Beautiful Cape Point, Boulders Beach
& Simon's Town
When I arrived at the airport in Cape Town, I grabbed my bag and quickly found the ride I had arranged for. It’s usually cheaper to pre-arrange from the airport. You don’t really know the area yet, the pricing and who to trust!! I quickly found my ride, clearly marked with a sharpie and a clipboard…hey, I’m on a budget..so they are too. The driver notified me that he’s expecting 2 more that were on the flight just before me and they should be here any minute. Their flight had landed…so where are they?
Half an hour later, two girls walk out from the luggage area looking confused and alone. Man, they must be lost…I bet that’s the two we’re waiting for. Yes. These strangers would eventually become friends and my close companions for day 2…
Road trip!!
This route is a great road trip route. It’s a beautiful drive and will take you the whole day (8-10 hours) to complete. Breakfast, road trip, back in time for a later dinner. You’ll see a lot of coast, wildlife and do a nice hike at Cape Point. Lil bit of everything.
1) Cape Town
2) Simon’s Town
3) Boulder Beach
4) Cape Point / Cape of Good Hope
1. Car Renting
” So they have 1 car left today..its a manual. Can you drive stick?” Yes! Book it “Have you ever driven on our side of the road?” No… “It’s a stick shift…so that’s your left hand” Yeah.. “Do you still want it?” Yeah, I do. “Ohhhh K Matt, good luck!”.
Renting a car in Cape Town is definitely the cheapest way to get around. It costs, on average $25/day + fuel. There are a lot of rental places around. I had a good experience with around about cars. Remember to bring a credit card and your passport. They don’t seem to care whether or not you have a drivers license Here’s where I rented:
www.aroundaboutcars.com
Personally, I had a blast driving on the other side of the road and driving a stick shift. It was fun! You’ll catch on faster than you think. A GPS is a good idea so you aren’t fumbling around, wasting time or having to make quick decisions.
Cost: $250 rand/day + fuel
2. Boulders Beach & Simon’s Town – Penguins!
Boulders beach is just outside a nice lil town called Simon’s Town. Simon’s Town reminds me of a little cottage country town you might find in North Ontario, Canada. Little shops and cafes. It’s quite cute. The drive from Cape Town is about 35 minutes.
Penguins!
The real draw to this area are the penguins! In 1982, a couple of boyfriend and girlfriend penguins decided to settle here and get down. There are now over 3000 penguins here! It’s quite the site if you’ve never seen these waddling, curious creatures. Boulders beach is nestled in the middle of what seems to be a residential area. It’s a bit touristy, but digestible. If you’re feeling a little more adventurous, go further down the boardwalk to Foxy Beach. If you climb over the big granite boulders, you may be lucky enough to swim with a few penguins! (watch out..they bite!)
Cost: 55rd / person
Half an hour later, two girls walk out from the luggage area looking confused and alone. Man, they must be lost…I bet that’s the two we’re waiting for. Yes. These strangers would eventually become friends and my close companions for day 2…
Road trip!!
This route is a great road trip route. It’s a beautiful drive and will take you the whole day (8-10 hours) to complete. Breakfast, road trip, back in time for a later dinner. You’ll see a lot of coast, wildlife and do a nice hike at Cape Point. Lil bit of everything.
1) Cape Town
2) Simon’s Town
3) Boulder Beach
4) Cape Point / Cape of Good Hope
1. Car Renting
” So they have 1 car left today..its a manual. Can you drive stick?” Yes! Book it “Have you ever driven on our side of the road?” No… “It’s a stick shift…so that’s your left hand” Yeah.. “Do you still want it?” Yeah, I do. “Ohhhh K Matt, good luck!”.
Renting a car in Cape Town is definitely the cheapest way to get around. It costs, on average $25/day + fuel. There are a lot of rental places around. I had a good experience with around about cars. Remember to bring a credit card and your passport. They don’t seem to care whether or not you have a drivers license Here’s where I rented:
www.aroundaboutcars.com
Personally, I had a blast driving on the other side of the road and driving a stick shift. It was fun! You’ll catch on faster than you think. A GPS is a good idea so you aren’t fumbling around, wasting time or having to make quick decisions.
Cost: $250 rand/day + fuel
2. Boulders Beach & Simon’s Town – Penguins!
Boulders beach is just outside a nice lil town called Simon’s Town. Simon’s Town reminds me of a little cottage country town you might find in North Ontario, Canada. Little shops and cafes. It’s quite cute. The drive from Cape Town is about 35 minutes.
Penguins!
The real draw to this area are the penguins! In 1982, a couple of boyfriend and girlfriend penguins decided to settle here and get down. There are now over 3000 penguins here! It’s quite the site if you’ve never seen these waddling, curious creatures. Boulders beach is nestled in the middle of what seems to be a residential area. It’s a bit touristy, but digestible. If you’re feeling a little more adventurous, go further down the boardwalk to Foxy Beach. If you climb over the big granite boulders, you may be lucky enough to swim with a few penguins! (watch out..they bite!)
Cost: 55rd / person
3. Cape Point / Cape of Good Hope
Cape Point is found in Table Mountain National Park, within a section of the Park referred to as Cape of Good Hope – to get technical.. Watch out for baboons on the drive in! …and in the park. They are not shy.
Once inside the park, the scenery is magnificent right away. There is a lot to see and do in the park.
Though, I only ventured to the tip of the peninsula, there are many hiking trails up both coastlines. There is a funicular to help in the hike to the highest point off the peninsula if you wish. The restaurant on-site, The Two Oceans, has some quick’n’dirty faster food, but I would suggest the more formal sit down lunch with fresh seafood and pretty darn good views of the ocean and scenery. There is a slight bird problem on the patio…careful-watchit!
The drive in the park and the surrounding area + the ridiculous views and landscape make this trip a necessary one if you visit Cape Town.
Cost: Entry to park – $105 rand/adult
“There is a misconception that the Cape of Good Hope is the southern tip of Africa, because it was once believed to be the dividing point between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. In fact, the southernmost point isCape Agulhas, about 150 kilometres (90 mi) to the east-southeast. The currents of the two oceans meet at the point where the warm-water Agulhas current meets the cold water Benguela current and turns back on itself—a point that fluctuates between Cape Agulhas and Cape Point (about 1.2 kilometers east of the Cape of Good Hope).”
Cape Point is found in Table Mountain National Park, within a section of the Park referred to as Cape of Good Hope – to get technical.. Watch out for baboons on the drive in! …and in the park. They are not shy.
Once inside the park, the scenery is magnificent right away. There is a lot to see and do in the park.
Though, I only ventured to the tip of the peninsula, there are many hiking trails up both coastlines. There is a funicular to help in the hike to the highest point off the peninsula if you wish. The restaurant on-site, The Two Oceans, has some quick’n’dirty faster food, but I would suggest the more formal sit down lunch with fresh seafood and pretty darn good views of the ocean and scenery. There is a slight bird problem on the patio…careful-watchit!
The drive in the park and the surrounding area + the ridiculous views and landscape make this trip a necessary one if you visit Cape Town.
Cost: Entry to park – $105 rand/adult
“There is a misconception that the Cape of Good Hope is the southern tip of Africa, because it was once believed to be the dividing point between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. In fact, the southernmost point isCape Agulhas, about 150 kilometres (90 mi) to the east-southeast. The currents of the two oceans meet at the point where the warm-water Agulhas current meets the cold water Benguela current and turns back on itself—a point that fluctuates between Cape Agulhas and Cape Point (about 1.2 kilometers east of the Cape of Good Hope).”
