Click here for the US site. 
The content of this website is © Aardvark Safaris unless otherwise stated.
sitemap | remote email
Newsletter Articles
Africa is not all about safari
Author: Gale Brown
Have you ever considered how much there is to do in Africa as well as safari? I recently travelled to South Africa’s Cape Town area and was amazed at how many activities there were in the area. At the heart of it is Cape Town itself - a wonderfully vibrant and cosmopolitan City with world class restaurants, spectacular beaches, superb vineyards and more than enough going on to keep anyone busy for a few days.
After exploring the area for a while I think my top ten favourite activities are:
Visiting Cape Point with its famous light house and spectacular views out to False Bay.
Driving to Cape of Good Hope a famous nautical landmark and the most south westerly point of Africa. On the drive back to Cape Town you can stop off at Boulders Beach to see the African penguin colony and stroll around the naval village of Simonstown.
Drive to the fishing village of Hout Bay for lunch at Mariner’s Wharf seafood restaurant and afterwards take a boat to see the Cape Fur Seal colony on Duiker Islands.
Walk, or take the revolving cable car, up the iconic Table Mountain, which at 1,036 metres above sea level gives a spectacular birds’ eye view of the city. Afterwards drive along the Atlantic Seaboard to Camps Bay for a spot of lunch and relax on the beautiful sandy beach.
Drive through the Winelands for a day, taking in Stellenbosch, Simonsberg, Paarl and Franschhoek. Many wineries have great restaurants so you can enjoy a spot of lunch as well as sampling their wines.
Take a ferry across to Robben Island where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned. This World Heritage Site is South Africa’s most revered national monument.
Go whale watching in Hermanus (between June and November) where the Southern Right whales come close enough to shore to be viewed from the coastal beaches, or take a boat trip for even more spectacular sightings.
Relax in the beautiful Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens on the lower slopes of Table Mountain. Wonderful sunset concerts are held here every Sunday during the summer (November to April).
Take a walking city tour taking in Waterfront, Greenmarket Square, the Castle, Parliament Buildings, museums and St George’s Cathedral or stroll round Company Gardens.
Take a local guide for a half day excursion to District Six and visit the informal township settlement of New Rest in Gugulethu. You can get an insight into the area’s projects to improve the community and its people.