Cape Town, South Africa

[hammock monkey]

Hi,
I'm lucky enough to be off to South Africa next week, Cape Town. I know this is a British site but I had some fantastic info about Poland last year so I thought I'd ask again.

I'm most likely just going to be going on day trips, whale watching etc, as my wife isn't physically up to long hikes, but anyone that can offer any advice (of any sort to be honest) would be very welcome!

I'm going to buy a specific wildlife guide this weekend, and read up on the flight and I'm a big fan of Louis Liebenberg (very hopeful of finding a copy of this over there) but experiences from others that have been is always most valuable,

any help/ advice gratefully received!

all the best,
hm

[ChrisJB]

I think Gansbaai (or summat like that) is the place to see the great whites and the delightful Boulders Bay for penguins. That's yer lot I'm afraid for Cape Town HM. I went to S. Africa many years ago, but alas didn't visit Cape Town. We were more north and east, Durban, Kruger, Sun City etc.
Have a great time. It is a scenically sensational place.

Regards, Chris

[John]

I went to South Africa in November last year with Hobjob (David Jobson, from this forum. It was fully intended for us to do 4 days in the Cape Town area but the weather was so bad we had to pack up within two days and move on.

In those two days we did a pelagic out of Cape Town but that was aborted earlier than expected when bad weather came in.

You will need to make sure you have enough time in the Cape Town area to cover bad weather because any Pelagics going out are weather dependant and are frequently cancelled.

The best person to ask about Pelagics is Hobjob (David Jobson) as he has property down there plus his Daughter lives in the Knysna area. His Son-in-law runs whale watching trips from there and that might be a good back up for you if the Cape Town Pelagics aren't running.

David might still be in South Africa as he was planning to be there just now but I think he is due back soon (if not already).

Send him a PM and ask your questions. He might have a few answers for you.

John

[Tiggrx]

Kirstenbosch Botanic Gardens are a must. As well as beautiful plants you see a wide range of other wildlife: butterflies, snakes, sunbirds and mongooses are what I remember most.

If the weather holds it is very worth taking the cable car up to the top of Table Mountain. The Hyraxes are great fun and the habitat very strange.

And of course, as Chris mentioned, the penguins at Boulders Bay!

[hammock monkey]

Thanks everyone - I think the whale watching and penguins are solidly on the list!

Hi Chris, I've had an unreasonable fear of Great Whites since watching Jaws as a little kid - it'd do me good to see them up close, its prevented me enjoying swimming in the sea for years.

My wife is talking at a conference over there, so if she's busy one day I'm hoping to take the bino's up Table mountain. Its always one of the most fascinating (if slightly disorientating things to me to see wildlife all around that I dont recognise - but fascinating to observe new things. I'm not sure about safari's yet, I need to understand the good and bad ones, and I'm the type who would only be happy getting out of the jeep and getting slightly more involved...sensibly of course.

On a side note, if anyone knows any great books set in Cape Town I'd like to hear about them, wildlife related or otherwise!

Anyway, I'll let you know what I find out,

all the best,
hm

[eigg head]

Go up to the cable car station, but then stride out over the top plateau of Table Mountain - you can walk all the way over the Ten Apostles, rocky crags that look east onto the beaches below. Take plenty of water though and don't underestimate the time involved. Classic fynbos vegetation, great views, giant proteus, snakes (large ones!) and look out for the rare Red Dysa (I think that's what its called) - a scarlet lily that I found fairly easily in the dry stream beds on top. It's a sort of lost world up there once you've left the tourists behind.

Another way up is via a rocky path near the Botanic Gardens - you will appreciate the various habitats this way.

Go down to the Cape of Good Hope for coastal habitats, antelope, apes, etc

Day trips by car - Clanwilliam area to the north, and the Cedarberg National Park - both just about possible in longish days - spectacular scenery, rocky gorges, desert like vegetation, loads of tortoises on the roads too.

Don't be tempted by a dash to the Garden Route - over rated in my opinion.

[shamykebab]

Can only echo what has already been said!

Check list: Boulder Beach, Kirstenbosch Gardens, head down to Cape Point (the most southern part of the Cape, it's spectacular), and Table Mountain.

Just pointing out, try to get up to Table Mountain as soon as you can - when the wind picks up, they close the cable cars going up so you might miss the opportunity of going up there.

Didn't do the Garden Route, but hired a car and went to Franschhoek and Stellenbosch instead (the wine route ), which had stunning scenery!

[hammock monkey]

Back home now, and had a great trip. Did most of the things mentioned here including the whale watching at the Cape Point. One of the most beautiful things I've ever seen, it gives me goosebumps to think of it still. Lots of baboons beside the road along the way, quite happy to pose for a few pics and that strange moment of understanding when you look at each other eye to eye.

The penguins at Boulder beach were also lovely to see, full of character and very tame - I had to force myself not to feed or stroke them.

Table mountain is impressive, although the weather hampered our visit we stayed long enough to take in some incredible views. The amount of people laughing and joking as they went up in shorts and t's, the girls in less quite often, and then shocked as the cold wind blew into the cable car was bizarre - never fails to amaze me how daft folk can be. If anyone reads this and goes up - dress for Snowdon!

We went for a day safari to Aquila GR on our last day, 22,000 hectare area with a lot of conservation and rehabilitation programs. Very knowledgeable rangers, great experience I'd strongly recommend.

We even saw dolphins while on a sail boat out to see the sunset, the place is full of beautiful and inertesting wildlife. The locals have a great love for conservation too - well, most of them, so its easy to find things to do that promote wildlife and not just take from it. I almost wish I hadn't heard what 'tin can' hunting is, but the headlines on the last day there spoke of a shark poacher eaten by a great white...so its not all bad news.

All in all a great trip, took me a while to get my head around the social/ political side of Cape Town, and definitely not a fun place in some ways but lots of people are doing their very best to make it as safe and enjoyable as they possibly can. More power to 'em I say.

[Kayleigh]

Hi HM....
sounds fantastic to see all that wildlife hope you took some pics as I for one would love to see them but you might have to post them on WATW..
The place sounds lovely but a bit scary too..glad you were safe there..

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