Cape Town Sea Views Accommodation - Destination Guide
Cape
Town Sea Views accommodation guide provides information on our
favourite restaurants and beaches in the Blouberg Area, the best attractions and activities in and around Cape Town as well as some local information -
flights, car rentals, FIFA 2010 World Cup, Events and much, much more.
Welcome to Cape Town
Cape Town also known as the "Mother City" is surrounded by beautiful breathtaking scenery. Cape Town is famous for its harbour as well as its natural setting in the Cape Flora kingdom, including well known landmarks as Table Mountain and Cape Point.
Cape Town's climate is typically Mediterranean with warm, dry summers, perfect beach weather and mild, moist winters.
Welcome to Blouberg / Table Views Beach Front
Blouberg
is a suburb of Cape Town and is located along the west coast, 20
minutes from the CBD (Central Business District) & V&A
Waterfront/Green Point Stadium and 30 minutes from Cape Town International Airport.
If
you translated Blouberg into English it would mean Blue Mountain after
the magnificent view of Table Mountain seen from the beach - also the
most photographed view in South Africa.
Blouberg is situated along a long stretch of soft golden beach sand from Dolphin Beach also known as Kite Beach famous for Kite and Wind Surfing on the Tableview Beachfront to Big Bay.
My Favourite Restaurants in Blouberg
Primi Piatti
Menu
items created from traditional Italian recipes. Specialising in pasta,
pizza, focaccia, anti-pasta and a variety of meat, fish and chicken
specialty dishes.
Request Table with a View
Telephone: +27 (0)21 5579770
Address: Shop 7, 14 Beach Boulevard
Ocean Basket
For good quality affordable seafood, try Ocean Basket, request Table with a view.
Telephone: +27 (0)21 556 2277
Address: Shop 1, Beach Boulvevard, Table View
Cattle Barron
Steak Ranches & Grill House
Telephone: +27 (0)21 5574165
Address: Shop 5, Blue Waters Centre 3 Porterfield Road Table View
Blow Fish
Beautiful view of Table Mountain across the Atlantic Ocean
Booking Essential – request table with a view
World
famous fish counter is stocked with a wide variety of fresh fish and
seafood - local fish, imported fish, exotic fish, line fish, deep-sea
fish and game fish. A variety of succulent shellfish - prawns,
langoustines, lobster & oysters.
Telephone: +27 (0)21 556 5464
Address: Dolphin Beach Hotel, Marine Drive, Blouberg
On The Rocks - Sophisticated
Situated
at the water’s edge and boasts breathtaking views of Table Mountain
& Robben Island. Prices are more on the expensive side and portions
are not as generous compared to other restaurants.
Telephone: +27 (0)21 554 1988
Address: 45, Stadler Road, Bloubergstrand
Café Blouberg – Relaxed
Situated
at the water’s edge and boasts breathtaking views of Table Mountain
& Robben Island. Mediterranean cuisine. Breakfast is a definite
must.
Telephone: +27 (0)21 554 4462
Address: 20, Stadler Road, Bloubergstrand
Ons Huisie – Traditional
200
year old beautifully restored National Monument overlooking Big Bay
& Robben Island. The menu reflects West Coast lifestyle, with array
of seafood and traditional meals.
Telephone: +27 (0)21 554 1563
Address: Stadler Road, Bloubergstrand – around the corner from On The Rocks
Accommodation in Cape Town
The
standard of accommodation in Cape Town is very high. Cape Town caters
for all budgets, from the cheaper backpacker hostels to the
luxurious villas in Camps Bays.
Availability can be a problem over the peak periods, Summer, Christmas, New Year's and FIFA 2010 World Cup. If you are looking for accommodation for these dates
you should make your booking far in advance to avoid missing out on the
best deals. The later you leave it the harder it will be to find those
great deals.
When
looking for accommodation in Cape Town you must consider what is
important for you. Sea & Mountain views? Swimming Pool? a location
near the beach or near the main shopping areas? The most popular areas,
like Camps Bay, can be ridiculously expensive considering what you get
for your money. You can usually get much better value for money if you
extend your search to the surrounding areas. A prime example of this is
Blouberg where you can have an apartment with views of the Sea, Table
Mountain & Robben Island or luxury apartment with your own swimming
pool, jacuzzzi spa bath and braai/barbecue facilities for your exclusive use for a fraction of
the price that you would pay for the same thing in places like Camps
Bay.
