When asked which the oldest building in Cape Town is, most Capetonians will answer without hesitation, the Castle of Good Hope. However, asked which is the second oldest, many of them would be stumped. "A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots." Marcus GarveyThe answer, most probably, is ...
Table Mountain, Boulders Beach and Cape Point are usually on everyone's must-do list when they visit Cape Town and why not? It's not every city in the world that has a giant mountain looming over it, let alone a penguin colony and a wild nature reserve where two oceans collide. Trouble is, everyone else is on the same wavelength and these destinati...
What does Cape Town have to do with the American Civil War? Not much, you'd think. But there is a curious Afrikaans folk song that most schoolchildren in South Africa learn, which gives a hint that it ain't so. It begins like this: "Daar kom die Alibama, die AlibamaDaar kom die Alibama, Die Alibama sy kom oor die see …" Afrikaans folk songEnglish t...
Hidden Cape Town It is rare that one is able to go behind the exhibitions of major historical buildings and museums and see where the hidden treasures are stored, sorted and catalogued for future exhibitions. "Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time." Thomas MertonOur art guide, Diana Williams from Art Trails was able t...
The Cape's Fynbos There's no question that Table Mountain makes one of the world's most impressive city backdrops and the views from the top are sensational. But for some people the most interesting aspect of the mountain is what is growing all over it. A collection of apparently unremarkable bushes and reeds, the collective name for the vege...
The Zeitz Building Thomas Heatherwick transformed the old silo building into the current museum. Cut away cement from the original silo cylinders to create the stunning atrium. Oval shapes refer to kernels of corn – original use of the building.Sculpture garden on sixth floor with glass tiles lets light in.70% of the structure was removed so called...
By David Bristow, the Story Teller When the penguins moved in around 30 years ago the locals of Simons Town wanted them to be evicted. The din they make when all gathered in the evening can sound like 1,000 donkeys being stabbed with sharp sticks. So why has Boulders Beach, home to several thousand refugee African penguins, become one of Cape Town'...
A great way to get to understand any place, be it a city, village or mountain, is to ditch the wheels, put on your sneakers, and go walking. In that way you get under the skin of the area. There is no shortage of wonderful places to walk in Cape Town. The city bowl is always very popular, as are certain hiking routes on the mountain.One very ...
Firstly, welcome to Five Star Guides, South Africa's premier specialist guiding partnership! In this collaboration of five specialist tour guides I am known as The Storyteller: in due course you will be introduced to The Fynbos Guy (he'll explain), the Wonder Woman of Wine, the Art Auteur & Culture Vulture, as well as the Peninsula Pundit. Sout...