Blog - Carmichael House Boutique Hotel

Off the beaten track

Yves Ducommun — Fri, 26 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0200

As a visitor, you have some idea of what you’d want to see and visit, and understandably that would include most of the emblematic sites, which makes Cape Town and its surroundings famous. But there’s more to ponder.

First comes the question on how long you should plan for your stay in Cape Town. Ideally, if you include the winelands, not less than 5 nights.

Take into account that Cape Town is a worldwide famous destination, and it’s very seasonal. Our high season is between October and April, with a peak over the festive season, simply because this is our summer season. Our summer is rather dry, meaning little to no rain at all. Often windy, with the south-easter blowing to the greatest pleasure of the kite surfers. Named the wind Doctor as it blows all the clouds away, but gosh can it blow!

The downfall of the peak season is that it’s also busy, and I mean r.e.a.l.l.y busy!... For instance, you'll have to queue up for 2 hours for the cable car to Table Mountain, and the same for coming back down. That’s how busy it is, and that applies to most of the emblematic sites.

But there are off the beaten track options

If Cape Point is one of the emblematic places to visit, you can also go to the West Coast National Park (WCNP) and get away from the crowds. It’s about 90min driving distance from Carmichael House, via a very easy straight (literally!) forward road.

Provided you’d go there during weekdays, it’ll be even quieter, as the locals tend to go there to braai on weekends.

Besides the endemic fynbos, you might spot any of the following: ostriches, bonteboks, kudus, and lots of birds, including flamingos, that you can watch in groups, filtering the salty waters of the lagoon. And that’s what makes the WCNP so special!

After a couple of km, you’ll have the most amazing sight with the impetuous dark blue ocean on the left, and the exact opposite on the right, being a flat quiet emerald lagoon, stretching all the way to its mouth, the end tip of the WCNP. You can try (I said TRY 🥶…) to swim in the ocean, but you’ll definitely enjoy a dip in the lagoon. It’s safer (no sharks other than the sand shark, which is totally harmless), and offers warmer shallow waters (I said warmer, not warm! 😅).

Between August & September each year, the Flower Season is an event of note. Depending on the rainfall, the coast explodes in colours, from white to pink, purple & orange, it's just magnificent. If it's all along the coastline, it's more prominent in the "Postberg" section of the park (which is only open to the public during the Flower Season). This is also where most of the bigger game hides, with mountain zebras, wildebeest, bonteboks, springboks, eland and more.

Take into account that this is a real full day tour. Firstly, because of the return trip (2 x 1h30). Secondly because you’d want to spend at least a few hours on site, even including a nice picnic.

And thirdly, because you have other interesting places to visit on the way.

One of them is !kwa ttu, the San sanctuary. The San were hunters-gatherers, first inhabitants of Southern Africa. The site offers a very informative and fun experience suitable to all ages. It’s recommended to book a guided tour done by one of the San descendent. You can even have a late lunch there as well.

The other one would be Buffelsfontein, a small private game reserve, offering game drives. You can select one of their scheduled drives (9 AM or 14h) on board of one their 4x4 high track vehicles or even book a private one (POA). They have a variety of bucks roaming freely, together with a couple of white rhinos. The cats are in enclosures. Lots to learn from the ranger.

Don’t forget that coming back, once you get closer to the city, you might fall within peak traffic hours (16-18h during weekdays). Maybe aim at arriving just past 18h as not only would it allow you more time for your day visits, but you won’t be wasting time in the daily rat run.

If you need more information, please don't hesitate to send me an email (info@carmichael.co.za), or a WhatsApp (+27 76 231 7752) as I’d gladly help you to the best of my knowledge.

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Thu, 17 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0200

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Hermanus, another full day tour.

Yves Ducommun — Mon, 08 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0200

Going to Hermanus and back is definitely a full day tour, and it would be a pity to rush it, firstly because carpe diem should be your motto (you’re on holiday, remember?! 😉). Secondly because you don’t want to miss a great opportunity to view or experience something memorable.

Hermanus is known for its whales, not that there aren’t any elsewhere along our coastline, but it’s probably because it’s easier to watch them from the edge of the cliff bordering Hermanus.

