Rec.Travel Library
The World
Africa
South Africa
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Rec.Travel Library
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Philip Hazel
ph10@cus.cam.ac.uk
These notes are a compilation from a number of visits in recent years, with some additional contributions from other people. I've indicated where I have included substantial quotations from others. The rest is written from my own experience.
Please ask if there's something you want to know that I have not included. Numbers in square brackets indicate the year in which the information was obtained; please note these dates, as things are changing quite rapidly in South Africa at the moment. Inflation means the prices get out of date quite quickly too.
I was taken to task on an earlier version of these notes because they contained no political comment. This is quite deliberate. Firstly, the notes are intended as travel information, and secondly, the political situation changes so rapidly that anything I write will be out-of-date very rapidly.
Thanks to Loretta Dunbar (LDunbar@univscvm.csd.scarolina.edu), who contributed the notes about Vergelegen, and Martin Jordison (major@aztec.co.za), who sent some notes about currency, travel and several other things.
Cape Town last visited: Easter 1996
Notes edited: 15 April 1996
The main tourist information centre is in Adderley Street, just past the railway station as you go towards the docks (north). It supplies a number of different tourist services for the Cape and other regions of South Africa.
January and February are the hottest months. They are also very windy months in the Cape Peninsula, though I am told that November and December are actually the windiest. The "Cape Doctor" (southeaster) can blow strongly, though usually only in stretches of a few days at a time. That's why I go in March or April, when it is a bit cooler and often less windy.
June/July are the wettest months, though there are usually fine days in between the rainy ones. As the only heating in the houses tends to be open fires, you can be quite cold, especially at night. Take sweaters if you are going at that time of year. The autumn usually starts in the middle of April, but it can start a couple of weeks earlier, and the evenings are then cool though the days are often still warm, especially inland.
You may find being in the Southern hemisphere disorienting if it is your first visit. The fact that the sun is in the north rather than the south causes some people to get east and west confused. Cape Town is in any case geographically confusing to some people. Study the maps!
There are hotels and guest houses of every kind in the City and the surrounding suburbs and smaller places in the Peninsula. Some friends of mine have a small one-room flat with its own bathroom and kitchen attached to their house that they let out to visitors. They are situated in Pinelands, which is convenient for the City (10-15 mins drive) and also the suburbs. Contact me if you want more info.
If you are travelling further afield, a good way of finding accommodation is to contact the tourist information offices which exist in most towns. All towns seem to have a camp site, and some of these also have chalets to rent. Accommodation is also available on some farms, either in guest houses or self-catering chalets. All camping and self-catering accommodation that I've seen has facilities for guests to barbecue - though in SA a barbecue is called "braaivleis" (pronounced b-rye-f-lace).
Recommended car hire: Vineyard Car Hire, Claremont, phone 641994 [1996]. A small friendly company, but you'll need to make a reservation to be sure of one of their cars. They will meet you at the airport, etc. if required. There are plenty of other car hire companies, but as always, the local ones are usually cheaper than the multi-nationals like Hertz, Avis, etc. You will need to use one of the bigger companies if you want to drop off the car somewhere else. Of the big companies, Budget seemed to offer the best prices in 1993. Drive on the left. Good road maps of South Africa are available at petrol (gas) stations for around R10 [1993] as well as in bookstores. Petrol cost R1.78 per litre in 1995, and self-service stations are unknown. There is always someone to fill your tank and wash your windscreen if necessary. You cannot, however, use credit cards to buy petrol. Unleaded petrol is now becoming generally available [1996].
You can survive in Cape Town without a car, but it is a very stretched out city, being wrapped around the mountain, so a car helps. There are good freeways, but there can be traffic jams at rush hours. Otherwise, there are buses and a suburban railway which are fine provided they go where you want to. If you are using public transport, take a train ride down to Simonstown (see below). The final part is right alongside the sea, with "no fishing from the platform" at one station.
I have heard of (but not tried) the Cape Town card, which allows foreign tourists seven days of unlimited travel on all Cape Town public buses and trains. The card costs $15.00 and comes with a free guide. Available from the Tourist Rendezvous on Adderley Street in Cape Town.
I have also hear that Rail Travel Passes, similar in concept to the Eurailpass, are now available, and the passes can be purchased for First or Second Class travel. The Spoor Pass allows you to travel on a given number of days during a specified period. It also gives access to special guaranteed B&B hotel rates, through the Tourlink Hotel Pass. With the Spoor Pass, you will also receive coupons entitling you to special rates for vehicle rental from Avis, and a range of full and half-day tours from Durban, Cape Town, and Johannesburg. The Pass must be purchased before arriving in Southern Africa. Translux now also has Coach Travel Passes with the same flexibility as the Rail Passes.
