From The Garden Route to The Wild Coast (Part 1 of 2)

 

Last December I realised that as much as I take flights in and out of Cape Town, I've never road travelled into the City and neither had I seen the infamous Garden Route... and that's how the girls' trip to Knysna came about.
It seemed rather bizarre how three girls with no cars would be going on a road trip, but the determination (and Intercape Buses) made the 6am trip possible on the first day of our short break this August.

My best friends and I could not help but gasp when we approached the entrance to the 5 star Simola Hotel & Spa in the afternoon. The executive suite we were placed in after checking in met and exceeded all expectations we had. We could not believe that 3 varsity students had managed to plan and actually execute a trip that great.

After 8 hours on the road, we were starving and could not wait to go and explore the Knysna Waterfront restaurants for dinner. The waterfront itself was quite underwhelming since we're used to the V&A in Cape Town. However, after scrutinising every restaurant's menu (it's a small town - there weren't that many) and a rigorous elimination process (every restaurant sells fresh seafood, so it'd be easier if seafood is your thing), we settled on The Dry Dock Restaurant.
I'm not much of a foodie, but I managed to eat half a chicken (Peri-Peri) and all my fries all by myself. That, on its own, says a lot about the Dry Dock. The service was impressive as well.


I don't know if it's the joy of being on holiday but the hours felt extended in Knysna as we managed to get back to the hotel and enjoy some time in the heated indoor pool as well as a sauna experience, before heading back to our suite and lazing around in the lounge with the warmth of the fireplace and good conversation.

I'm extremely (not) blessed to always have early-birds for holiday partners. I do not know what possesses anyone to think waking up before 9am when on holiday is ever cute, but people do it nonetheless.

The hotel offers a buffet breakfast in the hotel restaurant for all guests and that was the cause of my interrupted slumber on Sunday, 25 August. The fact that we had a whole day of playing tourist ahead of us did not deter my excited Energizer bunnies.

Hearing Algoa Fm, the radio station that made me fall in love with radio 7 years ago, play in shops felt nostalgic and inspired the title of this blog.

Click here for Part 2.

From The Garden Route to The Wild Coast (Part 2 of 2)

According to locals, it is almost blasphemous to visit Knysna and not visit The Knysna Heads and we aren't ones to break the rules, therefore it only made sense that we visit The Heads. 

    

The Heads offer a view almost as beautiful as Cape Town's Lion's Head Mountain. One of the viewpoints also looks towards a point where the Indian Ocean meets the Knysna River (which my mom told me is called an estuary). 

The adrenaline rush from standing on top of the mountain made the entire trip worthwhile. My least sincere apologies to the ladies whose blood pressure I apparently increased by jumping on one spot while trying to get a picture in the air. YOLO.

 

My favourite version of the South African Monopoly board game has 26 towns and airports on it and, before this trip, I had been to 17 of them. When the idea of visiting the Knysna Elephant Park came up, I was definitely keen as it would mean I could tick not only The Wilderness and Knysna, but also Plettenberg Bay as that is where the park (ironically) is.

After getting to the park (and only paying the student price to excite the cheapskate in me), I was still a bit scared to feed the gentle giants. Watching them use their trunks to suck the fruits from those who did feed them was still a pleasing experience. Oddly enough, I managed to tick taking a picture with one off my bucket list.

I found it hilarious that the elephant park named their café 'Indlovu' which means Elephant in isiXhosa.

My friends are meat lovers and not as lazy as I am in the kitchen so after late afternoon nap, we turned the gas braai on outside and got the meat going (by 'we' I mean 'they') while I handled a great braai playlist.

 We spent the last day of our trip doing absolutely nothing but lying in bed, eating and swimming. We were extremely sad to have to return to Cape Town for school but planning our next trip made the bitter taste sweeter.

A very special thank you to Johnny from Alpha Cabs Knysna for being our designated

driver and unofficial tour guide during the trip!

Playing Tourist in the Mother City (Part 1)

My favourite month of the year (second only to December where we have our summer holiday) is May - MY BIRTHDAY MONTH!
The Rule of May is that if I even think about doing something for myself, or getting myself something, I forget my budget and I go for it. This year's theme was trying new places and playing tourist in the Mother City and, I must say, Cape Town has to be the most beautiful city in South Africa. I've decided to share a few of my favourite (and pocket friendly) places in town.

