Our third day in Cape Town was a bit of an audible for us. We had shark cave diving scheduled but received a cancellation notice from our charter company due to bad weather and high winds. We also unfortunately canceled our day with Apex Predators due to our packed schedule that left little room for flexibility. They attempted to re-accommodate us, but unfortunately, we weren’t able because of the number of activities we had planned. All things considered, our substitute day worked out quite nicely, though.
Our morning started yet again at the Westin Executive Lounge. You really can’t go wrong with a tasty complimentary breakfast, great views of the waterfront and friendly staff that happily chat it up with you. After our morning gorging, we headed south towards Boulders Beach to visit a penguin colony.
On the other side of the road, in a 10-passenger van with a manual transmission made for a great day behind the wheel and I’d say that driving a stick on the opposite side is just like riding a bike. Once you figure it out, it will only take you a few minutes to get reacclimated before you’re comfortable. Luckily for me we had plenty of time on the road, so it came right back to me.
The drive to Boulder’s Beach was fun because of the amount of hills, switchback turns and views of the coast. About 45 minutes after our departure from the Westin, we arrived at the colony where we were greeted by several hundred penguins on the beach. It’s important to note that penguins are not cold-weather-only creatures, and in fact, if you visit Cape Town you’ll quickly be able to see that they’re quite happy with the warmer weather. For the most part, penguins were laying around, with a few nesting and some that were playful. Just about what you could expect from any large group of animals, right? Everyone had a field day taking pictures, but there was no getting close to the penguins. They had fences and walls separating us, protecting them from us silly humans.
Leaving Boulder’s Beach we headed further south to Cape Point. Another hour drive on paved and dirt roads meant more fun for me behind the wheel. I was told that I needed to learn how to handle speed bumps a bit better because at home speed bumps aren’t really all that effective, but if you’re driving a 10-passenger van in South Africa you will certainly notice them.
If there is one takeaway to be had from Cape Point, it is most likely the wind. The top of the Cape Point lighthouse is quite the experience as long as you have everything secured, including glasses. We took the Flying Dutchman funicular up to the base of the lighthouse and then climbed another 100 or so steps to the top. If you’re up for a walk, you can skip the nominal fee for the funicular and hike — I recall seeing about 30 people on the walk up while most people took the funicular.
With our windy adventure completed, we headed back out towards Chapman’s Peak to drive up the western coast of the cape on a narrow road with little room to maneuver. The drive is so narrow that larger vehicles are only allowed on the inner part of the roadway going south. However, our van qualified without issue for the ride north. I spent most of the time in 2nd or 3rd gear constantly turning the steering wheel clockwise and counter-clockwise — it was a tiring but amazing drive.
At the completion of the drive, we stopped at Chapman’s Peak Hotel for a late lunch and snack. I had the best calamari I’ve ever had in my life, but my wife, Sara, says it’s number two behind a similar dish that she had in San Sebastian, Spain a few years ago. Either way, you can’t go wrong with a stop there, which came as a recommendation from a friend that honeymooned in South Africa.
Our drive continued back up the coast and then turned inland towards Constantia past Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden. We didn’t stop at the Garden but heard great things from everyone who had helped us put the day together. After a brief rest and refresh at the hotel, we headed out again for dinner at Mount Nelson Planet Restaurant & Bar.
This dinner was the biggest failure in our trip planning, as I had only planned for casual dining but the restaurant required business casual — so instead we ate in the bar area. I’m not sure of what we missed out on in the more formal dining room, but it was a goof of mine and luckily we were able to be seated in the bar.
The meal and service we received were enjoyable and the hotel was fascinating. I hadn’t realized the significant history of the Belmond Mount Nelson Hotel, which opened up on March 6, 1899, and has housed guests such as Oprah Winfrey. This was a nice surprise which encouraged us to explore the property a bit. If you’re looking for fancy, this place is a winner.
A day that could have been full of frustration due to our cancelled diving appointment turned out to be a huge success — the key was rolling with the punches and asking for assistance. The hotel staff at the Westin were fantastic as the concierge and front desk delivered in helping make sure our day would be a triumph.
[Images via Howie Rappaport, Lead Image via Getty]
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