The
main airlines that fly from Europe to Cape Town are British Airways,
South African Airlines, KLM. Flights are usually cheaper via
Johannesburg/Gauteng. The main hubs for connections to South Africa are
London Heathrow airport and Munich and Frankfurt airports in Germany,
and Amsterdam in Holland. The Emirates airline company have just
started flying a regular scheduled service from Dubai to Cape Town
direct. Flights to Cape Town from abroad
Flights from within South Africa
In addition to the main airline, South African Airlines, check out the low cost domestic airlines kulula.com, mango.co.za and onetime.co.za.
Car Rentals and Driving
If
you arrive at Cape Town by plane, you will be spoilt for choice when
looking for a car rental company, we recommend you book your car rental
before arriving in Cape Town and collect it on your day of arrival from
Car Rentals at Cape Town Airport.
Try car rentals at AVIS, Budget or
Hertz.
If you come from the United Kingdom you will feel at home when driving in Cape Town as you will drive on the left. If, however, you come from the mainland Europe please drive carefully and on the left !
Shuttle Service from Cape Town Airport
For Shuttle service from Cape Town Airport please contact:
* Anwars Tourist Service - tel 0027216920951
* Randys Tours - tel 0027219348367
Taxi Service
For safety and security, arriving passengers should only use Touch Down Taxis, the officially authorised airport taxi company - tel 0027219194659Blouberg area you can use the taxi service from Taximan - tel 0027215576464
Using your foreign mobile phone in South Africa
Making and surprisingly receiving calls on your foreign mobile phone can turn out to be a very expensive proposition. For example, if you own an UK mobile phone and receive a phone call while in South Africa for 10 minutes, when you get back to the UK you will find a nasty surprise: just picking up the phone call and chatting for 10 minutes will have cost you £14. That is a whopping £1.40 per minute. Obviously, every UK network operator has different roaming charges but in any case they are all very expensive if used in South Africa.
The
best solution around this problem is probably to buy a South African
mobile phone SIM card when you arrive in South Africa and give the new
number to friends and family that might want to contact you while you
are in South Africa. There are a few mobile phone shops at the airport
where SIM cards can be purchased.
Mobile phones are known as Cell phones in South Africa.
Tours & Trips
There are a variety of safari tours available. Fairy Glen in Worcester is the closest BIG 5 to Cape Town and Aquila Private Game Reserve is less than 2 hours from Cape Town. Kruger National park is the widely known location for a full scale safari.
Boat trips to Seal Island from Hout Bay, or to Robben Island from V&A Waterfront.
Imizamo Yethu Township Tour in Hout Bay.
Events
2010 FIFA World Cup
You might have heard that the Football/Soccer FIFA 2010 World Cup will be staged in South Africa, it has been stated that it will bring over 400,000 international visitors to South Africa. Cape Town will have its fair share of football games at the Green Point Stadium, which is a mere 20km from our apartments.
Kite-Surfing
Dolphin
Beach along Marine Drive between Tableview and Blouberg is famous the
world over for its kite-surfing and is also known as Kite Beach, this
is one of the hottest kite-surfing spots in the world, the beach has
many international and local kite-surfing professionals flocking here
to practice.
Spoken Languages
South Africa is the Rainbow Nation, we have many different cultures and many languages are spoken. Most Capetonians speak either English, Afrikaans or Xhosa or all 3 Languages.
South African Slang
South Africa is well-known for it's quirky slang. Here are a select few slang translations:
· lekker - nice, good great
· howzit - How's it going? How are you?
· jol - to have fun, to party
· gatvol - fed up, had enough
· eina - ouch!
· just now - sometime in the near future, not necessarily immediately
· now now - an immediate but not literal declaration of impending action
· isit - the words " is " and " it " put together, meaning really?
· robot - traffic-light
· sarmie - a sandwich
· chow - to eat
· dop - alcoholic beverage
· braai - barbeque
· yebo - yes
· haw! - expression of disbelief
· eish! - an interjection expressing resignation
·boerewors - type of sausage
· overseas - abroad
So when some says:
I am chowing a lekker sarmie. Just now come around for a boerewors braai, bring your own dop.
