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Whale Watching in Hermanus
Approximately an hour and a half away from Cape Town is the seaside town of Hermanus. A popular holiday destination for tourists and locals alike, Hermanus is hailed as offering the best land based whale watching in the world. From May onwards Southern Right Whales pay homage to these warm, shallow waters in order to calf their young and to mate. The best time for whale watching is between August and November and at this time the bay is dotted with whales. More often than not, they're more than happy to put on a performance. There are a few boat cruises, which will afford guests the experience of seeing these amazing mammals up close the boats are allowed to approach the whales to a distance of 50m.
Thunder City
Live the supersonic dream! At Thunder City your guest can see one of the worl’ds most beautiful cities from the cockpit of a jet fighter. Strapped into a Mach 2 English Electric Lightning and climbing to an altitude of 60 000 in just over a minute!!
Theatre
There are two major theatres in Cape Town (Artscape and Baxter Theatre) providing opera, theatre, ballet, dance and music of a high standard. Guests can also could opt to visit the smaller theatres where students host productions that showcase the next generation of actors and writers.
Table Mountain Hike
A reasonable level of fitness is required although hiking is always kept at a fun pace. Guests depart the city for Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens to meet their mountain guide, collect picnic lunches and kit up for a moderate to strenuous hike of 5-6 hours up the eastern flank of Table Mountain. The walk is an ideal introduction to the indigenous “Fynbos” flora of the Cape Floral Kingdom, the smallest but richest of the world's 6 plant kingdoms, with some 8 600 flowering species. Besides plants like Protea, guests may be able to see Sunbirds and even Black Eagle as well as Rock Hyrax and other small mammals. A lunch stop at MacLear's Beacon affords ample time to absorb the vistas of Table Bay and the city below before continuing the hike along the Table. The fit and energetic can choose to descend the mountain via the steep Platteklip Gorge path to Tafelberg Road OR continue the walk to the Upper Cable Station, to board the revolving cable car for a breathtaking mountain decent (weather permitting).
Cape Town Cultural Tour Schools and Craft
With a local guide guests are taken to Langa to visit the Tsoga Enviromental Centre, an important community hub that provides environmental education and food-growing programmes, and also runs an income-generating waste recycling centre. Also, visit to a traditional healer (or Sangoma) is scheduled that will allow guests to learn about their important role in modern urban African communities as traditional herbalists, diviners, social counsellors and interpreters of the will of the ancestors. 'New Rest' guests can view a unique development project, where residents of the area make bricks for much-needed homebuilding. At Siyazinga Public Primary School we are given an insight into the many challenges still facing South African education after Apartheid as we chat to teachers and some of the 1050 students. Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant, sampling typical African food and hospitality, before moving on to the sprawling township of Khayelithsha an area once intended to contain thousands of squatter families. Today, despite social improvement and increased services, still lags behind much of the rest of suburban Cape Town.
Yachting / Boat trips
Choosing between sedate harbour trips, cruises in the Table Bay or False Bay or lengthier outings in vessels ranging from luxury cruising boats to speedy state-of-the-art catamarans or the traditional sailing vessels of a century ago.
W
ine Stomping
During the harvest season February and March guests have the opportunity to assist in a traditional wine harvesting process and have loads of fun while doing so! Enjoy a morning of wine stomping, some wine tasting and afterward a truly delicious lunch.
Night out with the locals
Accompanied by a local host, guests start the evening with sundowner drinks at Tusbany Beach in Camps Bay with the vibey local crowd overlooking a perfect sunset across the ocean. Afterward a typically Capetonian alternative dining experience at Madam Zingaras, awaits. The theme is to paint the town red!
Fishing with the locals
Spend a day fishing along the rugged Cape Coast line with its long flat sandy beaches and almost inaccessible rocky outcrops. This truly African experience is not to be missed.
Peninsula with Sea Kayaking to the Penguins
Depart the city for Simonstown to meet a sea-kayaking guide for a safety briefing and gear up for a few hours' easy paddling in twin kayaks along the False Bay coast. (These are safe, comfortable 'sit-on-top' kayaks, which require almost no balance or skill!). Guests will the be able to paddle to Boulders Beach's colony of African Penguins and view these penguins from the ocean as they swim around this quaint cove.
Winelands Cycling
A reasonable level of fitness is required as guests are taken to the Delvera Tourist Centre below the Simonsberg Mountains near Stellenbosch, where they will meet their cycling guide to gear-up at the Dirtopia Trail Centre for the Winelands Mountain Bike Trail, which can visit up to 4 wine farms in the area, including Simonsig Estate for a tasting of the famous Cap Classique (“Champagne-style”) wine Knorhoek, Muratie and Delheim Wine Estates. The tour visits an interesting mix of historic estates and contemporary wineries.
Cape Town Holocaust Centre
The Cape Town Holocaust Centre, the first in Africa, explores racial and religious intolerance, ideological conflict and persecution, echoing the human rights abuses of Apartheid. Your guests are also taken to the Great Synagogue, which was consecrated in 1905.
White Shark Caged Diving
This excursion to Geyser and Dyer islands begins at the picturesque Kleinbaai Harbour. The launching slip way of the small harbour, being the point of entry for all cage diving expeditions to the islands, becomes a beehive of activity on clear mornings. Air tanks are filled, cylinders are placed inside diving cages, safety equipment is checked and the boats are fuelled prior to passengers' arrival. The trip takes about 4-5 hours. Between the months of May to October it is considered to be the best time to view the Great White Shark, although they are seen throughout the year!
Brandy Tasting
Discover the secrets and treasures of the world of brandy by visiting the SA Brandy Foundation route in the world-renowned Western Cape wine region. South Africa is especially renowned for the quality of its diverse variety of brandy styles.
Adventure thrill seeking
Abseiling off the top of Table Mountain, kloofing in the Steenbras River Gorge, sand boarding on sand dunes, rock climbing at a cliff in the Silvermine Nature Reserve, accelerating sky dives all adventures to complete the Cape Town experience!
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