Adventure in Cape Town – Cape Town, South Africa

Hiking
Regardless of whether or not climbing mountains is your thing, Table Mountain cries out to be climbed. It is an awesome sight, making Cape Town one of the world’s most attractive cities. The Mountain will help you navigate the city and inspire you to check out the view from the top.

There are several routes up. The easiest way, know as “The Cop-Out”, costs you a little cash and transports you to the top in a revolving Cable Car. The only other ways are on foot. It’s easy to find out the starting points for these hikes, just ask the locals. However, don’t ask Cab Drivers, we were taken to the wrong starting point and ended up taking the scenic route to nearly the top.

For the hard core, have a go at the Skeleton Gorge route going up. It involves a little climbing and some ladders and the challenge will give you a sweat. In the guidebooks it says you shouldn’t hike alone up the mountain and this is probably good advice. It maybe unlikely you’ll be mugged, but it’s not unheard of.

Oceans
Cape Point is the last stretch of land leading South to where the Indian and the Atlantic Ocean meet. The Cape itself is well worth a visit but the most interesting aspects of the merging of these two great oceans, are to be found under the waves. The Two Oceans Aquarium in Cape Town’s Waterfront is definitely worth a visit to see exhibits of marine life from both Oceans. The Aquarium is also actively involved in Marine Science, Education and Conservation.

Food
Cape Town has every type of menu under the sun to suit all tastes. Mexican, Chinese, Jamaican, Steak Houses and Thai. Personal recommendations would be The Nelson’s Eye (021 423 2601) for the best steak in the World, Papa Luke’s for damn good Mexican food, Mama Africa’s for drumming sessions and African food, Panama Jack’s at the dock end of the Waterfront has a reputation for the best seafood in town and has a more Mediterranean feel with Shiny service, Café del Mar in Camps Bay (021 438 0156) and finally Cool Running’s for cool vibes, Turkish pipes and that “where’s my hammock” Caribbean flavour. One place I wouldn’t recommend is the J’Burg Bar, you walk in and after fighting through a wall of backs to get to the bar, the staff have the sour and bitter look on their faces that just makes you want to stay… not.

Clubs
It’s hard to recommend a specific club to dance away at, so I won’t. If, like me, you prefer less commercial dance music, then there are the odd rave / party type events going on. As ever with this type of scene, keep your eyes peeled for flyers and posters and ask those locals who are in the know, the ones with uncontrollable flinches and tie-dye T-shirts. Names to look out for are Alien Safari, Synergy and Bush Duff’s.

Shark Diving
Sharks: adorable, cuddly, affectionate…one of those creatures you just want to take home with you. Yes, I’m doing my bit to install a fairer and more accurate image of the beloved shark. An image that’s been destroyed by blockbuster movies that have scared us shitless and made money from our fears. But I know different, along with countless Marine Scientists and Ecologists. Sharks are amazing creatures; they are the Lion’s of the Ocean, majestic Kings of their domain.

I once heard that compared to less than six deaths per from shark attacks, more than two hundred people a year are killed… murdered by Coconuts falling from trees. If only Coconuts had teeth to inspire the moviemakers.

After diving countless times in Australia and not seeing a single shark, I thought I would make a safe bet by diving in the Two Oceans Aquarium Predator Exhibit. The Exhibit is home to several large Ragged Tooth Sharks also known as Grey Nurse Sharks. Helen Lockhart from the Aquarium told me the aquarium is one of only two in the World that allows qualified divers to dive with the sharks. The aim is to actively convey a more realistic and truthful image of sharks. Shark attacks are usually cases of mistaken identity (never imitate a Seal whilst swimming in the Ocean), and further more once a mistake has been realised the shark doesn’t usually come back for more, although it certainly has the capacity and potential to finish the job off.

At the Aquarium, I dived with an instructor and two other divers, one of which has free-dived with Great White Sharks before and still has most of his fingers. His point of view is that if you know your dive site and shark behaviour there is little to worry about.

