Welcome back girls and boys. Did you miss reading my blog ? My blog is about travelling and I couldn't do it in the past two years due to the pandemic. I'm excited to write about the best holiday I've been to so far.
We arrived at Cape Town International Airport. I booked a restaurant and bar called Chinchilla but unfortunately for some reason they cancelled our booking. I assumed it was because of the weather. Cape Town was facing a cold front the day we arrived. The South African Weather Services has warned of cold fronts and disruptive weather including rainfall, strong winds and high waves. We knew about it earlier because we have been checking the weather since the beginning of the month. CT is known for having 4 seasons in a day, the weather can be very unpredictable. So, make sure you plan your wardrobe well and always carry a jacket with you.
We changed our plan to have dinner at V&A Waterfront instead. The advantages of doing your research and getting to know the area well before travelling, you will not waste a minute of your time there. You know exactly where to go and what to do.
Our Seal diving got cancelled as well because of the weather. They suggested us to do the Kelp Forest dive instead because it's a shore dive. I swear that I will not dive during winter again. I could handle the cold water but not the super thick and layered diving suit. I couldn't breathe, I felt like wearing one of the corsets in the 60s. Now I know I wouldn't have survived that era.
We did gin tasting in the afternoon. Being a gin lover, I could not miss this opportunity. If I ever visit CT again, I would definitely do the gin tasting with other gin companies. We had a very packed schedule so we couldn't do more than one gin tasting. We booked everything beforehand, even the place we had dinner, The Kloof Street House. This restaurant was pricier compared to the ones in Waterfront but overall I liked SA food. I never really had bad food here.
We ate the most at this place called the Waterfront, it's a huge place with restaurants, supermarkets, and a mall. They have plenty of fancy looking restaurants around this area but it's affordable. I think food is the least a traveler should worry about in CT.
Kelp Forest dive with Into The Blue Scuba : R1600/ RM420 per pax including transfer and gears
Gin tasting : R125/ RM33 per pax
The entire trip we woke up as early as 6am, also because of the jetlag I couldn't continue sleeping after 6am. Usually during winter the sun sets early so waking up early could give you the opportunity to spend your day better. On the third day, everything went as planned. The weather was better but not the best. We were still in a dilemma if our shark cage dive will get cancelled last minute. We booked all our transfer with the company itself, the journey took us about 45-1 hour to False Bay. We did not do our shark dive in Gaansbai where Great Whites are commonly spotted because the past few years Great Whites sighting has dropped tremendously. This happened after the orcas decided to hunt the Great Whites for their liver. I watched a documentary about this and if you have the time, please do so. It's fascinating how an orca would bring down an APEX predator.
Upon arrival, we were served hot drinks and started boarding the boat. It's a huge boat with a toilet and changing room. I got really sick after using the toilet. The toilet is situated on the lower section of the boat, so being in there gave me terrible seasickness. My bad, I learnt my lesson now. Within 5 minutes, the sharks showed up. They told us there were total of 6 sharks on that day. The water was freezing, that's the only downside. I just couldn't be in the water after a while. The visibility was bad but you could still see the sharks since they came close to the cage. We didn't get to do Whale watching because of our tight schedule but we got to see them on the way back. That was really amazing.
In the evening, we went to the Green Street Market where locals sell their handcrafted items such as wood carving, painting and many more. I really liked their creativity and these items are a must to buy as they are very unique. At the same time, you could support them. Don't forget to bargain, make sure you reduce the price to 50% first and make your way up. If you are there during their closing time, it would be an advantage for you to get the price you want.
All their market closes at or before 5pm so you will have to plan your day well. Another reason why you should start your day early.
Shark Cage Dive with African Shark Eco-Charters : R2950 per pax + R750 transfer / RM970 per pax
This day was absolutely beautiful, cold air with lots of sunlight. But you know sometimes things just don't go the way you've planned it. I felt something was not right when my private guide and driver did not answer my call in the morning. Somehow we reached the owner of the company and he said he will send another driver and get the guide to join us half way, maybe there's some emergency. Fast forward, the driver he sent was a bolt driver (similar as Grab/Uber). We were so glad we met him. He was such a beautiful soul. We were supposed to do Cape Point, Penguin Colony and Beau Constantia (Vineyard) and he literally walked us to all the entrances. He was not just a driver but a guide although he didn't have to do it.
The Vineyard we visited is one of the best in Cape Town. The smooth wine paired with it's scenic view was amazing but I guess it was pricier than the other vineyards.
If you are in CT for the first time, I suggest you to stay for 5 night or more because there are many places to explore and so many activities to do. I missed paragliding because of our tight schedule. But I don't think it would have happened because of the weather as well.
Private driver : R1400 / RM370 per car (9am-6pm)
Cape point : R360 / RM95 Per pax
Penguin Colony : R160 / RM42 Per pax
Beau Constantia Wine tasting : R160 / RM42 Per pax
