Tips for Winter Travel

Cape Town has a reputation for being cold, wet and windy during the winter season, but there are often long stretches, sometimes weeks on end, of perfect weather. Temperatures at that time average around 7 to 20 degrees Celsius (45 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit), but be sure to check forecasts before planning anything, especially outside. It is said that Cape Town has four distinct seasons, sometimes all in one day, so it’s good to keep an eye on the barometer. With the weather tending towards the unpredictable, best to pack for any eventuality and be prepared for rain showers.

There are plenty of transport options while in the area, renting a car is the most convenient way to travel, especially if you’re heading down to the South Peninsula. But, like driving in any large city, be aware and street smart. The Metrorail network links Cape Town with the South and the Western Cape, with the train ride from Muizenberg to Simon’s Town being particularly beautiful. Metropolitan bus companies such as Golden Arrow are limited in their destinations, though their services are extending. There are many mini-bus taxis available.

WHERE TO EAT

With both the Indian and Atlantic oceans bordering the South Peninsula, seafood restaurants are in plentiful supply. For good old-fashioned fish and chips favoured by locals and tourists alike, try Kalky’s in Kalk Bay. For something a little different visit the Octopus Garden Restaurant in St James, with fabulous views and a funky décor. For more spectacular scenic sights in a relaxed atmosphere, the Seaforth Restaurant in Simon’s Town is the perfect place to witness that area’s spellbinding sunsets. And an old whaling station provides the venue for the Black Marlin in Miller’s Point, which offers amazing fish dishes and an impressive wine list.

WHERE TO STAY

For a touch of luxury and jaw-dropping scenic views, the Whale View House in Simon’s Town offers a selection of comfortable self-catering apartments. If you can’t wait to build those sandcastles, the Last Word in the fishing village of Kommetjie is a 5 Star boutique hotel that’s right on the ocean. For the more budget minded, the Azars Victorian B&B in Kalk Bay offers old world charm coupled with a relaxed atmosphere. While the more ecologically minded might want to stay at Samhitakasha Cob House in Muizenberg, a family home built out of organic materials such as mud, straw, and wood.

WHAT TO DO – KIDS

South of Simon’s Town is the famed Boulders Beach home to, unsurprisingly, a lot of boulders, but also a colony of 3000 or so penguins. The area is protected and access is limited, though you can get a good view from the boardwalk at Foxy Beach or Boulders Beach itself. The Dunes Riding and Racing Stables in Noordhoek allows riders of all ages and experience levels to canter along the spectacular white sands of Noordhoek Beach, with dolphins and whales leaping alongside you. And if the winter rains do set in for a spell, then Planet Kids in Muizenberg offers a large indoor and outdoor play and activity centre, featuring a massive array of distractions.

WHAT TO DO  – BIG KIDS

As well as the more sedate activity of whale watching at many spots on the South Peninsula, there are slightly more athletic ocean-bound activities to attempt, even in the winter months. Witsands Beach in Misty Cliffs is a great place to don the wetsuit and surf at that time of the year. If you don’t fancy getting quite so wet and sweaty, Kalk Bay offers Kalk Bay Books, which claims to be the bookstore with the best view in the world! The nearby Kalk Bay Theatre provides both entertainment and a range of dining options. And you can’t visit South Africa without experiencing one of their mind-blowing vineyards. Cape Point Vineyards in Noordhoek offers a wide range of sampling menus all set in a luxuriously furnished tasting room.

7 Reasons To Holiday In UK

1.  Active Pursuits. Our changeable and unreliable weather is the butt of many jokes, but let’s be honest, not everyone wants to lounge around on a beach in 30+ degree heat every day. Especially when you have a German eyeing up your sun lounger. All too often, when you go abroad you just end up sitting on the beach or by the pool in an attempt to keep cool. This is fine if doing nothing is what you had in mind, but if you want to be active and explore your surroundings, this can be quite limiting. There’s only so long you can go on a tour of the hotel reception before it gets a bit same-y. So take a look at a UK holiday; you may be surprised at the wealth of activities on offer. You might not have noticed, but we even have one or two beautiful, award winning beaches of our own.


2.  Dizzy Heights. If you are one of the many people who don’t like flying, jetting off on a foreign holiday may very well be your idea of hell. Wherever you are in the UK, you are never far from a superb tourist destination. Coastal cottages in the West Country, in the south or in the Scottish Highlands allow you to get away from the stresses of home life without having to travel for hours upon hours.


