Happy Feet in Cape Town

Next stop on my three week adventure was Cape Town. After a short two hour flight from Durban it was pretty obvious that the climate down on the southern tip was a lot cooler than our previous stops. It's was pretty unfortunate for me as I'd only packed one hoody for the whole three weeks! We were staying about 45 minutes outside Cape Town in a harbour town called Gordon's Bay. The guesthouse (Berg En Zee) had some fantastic views over the Bay and you could even spot a few Southern Right Whales in the distance! It also made the perfect base to explore Cape Town and a few areas slightly further up the coast.

The most dominating part of the Cape Town skyline is undoubtedly Table Mountain. In the evening it casts a huge shadow over the popular city and provides spectacular views as you make you're way around the city. It seemed fitting to make Table Mountain the first attraction we visited in the area. The highest point on the mountain is over a thousand metres above sea level but is quite often covered by clouds. TIP: if you are planning on making a trip up the Cable Car to the top - make sure you buy you tickets online well in advance of your visit. During peak periods or days with clear weather the queues can become a couple of hours long!

When it is a nice clear sunny day the view from the top are truly fantastic. You can see out past the Cape of Good Hope onto the vast Atlantic Ocean, you can oversee all the boats in the busy Cape Town harbour and you can make out all the small prison blocks on the iconic Robben Island where Nelson Mandela spent so many years as a political prisoner.

Robben Island is also an essential place to visit to discover the darker stories about the apartheid system which caused so much hate and pain before its abolition in the early 1990's. The island itself is largely in state of disrepair which gives it an abandoned feel. A lot more could definitely be done to improve the experience for visitors but it is hugely popular because of the history and Mr Mandela's iconic status on his long walk to freedom. This is another attraction which I would advise you to book well in advance because of its popularity.

The Western Cape has a hugely diverse selection of birds, mammals and fish including one of the coolest animals on the planet (in my opinion of course!). There are several areas which are popular for watching the African Penguin but the best two in the area are Boulder Beach and Betty's Baai (Bay). Both are small nature reserves which have been set up to provide the Penguins with safe nesting areas next to the beachfronts. I could have literally spent hours just watching these cool little guys wandering up and down from the ocean! 

As you can see from the photos I also managed to get followed around by three little guys who seemed to be doing a tour of the whole colony for me. They bore a significant resemblance to the Three Amigos in the Happy Feet film! I could just imagine them chattering to each other as they waddled around. There was definitely no singing from these Penguins though. They were nicknamed the Jackass because of the Donkey-like braying call!

Up tomorrow is one of my most anticipated adventures for the South African journey. I will be jumping into Great White Shark infested waters in 'Shark Alley' near the infamous Dyer Island. Not one for the faint hearted!!