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Cape Town City South Africa

April 2, 2014 by David Herd

Long St Cape town City

Cape Town City South Africa

Cape Town City South Africa

Cape Town City is an interesting mix of new & old, Long Street is one of the main streets located in the City Bowl section of Cape Town. It’s famous as a bohemian hang out, the street is lined with many book stores, pubs, & many ethnic restaurants and bars.

Many interesting buildings

Cape Town City South Africa

Unlike my other posts on Cape Town city which are all very positive, I was disappointed in Long Street. I chose a hotel in the city just to be near this Street because of the information I had received when researching my trip. As it turned out I found the restaurants rather ordinary, plus walking down the street alone at night was rather intimidating. I have been alone at night in some of the most dangerous cities in the world so I do know what I’m talking about, Cape Town city at night was certainly a bit edgy.

These guys are here for a reason

Cape Town City South Africa

Many of these public safety guys are all over the Cape Town city, there is obviously a very good reason for their presence.

Here is what how the websites describe Long Street, It’s probably fine if you are a backpacker or with a group of friends, however for anyone else my advice is go to the V & A Waterfront which is totally the opposite to Long Street;

MOTHER CITY PARTY CAPITAL

If you’re looking for fun vibes and an excuse to stay out all night, visit Long Street, party capital of the Mother City.

One of the many great old buildings

Cape Town City South Africa

The old buildings in Cape Town city certainly have character, plus if you are drinking on the first floor verandas you won’t be bothered by the many beggars. The locals call Cape Town city the Mother city.


 

 Grand Daddy Hotel

Cape Town City South Africa

Contrary to what I said before I did have an enjoyable meal at Grand Daddy Hotel.

Cape Town city Grand Daddy Hotel

Cape Town City South Africa

This was a nice meal at a very reasonable price.

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Time to leave Long Street

Cape Town City South Africa

I have no idea what this building is, if I ever go back to Cape Town I’ll find out and let you know.  😳

Metlife Centre

Cape Town City South Africa

The Metlife Centre, is a 28 floor, 120 meter tall modernist skyscraper situated close to the Cape Town International Convention Center in the City Bowl area of Cape Town city, South Africa. The spired antenna on the building’s roof is 22 m/72 feet tall and was lifted into place by helicopter just prior to its completion in 1993.

A 30 minute walk

Cape Town City South Africa

From V & A Waterfront to the city is about 30 minutes walking.

 Castle of Good Hope

Cape Town City South Africa

 The Castle of Good Hope is a star fort built in the 17th century in Cape Town city, South Africa. Originally located on the coastline of Table Bay, following land reclamation the fort is now located inland.

Hotel on St Georges

Cape Town City South Africa

A very good value hotel in the city center with very helpful staff. Ask for a double bed, NOT two singles jammed together. Book here for a good price. The real shining lights for me in Cape Town city were V & A Waterfront, the wonderful Table Mountain & the impressive coastline.

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Many more photos below.

Click here to check out my mini safari 3 hours north of Cape Town.

 

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Loving charismatic Cape Town

April 1, 2014 by David Herd

Cable car to the top

Loving charismatic Cape Town

Loving charismatic Cape Town

Loving charismatic Cape Town & especially one of Cape Town’s most popular tourist attractions with approximately 800,000 people a year using the cableway.  On the 29 December 2004 the cableway passed its 16 millionth visitor.

Loving charismatic Cape Town which lived up to what people had told me to expect, charismatic, colourful & spectacular. The city is dominated by the mystical Table mountain however the coastline & the V & A Waterfront have a huge amount of appeal also.

From the cable car

Loving charismatic Cape Town

It’s a long way down, if you are afraid of heights you may find this ride a little challenging.  😳

Top of the mountain

Loving charismatic Cape Town

Lots of thrill seekers actually climb to the top, I guess it also saves spending money on the cable car.


 

Downtown Cape Town from the mountain

Loving charismatic Cape Town

Cape Town is such a windy city Table Mountain is often closed to tourists.

Signal Hill

Loving charismatic Cape Town

Signal Hill, or Lion’s Rump, is a landmark flat-topped hill located in Cape Town, next to Lion’s Head and Table Mountain. The hill was also known as “The Lion’s Flank”, a term now obsolete.

