South Africa News, Travel and fun Blog

Grand Prix fans in South Africa are getting ‘revved up’ up in anticipation of a 1 billion rand (£70 million) race circuit planned for Cape Town.

South African Grand Prix (Pty) Ltd unveiled plans to build the circuit alongside the Cape Town International Airport. CEO Mr. David Gant confirmed that the project already has the support of both municipal and provincial government. However, the estimated 58 hectares of land required have yet to be released.

He added that once the land was made available the company was confident that a viable license application would be presented.

Grant also stated that government would not have to find the funds needed as it would be underwritten by overseas developers.

The course is planned to comprise a 5.7km circuit with a grandstand able to accommodate 17, 500 spectators. Both racing cars and motorcycles would be able to race on the circuit. Adjacent commercial and industrial parks linked to the course are also included in the plans, with job creation a positive spin-off.

Although South Africa hosted F1 Grand Prix events in the past (from the 1960s to the 1990s) financial constraints led to the country being dropped from the F1 calendar.

If the proposed building of the course goes ahead Cape Town will host Africa’s future F1 Grand Prix races – a real coup for the popular city!

So you’re in Cape Town on a whistle-stop tour and want to try squeeze as much of the Mother City as possible into your 48 hours?

You could spend a year in this beautiful city and still not have seen and experienced all it has to offer, but let’s see what we can do to make sure you don’t miss out on the ‘Must Sees’ - especially for first-timers.

The idea of this itinerary is to whet your appetite so that you return as soon as possible to do Cape Town full justice!

On landing at Cape Town International Airport, let’s for argument’s sake assume your flight lands at 8 a.m., you need to retrieve your luggage, collect your hire car, and head directly to the Table Mountain Cable Way, above Cape Town’s city centre. Leave the bulk of your luggage and simply take a back pack with money, a camera, sunblock and a warm top. Your early arrival should ensure that you don’t need to queue for very long. The ride up in the revolving cable car offers your first real look at the sprawling city and surrounds – with a unique 360 degree perspective. Once you arrive at the top you can enjoy breakfast at the restaurant, taking the time to fill in postcards bragging to your friends that you are having your first meal in the Cape on top of one of the world’s most famous and imposing landmark mountains!

Don’t linger too long over that second cup of coffee – you need to be down by midday to go into the CBD for a spot of shopping and exploring. Depending on your personal tastes you may enjoy browsing and gift-buying at the famous Green Market Square (open daily in the week and on Saturday mornings), or you might prefer to take in an exhibition at one of the local art galleries and museums. The main Cape Town Iziko Museum is set in the heart of the historical Cape Company Gardens which in themselves provide a lovely setting for a stroll.

Next, head to the Victoria & Albert Waterfront for a luscious lunch at one of the many eateries overlooking the harbour. More shops beckon and you could spend all day exercising your credit card, but leave enough time for a late afternoon drive around the Atlantic Seaboard. Enjoy sundowners at trendy Camps Bay or beautiful Clifton – both have exquisite white beaches lapped by aquamarine waters, and numerous pavement cafes overlooking them.

This area is ideal for booking your first night’s accommodation as there are numerous luxury self catering apartments, villas and guest houses – be sure you’ve booked ahead to avoid disappointment. Once you’ve checked in and freshened up, head out for a dinner and some gambling fun at Grand West Casino – a 15 minute drive from the CBD. If you prefer to dance, there are some great little clubs in town, or you could head back to the Waterfront and enjoy a movie or attend the Theatre on the Bay right in Camps Bay which almost always has an excellent production on the go. Once again, plan and book in advance. Local newspapers and Time Out magazine will have details on what’s on entertainment-wise.

No matter how tired you are when you finally fall into bed, set the alarm clock so that you’re on the road early. If you’re really enthusiastic you may even catch the sunrise! In any event, take a leisurely drive, against the daily traffic, to Hout Bay. Here you can enjoy a delicious breakfast and perhaps browse around the harbour-side shops and market. Then get your camera ready for a spectacular drive – over Chapman’s Peak which surely offers the most breath-taking sea and mountain views anywhere. At the end of the pass is Noordhoek. If you’ve planned ahead you can go for an hour’s horse ride along the wide expanse of the beautiful beach. Make sure you’re back behind the wheel in time to take the winding coastal road past Kommetjie, via Scarborough. Here you can enjoy a delectable lunch followed by a walk up to the viewing point of the tip of the African continent.

Later, drive on into Simon’s Town and be fascinated by the Jackass Penguin Colony at Boulders and Seaforth Beaches. The recently built Penguin Centre offers a mine of information on these curious and cute sea birds.

Next, head along the coastal road out of Muizenberg, along Strandfontein to Stellenbosch in the heart of the Cape Wine Route. Book in at Spier Wine Estate and dine at the wildly unusual and exquisite Moya, Spier’s own restaurant. Moya often has live music, dance or theatre productions. Find out in advance and book! We guarantee a good night’s sleep will follow…

Okay, so we’re cheating and are adding a couple more hours, but really, can you blame us? You can’t leave before cramming in a visit to at least two of the local wine estates before driving back to Cape Town International Airport in time to bid the city a sad farewell.

