By: Jaya Prakash G Madhavan (Engineering & Maintenance Division)
Why captivating? There's so much to be charmed by here. There's a piece of action for everyone!
Firstly, let's start with the adventurous types. Do you like to crawl and climb into dark and cramped, often claustrophobic inducing areas? Then Cango Caves (www.cangocaves.co.za) is the place to go. Here, you literally have to slip and slide your way through creeks and crevices using all four limbs. For the claustrophobic, you could still enjoy this attraction by opting for the walk in tour, where you would see beautiful meetings of stalactites & stalagmites, with colorful cave walls serving as a backdrop.
Congo Cave
Don't want to go inside caves, but still want outdoor actions? Try heading over to Featherbed Island. Here you will do some trekking, slowly ascending the Featherbed hill, while having a breathtaking bird's eye view of the town of Knysna (pronounced Nice-Na). En route upwards, you will see some flora & fauna indigenous to this island.
(above) The meeting point of Featherbed River (left) and the Indian Ocean (right)
Not adrenalin pumping enough? Then feast your eyes on this! (Quite literally!) Head down to Bloukrans Bridge where they have the world's highest commercial bungee jump as certified by the Guinness Book of World Records. The height of the bungee is a staggering 216 meters above the Bloukrans River. Once again, there are alternatives in this attraction if bungee jumping is not your type of swing. You can do Flying Fox or take a 10 minute scenic bridge walk to appreciate the breathtaking views of the mountains surrounding the bridge and river. Photography enthusiasts would not be disappointed. There is also a rock climbing facility at this attraction for those rock climbing enthusiasts. For more information, log onto www.faceadrenalin.com.
(above) The Bloukrans River Bridge with the bungee jumping platform between the road and the curved portion of the bridge (center)
For those who are not into extreme sports, but still want to feel the thrill, travel all the way to the Garden Route Game Lodge (www.grgamelodge.co.za) to experience a safari-like attraction. Unlike the Serengeti in Tanzania, where you would have to wait indefinitely for days just to see a lion, this sprawling enclosure houses many wild game animals including 4 of Africa's Big 5. The four are Lions, Cape Buffaloes, rhinoceros and elephants. You could see all these animals in just two sessions which last approximately 2 hours per session. There is also a reptile park there and you get to take a photo with crocodiles, turtles and even hold a snake!
 
All the above can be experienced through the Garden Route Tour. The outdoors not your cup of tea? Fret not as there is another type of tour just for city lovers, all done in Cape Town city itself. This tour caters for all those who want a relaxing, less adrenalin-filled holiday (think shopping at a mall and strolling in a park). There is a sprawling mall called the Canal Walk mall. This is truly a shopaholic's paradise as the saying "Shop till you drop" could quite be in a literal context here. Canal Walk mall have been on numerous occasions nicknamed the " Cannot Walk mall " due to its massive surface area housing over 400 local and international stores. Apart from this, there are also street markets, where you could get great bargains on native products.
Fancy a very scenic aerial view of Cape Town city? Take the cable car ride up Table Mountain. They call it that because its peak is flat, just like a tabletop. And while up there, do savour the view while sipping a cuppa at a restaurant & cafe up there with tables! Bird watchers would love it here as there are many predatory bird species flying high up here.
While on the subject of spectacular view, head south towards Cape of Good Hope which is the southwestern tip of the African continent. This is the tip where the Indian & Atlantic oceans meet and a vast, open ocean view is guaranteed.
Wildlife on the beach is also a must see... Where in Malaysia can you see penguins and seals just slightly off shore from the beach? So, don't forget to check out False Bay, just 5 minutes off shore by ferry. It is a small rock island inhabited by hundreds of seals. Penguin colony watching can be found at Boulders Beach.
(above) Penguin colony watching at Boulders Beach
Feeling peckish after activities? South Africa is home to so many fast foods, western style & and seafood restaurants. Apart from our Malaysian fast food joints, they also have Wimpy's and Steers, the latter being South Africa's own fast food chain. Spurs is South Africa's very own western style franchise with your usual steaks, grills, and burgers & chips. Ocean Basket is their very own seafood franchise serving fresh & succulent seafood, your choice of pan fried or grilled. They also have very creamy dairy ice-creams that are a must-try in their fast food outlets. The cookies and butter biscuits in South Africa is also a must try as they are fresh and home made.
In keeping with our Muhibbah spirit, don't forget to drop by the Malay settlement (Bo Kaap) located at Signal Hill. It is literally a colourful township as terrace-styled houses can be seen painted with bright yellow and striking blue as well as lovely pink and green colors. Had a bit too much of Western? Here you can get Malaysian cuisine and Roti Canai & Nasi Briyani top the list. Malaysian Hospitality indeed.
Even with the World Cup just around the corner, there are countless attractions to see and activities to do here in Cape Town, South Africa. There is just about anything here for anyone. Take it from a person who has brought his family here twice, that one trip is never enough! Which reminds me ... there are still shark cage diving and whale watching to cross off the to-do list.
As mentioned above, the first trip my family and I made in 2007 covered Cape Town and its surrounding areas whilst the 2nd trip made this year, 2010, covered the Garden Route that took us eastwards as far as Knysna and includes the Congo Caves, wild life safari, Feathebed Hill and the Bloukrans bungee jumping, amongst other things. The round trip covered about 1400 kms in 4 days. Personalized tours can be arranged by contacting Rithwaan Omer at - rithwaan@romertours.co.za or contact me at prakash@malaysiaairlines.com for a personalized introduction to Rithwaan. |