Cederberge & Sevilla Trail

Our last days of our trip, we spent in Citrusdal close to the Cederberg Mountains. So of course we made a day trip to the mountains. It's a beautiful range of big red rugged mountains and we also made a stop at the Sevilla Rock Art Trail. The entrance fee is R30 per person which is definately worth for that trail. It is about 4 km (2km there and 2km back) and you can see very well preserved rock art of the San. Also the trail itself was a lot of fun. You walk over a little river, through rugged stones and you can see lizards and maybe even dassies. 

Short version of the last two months of work

I just wrote a short post for the blog of my university in Germany and thought "well, let's put it also in this blog". And here we go:

...only 2 weeks left in Cape Town, but until then a big event is around the corner - the Indaba in Durban, one of the biggest trade shows in Africa. There I'm going to present SAYTC together with my two colleagues.

What is SAYTC?

SAYTC stands for South African Youth Travel Confederation and is a non-profit organistation that is financed by membership fees. The main aim of this company is to market South Africa internationally as a preferred Youth Travel Destination.

Over 200 members are part of the confederation which can be divided into 4 sectors:

-Backpacking SA (accommodation)

-Education SA (language schools)

-Tours & Transport SA (tour operators)

-Volunteering SA (VolunTourism)

My work in Cape Town!

Safari at the Garden Route Game Lodge

South Africa without Safari? Not for us!

We booked a safari at the Garden Route Game Lodge which is near Albertinia. The 2 hours game drive was very nice altough the pronunciation of our guide wasn't that easy to understand. We saw bonteboks and zebras, elephants, antilopes, buffalos, giraffes and cheetas. Unfortunately there was no time left for the rhinos as we had to drive quite a while to find the cheetas. But it was still a great trip, especially for that price. Because if you do a game drive on a Sunday, you are just paying half the price (which is then R175).

De Hoop Nature Reserve & Malagas

On our way from Cape Agulhas to Mosselbay, we drove through De Hoop Nature Reserve, which is definately worth a visit. We saw bonteboks and zebras in free nature and walked over widely strechted white sand dunes to see a beautiful coast.

But you should know that you need to drive gravel road to get to and to go through the reserve.

Another great experience on that way was the river ferry in Malagas. This ferry is pulled over the Breede River by the power of three men. But don't be too late: At 6pm they will finish work!

Backpackers South Africa

After having the days off between Easter and 1st of May, we're back from our trip. This time we did the Garden Route again and went up north to the Cederberg mountains. So in this post, I will write a bit about the Backpackers/Hostels we stayed at. Of course, they were mainly members of SAYTC where we could get Moola Magic discounts...

Cape Agulhas Backpackers

This accommodation is the closest of SAYTC's backpackers to the most Southern tip of SA - Cape Agulhas. But it's not located there, it's in Struisbaai (not even a 10 minutes drive to the Cape). Our room at the Backpacker was very nice. We booked an ensuite double room and had an own little private patio. Price: good! Room & Hostel: nice!

Mosselbay Park House Lodge

We had a very nice stay in the Park House Lodge, but it was also the most expensive one. We had a again an ensuite double room, which was nice & clean. But the best is the garden. Many flowers and a big lawn where you can enjoy your breakfast in the sun.

Albergo in Plett

And again a few nights in Albergo for Backpackers - enjoying the fireplace in the evening (braai time). See my other blog post for this accommodation-> http://exploringcapetown.blogspot.com/2011/03/garden-route-part-i.html

Backpackers Paradise in Oudtshoorn

Also a pretty nice hostel. Our room was not very special, but it was big & clean. What more do you need...some showers are an extension of the building, so it can become a bit cold. But there are also some inside. Also a nice fireplace to sit around in the evening.

Citrus Creek Chalets & Camping - Citrusdal (no SAYTC member)

To stay near the Cederberg mountains, we booked a chalet at Citrus Creek. Our little apartment was quite nice, but unfortunately we just had a bathtub without shower head. So if you want to take a shower you need to use the showers of the camping site. Great playground for children - Bennet especially enjoyed the old tractor.

What I don't like...

...about Cape Town:

• the barbed wires & high walls that are still around houses and buildings
• the beggars & their poverty
• the ham
• the Pampers
• that the sea is too cold to go swimming
• ...

But despite those facts, I'm really enjoying this city!

What I like...

...about Cape Town & its surroundings:

• the mostly friendly & happy people
• the mountains
• the beaches
• the sunshine
• the way of job creation
• the flowers
• the Crunchy Nut Cookies of Ticklemouse
• the township art & things made of pearls
• ...

As soon as anything else comes to my mind, this list will be continued.

I LOVE DASSIES

Dassies, also called Rock Hyrax, are African mammals that look like guinea pigs. They are very cute and some of them are quite used to people. The first one we saw at Boulders Beach - lonely in a tree. But when we went to the Cape of Good Hope there were dozens of them jumping around and eating the bushes. Very sweet.

Skydive Cape Town

Wahoooo...we did it. 

Yesterday we were falling from Cape Town's sky and it was DER ABSOLUTE MEGA HAMMER!