Hout Bay

Loving charismatic Cape Town

  The sheltered bay of Hout Bay has a white sand beach, a popular attraction for tourists and locals alike. Hout Bay has one of the busiest fishing harbors in the Western Cape with and established tuna, snoek and crayfish industry. The harbor is home to the Hout Bay Yacht Club and several restaurants.  

Coast near Hout Bay

Loving charismatic Cape Town

Certainly the best way to get an appreciation of Cape Town is to ride the on & off bus, there are two routes, the red & the blue line. The blue is more interesting but does not include Table Mountain.

View from the bus

Loving charismatic Cape Town

  Cape Town has a beautiful coast line, one of the beaches however are clogged with seaweed which prevents swimming.  

Waterfront homes

Loving charismatic Cape Town

Some waterfront homes have a height restriction that does not let them build above street level giving unobstructed views from the road.

Green Point Lighthouse

Loving charismatic Cape Town

If you were a Victorian-era sailor home from the sea in Cape Town, the Lighthouse Service beckoned. You learnt your new trade at the Green Point lighthouse, which was built in 1824. This lighthouse was designed and built by a German stone-dresser and architect called Herman Schutte. It was commissioned by the acting governor of the Cape, Sir Rufane Donkin, and building began in 1821. To receive my latest posts please follow me on Twitter   

Camps Bay Cape Town

Loving charismatic Cape Town

Camps Bay is an affluent suburb of Cape Town. In summer it attracts a large number of foreign visitors as well as South Africans looking for a beach holiday, there are lots of trendy restaurants opposite the beach.

Here is where I had lunch in Camps Bay.

Loving charismatic Cape Town

For most of the 1800s Camps Bay was undeveloped. Lord Charles Somerset used the area for hunting and used the Roundhouse as his lodge. Kloof Road was built in 1848 and in 1884 Thomas Bain was commissioned to build a road from Sea Point to Camps Bay using convict labor. The road was completed in 1887 and named Victoria road to honor Queen Victoria’s jubilee in 1888. The road allowed people to cycle out to Camps Bay which had gained popularity as a picnic site. This led to the development, in 1901 of the Camps Bay tramway to bring people out for the day and with it the development of the tidal pools, the Rotunda (now the Bay Hotel) and a pavilion for concerts and shows. In 1913 Camps Bay was incorporated into Cape Town although it was still seen as a recreational area rather than a residential area.

Camps Bay

Loving charismatic Cape Town

The first residents of Camps Bay were the San (Hunter Gatherers) and the Goringqhaique, Khoi pastorates. When Jan van Riebeek established a refreshment station for the VOC (Dutch East India Company), the 12 Apostles were covered in forests with lion, leopard and antelope.

Camps Bay beach

Loving charismatic Cape Town

  Everywhere you look in Cape Town there is a stunning view.   Please click on Google + to help my page ranking.  

Table Mountain from the bus.

Loving charismatic Cape Town

No matter where you go in Cape Town Table Mountain is nearly always in sight, it totally dominates the landscape.

Bus route

Loving charismatic Cape Town

A great way to see the city.

Loving charismatic Cape Town

Loving charismatic Cape Town

Check out my Safari post & the V & A Waterfront for lots more Cape Town information and photos. More photos in this slideshow.  

 
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1g Duck

 

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Great food Waterfront Cape Town

March 30, 2014 by David Herd

Food, food & more food

Great food Waterfront Cape Town

Great food Waterfront Cape Town

Great food Waterfront Cape Town, I had a terrific dinner at OYO restaurant & cocktail bar, the entree pictured above was as good as I have had anywhere in the world. Prawn and avocado tian with sesame wonton crisp’s and a touch of “caviar” for around $9. A dozen Oysters were only $22.

Food & the magic mountain, two things stick in my mind when I think of Cape town,  great food at V & A Waterfront and the magnificent Table Mountain with clouds cascading over the top.

 LIFE DOESN’T GET MUCH BETTER THAN THIS

Great food Waterfront Cape Town

Add a stunning view, excellent decor and very efficient staff to the great food and you have all the ingredients for a very good evening.