THE MOUNTAINS AND HILLS

https://www.gapyear.com/articles/travel-news/new-7-wonders-of-nature

Cape Town boasts one of the 7 Wonders of Nature - TABLE MOUNTAIN. The mountain is home to multiple species of birds and insects. The top of the mountain is a lovely place to be to relax with a book or two while enjoying the scenery. From the top, you can see the sea (haha) and from different sides of the mountain, the entire city is visible. 

The Wifi Lounge is a calm place to recharge your devices and upload all your pictures on Instagram.

There is also a mini restaurant for you to grab a bite at the top.

To top it all off, the Cable Car that gets you to the top is FREE ON YOUR BIRTHDAY (or 7 days thereafter) and HALF PRICE FOR STUDENTS ON FRIDAYS. Do check their website (https://www.tablemountain.net) before going as the Cable Car is sometimes closed due to weather conditions.

Also, for the fitbits out there, there is a hiking trail that gets you to the top (I can't tell you much about this. I'm allergic to any exercise that isn't shopping.)



LION'S HEAD

While still on the topic of mountains, also visible from Table mountain, is Cape Town's most hiked mountain, Lion's Head.
The mountain gets it's name from the fact that it literally looks like a lion's head (just like Table Mountain's top looks as flat as a table top).
While feeling young and wild, my best friend and I did this hike 2 years ago and it took about 2 hours to get to the top.

Check out the cheeky mountain on Instagram @lionsheadct and Twitter @LionsHeadCPT

SIGNAL HILL

At the bottom of Lion's head is another treasure among the Capetownians, Signal Hill. The hilltop is a perfect place for sunset picnics where you can see the sun literally set over Camps Bay and fall into the water. It is just a friendly reminder of how beautiful Creation is.

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GRAB A SNACK

I'm not much of a food person (unless it's McDonald's) and I really believe my body should find other healthier alternatives other than food but these people that call themselves scientists aren't on my side.

My favourite coffee shop in town is XPRESSO CAFE. Situated in the CBD, Canal Walk, Durbanville, N1 City, Cape Gate Mall, Table Bay Mall, Vangate Mall and Stellenbosch, this take away coffee shop is the cheapest in town. They sell the best sandwiches, coffee and my favourtie white hot chocolate for ONLY R10 each. I kid you not, everything in every store costs R10 each. 

If you're not lactose intolerant (or maybe you are but still love ice cream) THE CREAMERY sells homemade ice cream with different flavours every month. Some popular flavours include cornflake milk, sweet cream, carrot cake and this month's flavour, honeycomb crunch.  Visit their website to find a store near you. https://thecreamery.co.za/ 

SHOPPING

Century City

As impressive as the city is, I’m almost always disappointed by the lack of huge malls. I’m not sure if this stems from my love of shopping malls in general, or the fact that I’m used to Gauteng’s beautiful malls. Nonetheless, CANAL WALK in Century City is my favourite mall in the City. With over 400 stores, Canal Walk can add 6000 steps to your Health App and an even bigger hole to your bank account. 

The only other place I enjoy shopping at, which is smaller but just as pretty is the V&A WATERFRONT. I'd recommend the V&A if you're planning to have dinner afterwards as it boasts a large variety of restaurants and fast food outlets as well.

If you're looking for brand labels at factory shop prices, ACCESS PARK in Kenilworth is your go to location.

FUN AT THE WATERFRONT

THE CAPE WHEEL is a giant Ferris Wheel in the the heart of the V&A Waterfront. The Wheel allows for a 360 degree view of the city while seated in an enclosed spot. I did this alone but I imagine it would be romantic to do with your partner. (They email you a free voucher on your birthday if you're registered on their website)

The Waterfront also has constant live entertainment such as Marimba bands and activities including face painting and mini train rides for the kids. 

Another fun activity for the whole family would be the TWO OCEANS AQUARIUM. Not only is this conveniently located behind the Waterfront, but it is also near the Cape Town CitySightSeeing station. If you're feeling rather adventurous (which I wasn't) the Aquarium has SHARK CAGE DIVING facilities as well. Entrance to the aquarium is also free on your birthday.

I will be posting more fun things to do in the Mother City as I explore the City more! 

Feel free to ask any questions in the comments below or tweet me @PrincessLizzy07.

Cheers,
Lizzy