A tour to the Cape of Good Hope

Monday, July 22, 19:00

No visit to Cape Town would be complete without heading to the Cape of Good Hope. That’s what we did today on a private tour with a charming and knowledgeable guide named Danny.

Once again, the whole day was highlights. Even the small things like photo stops in the colorful downtown neighborhood of Bo-Kaap and in picturesque Simon’s Town were a delightful part of the day. And of course, topping off the entire day with a photo at the most southwesterly point on the African continent is an important bragging right.

The biggest highlights of the day were about wildlife.

African fur seals

After heading out of Cape Town, we stopped at Hout Bay to catch a boat for a twenty-minute ride to Duiker Island. There we met up with the resident population of African fur seals.

I have to confess it was a bit anti-climactic after the awesome seal encounter on Otago Peninsula in New Zealand a few months ago. But it’s always fun to watch seals.

Boulders Beach

If you’ve never watched the Netflix series Penguin Town, check it out! It takes place at the penguin colony at Boulders Beach, just south of Simon’s Town. It was really fun to visit, and it’s just the way it’s depicted in the series. (Except the actual penguins don’t have family names. I didn’t meet the Bougainvilleas. Also, we were there in July, and the main penguin activities take place starting in November. Still, it was exactly like the show.) 

We also caught sight of some Southern Right Whales in False Bay. Every time I see a whale, I wonder how anyone ever gets a really good photo. I got none.

Geography

It’s called “False Bay” because coming back from the east, if you turn in thinking you’re heading up the Atlantic coast, you are going the wrong way. I think they should have called it “False Ocean.”

Also, the peninsula is called the Cape Peninsula. The Cape of Good Hope is just the smaller, narrow piece at the bottom. And the very tip, where there is a lighthouse, is called Cape Point.

As you can tell from the map, this is also not where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans connect. That is at Cape Aguilhas, about a three hour drive to the east.

Things I learn when I travel!

Wildlife

I didn’t expect our visit to the Cape Peninsula to offer some fantastic previews of the safaris to come. I have been waiting to get to Botswana for that. But we saw some fantastic birds and animals, and it was a thrill.

One more day in Cape Town, and then we head to Botswana to begin our safari. If I wasn’t excited before, today’s wildlife encounters whetted my appetite, and I can’t wait to see more, bigger, and closer.