South African Travel Digest

Enjoy a cocktail while you enjoy your cruise. South Africans love their cruises. MSC Cruises South Africa, which has been offering cruises from South Africa for many years,  offers a fun way of exploring the South African and African coastlines.  Cruises usually depart from either the Durban or Cape Town harbours and can last anything from three days to two weeks, depending on your chosen itinerary and destination.  Interesting ports of call include some islands in Mozambique (Portuguese and Bazaruto islands) and in the Indian Ocean (Madagascar, Reunion and Mauritius).   The South African cruise calendar usually starts in November each year. The well-known MSC Opera cruise liner will be used for the 2014/2015 South African cruise season.  The MSC Opera is a luxurious cruise liner  with eight decks and a capacity of  20 55 passengers in 856 cabins.  While cruising to interesting South African and African destinations, life on board t...

A view of Table Mountain from Bloubergstrand . Bloubergstrand (Blaauwberg - literally translated as Blue Mountain Beach) is one of my favourite areas in and around Cape Town, not only because of the spectacular views of Table Mountain, but also because of its scenic beach with long white sand. It is a very popular tourist destination and usually attracts large numbers of local and foreign visitors and is only 20 km away from Cape Town city centre. On a clear day one can even see  Robben Island in the far distance (Robben Island is best known for its most legendary prisoner, former president Mr Nelson Mandela). Numerous and affordable self-catering accommodation is available in this area via   wheretostay   and we usually try to stay close to the beach with unspoiled views of the surrounding area.  The only downside is that the seawater is very cold because of the cold Benguela current but the area is very popular for kitesurfing. View from Big Bay, a ...

Gordon's Bay harbour . Are you planning a trip to Cape Town, South Africa and wonder whether Gordon's Bay is worth a visit?  I would definitely recommend at least a couple of days in Gordon's Bay since there are so many things to entertain the visitor.  This small seaside town with its beautiful harbour just 25 km from Cape Town,  is a scenic paradise and a visit will never be forgotten. It is also the ideal place to visit if you have small children. Here are my top five places to visit in Gordon's Bay: Bikini Beach View of False Bay from Bikini Beach. Although there are many  other better beaches around Cape Town to visit, Bikini Beach has Blue Flag status, meaning it is safe and clean to swim (an international quality award).  The water is also a bit warmer than the other beaches around Cape Town. The scenic view of False Bay alone makes this a must visit beach. Go for a swim at Pringle Bay. Drive to Betty's Bay to watch the Afr...

The farm house at Vergelegen Wine Estate. Vergelegen Wine Estate in Somerset West about 40 km from Cape Town offers an ideal day trip which the visitor will not easily forget.   Apart from being a top wine producer, the history of the estate is also captivating while the surroundings will take your breath away. The estate boasts a Wine Tasting Centre, a Stables bistro and fine dining at The Camphors restaurant.  Visitors can also organise for a picnic in its beautiful and tranquil gardens.  Vergelegen  when translated means "situated far away" is well-known for its fine wines.  It was already built in 1685 by Simon Van der Stel and later further expanded by William his son.  It has since then had many owners who restored and refurbished the house and the gardens.  It is currently owned by the company Anglo American and has seen many heads of states entertained here, including former President Nelson Mandela. I have visited V...

S ince Table Mountain was nominated as one of the seven new Wonders in the World, there is even more reason for you to visit this magnificent city. Cape Town remains my favorite city in South Africa. As the oldest city in South Africa, to me it is also the most beautiful and my family and I visit here at least once a year. The city has such diverse cultures with a fascinating history. There is always something to do and to experience in Cape Town. It boasts many tourist attractions and is also a child friendly city. Here is my own personal top list of why you should include Cape Town in your list of travels whenever traveling to South Africa. Table Mountain Of course Table Mountain should be on any list of favorites. Table Mountain, a national museum, is a beautiful sight and is Cape Town's pride. This majestic mountain can be reached by cable car and is visited by thousands of tourists each year. The views from the top are spectacular when skies are clear...

About 30 kilometres from Gordon's Bay in Cape Town, is Bettys Bay,  a small, tranquil seaside village which is home to a penguin colony at Stony Point which was declared a municipal nature reserve in July 2002.  There are currently about 4 000 penguins at Stony Point. To enter visitors have to pay a small R10 (1,25 USD) entrance fee each which is used to maintain the reserve.  To reach Bettys Bay from Gordon's Bay, visitors have to drive along the R44 scenic ocean  route which also passes the Rooi Els and Pringle Bay beaches.  This route is by far one of the most beautiful ocean  routes which will take any visitor's breath away and will make the trip to Bettys Bay even more interesting. Stony Point at Bettys Bay. To watch the African penguin colony in their natural environment in Bettys Bay is quite an experience.  The penguins are used to the daily stream of visitors and go their own way, undisturbed and oblivious to the people who are watc...