach comprises a picturesque series of sheltered sandy spots scattered with smooth boulders. The water is great for gentle swimming for all ages, and the fascinating penguin colony that dwells among the rocks are the highlight.

Camps Bay

Possibly the most popular of all Cape Town’s beaches, Camps Bay is just 10 minutes from the V&A Waterfront and the CBD. If you like fine white sand lined with palm trees, plus a strip of funky cafes, bistros and winebars to eat and sip cocktails, then this is the beach for you!

Clifton

For the ultimate in beach glamour, try Clifton’s series of beaches where beautiful people are almost as decorative as the natural beauty of the powdery sand and aquamarine water. Enjoy the sites of paragliders landing nearby and yachts anchored in the calmer waters.

Fish Hoek

Fish Hoek is the perfect family beach, with its warm waters, gently sloping beach and on-the-beach restaurant and play park. Toddlers, teenagers, moms and dads and grandparents all enjoy this safe and appealing False Bay beach.

Llandudno

Undoubtedly the prettiest of all Cape beaches, Llandudno is a sheltered smile of soft white sand lapped by green blue waters under an azure sky. For picnics with the family or sundowners with friends, choose Llandudno for its scenic and idyllic beach paradise atmosphere.

Muizenberg

This is the beach to go if you want to learn how to surf in Cape Town. Numerous surf schools line the beachfront precinct and the waves are ideal for beginners to find their feet in. Local cafes and restaurants serving deli style food and awesome breakfasts add to the appeal of Muizenberg.

Long Beach

Nature-lovers will appreciate this unspoiled 8-kilometre stretch of pristine stretch of beach which is ideal for long walks, kite flying and horse riding. Experienced surfers also flock here when the conditions are suitable for some serious action.

 Cape Town has immersed itself thoroughly in the international coffee culture trend. And as with everything else in this vibrant city, the Cape coffee culture has its very own distinct flavour.
Cape Town is one of a handful of South African cities where the CBD is thriving – with more and more people working, living and playing right in the heart of the inner city. Demand for Cape Town accommodation through-out the year is booming and with the 2010 world cup looming more and more people are flocking to South Africa’s Mother City all the time.

The CBD of the city has close on 100 coffee shops alone (excluding the many restaurants that also offer coffee in-between meal times). Most of them seem to be thriving as locals and tourists spill out of open doors onto pavements, European style. More and more of these establishments are offering Internet access / wi-fi and the trend of taking work out of the office, catching up on correspondence and generally hanging out online has readily blended well with the Cape café society.

The annual Cape Gourmet Festival, which takes place each autumn, incorporates the Cape Town Coffee Route into its itinerary. This initiative is sponsored by the, among others, the Central Improvement District which aims to keep the city centre clean, safe and desirable as a location for shops and businesses as well as the general public and tourists.

The Cape Town Coffee Route is an enormously popular feature of the Cape Gourmet Festival. The majority of coffee shops involved are on or near Kloof Street. The festival promises ‘coffee and conversation on every corner’.
Among the best coffee shops featured in previous years at the event are…

Café Gainsbourg
Mugg and Bean
Boston Café
Café Bardeli
Seattle Coffee Company
Vida e Caffe
 Each coffee shop in Cape Town has its own ambiance – some are themed African, others Parisian. Some have buskers playing regularly on the pavement in between the tables. There are modern cafés and retro cafés, cafés with MTV, cafés that rent scooters out and cafés that double up as bookstores. You may find yourself daintily sipping a cappuccino from an antique coffee cup or slurping a steaming latte from an enormous utilitarian mug.
 

Whatever your style, whatever your brew of choice, you can enjoy excellent local and imported coffees all over Cape Town. A delightful way to spend the day – and you’ll certainly be set for a night out with all that caffeine coursing through your system!

Nothing can prepare you for the icy cold air that takes away your breath as you step out from the warmth of your luxury tented chalet into the morning mist for the pre-dawn Game Drive pick-up at Botlierskop Game Reserve.