Go up the mountain. By cable car if you are not a walker, but the queues get very long in summer. You may need to be there at 6 am or earlier. If you are a walker, take care! (I used to be a mountain rescuer on that mountain.) There are easy ways up and down, but it is also easy to get lost and at any time of year a mist can come up suddenly. Preferably find someone who knows the mountain to go with. (Contact the Mountain Club of South Africa, Hatfield Street.) In summer, you can go up by cable car and have dinner and watch the sun set from the top, which is pretty magical. The most gentle route up Table Mountain starts from Constantia Nek (it's a jeep track), but it is a long walk if you want to get to the highest point.
There are miles and miles of paths around the lower slopes of Table Mountain if you want to walk but not climb too much. There are also walks on many of the other mountains of the Peninsula. Look for guides and maps in any good bookshop.
The National Botanic Garden at Kirstenbosch should not be missed (entrance fee R4 in 1995). It is situated on the lower slopes of the mountain, and is very extensive. The Cape flora is unique, and forms one of the world's floral kingdoms. There are more indigenous species of plant on the Cape Peninsula than in the entire British Isles. The cycad collection at Kirstenbosch is particularly impressive, but the whole garden is spectacular. There are a number of walking trails in the garden itself and on the mountain slopes above it, and you can also go on right up the mountain from there. The restaurant is very popular and is a good place for lunch. In the summer there are open-air concerts at Kirstenbosch.
Also visit the Gardens in the city itself, where you will find the National Art Gallery (not to my taste when last in), a natural history museum, and planetarium. The Cultural Museum at the top of Adderley Street (main downtown street) is worth a visit, as also is the Castle (still partly used by the military, but open to visitors, with some museums in it). Most museums have entrance fees, but they are very modest.
District Six was an area of Cape Town that was razed, and all its inhabitants forced to move out, during the apartheid years. There is now a District Six Museum in the old Methodist Church at 25A Buitenkant Street (which is a former wine store). This contains all the old street signs (saved and hidden by the demolition manager for 25 years) and assorted memorabilia collected by the former residents and others.
The Victoria & Alfred (sic) Waterfront is recently (last 6 years) re-developed docks; now a tourist trap, but still in the middle of working docks. The name is taken from two separate basins of the docks, which are named for Queen Victoria and her son Alfred (as opposed to her husband, Albert).
Craft markets, shops of all kinds, restaurants, cinemas (including an IMAX movie theatre), theatres, a hotel, the maritime museum, etc. It now claims to be South Africa's top tourist attraction. There is a bus service from the city centre.
If you are interested in crafts, don't miss the Red Shed, which contains a number of different kinds of craft stall (painters, glass blowing, leatherwork, for example). An acquaintance of mine runs a stall selling seaweed art using local seaweeds to make pictures, jewellery, keyrings, etc. You can take boat trips round the harbour and out in the Table Bay round Robben Island (R70 [1996]), though you cannot land on the island. The Two Oceans Aquarium was opened at the Waterfront in October 1995. The entrance fee was R22 for adults in 1996, but I thought it well worth it. It's not just fish in tanks - there are some interesting dynamic exhibits, and the large kelp forest and deep ocean tanks are most impressive.
I have found theatres and concerts to be generally good and also cheap in CT. They all subscribe to a computerized ticketing system called Computicket, which means that you can get tickets for any theatre at any box office, and there are also Computicket outlets in most major shopping centres. The future of some theatre companies is in doubt [1995] because the new government is cutting down on the subsidies that they have enjoyed in the past.
There are open markets in and around the city. One major street, St. Georges's St (parallel to Adderley, one block away) is completely pedestrianised and there are often street performers etc. Greenmarket Square is also a site for markets, and there is another down by the railway station.
There are a number of inter-connected large underground shopping malls under Adderley & Strand streets near the station. This is the main shopping area in the city with shops of all kinds.
You should also travel around the Peninsula, and even further afield, if you have time. Drive down on the East side of the Peninsula (via Muizenberg, Fishoek, Simonstown) and drive back on the West side, via Kommetjie and Noordhoek and then the spectacular Chapman's Peak Drive to Hout Bay.