Over and above the endemic whales, such as the pigmy whale, you’ll spot migrating whales, such as the Humpback, or more commonly, the Southern right whale. They come yearly, between July & November all the way from Antarctica. This is for two reasons; to mate, and about one year later, for the mares to calve. Understand that during the time spent in our warmer waters (considering 14° is warm…) they can’t feed, because our waters doesn’t have their base feed, which is krill. Also, when mating, their mind being elsewhere, understandably, feeding becomes secondary. They are so concentrated on their task, that it’s not unusual to see a group of whales floating, rubbing (usually a mare surrounded by loving males) and they derive close to the shore.

After a long gestation, the mares will come back to our shores to calve. They have a few months to ensure their young ones will grow fast & strong to swim all the way back to Antarctica. During that time, you’ll probably see them teaching their young ones all the tricks, like swimming sideways. An awesome sight, with one large whale and it’s exact tiny replica, swimming in total sync’.

Now, let’s hit the road!

We usually recommend driving down via the N2, through the mountains, and then back up along the coast as, provided the weather is clear, you’ll enjoy the magnificent sunset on False Bay.

From Carmichael House, drive towards Sommerset West via the N2. It can be a bit busy on weekends, so drive safely. It’ll give you some time to look at the variety of gadgets sold along the strip of the N2 going through Sommerset.

Driving up to Sir Lowry’s pass, as you get to the top, take the sharp turn to the right, and you’ll have a beautiful view over the bay. Just beware of the baboons, as those ones, have long understood that visitors = food[1].

You’ll drive past the Upper Steenbras dam. Even though it’s the smallest of the five dams supplying water to Cape Town and surroundings, it plays a crucial role generating much needed electricity during load shedding. To do so, the City of Cape Town lets down cubic meters of water to the lower Steenbras dam, thus generating hydro-electrical power. Then back up for the next load shedding episode. A sustainable clever system.

The rocky scenery is surrounded with fynbos[2]. The rock formations are rather interesting as it almost looks as if they’ve been planted, even leaning, due to the gale force winds.

After the pass, you’ll see hectares of orchards, mostly apples, but also of course vines, as you drive pass the Elgin Valley, famous for its good wines.

On that token, you’d definitely want to stop at Beaumont Family Wines in Bot Rivier. Not only the wines are great, the scenery beautiful, but Zest offers a variety of delectable dishes. Not to be missed!...

There are a couple of farmstalls along the road as well, selling local products, such as homemade jams, preserves, biscuits, etc… You can also have a quick pit stop & coffee.

Look at the open fields as you might see some blue cranes in the search for insects. They’re usually in groups of 3 to 5 specimen, and easy to spot due to their size.

Needless to warn you about the speed limits, as they are many speed traps along the way, but also traffic officers. The last thing you’d want, is to receive your portrait from the car rental company, together with a hefty fine (marked-up by the car rental for that matter!).

Entering Hermanus, aim for Marine Drive. You’ll find parking along the ocean, past the Windsor Hotel and beyond. Inevitably, you’ll be solicited by a parking marshaller[3], watching over your car and potentially offering his car valet services.

Take a stroll along the ocean, from Marine Drive, all the way to the small concrete foot path, starting from above the harbour. Once you get passed the crowds, you’ll probably see some overweight dassies, elusive sun birds, and even tortoises walking across.

But since you’re here for the whales mostly, if you look towards the ocean, you’ll see whales performing any of their various skills:

Witnessing whales breaching is mind-blowing. Seeing this huge mammal jumping out with such ease & grace is unforgettable. Depending on how far they are, you first see them breaching, then only a few seconds later, do you hear the loud splash. Magical!

In peak season, the whale crier will blow the kelp horn when whales are in sight. It just adds to the folklore.

You can have a small (or not so small) bite at the Burgundy. Decent food and very well positioned. The service is rather fast. Or you can also stop at Zest on the way back, remember? 😉

I must also mention the lovely wine route, meandering along the Hemel-en-Aarde (or Heaven on Earth) Valley. Don’t forget to assign a driver that will skip any wine tasting. As much as it’s a great pity, this is highly recommended.

Hamilton Russel, Spookfontein, Creation, just to name a few. Most of them offer magnificent views, and strangely enough, the more you taste, the better it gets.