I have eaten oysters all over the world, please check out THIS LINK.

Great food Waterfront Cape Town & wonderful smiling faces

Great food Waterfront Cape Town

Two of the friendly staff at OYO, how about those terrific smiles?


Den Anker, Belgium restaurant & Bar

Great food Waterfront Cape Town

Great statue on the bar at Den Anker, they import their beers from top Belgian producers to ensure that locals have the opportunity to taste the best Belgium has to offer. Here is their description of what they serve; “We have 6 amazing beers on tap as well as some really exciting bottle brands.Liefmans Cuvee Brut is a firm favorite and if you are feeling a little adventurous you may like to try a Duvel Tripel Hop. We serve Trappist beers, Orval, Westmalle and Chimay for the real traditionalists. Beer drinkers wanting to sample Kwak beer should check the state of their socks. The draught beer is served in so special (and expensive) a glass that we demand one of your shoes as a deposit. It’s kept in a basket at the bar till you’ve returned our glass.”

Great food Waterfront Cape Town at Den Anker

Great food Waterfront Cape Town

Den Anker also serves great food V & A Waterfront.

Den Anker overlooks the water

Great food Waterfront Cape Town

The whole V & A Waterfront offers so many choices of restaurants and bars with wonderful views, great food and reasonable prices.

Table Mountain from V & A Waterfront.

Great food Waterfront Cape Town

Table Mountain, one of the greatest sights in the world. I spent hours watching the clouds cascade over the edge while sipping Belgium beer at Den Anker bar & restaurant.

A breathtaking view at Great food Waterfront Cape Town

Great food Waterfront Cape Town

It is mystical and magical, you can watch it for hours.

Belgium beer at Den Anker

Great food Waterfront Cape Town

After spending time in Brussels & now Cape Town I have decided Belgium beer may be the best in the world.

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Awesome view from Great food Waterfront Cape Town

Great food Waterfront Cape Town

There is a great view in every direction, I spent hours captivated. I felt so lucky have the beautiful blue sky to enhance my photographs.

Great food Waterfront Cape Town

Great food Waterfront Cape Town

The Victoria & Alfred Waterfront in the historic heart of Cape Town’s working harbour is South Africa’s most-visited destination, having the highest rate of foreign tourists of any attraction in the country, Situated between Robben Island and Table Mountain and set against a backdrop of sea and mountain views, it offers a variety of shopping and entertainment options to visitors, intermingled with office locations.

Nice colonial building on the waterfront.

Great food Waterfront Cape Town

Next time I visit I’ll choose a hotel near the V & A.

Victoria & Alfred Waterfront

Great food Waterfront Cape Town

Prince Alfred, second son of Queen Victoria, began construction of the harbor in 1860. The first basin was named after himself, the second after his mother, hence the name. The Victoria & Alfred Waterfront development is a renewal project that incorporates much of the historic harbor infrastructure. The whole complex is managed by a private company owned by Transnet. An international consortium of Dubai World and London & Regional Properties acquired the development in 2006 at a record value in South African terms of 7.4 billion rand.

Hildebrand restaurant

Great food Waterfront Cape Town

I had an excellent dinner including 2 dozen oysters at the Hildebrand restaurant. So many places here serve great food V & A Waterfront.

You gotta love Belgium beer

Great food Waterfront Cape Town

 This is one of the two best restaurant precincts I have ever visited, the other one is in Seoul in Korea.

Many Thanks

Great food Waterfront Cape Town

Thanks for visiting my Great food Waterfront Cape Town photo blog. 

To receive my latest posts please follow me on Twitter 

Check out my mini Safari trip 3 hours north east of Capetown.

Video of Table Mountain

Table mountain from Capetown's V A Waterfront

 

 

                   

 
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1g Duck

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Safari Aquilla Game Park

March 18, 2014 by David Herd

Beauty & the Beast

Safari Aquilla Game Park

Safari Aquilla Game Park

Safari Aquilla Game Park Cape Town, a privately owned reserve 3 hours north of Capetown. Although there were not an abundance of animals & species it was still a great experience, our guide was very good and we were able to get very close to the magnificent animals. The lions were in a separate enclosure and contrary to what our guide said, I think they are kept there so they won’t eat the other animals.  😳

Up close & personal

Safari Aquilla Game Park

We were only 4 meters away from this beautiful beast in an open truck, however our guide said we were safe because they only ate at night.  😆

 This man would not lie to you.  🙄

Safari Aquilla Game Park

Reg was an excellent friendly guide, and if he says the lion won’t eat you through the day then I choose to believe him.