As well as the National Botanic Gardens at Kirstenbosch (mentioned above), the University is worth a visit just to see its splendid site; also the Rhodes Memorial just above it on the slopes of Devil's Peak. If you take refreshment at the cafe at the Rhodes Memorial, try their cheesecake with Cape gooseberries. (These are totally unrelated to English gooseberries. An orange fruit about the size of a small cherry and very tasty.)
You can also visit Groot Constantia, the estate of one of the Dutch Governors, now a museum, but they still grow vines and make wine on the estate and you can tour the winery. There's a restaurant there too, but quite an expensive one. There is a cheaper place to eat or have a snack just by the entrance, called the Old Cape Bistro, attached to and run by the same management as The Old Cape Farm Stall (which is itself worth a visit). Last time I was there I had the tallest slice of chocolate cake I have ever seen - and it was very good [1995].
In Tokai, just a bit further on from Constantia, there is an arboretum, which is a delightfully peaceful place for a stroll, though it appears that a new development of houses is now being built not too far away [1995]. From the arboretum you can walk right up the adjoining mountain, the Constantiaberg.
Carrying on southwards you reach False Bay at Muizenberg (popular beach), and the road then leads via Kalk Bay (fishing harbour) to Fishoek, which has another nice beach, and is a bit more sheltered from the Southeast wind by Elsie's Peak. There are easy paths up to the top (about 3/4 hour) and you can see both oceans from the highest point.
The next bay after Fishoek is Simonstown (which increasingly seems to be spelt Simon's Town these days). It is a navy base and has a naval museum and also a semi-precious stone polishing works you can visit. The town has a relaxed feel to it. There are often craft vendors in Jubilee square, which is next to the yacht harbour. This is the end of the densely populated area on this side of the Peninsula. At the southern end of Simonstown, near Seaforth beach, a colony of jackass penguins has established itself in the bushes above the beach - right next to the houses there. The birds are protected, and there is a warden on the site and a charge of a few rand to visit.
Go down to Cape Point nature reserve. You need a car and the best part of a day for this. (There are bus tours but they only go to the main tourist places and they tend to try to cram everything into one day.) You must visit the Point itself, to see the Atlantic and Indian oceans meeting, but drive back a bit and take the side road to the Cape of Good Hope to find a quiet site to eat your picnic. You can usually find a bit of rocky shore where there isn't anyone else. There is an entrance fee for the Reserve, but you will get a map of all the roads and footpaths. There is a new restaurant at Cape Point [1996] but I haven't tried it.
A little way off the road in Noordhoek, as you leave to start the Chapman's Peak Drive, is a collection of small shops and a restaurant and a tea room. There's a sign on the main road indicating it (on the left). It consists of a collection of old buildings round a very plant-filled courtyard, and there are, amongst others, a furniture repairer, a stained-glass maker, and a shop selling handmade clothes and African curios. The restaurant is called the Red Herring and it specializes in home cooked country food. I had a light lunch there in 1994, and the butternut soup and Cape Brandy Pudding were excellent. A more substantial meal in 1995 confirmed its quality. There's a nice view out over to the sea at Noordhoek.
As you enter Hout Bay from Chapman's Peak, you pass one of the most comprehensive liquor stores in the Peninsula - attached to the Chapman's Peak Hotel. They have an incredible variety of wines and liqueurs, both local and imported, and a large walk-in cold room so you can buy wine and beer ready to drink if you like. Books about South African wines are available for consultation.
At Hout Bay there is a fishing harbour with some restaurants (cheap and not so cheap). Also a beach. Also The World of Birds. Worth a visit. A large number of birds in large walk-through aviaries (visited 1993).
The traditional round-the-Peninsula route from Hout Bay keeps to the west and carries on via Llandudno to Camps Bay (nice beach, restaurants, theatre) and finally via Sea Point back to Cape Town.
The Two Oceans Marathon is run round the Peninsula near Easter each year. It starts and ends at Claremont, and follows part of the route just described, though it does not go all the way down to Cape Point, and it cuts back from Hout Bay to Claremont over Constantia Nek.
There are lots of good restaurants all over the Peninsula, and indeed in other places too. I mention a few that I have visited below, but that is only a small sample. If you want a cheap and cheerful quick meal, there is a chain of steakhouses under the brand name "Spur" which give good value for money. There are also Hard Rock Cafes and Pizza Huts...
Sea Point is an area of expensive high-rise flats but it is very cosmopolitan and there are ethnic restaurants of every kind. Many restaurants in Cape Town are closed on Monday evenings, but some in Sea Point are not. Sea Point has a large open-air swimming pool right next to the beach.