On the way back to the Mother City [4], I’d recommend you follow the coast, which is gorgeous from Rooi Els all the way to Gordon’s Bay. There are several viewpoints. Stop as often as you can and take a long hard look. Evidently, you’ll be looking towards the ocean in the search of any marine activity, or simply just for the ocean view, but sometime the show is right behind you, with some elusive klipspringers, birds of prey, or even caracals (but that’s when you’re in real luck, or you've had many wine tastings!).

At Gordon’s Bay, get back onto the N2 which is boring & busy, but a lot safer than thinking of going along Baden Powel Drive. Yes, you’d be along the ocean, but across the dunes lies Khayelitsha, one of the largest townships around CPT. So, not recommended.

Make no mistake, as this is a full day tour, so leave Carmichael no later than 09h AM. Enzoy! 😉

[1] Sadly, it’s mostly the very same tourists’ fault as they are the ones feeding the baboons in the first place, setting the wrong example. It soon becomes a bad and potentially harmful habit. Some wild animals in the Kruger are eventually euthanized as their misbehaviour might lead to life threatening accidents. Terrible since it’s not their fault,
[2] Fynbos (from the Afrikaans fine bush) is known for its exceptional degree of biodiversity, consisting of about 80% (8,500 fynbos) species of the Cape floral kingdom, where nearly 6,000 of them are endemic,
[3] Almost everywhere outside official parking meter areas, you’ll encounter such “marshallers”. It’s nothing more than a racket as they will most probably be looking the other way should anyone attempt to get to your car, but you can give a R5 coin provided she/he was here when you arrived. They’re totally harmless, just hoping to make a few Rands,
[4] Why is CPT called the Mother City? Because it takes up to nine months for anything to happen!... (LoL)

Visit Table Mountain

Yves Ducommun — Sat, 03 Jun 2023 00:00:00 +0200

Table Mountain is Cape Town's most emblematic natural wonder, and you must try to get on top during your stay.

Table Mountain has understandably become Cape Town's emblem. Without getting into the history, be it geological or geopolitical, just picture the face of the first sailors when this large mountain came in sight. With a bit of luck, it could have been one of those days with an extraordinary tablecloth effect: magical & mysterious. This happens when hot air coming from the Karoo (semi-desertic inland area, past the first chain of mountains) meets the cold air coming from the ocean. The cold air is fuelled by the Benguela current (strong currents dragging the ice-cold water from the bottom of the ocean to the surface, and together with-it tons of micronutrients which is the base of a rich food chain and the reason why we have such prosperous fishing resources all along our coasts). Enough of this lecturing now, let's get to essence of what you're here for: visiting the Cape!

There are many ways you can get on top of Table Mountain, but first of all this is the one particular day tour you can't plan in advance, and this is largely due to the weather being so unpredictable. The general rule of thumb when coming to Cape Town is not to plan anything in advance. Rather have a list in mind and go day by day. This applies to Table Mountain in particular. We usually recommend going as soon as there's an opening. We've had guests staying an entire week and not having had once an opportunity (fog, rain, cloth effect or gale force winds). Others, went right after check-in, even after their long-haul flight.

You can either take the cable car, or hike.

The first option is much easier but expect long queues both ways during the high season (Dec-Feb). Mind you, after having implemented ticket split between mornings and afternoons, to break the flow, they now offer a "fast track" option. Double the price for a fraction of the wait. Don't bother pushing and pulling for THE best position on board the cabin because it swerves, so that everyone gets a fair chance of getting a 360° view.

For the second option, you have various hikes, but the most direct is Platteklip Gorge (I don't know where the "platte" comes from, because it's anything but flat...). It's the only one I know of where you can see the finish from the start. It's safe, as mostly busy with all sorts of hikers (going from bare feet to wearing flip-flops, or even high heels...). If you start with a sturdy yet regular pace, you'll be up in 90 minutes. Don't forget to take a bottle of water, sun block and wear a cap since in summer it can get really hot.

Now that you're on top, you can choose to do the quick visit with a couple of pictures all round, and back down, or you can spend a tad more time and observe.

Of course, you're here for the awesome views, but there's more to it. You'll probably get to see some dassies (hyrax Hyrax). It looks like a small marmot, but this is where the comparison ends. It's apparently affiliated to the elephant family, with similar paws, and tusk-like long top canines. They live in groups and are sedentary, which lead to a very interesting study on the composition & quality of air centuries ago. If you're interested, I'll explain this in more details once you're here. They are very accustomed to humans as they see so many per year, but also because many feed them by hand.