For the "overseas" visitors from abroad it means: " I am eating great sandwich. Later today come around and have a sausage barbeque, bring your own alcohol."
The famous Braai
Barbeques or Braais are so popular in South Africa it has its own day. National Braai Day is on 24 September every year. Braai is the South African word for the outdoor barbeque. Boerewors sausages are the essential meat that any braai must have.
South African Food
When
in South Africa try some our South African dishes. South African
culture has a mixture reflecting our vast and varied heritage: · Biltong - a salty dried meat (similar to jerky)
· Amasi - sour milk
· Bobotie -a dish of Malay descent
· Boerewors - a sausage that is traditionally braaied
· Bunny chow - curry stuffed into a hollowed out loaf of bread
· Chutney - a sweet sauce made from fruit
· Frikkadelle - meatballs
· Koeksisters - twisted pastries, deep fried and heavily sweetened
· Malva Pudding - a sweet spongy Apricot pudding of Dutch origin
· Melktert - milk tart - a milk based tart or dessert
· Mielie-meal - often used in baking but predominantly cooked into pap
· Potjiekos - a traditional African stew made with meat and vegetables and cooked over coals in a cast iron pot
· Sosaties - grilled marinated meat on a skewer
· Tomato Bredie - a lamb and tomato stew
· Vetkoek(fat cake) - deep fried dough balls, typically stuffed with meat or served with jam
· Waterblommetjie bredie (water flower stew) - meat stewed with the flower of the Cape Pondweed
Foreign Exchange Rate & Currency
If you come from UK, Europe or USA, you have never had it better as the South African Rand is weaker than the Sterling Pound, Euro & US Dollar, which means you buy more for your money. Foreign currency can be exchanged at any Bureaux de Change or Bank. Automatic Teller Machines (ATM's) which are open 24 hours a day.
Gratuities / Tipping
The waiters, waitresses, wine stewards, taxi drivers, porters and caddies receive a tip depending on the service provided, the gratuity is at your discretion. The tip is usually around 10 to 15%.
Petrol station
attendants often receive a tip for filling up your tank, checking your
oil and water, washing your windows so that you do not need to do it yourself as you do in
other countries.
It
is common practice in South Africa to have security guards at outdoor
car parks. These security guards maintain security in the car park and
work on a "tip" basis. On driving your car away, you can pay them a tip
according to how generous you feel. As a guideline most people pay
about R2 to R5 for this service.
South African Water
Tap
water in Cape Town is clear and clean, safe to drink. Though if you
prefer a variety of bottled water is available at any shop, supermarket
or restaurant.
Blouberg
has its own tourism center, which can be found at 1 Marine Drive -
within a 5 minute walk from the Cape Town Sea Views Villa/Apartment. Below
are some of the top attractions in and around Cape Town within 2
minutes to 90 minutes from the apartment, an indication of minutes from
the apartment is provided alongside the attraction or activity: View from Table Bay Beaches close to the apartment within 2 minutes to 10 minutes Dolphin Beach
also known as Kite Beach, famous for Kite & Wind Surfing.