There is one restaurant in the City, in Queen Victoria Street, right at the top just about opposite the planetarium, that serves only South African cuisine. It is called Die Kaapse Tafel (The Cape Table). I haven't eaten there for a few years, but had good reports of it in 1993.
Another good restaurant, discovered in 1994, is situated on the opposite side of Table Bay to the city, at Bloubergstrand, a beach resort (about 20-30 minutes drive). It is called "On the Rocks", and it really is - the waves break right under the windows. It has one of the most spectacular views of any restaurant in the world - the classic view over the bay to Cape Town with the mountain behind, and you can also see Robben Island out in the bay. We found the service and the food to be very good, as well. I ate ostrich steak with amarula and Cape gooseberry sauce.
If you can't get into "On the Rocks", then a few yards along the road there is "Ons Huisie" (our little house), which doesn't have the view, but is charmingly situated in an old fisherman's cottage that is now a National Monument, and its food is also good [1995]. I ate in a third good restaurant at Blouberg in 1996, the Blue Peter Hotel. Not as close to the sea as "On the Rocks", but still enjoying the spectacular view over the bay.
Visit Stellenbosch (old wine & University town, many Cape Dutch buildings, about 3/4 hour drive from Cape Town) and other nearby places such as Franschoek (settled by French Hugenots). Good restaurant "Le Petite Ferme" on hillside above Franschoek (visited 1991); much cheaper than city restaurants. The mountain pass between Franschhoek and Villersdorp passes through delightful scenery.
These are centres of fruit growing and wine-making which are not as picturesque as Stellenbosch and Franschoek, but which nevertheless contain some interesting old buildings and are set in nice countryside. The "strooidak kerk" (thatched church) in Paarl is the oldest Dutch Reformed church building in the country. You come to it on the left as you enter Paarl from Cape Town. For a light lunch, try "The Coffee Place" [1996], a short distance along from this church; you drive down a narrow entrance to parking and a patio restaurant behind the buildings on the street. Enjoy your meal in the shade of oak trees.
In 1995 I stayed in Blue Gum Cottage on the Diemersfontein estate just outside Wellington (details from tourist information) for R65 per person per night. This is a fully serviced cottage with all facilities and a lovely view over the valley. An evening walk through the vineyards at sunset was an added bonus. The "big house" on the estate is a guest house when the owners are not in residence; it costs R180 per person per night.
Located 40 Km east of Cape Town on Lourensford Road, Somerset West, is the Cape's most beautiful historic estate: Vergelegen ("situated far away"). Established in 1700, the grounds boast majestic camphor trees nearly 300 years old - now designated as national monuments. Vergelegen estate was purchased in 1987 by Anglo American Farms (Pty) Ltd. After careful soil evaluation of this 3000 hectare property, it was divided into three main areas: pasture for dairy herds, vineyards on the slopes and hillsides, and orchards in the rich alluvial valley floor.
In March 1992 a new high-tech winery, designed in an octagonal shape to complement the homestead garden, was opened. From its roof garden, with a 360 degree view, one can see False Bay, Table Mountain, Cape Town, and the Helderberg and Hottentots Holland mountains.
The heritage area surrounding the main homestead is now flawlessly restored to the early 20th century charm as renovated by Sir Lionel and Lady Florence Phillips, who owned the property from 1917 to 1941. In November 1992 Vergelegen was opened to the public for the first time.
Take a break from city heat and traffic - enjoy the beauty of this fine estate, sample Vergelegan wines, and move back in time as you walk through the historical museum display. A modest entry fee (R6 in 1996) includes a wine tasting and cellars tour, access to the homestead, gardens, and grounds. Facilities for the disabled are provided. Reservations for lunch and the cellars tour are recommended.
Take highway N2 to Somerset West exit 43. Open 9:30-4:00 daily. Tel.
(024)8471334, FAX (024)8471608. Tell them Loretta sent you. [Notes (slightly
edited) courtesy of Loretta Dunbar I visited Vergelegen in 1996 and can confirm all the above. In addition to the
restaurant, which serves full meals, light lunches are now also available from
a serve-yourself outlet in the rose garden. If the day is hot, there is a nice
beach at The Strand, just a kilometre or two away from Somerset West, where you
can cool off after your visit.