My favourites were the rhinos.

Safari Aquilla Game Park

I really loved seeing these beautiful animals up close. Living in Thailand means I get to see a lot of elephants, Tigers etc, however the rhino has always fascinated me.

They always sit facing the opposite

Safari Aquilla Game Park

 

It was fantastic to see these powerful beasts up close.

Such a powerful animal

Safari Aquilla Game Park

They look absolutely prehistoric.

Another evil eye

Safari Aquilla Game Park

I am told hippos kill more people in Africa than any other animal.

Young 18 month old hippos.

Safari Aquilla Game Park

These two were quiet shy, as we came closer they slid into the damn.

A great looking Zebra

 

It almost seemed like he was posing for the cameras.

Zebra & Springbok on Safari near Capetown

Safari Aquilla Game Park

There certainly doesn’t seem to be much to eat here.

Our safari truck

Safari Aquilla Game Park

As you can see there is not much protection from a wild animal attack.  🙁

Here come the big guys.

Safari Aquilla Game Park

As I said earlier, there may not be many animals at Aquila, but the guides do a terrific job getting you close so you can enjoy the experience.

Magnificent beasts at Safari Aquilla Game Park Cape Town

Safari Aquilla Game Park

One species of African elephant, the bush elephant, is the largest living terrestrial animal, while the forest elephant is the third largest. Their thickset bodies rest on stocky legs, and they have concave backs.  Their large ears enable heat loss. The upper lip and nose form a trunk. The trunk acts as a fifth limb, a sound amplifier, and an important method of touch. African elephants’ trunks end in two opposing lips, whereas the Asian elephant trunk ends in a single lip. Please click on Google + to help my page ranking.

What’s Gnu?

Safari Aquilla Game Park

The wildebeest, also called the gnu is an antelope in the genus Connochaetes. It belongs to the family Bovidae, which includes antelopes, cattle, goats, sheep and other even-toed horned ungulates.Connochaetes includes two species, both native to Africa: the black wildebeest, or white-tailed gnu (C. gnou); and the blue wildebeest, or brindled gnu (C. taurinus). Fossil records suggest these two species diverged about one million years ago, resulting in northern and southern species. The blue wildebeest changed very little from the ancestor species, while the black wildebeest took on more morphological changes to adapt to a habitat of open grassland in the south. Today, the blue wildebeest has five subspecies, while the black wildebeest has no named subspecies.  In East Africa, the wildebeest is the most abundant big-game species, both in population and biomass.

Ostrich

Safari Aquilla Game Park

The ostrich shares the order Struthioniformes with the kiwis, emus, rheas, and cassowaries. It is distinctive in its appearance, with a long neck and legs, and can run at up to about 70 km/h (43 mph), the fastest land speed of any bird. The ostrich is the largest living species of bird and lays the largest eggs of any living bird (extinct elephant birds of Madagascar and the giant moa of New Zealand laid larger eggs).

Aquila private game reserve

Safari Aquilla Game Park

The Aquila Private Game Reserve is a game reserve in Western Cape Province, South Africa. Aquila has animals such as the springbok, Lion, Cape Porcupine, Olive baboon, leopard, and African elephant.

Safari Aquilla Game Park Cape Town

Safari Aquilla Game Park

 

Well worth a visit to go on a Safari Aquilla Game Park Cape Town.

Thank you for visiting my post.

Safari Aquilla Game Park

 

Many thanks for visiting my Safari Aquilla Game Park Cape Town photo blog.


Please check out my post on Capetown’s wonderful V & A Waterfront. 

To receive my latest posts please follow me on Twitter 

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That’s all folks

1g Duck

What a Wonderful World

David Attenborough - Wonderful World - BBC - Full HD 1080p

Check out more photos on the slideshow below.

 

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