We did a tandem skydive with Skydive Cape Town. After 20 minutes flying up and enjoying the great view (the weather was awesome), we experienced a 30seconds free fall, followed by gliding in the sky like birds.

It was definately an experience of a lifetime...and hopefully not the last jump!!!

Insider Tip: Tweede Tol

Last Saturday we drove up Bainskloof Pass to stop at the Tweede Tol Camp Site. Here you can either camp or visit the swimming holes or rock pools (however they are called). We did the second. 

You have to pay an entrance fee of R30 as day visitor and than you can chill in the clear water or relax at the picnic area. It's a really beautiful place between the mountains where the water of the Wofwekloof River forms these nice "small" pools. A very nice day trip to enjoy the nature of the Western Cape!

SAYTC's SOCIAL MEDIA

As I already wrote about our annual conference dealing with Social Media, I just want to let you know about the Social Media of SAYTC:

http://www.facebook.com/SAYTC?sk=wall 

http://twitter.com/saytc

Have a look & like it :)

Sunset Champagne Cruise

Yesterday evening we did a Sunset Champagne Cruise with the boat "Spirit of Victoria". At 6pm we were leaving from the V&A Waterfront. Unfortunately it was a bit too cloudy to see a nice sunset, but the champagne was very good:) We met relly nice South African guys on the boat and had a great time with them! 

South Africans rock!

Patricia @ work - Shared World

At the moment we're preparing this year's SAYTC Conference. 

For all the NERDS out there: 

"Shared World - bringing marketing strategy and practice together" is the topic of the conference. So it's all about Social Media and e-Marketing.

My main task is to accommodate all our members. That's why I'm in contact with many accommodations in Paternoster. Unfortunately I won't be here anymore for the conference. But hopefully we will have enough time to go to Paternoster on our own.

Bikes 'n Wines - Bicyle Tour near Stellenbosch

As Bikes 'n Wines is a member of SAYTC, I took this opportunity to do a bicycle tour through the winelands of Stellenbosch. On Friday, we did the Vineyard Meander - a 9 km tour for the ones that are not quite athletic...uhm...perfect for me. It was a very nice tour that included 2 wine tastings (yummi) and one brandy tasting (ugh). Moreover we made a short visit at the cheetah outreach where we could see some of these graceful animals. 

Altough it was a very enjoyable trip with very good wine, it is, in my opinion, unfortunately a bit too expensive. But be told: 
With your Moola Magic Card you can SAVE 10%

How to do it the South African Way - Today: By foot & By car

A short lesson about Cape Town's streets:


If you're on foot take your time!
If you want to cross the street be quick!
If you travel by car drive fast, overtake as you like and watch the mini busses!

Indie music in Cape Town

Just discovered:

http://www.howdoesitfeel.co.uk/capetown.html

Noon Gun Tea Room & Restaurant

Today we went to the Noon Gun Tea Room & Restaurant. The food was yummi (I had "Chicken Breyani", spiced rice with lentins, potatoes and chicken) and the service was also very good - very nice waitress. But the best was the quietness up there and the view down the hill with the Table Mountain in the background.  I will show u...

Milnerton - Rival to Blouberg Beach

...we've seen a great sunset at Milnerton Beach with the Table Mountain in the background. Have a look:

World of Birds - Hout Bay

Although it's quite some weeks ago that we went to World of Birds, I want to tell you more about it now. 

Actually, I didn't expect it to be that nice. It's a well-kept park with nice different areas. There are not only birds to see. In fact, we've also seen penguins, monkeys, turtles, a porcupine, a wallabie, meerkats,...

How to do it the South African Way - Today: Tips

At the beginning of our trip, we often wondered how much tip we give to which people...but as time goes by, we know the score:

• Parking: R2-5 (depends on the length of your shopping tour)
• Petrol station: R2-5 (when they clean our windows, we mostly give them 5 rand)
• Restaurants: about 10% of your bill (as long as the service is good)

Of course, there are also a lot of beggars on the streets. Depending on my mood I give them a bit of my change sometimes. Some of them are also very happy to get some food. So if anything of your food is left, ask them if they would like to have it. It's better then dumping it in the bin anyway.

My first Big Issue

Today we finally bought the Big Issue for the first time. It's a magazin that is sold on the streets. Every vendor buys these magazines for R9 and sells them for R18...a good kind of job creation!

Garden Route - Part II

4 days of Garden Route (at least a part of it) and we've seen a lot. This route is full of beautiful landscape and we have seen a lot of animals. 


Our first stop was Wilderness where we went to the...

...Map of Africa. Just go a bit further the road and you will be rewarded with a great view to the ocean.

When we went on with our trip towards 

Garden Route - Part I

Thanks to SAYTC, we had the chance to go Garden Route this weekend...and it was stunning!

Deborah & Marlene were asking me to join them on a SAYTC meeting in Wilderness at Friday. And because Monday was a public holiday (Human Rights Day), we spent a great long weekend at the Garden Route.