Further afield are places like Caledon, with a wild flower garden and hot
springs at the Overberger Hotel (R5 to "take the waters" in 1996) and Hermanus,
which is on the coast. The southernmost point of Africa, Cape Agulhas, is
rather boring and not worth a visit unless you have time to spare. There is a
development of holiday homes around it. Further East is the Breede River mouth
which is more interesting. There is a good hotel in Witsand there (the Breede
River Lodge) and there are also holiday cottages for hire (Barry's Chalets).
The East coast is very pretty; the route from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth is
called "The Garden Route" (N2), though the best bit lies between George and
Port Elizabeth.
The town of Swellendam (beside the N2) is worth a stop. It is one of the oldest
towns and has several interesting buildings, including the Drostdy Museum which
is in an old Cape Dutch homestead. Some of the old buildings have been
converted into self-catering accommodation at very reasonable prices. For
example, Kadie Cottage (in a converted old stable, sleeping 4) could be rented
for R65 per person per night in 1995 (breakfast R12 extra). There is also a
caravan and chalet park run by the municipality with about a dozen chalets
built in Cape Dutch style with thatched roofs, and all set in amongst oak
trees (around R115 for a chalet sleeping 4). On the main street, Mattsens
restaurant gave us good food and service in 1995.
Between Swellendam and the mountain lies the Marloth nature reserve, which has
trails that vary in length from 1 hour to 5 days! The ravines at the foot of
the mountain contain the remains of indigenous forests, with yellowwood and
other native species, including some fascinating tree ferns. You are required
to sign in and out when you arrive, but [1995] we were not charged any fee for
day walks.
Oudtshoorn is situated to the north of the N2, and can be reached either by
driving north via the Robinson or Outeniqua passes from the N2 (both
beautiful), or by driving west from Montagu via Barrydale, Ladismith and
Calitzdorp. If you have time, instead of driving from Calitzdorp direct to
Oudtshoorn, take a dirt road to the left just after Calitzdorp that takes you
across to the road north out of Oudtshoorn, because this goes through some
beautiful country with red rock formations including some rock arches. It then
passes through farming lands below the mountains.
Oudtshoorn is the centre of the ostrich farming industry, and in the 19th
century a lot of money was made, until the industry collapsed. Look out for a
number of grandiose homes ("ostrich palaces") in the town. Recently, ostriches
have come back into fashion, and the area is prospering. Tourism is being
encouraged. A number of ostrich farms are geared up for visitors, and there are
also crocodile and angora rabbit farms in the vicinity.
30 Km north of Oudtshoorn are the Cango Caves, which are well worth a visit.
Carrying on north past the caves, the road goes over the Swartberg Pass, which
is one of the most spectacular mountain passes in the Western Cape, but note
that it is a dirt road.
In 1995 I stayed at Oue Werf, a guest house on a farm at Schoemanshoek, 15 Km
north of Oudtshoorn, where the original farm house (thatched roof, reed
ceilings, yellowwood floors) has been converted into two cottages. Dinner &
breakfast are available. The cost was R75 per person for B&B, and R25 pp for
dinner. The surrounding countryside is very pretty, especially if there has
been recent rain.
The west coast is dry and arid, but if you are there just after it has rained,
go up there to look at the carpets of wild flowers on the way to Namaqualand.
Also up the west coast N7 main road (around 250 Km) is the Cedarberg, a
mountain range with good walking (though you need to arrange it). The highest
mountains are around 1400 metres. Several of the farmers in the area have
cottages and campsites on their land. We stayed at Kromrivier in 1993 in a
cottage that slept 7 for R90 per night. Also stayed there in 1994, in one of
the smaller cottages.
You will have to drive on dirt roads quite a bit to get into the Cedarberg, but
it is worth it. Much of it is forestry land for which you need to get permits
to enter, but these are freely available from the forestry offices or the
farmers themselves. The number of simultaneous hiking parties is controlled in
some areas. Good guides & maps for this area are available. One of the most
spectacular things to visit is the Wolfberg Cracks, enormous fissures at the
top of a mountain through which you can walk. To get up to them you must follow
a path that climbs 450 metres in 1 kilometre. On a hot day, take plenty of
liquid with you. There are also some bushmen caves in the Cedarberg, which can
be reached in a few minutes walking. There are still a few cave paintings left
to see, but they are small and indistinct. The rock formations are impressive,
though.
The farm Dwarsrivier, from which you can get walking permits for the Wolfberg,
also sells fruit and its own wine at very reasonable prices. A whole box of
grapes cost R8 in 1995, and very nice wine was available from R7-R11 per
bottle.