On a clear day, you'll probably get a chance to spot a peregrine falcon gliding or in a stationary flight mode, busy hunting. There are a few couples up there.

Also interesting are the Drosera Cunifolia or ant eaters. Since the substrate on top of Table Mountain is rather poor, these small plants have evolved to be able to trap and digest small insects such as ants (hence the name). They are pale green even though they look dark pink or even red due to the colour of the many sticky tentacles covering them. It will take them hours to close onto the entrapped insect & days to digest it. No, it won't snap in a spilt second like other carnivore plants, so PLEASE refrain from touching them.

You'll find them around small puddles, usually on moss as they like moisture.

Now that you're back down, you can start with the city bowl visit (in our next article).

Visit the Cape of Good Hope

Yves Ducommun — Sun, 14 May 2023 00:00:00 +0200

How long does it take to go to Cape Point? This is one of the questions we often get to answer...

Well, nothing less than a full day! Personally, I could go there every week for a day, and spend hours walking through the numerous paths, but as a day visitor I understand you'd want to make the most of it and only have so much time to visit all that you want to see.

What we usually recommend is to go around the peninsula from the East coast down, and back up the West coast, reason being that you'll always be on the "right" side of the road (yes, we do drive on the left-hand side!). What I mean is, not only will it be easier to stop alongside the road into one of the many bays, but you'll have a better view of the scenery in general, and the ocean(s) in particular. Even though it's commonly admitted that the two oceans meat at Cape Agulhas, I guess this could also apply to Cape Point. I don't see why not?!

Leave Carmichael House Boutique Hotel no later than 09h-09h30 (if you can earlier, it's even better), hop onto the M3 dual carriage way, all the way towards Muizenberg till it ends...at a traffic light (we have a couple of highways that end like this, one of them being the N2 ending up at the entrance of the city bowl, with huge backlogs during peak traffic. Strange...).

You'd want to prefer the Old Boyes Drive to the coastline road, for two reasons:

you have a much better view,
if it can get busy it's never congested,

Old Boyes Drive will offer you awesome scenic views of the ocean and False Bay at large. Maybe you'd want to stop at the shark spotter viewpoint? This is where the spotter stands all day, watching over Muizenberg with a large pair of binoculars for potential shadow of a shark. Muizenberg is the right spot for beginner surfers since the waves are kind of gentle, and the shark spotter is here to protect them from any potential shark attacks. How often does this happen? Well, in the 13 odd years we've been here, I've never heard of any, but rather be safe than sorry...

The drive will end at Kalk Bay, joining the coastline road. Kalk Bay is one of the oldest and last fishing harbours in the Cape Peninsula and is named after the mussel shells that accumulated over the years, creating lime deposits that were used in building. Kalk Bay has a number of great art galleries, but most of all, this is where my favourite restaurant is: the Olympia Cafe! Very casual and basic place, but the food!... Always fresh and tasty. Double the portion for half the price of what you get in those trendy places at the V&A Waterfront.

Follow the coastline road, going past Fish Hoek and its small bay, then Glencairn, all the way to Simons Town. Just before you get to Simons Town, you can stop at the "Mineral World".

You can see them sorting gemstones and have a look at their boutique selling all sorts of jewellery and ornaments. For the kids of all ages, there's the scratch patch. You buy a zip bag at the entrance, and you can fill it up with all those beautiful stones. Of course, they're all rejects, but who cares! I often tell parents that they can drop their kids there, do the entire peninsula tour and come back just before closure time, they'd still be there scratching.

At the entrance of Simon's Town, "the Sweetest Thing" offers a variety of delicious French pastries, and honestly, those are the best we've ever come across in the whole of the Western Cape (and beyond?). But of course, if you came to Simon's Town it's primarily to visit the pinguin colony. The main nesting area is within the SANParks demarcated perimeter. There's a small entrance fee but it's worth every penny. Like for most tourist attractions, understandably visitors tend to go straight to the main one, in this instance, the pinguins. Yet, there are other things to do or see. You should consider paying a brief visit to the pinguin museum. It's small, yet you'll learn a lot from the few information boards on display. If you don't want to go inside the pinguin sanctuary, you can also get to see them in any of the following ways:

just below the parking on the southern side of the park, they are a few odd ones that nest under the milkwood trees & bushes. Don't even think of reaching out to them, they bite!
or going from the ocean side, making use of a canoe guided tour. A great experience, with well-trained guides. The danger won't come from the ocean, but from the sun. So, make sure you protect yourself against potential nasty sunburns. This is where I got one of my worst one, from the knees down to my toes. Never again!