OUR ACCOMMODATION

The Wild Farm Backpackers - Wilderness (5% Moola Magic Discount)

Our first stop was The Wild Farm in Wilderness, a great backpacker with a beautiful surrounding. The way up to the Backpacker is pretty long, but as soon as you arrive, you're rewarded with a great view. Our double room was very nice, the bathrooms were clean and the staff was very nice. They baked fresh bread for us and a lot of the food that you can get there is from their own garden. I can definately recommend this accommodation to every traveller passing through Wilderness. 

Albergo for Backpackers - Plettenberg Bay (5% Moola Magic Discount)

After staying 2 nights in Wilderness, we spent another 2 nights in Plettenberg Bay at Albergo for Backpackers. "Plett" is not only a great place to stay, also Albergo is very recommendable. We had a nice, big room with en-suite bathroom and the staff was unbelievaly nice. Every evening they have a fire in the garden to make braai (important in SA!). But what impressed me the most, was the fact that this Backpacker is a Fair Trade certified accommodation. In SA, tourism establishments can be certified by FFTSA (see: http://www.fairtourismsa.org.za/). It's so far the only organisation worldwide that applies fair trade principles to the tourism industry, which I think is a very important concern...and Albergo is a great example for that. The very nice owners, Mirjam & Lesley, care about the environment, their community and support different projects. Soon they will even start their own.

Definately: Thumbs up!!!

Patricia @ work - SAYTC goes Indaba

Deborah just came back from ITB 
(to see which SAYTC members were joining her, visit africatravelnetwork.blogspot.com) 
and now we are already planning the next trade fair presence for SAYTC.

In May SAYTC will attend Indaba, one of the largest tourism fairs in Africa...and I'm already looking forward to join Deborah and Marlene at this event!

Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden

Now it's time to tell you about Cape Town's probably greenest place...


Kirstenbosch was one of our first destinations. And wow, we were really thrilled. See for yourself:

Kirstenbosch was also the place where we celebrated my sister's 30th's birthday with a surprise picnic!


Moreover we went to one of the Summer Sunset Concerts to see Goldfish.
It was really cool. Very nice atmosphere and a great venue for a concert. But I recommend to go there pretty early to get a nice place on the lawn. Just bring yourself a well equipped picnic basket and relax.

The 1st month's sightseeing list

Because it took me a while till writing the first posts, I will now just write about the most memorable things we've seen and done in our first month in Cape Town:

• Neighbourgoods Market Woodstock: very nice food, but a bit too expensive for my wallet
• Two Oceans Aquarium (saved already the first 5% with Moola Magic)
• First visitors from Germany
  Hallo Dandra & Maatus, Hallo Oma Rosi, Opa Helbert, Fabi & Tante Brina
• Camps Bay: Great beaches and many yuppies!
• My sister's 30th birthday in Kirstenbosch- a super beautiful Botenical Garden
• Table Mountain
• African food with live music @ Marco's African Place: A very nice place...the waitress thaught us Xhosa and the music was nice!
• Robben Island
• Goldfish LIVE *Summer Sunset Concert in Kirstenbosch*
• Boulders Beach
• Cape of Good Hope: We were that lucky to see ostriches, an antelope and even zebras!!!
• Sunset at Signal Hill
• Blouberg Beach with view of the Table Mountain

Little by litte I will write about them more detailed and also post some pictures!!!

My first working day at SAYTC

It was Monday, the 14th of February, when I started my internship at SAYTC. 

I was very excited to meet my new colleagues Deborah & Marlene in Woodstock for the first time. 

To let you shortly know - SAYTC  is a non-profit, membership-driven organization who markets South Africa globally as a preferred youth tourism destination. It represents and supports the following four sectors:

- Backpacking South Africa

- Tours & Transport South Africa

- Education South Africa

- Volunteering South Africa

And to also let you know: My colleagues are very nice!

Straight away, I became a Moola Magic Discount Card which I can recommend to every traveller in SA.

 http://www.backpackingsouthafrica.co.za/index.php?option=com_order

This card saves you a whole lot of money because it offers over 200 discounts on accommodation, tours and transport (also 5% on Baz Bus) throughout South Africa.

Parking in Cape Town

Something that was also new for me was the "car park attendant"...the guys who show you where to park and who will have a look at your car whilst you are shopping.  

But actually after one month parking a lot, I can't imagine to not see them again in Germany. They are mostly very nice guys who work very diligently.  I've never seen people who help you to park with that much enthusiasm. So I gladly give them about R5 for their work.

But that's what I like over here in general: People are working definately slower in SA than in Germany, but they do it with much more passion!

How it all started...

Wow...time flies. It's now more than a month when we arrived in Cape Town. 

It was the 11th of February when our trip in South Africa began...

As soon as we picked up our car, we drove towards Observatory, which is our current home.

http://www.capetown.travel/attractions/entry/Observatory/

We were very happy when we saw our nice apartement and couldn't wait to explore the surrounding. And that's what we did.

Our first adventure was the first purchase at Pick'n'Pay, which is directly next to our flat. I'm always excited about the products of foreign countries, so I was at that time...and I was very glad to see all the nice ripe fruits compared to back home. The mangos and pineapples taste SWEET...yeah! I was also very happy to see that the staff was really nice - especially to Bennet.