As well as the main roads up the east and west coasts from Cape Town, there is
the Great North Road (number N1) which goes sort of centrally up the country.
About 30 miles from Cape Town it passes through Paarl (grape and other fruit
growing country) and then over the spectacular du Toit's Kloof Pass. There is a
tunnel nowadays as well; avoid it if you want to see the view! It doesn't take
much longer. These days the heavy traffic mostly uses the tunnel, so the pass
itself is relatively quiet. From the top of the pass you can take a mountain
walk if you want to.
In 1996 they were working on the road on the far side of the pass, and the pass
itself was closed from 12:00 to 14:00 on Mondays-Thursdays. I don't know how
long this is expected to continue. The road signs send you on an alternative
route via Bain's Kloof Pass (see below) but another alternative route that is
uncrowded and pretty is via the Franschhoek pass and Villiersdorp.
On the northern side of du Toit's Kloof Pass (which was built by Italian
prisoners of war in WW II - many stayed to settle in SA) is the Hex River
Valley. Farming, mostly fruit, but also some horse studs.
At Worcester there is a museum of the history of SA agriculture which is partly
inside and partly outside - old farm buildings, and some live re-creations of
early farming practices. It is called "Klein Plasie" (Little Farm) and I found
it interesting (visited 1992). There is also a restaurant attached which serves
traditional SA food and was good value.
Off the N1 from Worcester you can go to Montagu, which has hot springs and a
small resort to exploit them. The "Montagu Rose" guest house, in Kohler St
[1994] is a good place to stay. Very nice rooms and a friendly German
proprietress who provides an excellent breakfast. The "gravel" in the drive is
actually made of peach stones, something which seems quite common in Montagu.
You can walk for a few kilometres through a "kloof" (ravine) that leads from
one end of the town round the town and comes out at the hot springs resort.
There are some interesting rock formations, some of which are vertical enough
to attract rock climbers. The small restaurant on the 5th floor of the Avalon
Springs Hotel, at the spa, is quite good.
The first building you come to in Montagu coming from Cape Town is a farm stall
called Die Kloof. (I must declare an interest here; I know the owner.) Farm
stalls are to be found alongside the roads all over the Western Cape. They sell
fresh fruit and vegetables, bread and cakes, jams and preserves, and often
craft items as well. If you are travelling and self-catering, they are a good
source of supplies.
Near Montagu (at the top of Burger's Pass) is a farmer who takes parties of
visitors up the mountain on a trailer with seats attached to his tractor
(visited 1992). The view from the top is superb, and you can stay on for a
traditional "potjiekos" lunch (food cooked in single cooking pots over open
fires) at a picnic spot in a forest on the farm. Or you can take your own food.
Cost around R13 per head [1992]. Allow most of a day; but you'll enjoy this if
you do it. Ask for details at the Montagu visitors information - and I expect
they know about this in Cape Town too.
Between Worcester & Robertson (on the way to Montagu) there is a cactus farm
which exports all over the world and makes an interesting brief stop.
If you carry on from Montagu over Burger's Pass you eventually get back to the
N1 national road, and an hour or so up it (having passed the town of Touws
River) you reach Matjiesfontein. It consists of a railway station and a large,
old hotel. In the days before dining cars, the trains used to stop there for
the passengers to have a meal. Legend has it that the Scottish laird who built
it used to serve the food so hot that it couldn't be eaten before the train
departed, and that is how he made his fortune. The dining car sent it into a
decline, but it was rescued some years ago and made a popular place to visit
for the dry air, or as a place to break a journey. History has now turned full
circle, as nowadays the Blue Train, SA's most luxurious train, stops there for
a while (though not for dinner) for passengers to look around or perhaps take a
swim. I had dinner there in 1994.
Matjiesfontein is one of the few places that still insists that men wear
jackets and ties for dinner. I had a tie, but no jacket, but the receptionist
has a supply of jackets to loan. "As it is a hot night", she said, "you don't
need to wear the jacket. Just carry it over your arm. Oh, and as there are
quite a few men needing to borrow jackets, please could you give it to a waiter
when you are seated, so that it can be brought out for someone else to use." I
jest not - this really happened!
Dinner cost R42 per head [1994], was served by candlelight, and consisted of
seven courses: pate, hot or cold soup, hot or cold fish, savoury of sweetcorn
and cheese, pork or lamb, choice from sweet table, choice from cheese table. It
was good, but not spectacular. I heard that since the original re-developer had
left, things were not quite what they used to be.