I was dressed for mid-winter, but even so, the woollen beanie, scarf, gloves and jacket did little to ward off the biting air that gnawed at my fingers and nibbled at my ears as I stepped onto the boat waiting at the end of our private jetty.

The still dark water parted ahead of us as our small, motorised craft nosed its way to the main jetty, picking up more huddled, shivering figures along the way. When we’d clambered stiffly onto the 4×4s, our guides handed out welcome blankets and we huddled up to our fellow travellers for human warmth.

Once we had bounced our way out of the mist-laced valley up to the rocky outcrops above the reserve we forgot the temperature as the incredible views opened up all around. From the blue waters on the nearby coastline on one side to the layers of green and grey veld on the other, we all agreed that this is one beautiful place.

That morning we viewed four of the big five – buffalo, elephant, lion and rhino – as well as numerous species of buck from Eland to the majestic Waterbuck, once worshipped by the Xhosa. Our guides were friendly, knowledgeable and entertaining, as well as more than capable of serving up mugs of coffee and rusks along the way.

Botlierskop is a stunning game reserve 3 to 4 hours drive from Cape Town, situated along the Garden Route between Mossel Bay and George.

The accommodation is in magical tented chalets set up on stilts in secluded locations among the trees. Wooden walkways lead to the main centre, which comprises reception and offices, The Fireplace Restaurant and kitchens.

Dining here is an experience in itself. The restaurant is set between two massive stone fireplaces, with glass doors offering expansive views across the reserve. Meals include a wide selection of foods, where your meat choices are especially varied and include Kudu, Eland, Crocodile and Zebra. The meat is available through the necessary culling programmes. All the dishes have a distinctly South African flavour and the desserts are to-die-for!

Botlierskop has a strong conservation ethos and fascinating breeding programmes about which the guides are delighted to give details.

But it has to be said, the highlight of the holiday for me was time spent in the enormous, bowl-shaped bathtub, definitely big enough for two. With the tent flaps opened wide to let in the crisp air and lush green views, and the water temperature as hot as you could handle, this experience as simply heavenly.

My main thought as we drove back to Cape Town was, ‘how soon can I come back to this slice of African paradise?’

When you think about luxury African rail travel images of romantic colonial opulence and comfort in trains crossing ancient lands are immediately conjured up.
For an unforgettable railway experience why not try the Cape Town to Pretoria Train Journey in the most luxurious train in the world, as it links the country’s two capital cities?
The 48-hour journey departs weekly, and crosses 1 600 km of diverse and scenic South African landscape from desert to grassland, over mountain ranges and through fertile wineland valleys. Along the way stops at towns of historical interest breaking up the journey and adding texture to the trip. 
The accommodation, service and cuisine are all of impeccable quality. Experience 5-star-standard luxury in one of three levels of suites, all of which include en suite bathrooms and 24-hour room service. Enjoy delectable meals that showcase traditional African recipes and are created by award-winning chefs - using only the freshest produce.
There can be no more romantic way to experience the beautiful country of South Africa than by embarking on a luxury South African Railway Journey!

Negros Island is the fourth largest island in the Philippines. Thanks to the burgeoning spirit of local pride and active tourism sweeping the island, fresh income is being generated – tourists are starting to arrive in ever increasing numbers bringing upliftment to the local community.

Among the many charms of the island responsible for luring visitors to this corner of the world are newly built luxury hotels right on the white, paradise-like beaches. The natural beauty of the island is its main attraction, with an active volcano dramatising the skyline.

Still comparatively unknown, Negros is a great destination for those who wish to travel off the usual tourist track.

Late last week enormous freak waves lashed South Africa’s coastline at KwaZulu Natal. Scientists, who cite climactic changes as part of the cause of the freak storm, report that waves measuring up to 12 metres were recorded off Richards Bay. One person was reported to have died while havoc was wreaked on beach-front homes, shops and businesses causing untold damage to property. On a lighter note, adrenalin-crazed surfers managed to catch some of the best rides of their lives, laughing in the face of life-threatening danger!

Here are some photo’s of an Ore Carrier out of Durban Port