3.  Greenery. Holidaying in the UK is greener. And we don’t mean just the grass: consider your carbon foot print. It is estimated that the vast number of commercial flights each year are pumping 600 million tonnes of carbon dioxide directly into the atmosphere. By around 2020, air travel is expected to be the single biggest contributor to global warming. Basically, what we’re saying is, if you don’t go on holiday in the UK, you are killing your grandchildren.


4.  When Is A Bargain A Rip-Off? You may have noticed that, financially speaking, times are hard in the UK at the moment. Air travel can be expensive but you will also need to take into account the exchange rate. It is no good bagging a bargain abroad if you find that everything is so expensive that you can’t go out. You’ll have to stay in your room and watch Sky News all day.


5.  All In The Chalet Together. Holidaying here in the UK and spending your hard earned cash in our towns and cities is good for our economy. In 2010, David Cameron suggested that the UK has been drastically underselling itself as a tourist destination. At a conference in London, Mr Cameron urged more Brits to holiday in the UK, emphasising that tourism is “one of the best and fastest ways of generating the jobs we need so badly in this country”. And, just for the sake of political balance, Ed Miliband has just this week said he had a lovely time in Liverpool – bar the power cuts. So there we go. Agreement across the political spectrum.


6.  Familiarity Breeds Content. Familiarity can be an important factor for those wishing to stay in the UK. If you enjoy good old English meat and two veg, an English fry up for breakfast, the occasional fish and chip supper or a battered Mars bar, then you can’t go far wrong here.


7.  Sprechen Sie The Lingo. Unless you’re going to Glasgow, there will be no need for a phrase book every time you want to buy something or order in a restaurant. So for something truly British, look at one of the many coastal cottages available throughout the UK at Sykes Cottages.


If you usually holiday abroad but you are considering staying the UK for a change or for one of the reasons above, then you may very well find yourself surprised. The UK has so many stunning destinations. With a little research you should be able to find the perfect place and you may very well end up wondering why you’ve been bothering to go abroad every year.

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1.  Active Pursuits. Our changeable and unreliable weather is the butt of many jokes, but let’s be honest, not everyone wants to lounge around on a beach in 30+ degree heat every day. Especially when you have a German eyeing up your sun lounger. All too often, when you go abroad you just end up sitting on the beach or by the pool in an attempt to keep cool. This is fine if doing nothing is what you had in mind, but if you want to be active and explore your surroundings, this can be quite limiting. There’s only so long you can go on a tour of the hotel reception before it gets a bit same-y. So take a look at a UK holiday; you may be surprised at the wealth of activities on offer. You might not have noticed, but we even have one or two beautiful, award winning beaches of our own.


2.  Dizzy Heights. If you are one of the many people who don’t like flying, jetting off on a foreign holiday may very well be your idea of hell. Wherever you are in the UK, you are never far from a superb tourist destination. Coastal cottages in the West Country, in the south or in the Scottish Highlands allow you to get away from the stresses of home life without having to travel for hours upon hours.


3.  Greenery. Holidaying in the UK is greener. And we don’t mean just the grass: consider your carbon foot print. It is estimated that the vast number of commercial flights each year are pumping 600 million tonnes of carbon dioxide directly into the atmosphere. By around 2020, air travel is expected to be the single biggest contributor to global warming. Basically, what we’re saying is, if you don’t go on holiday in the UK, you are killing your grandchildren.


4.  When Is A Bargain A Rip-Off? You may have noticed that, financially speaking, times are hard in the UK at the moment. Air travel can be expensive but you will also need to take into account the exchange rate. It is no good bagging a bargain abroad if you find that everything is so expensive that you can’t go out. You’ll have to stay in your room and watch Sky News all day.


5.  All In The Chalet Together. Holidaying here in the UK and spending your hard earned cash in our towns and cities is good for our economy. In 2010, David Cameron suggested that the UK has been drastically underselling itself as a tourist destination. At a conference in London, Mr Cameron urged more Brits to holiday in the UK, emphasising that tourism is “one of the best and fastest ways of generating the jobs we need so badly in this country”. And, just for the sake of political balance, Ed Miliband has just this week said he had a lovely time in Liverpool – bar the power cuts. So there we go. Agreement across the political spectrum.


6.  Familiarity Breeds Content. Familiarity can be an important factor for those wishing to stay in the UK. If you enjoy good old English meat and two veg, an English fry up for breakfast, the occasional fish and chip supper or a battered Mars bar, then you can’t go far wrong here.


7.  Sprechen Sie The Lingo. Unless you’re going to Glasgow, there will be no need for a phrase book every time you want to buy something or order in a restaurant. So for something truly British, look at one of the many coastal cottages available throughout the UK at Sykes Cottages.