An alternative to du Toit's Kloof Pass as way over the mountains from Cape Town
is Bain's Kloof, via Wellington. This was the first pass over these mountains,
built by Thomas Bain, and is a lovely bit of engineering. Not very busy, and
the scenery is nice.
At the bottom of Bain's Kloof on the Wellington side there is a roadside stall
called "Bakkies se Padstal" that is unusual in that it doesn't sell much fresh
produce, but instead concentrates on home made preserves and home baking, as
well as selling general provisions. There is also a tea garden, and light meals
are served. The stall is the start of the private Patatskloof walking trail
(7-8 hours) for which a small fee is charged. I haven't done this, but in that
mountain area it promises to be well worthwhile.
There are also some walks that can be done from the top of the pass (get a
guidebook for details). From the far side of Bain's Kloof you carry on via
Mitchell's Pass to the town of Ceres, which is the centre of much fruit
growing. There's a nature trail (not visited) and a museum of agricultural
vehicles (also not visited). There's a very good restaurant called Wieldraai II
in the main street, where I had the best spareribs I've ever eaten [1993] and
another good lunch in 1994.
Out of the Cape Town, the roads are pretty empty. In the city there are rush
hour jams, but it is ok mostly the rest of the time. The National Roads
(numbered N1, N2, etc.) are paved and high quality. Apart from near towns, they
are mostly single-carriageway, but with wide hard shoulders. Drivers of slower
vehicles will often pull over onto the shoulder to let you pass.
Some non-national roads are dirt, and their quality varies depending on when
they were last maintained. The road atlases normally indicate which roads are
dirt. There are some spectacular mountain passes in the Western Cape (see above
for some). Some of the best are on dirt roads.
Plenty of maps & guidebooks are available when you get there. Most bookshops
have a supply, and there are lots of book shops around the city and in the
shopping centre in Claremont, which is a major suburban shopping area. There's
another in Wynberg, just a bit further along. The best bookshop I have found is
Exclusive Books, in the Constantia shopping centre. They also have a branch in
the city, but I haven't visited it. For outdoor maps and equipment, try Camp &
Climb, in Claremont.
Cape lobster is also a small creature, but very tasty. However, in recent years
the harvest has crashed so they are now very expensive. If you like curry, both
the Indian and the Malay varieties are available. Meat is also generally good.
The water is definitely drinkable, and you don't need to worry about eating
salads and fruit.
I have found food generally to be good and cheap, by British standards.
Probably also by European and North American. Fruit is very plentiful and cheap
in season. Wine is also particularly cheap, as it is made right there. People
are generally friendly. The Western Cape has always been more laid back than
the rest of SA in many ways.
The official languages of SA used to be English and Afrikaans, but now there
are 11 official languages! However, everybody who deals with the public in
shops, restaurants, banks, etc. can speak English.
Out in the country you might come across people whose English is poor (though
everyone studies it in school). Notices & road signs are generally in two or
more languages. If you understand German, or better still Dutch, or best of all
Flemish, you will be able to make out some Afrikaans. There are two daily
English newspapers published in Cape Town (morning & evening). Of course, many
African languages are also spoken in SA. The TV channels broadcast in many
languages; TV1 is mostly English/Afrikaans.
South African English has some usages of its own, though it is pretty close to
British English, and the pronunciation is British-like. When in doubt, use the
British usage ("biscuit" not "cookie", etc.), though "pants" has the American
meaning. One example of SA English that often surprises visitors is that
traffic lights ("stop lights" in USA) are universally called "robots"
(originally "robot policemen") and you will find warning signs on the roads
saying "robot ahead" or whatever, though people will understand the term
"traffic light".
Cape Town is going full-steam ahead with plans to host the 2004 Olympic Games.
The bid is underway and the outcome is expected in late 1997. The contest is
against Beijing, Rio de Janeiro, Cairo and some others.
Major hotels subscribe to CNN and Sky News now. Also available is BBC World
Service TV at certain times of the day on the pay channel, M-Net. In
October 1995, South Africa will have full satellite TV, with all major US and
European satellite channels available.
There is a good banking system. Visa & Mastercard accepted almost everywhere,
but NOT for buying gasoline (called petrol, as in Britain). You can walk into
most banks and change foreign currency on the spot (well, I've done it for
sterling). The unit of currency is the Rand, divided into 100 cents. Some
people pronounce "rand" to rhyme with "and", but it is also commonly pronounced
to sound more like "runt".
