Hout Bay in Cape Town is
famous for its good seafood by Gerald Crawford
 A
popular seaside village (many refer to it as the Republic of Hout Bay)
famous for its good seafood, relaxed atmosphere and working harbour area.
A boat trip to Seal Island with around 5000 seals offers a unique and pleasant
experience. Chapmans Peak drive provides fantastic views over the village
and is not to be missed. Perfectly end your day with a romantic walk on
the beachfront.
As you drive over the hill
just past Llandudno, you are greeted by the beautiful town of Hout Bay
- a place close to many people's hearts. Its day to day life is very different
to city life - here you can watch fishermen trade their day's stock and
grab fresh fish yourself. The town is surrounded by spectacular mountains
and has a peaceful charm to it. Tourism and fishing are the main industries.
If you lucky to be here in August, visit the annual Snoek Derby Festival.
Head straight down to the
beach and park at The Promenade/Beach road off Main Road. Start your expedition
with a quite walk on the beach. Walk all along the beach to Mariners Wharf
- South Africa's first harbour front emporium. It has a great harbour ambience
and you cannot help to feel at home. Here you will find several seafood
restaurants, pubs and very interesting sea shops - it's a meeting place
for locals and tourists alike. Whether you feel like grabbing a fish and
chips and watching the loud seagulls, or sitting table at one of the finest
seafood restaurants in South Africa (The Warfside Grill), it's all here.
Allow yourself enough time, sit back and relax. Some other popular Hout
Bay restaurants include Dunes Restaurant (on the beachfront - lovely location)
and The Lookout Deck Restaurant and Bar (for amazing views over the harbour
- a great venue for seal watching)
An interesting tourist attraction
is a boat trip to Duiker Island from the harbour ("Duiker" is the Afrikaans
name for a certain small South African antelope). The island, just off
the coast of Hout Bay is home to over 5000 seals lazing around in their
natural habitat. The scenic boat ride takes you close to them and it's
a unique experience to watch and listen to these interesting creatures.
 If
you find the seals interesting, but maybe not as beautiful (can you blame
them), head to the wonderful World of Birds. This is the biggest bird park
in Africa and it's any nature lover's dream. With over 3000 birds, monkeys
and small animals of 400 different species in over 100 walk through enclosures,
it's something for the eye! Enjoy a fresh cup of tea in the delightful
tea garden.
Time to hit the road again
- and a beautiful one. Chapmans Peak drive (M6) is arguably thé
most spectacular coastal road in the world. The pass had been closed for
some time because of dangerous rock falls, but the newly constructed road
is much safer. Keep your speed though as the road circles through narrow
curves. Fantastic new lookout points are situated all along the pass -
make a point of it to stop at each lookout to enjoy the wonderful vistas.
To experience the road at its best drive all the way to Noordhoek and back
to Hout Bay, as parking for view points can mostly only be accessed from
the Noordhoek to Hout Bay direction. There is a R20 toll charge per vehicle.
End your day with a romantic
walk on the beach front, or a relaxing tea at the Suikerbossie Restaurant
- a very famous tea room and a have-to-visit spot in Hout Bay (Serving
tea Mondays-Fridays - call first over weekends)
On your way back to Cape
Town, take the M63 (Main Road becoming Hout Bay road) through Constantia
Nek. It takes you through beautiful farmland, mountain and forest scenery
into the southern suburbs towards the N2 into Cape Town.
How to get there:
Whatever way you choose
to enter Hout Bay, it's spectacular.
From Llandudno (see directions
to Llandudno) Continue with Victoria road that will bring you into town.
Suikerbossie Tea Garden is located on your left just as you go over the
hill from Llandudno. Take care not to speed as you drive down the hill.
You can either go straight towards Mariners Wharf (Victoria Road becomes
Victoria Avenue) or you can turn left in Princess Street towards Main Road.
The Beach can be reached either from Mariners Wharf or The Promenade/Beach
road off Main.
From Kirstenbosch Botanical
Gardens (see directions to Kirstenbosch) continue with Rhodes Drive as
it becomes Hout Bay Road (M63). This road takes you into town and becomes
Main Road.
For Chapmans Peak continue
with Main Road from Hout Bay in a southern direction. It becomes Chapmans
Peak Drive. You can also enter Hout Bay from Noordhoek village via Chapmans
Peak.
You can reach the World of
Birds by turning into Valley Road off Victoria Road (not Victoria avenue)
in town. Continue along Valley until you see the Bird park on your left.
About the Author - Gerald
Crawford: born in South Africa, studied electronics, telecommunication,
eco-travel and african travel concepts. He taught responsible tourism in
South Africa and the United Kingdom. If you have any questions or comments
please e-mail me on. E-mail Address: gerald@12234455.co.za |