As the plane takes off and you get a final glimpse of Cape Town we know you’ll be promising to be back as soon as you possibly can.

Looking for the most comprehensive listing of luxury self-catering apartments in and around Cape Town? Look no further than Icon Villas and Vistas’
 
Whether you’re after a vacation along the Atlantic Seaboard with its glistening beaches, wish to experience the buzz of CBD life, prefer a quiet leafy suburban atmosphere or are seeking time out in the Winelands, Icon is sure to have the perfect holiday or week-end getaway accommodation for you.

Specializing in private and luxurious vacation rentals this company prides itself on sourcing the crème de la crème of Cape Town and surrounds’ self-catering properties. In most cases incredible views are an integral part of the villa or apartment you rent through Icon.

Each listed property is tastefully decorated and fitted with every mod-con you could require for the ultimate relaxed period of R&R.

Security is of premium importance.

 Booking accommodation online can carry a certain amount of risk. For your peace of mind it’s great to know that Icon Villas and Vistas is affiliated to Cape Town Tourism and registered with the Estate Agency Affairs Board.

As the Web site says, Icon Villas and Vistas offers a large portfolio of self catering accommodation in Cape Town, perfectly suited for you - whatever your style, taste or budget.

Shamwari is one of SA’s best-loved game reserves. This family-owned park in the Eastern Cape boasts 7 eco-systems.

All of the big five can be viewed in an exclusive-to-guests safari area. Numerous other wildlife species can be seen here as the park has the largest concentration of wildlife in the Eastern and Southern Cape.

Staying at one of Shamwari’s luxuriously decorated lodges goes beyond standard game drives. Unique activities, such as world-class spa treatments, ensure that a 5 star experience is available to each guest.

Shamwari is particularly accessible for tourists not wanting to travel further North to the other big reserves. Its location is not far from the picturesque Garden Route and it has breathtaking beaches nearby. The region is malaria free – another added bonus.

For a top-quality safari break for romantic couples or family groups, you can’t beat Shamwari.

A major attraction for visitors to Southern Africa is the Safari experience. With so many companies offering safaris it can be tough choosing the best. Kalahari Safaris stands out from the rest largely due to their passion for the bush, flora and fauna of the Northern Cape Province where they are located.

Kalahari Safaris offer flexible tours to suit the client – from backpacker to luxury tours. Small groups ensure personalized service.

Accommodation in chalets situated in unfenced camps makes you feel at one with the natural beauty of the surroundings.

Tours can cover the Augrabies Falls National Park the Kalahari Gemsbok Park and the Witsands Nature Reserve. You can also opt for National tours from the Kalahari to the Kruger.

The Web site, www.kalaharisafaris.co.za, is designed to give that safari feeling from the first click.

Planning a vacation or business trip to Cape Town, South Africa? Your luxury accommodation search just became a whole lot easier!

Instead of trawling the Web for Cape Town apartments and holiday villas, head directly for www.fzp.co.za.

At this easy-to-use, eye-catching site you’ll find listings for a hand-picked selection of stunning luxury self-catering accommodations in and around Cape Town.

The site covers the Cape Peninsular, the Winelands and part of the Overberg region, and features top locations in all the up-market suburbs.

Enquiries and reservations can be made online by completing a user-friendly enquiry form on the home page.

The site also boasts useful travel information such as Cape Town car hire and tour links.

This great site offers interesting, useful general information on the beautiful city of Cape Town for visitors and locals alike – from accommodation to property to activities and beyond.

The main draw card, as its name implies, is the WebCam page.

The WebCam is situated along the west coast, 10 km from the city centre.

It offers regularly updated images of the residential area of Milnerton, with Table Mountain behind.

This provides an excellent way to see what the weather conditions are like at a glance. The cloud cover on the mountain is indicative of the general climactic conditions on any given day.

Looking for South African real estate?

Gravity is a brilliantly conceptualized site which touts itself as the county’s only property search engine.

Using the latest in search technology, web crawlers scan the leading estate agent sites each night, indexing all found properties to Gravity’s database. This saves you time and energy, simplifying your property search from Johannesburg to Cape Town.

There are three ways to conduct your South Africa property search with Gravity.

You can opt for a Quick Search or a Detailed Search. Once you have built up a search history you can select a previous search and get it updated with the latest new listings.

Gravity - clearly the most intelligent way to conduct your SA property search.

“Another Great innovative Product from an amazing company”

“Finally, the Perfect Phone”

“The BEST much rumored cell phone by Apple lives up to its expectations!”

“Cool device that will end all other devices”

With reviews like this for a phone that hasn’t even been released it seems like Apple have a winner.
If the call quality is good and the screen isn’t to easily scratched, then this will probably be Apple’s biggest product ever and will surpass i-Pod mania and take a large chunk of the cell phone market away from the big players within the industry!

Hope to see the Apple iPhone in South Africa soon.

iPhone 360-Degree Photo Gallery