I haven't tried to use ATM's in South Africa myself, but I was sent the
following comment by someone who has:
The coins have recently been changed, and you still occasionally come across
some of the old ones, though they are now [1996] mostly withdrawn. [Martin
Jordison says: There seems to be no cut-off for the old, although any vending-type
machines, parking meters etc. are now mostly using the "new" variety
(easily identifiable as the smaller coins, except for 5c which was nickel,
now copper but twice as large). Generally, if a machine/meter etc. uses
old coins, there is a sign displayed indicating this. Shops etc. still
readily accept the old though.] The denominations are:
1c, 2c, 5c, 10c, 20c, 50c, R1, R2, R5 coins;
I am told R200 notes have recently been introduced, though I have yet to see
one or be offered one by a bank.
South Africa introduced Value Added Tax (VAT) in 1992, replacing General Sales
Tax. Prices on goods in shops generally are quoted with the tax included, so
what you see is what you pay. This also applies to items on menus and other
small things. The only thing I have come across which was quoted ex-VAT was the
price of a rented cottage on a farm. The current rate [1995] of VAT is 14%.
Visitors can claim back VAT on certain goods at the airport as they leave (as
in the UK).
Check the exchange rate at the airport when you are leaving; in 1995 I got a
far better deal changing my remaining rands into sterling than I would have got
back in England.
The former DF Malan International Airport has been officially renamed "Cape
Town International" (as with other airports in SA). Serious upgrading still
needs to be done, though they reportedly handled the Rugby World Cup fairly
well.
British Airways and South African Airways fly non-stop to Cape Town from London
Heathrow, twice a week each [1995]. A number of other European airline also fly
direct, but with a stop in Johannesburg. There are direct flights from Kuala
Lumpur and Miami - and no doubt other places that I don't know about. You can
fly direct from New York to Joburg and there are many flights between JNB & CPT
(more or less hourly in the day). It's a 2-hour flight.
Martin Jordison supplied this additional information [1995]:
All South African Airways European routes now begin and end in Cape
Town: some do stop in Johannesburg en-route, others are non-stop
(like London). In addition, SAA directly fly to Miami (twice weekly)
as well as Bangkok and Hong Kong (once weekly) from Cape Town.
Other direct flights include:
To be introduced later this year: Alitalia to Rome, Egyptair to
Cairo, Air Zimbabwe to Harare. Qantas are mooting a direct flight to
Perth and Sydney some time soon.
Internally, of course, flights to all parts of the country:
including, in addition to SAA, flights on Comair, Sun Air, and
Phoenix Airways. Regional and short-haul flights (eg. Cape Town -
George) are served by a relatively new airline "South African
Express" which, although separate to SAA, flies in SAA livery.
A twice weekly direct flight to Sun City (Sun Air) and once weekly
to Swaziland (Royal Air Swazi) also exist.
Should you be unfortunate enough to suffer an accident, Groote Schuur hospital
has a world-wide reputation. Its new building (near the University) compares
with the best in Europe and North America. But all medical insurance in SA is
private, so you'll need travel insurance.
You will find SA to be a land of great contrasts, both geographical and social.
It is both a first-world and a third-world country simultaneously. Poverty
exists side-by-side with luxury. Over the last few years, there have been
tremendous political and social changes, and I have no doubt that they will not
be the last.
Philip Hazel
Rec.Travel Library
CALEDON & HERMANUS
EAST COAST & GARDEN ROUTE
SWELLENDAM
OUDTSHOORN
WEST COAST, NAMAQUALAND & CEDARBERG MOUNTAINS
DU TOIT'S KLOOF PASS
WORCESTER & MONTAGU
MATJIESFONTEIN
BAIN'S KLOOF
ROADS & ROUTE MAPS
FOOD & WATER
I always eat lots of fish when I'm in Cape Town. The names of the fish will be
strange to non-locals, apart from sole (which is a bit smaller than the
European version). Kingklip, kabeljou, yellowtail, steenbras - they are all
good. Sometimes they are listed explicitly on menus, but often "linefish of the
day" is listed, and the waiter will tell you which fish it is.
LANGUAGE
OLYMPIC BID
SATELLITE TELEVISION
BANKING & CURRENCY
We have now been in SA and tried it: we only managed to get money from ATM's
of the STANDARD bank, and there our Girobank (post office bank) card was
always accepted, our other bank card sometimes.
R10, R20, R50, R100 notes
AIR TRAVEL
MEDICAL FACILITIES
ph10@cus.cam.ac.uk
The World
Africa
South Africa