As I sat on the platform, dangling my feet into the water of the tank, I saw a dark shape slowly swim underneath me. It was an awesome feeling to be finally getting so close to these creatures. We all descended to the bottom of the tank, where we allowed some time to get comfortable with the sharks and for the sharks to become comfortable with us. It was very strange being on this side of the glass. On the other side, a large number of tourists had gathered to watch us hang out with the Sharks. Now and again they would wave at us and we, now being part of the show, would wave back. The sharks did their usual thing and swam round and round and hardly batted an eyelid at our presence.

I, on the other hand, found it strangely surreal to be looking at sharks through the frame of a mask and not the frame of television set. It wasn’t scary, it was insightful, a privilege. It was like discovering a truth about a creature for oneself. And as for “Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the water…” Well, who do they think they’re kidding!

If you want to dive with Sharks at the Two Oceans Aquarium you need to be an Advanced Qualified Diver or more. The Aquarium can also supply you with all the kit. For more details, contact the Aquarium:
Website: www.aquarium.co.za
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 021-418-3823

Cage Diving
As an alternative to diving in a shark tank, there are a number of operations in South Africa offering Cage Diving with Great White Sharks. This practice is quite controversial. There is a strong argument to say that it is cruel to work sharks up into frenzy by pouring chum into the water, to the extent that they begin to attack the cage. It is also feared that the practice may lead to sharks building up an association between blood and man. I personally think it’s pretty irresponsible on that basis. If you allowed tourists to be put in a cage in the middle of the Kruger National Park, with a load of dead meat, the lions would certainly attack the cage. Their would be a public outcry for fear of building a stronger association between man and food. I see no difference.

Abseiling
There is plenty of lovely strata in South Africa to throw yourself off and Abseil Africa will help you descend in style, smiling. The company is South Africa’s number one Abseiling Adventure Organization and if you’re in Cape Town then the obvious place to do such a thing is Table Mountain. Abseil Africa operates the “World’s highest natural abseil”, with a view of Camps Bay and Lions Head that can’t be beaten. The 112-metre single pitch experience will have you either screaming or smiling all the way down, down and down.

Alternatively, and especially if the weather is hot, you can, as I did, opt for Kanyoning, the practice of abseiling down waterfalls. Abseil Africa operate a day trip known as “Kamikazee Kanyon” that will hike you through the beautiful mountains to the east to Cape Town, get you jumping off cliffs into deep pools from up to 30 metres and then, at the top, you’ll abseil some sixty-five metres down into a thundering waterfall.

The best time to sign up for these spontaneous acts of madness is summer time, but even in the winter the weather can be good… sometimes. In my case, I was there August / September and the day I decided to Kamikazee it, was pretty stormy. However, the group I was with were up for anything and we made our descents down the waterfall in gusting winds and hard rain just for the sport of it.

On the way up to the top there are several deep pools and as I mentioned, you’ll get the opportunity to jump off high ledges into them…if you wish. It may sound pretty easy but when you’re looking down and know you’ve a ledge to clear, nerves start to take over. The advice from the instructor was, “Ignore that your brain is telling you it’s unnatural to jump!” – Please don’t apply this advice to any other situation in your life.

Safety is the priority of Abseil Africa and having abseiled countless time all over the shop, I can say they run a tight ship and will get you through the experience alive. What happens later on in the pub is your own responsibility and watch out for the staff’s singing on the ride home.

Contact Abseil Africa:
Website: www.millennia.co.za/abseilafrica
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +27 21 4241 580

Sand Boarding
Down Hill Adventures in Cape Town are the number one outfit for speed and, crashing out for that matter. Mountain Biking, Sand Boarding and Surfing are their specialties. I went out for a day with them to Atlantis, which lies to the north of Cape Town. Atlantis is a mass of sand dunes with slopes ranging from ones your Mum would have a go on to ones your Mum would scream at you not to have a go on. This was my first sand boarding experience and, having skated and surfed before, I thought I could cope pretty well. However, whoever said sand is soft to fall on wasn’t travelling downwards at the speed I was.