Wonderful view of Table Mountain, miles of soft sand to stretch your
legs, the acrobatics of kite-surfers will keep you entertained. There
are a number of restaurants and venues for sundowners (cocktails as the
sun sets). If you like Sushi try Blowfish, Sunday evenings you pay a
set price and you eat as much sushi as you want. The restaurant has a
wonderful view of Table Mountain and has a very romantic feel with the
candlelight at sunset, ask for a window table. Blowfish is within a 2
minute drive from Cape Town Sea Views Apartment or Cape Town Sea Views
Villa. Bloubergstrand has
some lovely rock pools and viewpoints of Table Mountain. There are 3
recommended restaurants along the rocky pools of Bloubergstrand - On
The Rocks, Cafe Blouberg and Ons Huisie. Big Bay has two rocky outcrops that jut into the sea, creating a bay. Milnerton is
well known for its lighthouse. Maestros on the Beach is a restaurant
with a view of the Sea & Table Mountain and has good breakfast
& lunch buffets on the weekend. Table Mountain - 20 minutes Visit
Cape Town's premium tourist attraction Table Mountain Aerial Cableway,
take the Cable Car up Table Mountain and have drink and lunch at the
top, enjoy the spectacular views of the city and the peninsula. Table
Mountain is the iconic mountain that can be seen from most of Cape
Town. Boats have for centuries used it as a reference as it is visible
from as far as 200 kilometers. You'll have a lovely view of Table
Mountain from Dolphin Beach, sometimes you will see the famous table
cloth over the mountain and at night the mountain lights up. Table
Mountain is one of South Africa's greatest Landmarks and towers 1,086m
above the City of Cape Town. Cape Point - 90 minutes Cape
Point Nature Reserve is at the end of the Cape Peninsula located in the
Good Hope Section of the Table Mountain National Park. Cape Point is
where the two oceans meet, the Atlantic & Indian Ocean. Do not
wear any jewelry as the baboons like to steal shiny items, do not touch
or feed the baboons. Green Point Stadium - 20 minutes Green Point Stadium is Cape Town is ready for the FIFA 2010 World Cup. V&A Waterfront - 20 minutes The
V&A Waterfront is South Africa's most visited destination. Enjoy
lunch at the many restaurants, pubs/bars, shop till you drop, take a
boat trip to Robben Island, visit the Two Oceans Aquarium. Robben Island - 20 minutes One
of the most significant and symbolically charges piece of land in South
Africa, Robben Island, this is where Nelson Mandela spent a large
portion of his 27 years of imprisonment. Take a 30 minute boat trip
from the Mandela Gateway at the Clock Tower in the Waterfront to Robben
Island and you spend an estimated 2 and half hours on the island. Boulders Beach Nature Reserve - 1 hour Boulders
Beach Nature Reserve, lovely beach surrounded by boulders, enjoy
visiting and swimming with the penguins. This beach is small and very
popular, you will need to pay for entrance into the beach as it is a
nature reserve, good to get here early in the morning. There is also
another secret beach close by, only known by the locals, no entrance
fee and just as lovely as boulders beach which you may want to visit if
Boulders is full. Wine Routes - 30 minutes For
the visitors with limited time, you will be happy to know that Cape
Town's CBD has a host of wine bars that will guide you through a
virtual wine tasting of practically any estate you choose. For the
visitor that has some time, enjoy a day out through four of our popular
wine routes: Stellenbosch Wine Route -
was the first in South Africa and all the estates along the route are
within a 12km radius of the the town. It is the country's most famous,
and includes 106 cellars - most of which are open to the public. From
Cape Town take N1 in northerly direction and turn off at the Exit 39
onto the R304 and follow through into Stellenbosch. Franschhoek Wine Route - is
comparatively small with only 29 cellars, but what it lacks in wine
variety, it makes up for in quality cuisine and breathtaking scenery.
Franschhoek was founded 300 years ago when the French Huguenots settled
in the Berg River Valley. Paarl Wine Route -
Only 40 minutes drive from Cape Town is the picturesque town of Paarl
(Pearl), nestled between Paarl Mountain and majestic Du Toitskloof
Mountain Range. Constantia Valley Wine Route -
is the closest wine route to the "mother city", Cape Town. This is the
oldest wine-growing area in Southern Africa. The five wine cellars on
the route boast a winemaking history dating back to 1685. Durbanville Hills Wine Route -
is only 15 minutes away from our apartments. Wine has been produced in
this region for ages, 9 farms line this route and some of them with
cellars dating back to the 1500's. If you are big on sauvignon blanc,
this is the wine route to visit. This route has spectacular scenery,
take a drive up to the top of the hill on Durbanville wine route to
Bloemendal Restaurant where you will have panoramic view of the Cape
Peninsula - from the Stellenbosch Mountain Range to Table Mountain,
Robben Island and up the West Coast. Kirstenbosch
Gardens is on eastern slopes of Table Mountain, it is home to more than
8500 indigenous plant species and is known as one of the Seven
Magnificent Botanical Gardens of the world. Enjoy a late afternoon walk
around gardens and stay for one of the Sunday Old Mutual's Kirstenbosch
Summer Sunset Music Concerts, you will need to bring own blanket or
fold out chairs as seating is unreserved, take your own picnic. Most popular places that will not only educate our children but will be loads of fun for the whole family Ratanga
Junction - an amusement park with a difference near Canal Walk Shopping Centre. Don't forget to visit
the water ride Monkey Falls not only enjoyed by the children. An
extra change of clothes is advised as you "will get wet and probably
get soaked". This is a very popular park so make sure you arrive early
on the day so that you avoid the queues to get in. Open season is during the Cape Town school holidays. Two Oceans Aquarium - 20 minutes The
Two Oceans Aquarium in the V&A Waterfront has an incredible variety
of marine flora and fauna found in the Atlantic & Indian Ocean.