The boards are customised snow boards, fitted with a special slick on the bottom to convert them for usage on sand. Down Hill Adventures have a range of boots to fit all sizes and they look just so good too! Lunch is included in the price and providing it has remained sand free it’s a pretty nice spread too.

We started the day off on the nursery slopes and once we’d managed the action on falling off safely we moved location to a longer but gentle slope. Well, “gentle” is what the instructor said. So, most of us started to one side and steadily built our way up to the peak of the gentle slope. Having said that, and I don’t want to appear to be big headed, but before long we were cruising in style, at speed, arms spread in surfing stance, pulling airs, 360’s, quad poppers and flick tails.

Sand boarding is a blast and there is beer too on the way back to Cape Town.

Wine Tours
In Cape Town there is a real life legendary figure who, for a small fee, will turn you into either a wine connoisseur or a wino within 24 to 36 hours. His name is Ferdinand of Ferdinand Tours and an experience with this gentleman, of the Stellenbosch wine-growing region, is something you will never forget or recover from. If you are British or Irish, the experience can best be described as a Pub Crawl, but replacing the pubs with vineyards.

The vineyards are excellent and it’s hard not to pick up at least some knowledge of wines. For example, Pinotage is a type of grape found only in South Africa. Impressed? Good, I just hope I’m right. After you’ve had your fill of wine, port and whatever else, Ferdinand will then get you back to Cape Town onto the club route. SAVE MONEY, put your bags in storage for the night and release your bed in the dorm, you won’t be needing it, you won’t even see it until well into the next day!

Contact Ferdinand Tours:
Website: www.ferdinandtours.co.za
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +27 21 465 8550

Township Tours
Hout Bay is a fishing village just outside of Cape Town. The suburb also has a Township sometimes referred to as Hout Bay Township, it’s real name is Mandela Park with a mainly Xhosa population of 10,000-12,000 people. Compared to other Townships I have visited, this one is fairly laid back and unthreatening, making it ideal to visit and learn about this aspect of the country’s social set-up.

A new initiative by the people who live there is underway and intends to share the culture of the Township with Backpackers. “Speway” is the main man and many in the Backpacker industry including Ferdinand Tours support the project.

By March 2001 the project aims to provide Backpackers with accommodation in a Township via a home-stay type set-up allowing Backpackers to live with a family, eat the same food and become involved in local education – This will be a kind of Township version of Camp America I guess.

I was taken around the project by one of Speway’s guides, Zoleka, and I was pretty impressed with how open these people are, and with the goodwill they are showing to get the project up and running. It is also an excellent example of how Blacks and Whites are working together, equally for common interests, to move the country forward.

Contact Ferdinand Tours (see above) for more information.

Home from Home
I may be stating the obvious but you will need somewhere to stay in Cape Town. Ashanti Lodge is reputed to be the best and I can definitely recommend it. The Owner / Manager Lisa, is a Backpacker herself and she has built and equipped the hostel with everything the Backpacker desires. Bar, swimming pool, bar, email, bar, pool table in the bar, TV room, bar, kitchen and a bar with a balcony.

A few of the staff are Backpackers and all of the Staff are like minded people who will give you the low down on Cape Town; the places to go, eat, drink, swim, hike and buy wire motorcycles.

I’ve travelled a fair few places and stayed in some 30 hostels in Australia alone and Ashanti is the best I have ever stayed in. It feels like home, full of your best friends. Ashanti also has a travel centre and the best thing I like about it is that there is no hard sell. You won’t get a thousand brochures shoved in your face as soon as you’ve paid for your accommodation. No, no, no take it easy man! Unpack, have a shower, have a drink in the bar and from the veranda watch the new fish arrive off the Overland Trucks, then, if you feel like you need some info on tours, the staff will be there to offer you the totality of their wisdom.

Then there are the parties. If there is something going down in Cape Town with good repetitive beats then ask the staff, Neil in particular (Long black hair, probably wearing a tie-dye T-shirt of some description).

Contact Ashanti Lodge:
Website: www.ashanti.co.za
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +27 21 423 8721

This guide was put together with the help of The Adventure Village in Cape Town.

Phone: +27 21 424 1580
Email: [email protected]