Over 3000 living animals can be seen in this marine kaleidoscope.
Sharks, a huge kelp tank, touch tables, penguins and seals its all
here. You can even enjoy a night at the aquarium and sleep over. Scratch Patch - 20 minutes The
Scratch Patch in the V&A Waterfront has become world famous as an
informative and interesting outing for all ages where you can scratch
for polished gemstones. Cave Golf - 20 minutes The V&A Waterfront has an Indoor 18 hole course which will be a playful challenge for all ages. World of Birds - 1 hour World
of Birds in Houtbay is the largest bird park in Africa. Over 3000
birds and animals (monkeys, ostriches),400 species are uniquely
presented in more than 100 spacious landscaped walk-through aviaries. Ostrich Farm - 90 minutes The
Cape Point Ostrich Farm is a productive breeding farm. On guided
tours, children are introduced to the life cycle of ostriches. During
the breeding season, you might even be lucky to experience the hatching
of a ostrich chick. Monkey Town - 1 hour Exotic monkeys from the rain forests of African and the Amazons fill this primate sanctuary and wildlife conservation centre. West Coast Fossil Park - 45 mintues Five
million years ago the Cape West Coast was inhabited by a wide rage of
now extinct animals. It is now one of the richest fossil sites in the
world and the bone of some 200 different kinds of animals, many of them
new to science have been recovered here. Natural History Museum - 20 minutes This
museum is a real wonderland for children, with many fantastic
collections, including marine biology section with the famous
whale-well exhibition. Imhoff Farm - 1 hour Imhoff
Farm is situated in Kommetjie near Cape Point, perfect day out with
many activities for the children, such as Camel Rides, Horse Rides,
Snake Park, Farmyard. The farm also offers craft shops and restaurants. Spier Wine Estate - 30 minutes Spier
Wine
Estate has lively entertainment and an eat as much as you want buffet
at Moyo Restaurant ensure
you book as this venue is very popular, or enjoy a picnic by the large
lake-side picnic area. The children will love visiting with the
Cheetahs, Eagle Encounters and Horse Rides.Cape Town Attractions & Activities
Experience the heartwarming community vibe and the cultural experience that is abundant in our townships. Visit Imizamo Yethu Township Tour in Hout Bay.
Scenic Mountain Passes
The Western Cape has great Mountain barriers that separate the coastal region from the interior.
Chapmans
Peak drive is surely one of the most scenic drives in South Africa,
with beautiful view over the ocean between Hout Bay and Noordhoek.
Whale Watching - 2 minutes to 90 minutes
Whales can be seen around our shores from late June to mid November. The best
area to spot whales in Cape Town is on the warmer false bay side.
Bring your binoculars and view the whales via various view points, one way would be by helicopter which can be taken from V&A Waterfront or
boat trips from Simons Towns, Hout Bay or V&A Waterfront, otherwise
the cheaper option is to view the whales along Boyes Drive mountain
side between Muizenberg and Kalkbay or coastal road between Fish
Hoek and Simonstown. Hermanus has a Whale Celebration Wine Festival in
September and October.
West Coast Spring Flowers
The
West Coast is renowned for its spectacular shows of spring wild
flowers. Travel down the West Coast on R27 highway, the R27 is within
5 minute drive from the apartments.
Shark Cage Diving - 20 minutes
You do not have to be a qualified scuba diver to get up close and
personal with the infamous jaws of a Great White Shark. Find out more
information at the White Shark Project in the V&A Waterfront.
Long Street - 20 minutes
Many
years ago Long Street was the longest street in the city, running for
about 3.8km through the upper section of Cape Town's CBD from the
harbor all the way to Tamboerskloof. Long Street is not only a hive of
day-night activity but also seeped in cultural history, renowned as one
of the city's oldest streets. Long Street has a wide mixture of shops,
funky restaurants, chic coffee shops, trendy bars, fascinating
architecture and intriguing sights.