From there on, and all the way to the Cape of Good Hope National Reserve it's a succession of gentle curves, in an unspoilt environment. Once you've entered the park, you will probably want to drive straight to Cape Point. Before you get out your vehicle, beware of any baboon that might be hanging around, more especially if you have any food inside. These guys have become accustomed to visitors, and they are fearless. Despite the presence of parking marshallers, they will be in your car before you know, leaving you with no other option than waiting for them to take what they want and leave. Don't try to chase them out as they are strong, swift and can bite dangerously. Make no mistake, they also know how to open most car doors. Once you're out, and your car is safely locked, get to the lighthouse, either with the funicular or on foot. Needless to tell you how stunning the ocean view is.

Then you'd want to either drive or walk to the Cape of Good Hope just for sake of saying that you've been there. If you a bit more time and like to get off the beaten tracks, I would recommend taking any of the many side roads. There are fewer to no people at all and a better chance to spot some of the antelopes such as the bontebok, the kudu, Cape eland, not to mention the ostriches, tortoises, and many birds of prey. Unsurprisingly the few baboon colonies outside the Cape Point parking are more oblivious to humankind and if they'd occasionally hop onto your car, it's probably to get a short ride. They don't even need an app' for this. Don't worry, they'll jump off with agility and totally safely.

Go left as you drive out the park. If you haven't yet been to Oudsthoorn, you can go to the small ostrich farm right there. Beside the souvenir shop with upmarket leather goodies, they organise guided tours to their ostrich hatchery, and it's rather informative. On your way out, you can feed the ostriches by hand. No, they won't swallow any finger, but they will most likely try to nip any shiny ring you might be wearing. Since they have a very slow digestive system, you can leave your address and they'll send it back home (lol).

From there on you'll head towards Kommetjie (pronounce kom-a-key), enjoying the unspoilt scenery, driving through Scarborough. You may see some kite surfers at Witsand or just simply enjoy the ocean waves crashing on the beach.

Here comes another master peace of this day-tour: the Chapman's Peak Drive! After Kommetjie and till you get to the turnoff to the Drive, let's admit that it's not the greatest sight, with informal settlements along the way, but before long, you'll slowly drive up the flanks of the Chapman's. As much as this is a toll gate access road, it's worth every penny and more. Drive slowly. No, even slower... Take your sweet time, stop at every possible viewpoint and take the time to look, breathe deeply and smile. If the ocean is always an awesome sight, don't neglect turning around and looking towards the mountain, not only you'll get to appreciate the magnificent escarpments and the endemic fynbos, who knows, you might be the lucky one to spot a duiker or even a caracal.

You'll end up in Hout Bay, a small fisherman's village (well at least it used to be small). Its name come from the wood that was harvested for building of houses or boats: the bay of wood. It's nested between the Chapman's & the Sentinel, a thumb shaped peak that is at the edge of the bay. We like to recommend Dunes restaurant as it's right on the beach front with an awesome view of the small bay. Time to enjoy a refreshing draft or have a small bite. Nothing fancy, just a simple SA fish & chips restaurant but a great spot.

Depending on the time of the day, you can decide whether you want to head back to Carmichael House the quick way to have a shower and go out dining, or if you still want to push it via the coastline towards Camps Bay, Sea Point and the V&A Waterfront to finally head back home via the N2. Just be aware that weekdays, between 15h & 18h, the traffic going out of the City Bowl is disastrous. So, if you happened to be in or around the city centre between those hours, sit down, have a cuppa and relax. There's no point in wasting time in peak hour traffic.

Now I guess you understand better why it takes at least a full day!

Our row honey

Yves Ducommun — Mon, 29 Aug 2022 00:00:00 +0200

We have two hives in Pinelands, and during the season, we harvest anything between 7 to 9kg of pure honey from one super.

Each of the ten frames are put into our honey extractor after both sides have been duly uncapped (cutting the thin wax "lid" sealing each cell).

The honey gets filtered to only keep the pure honey. Yet we keep all the wax for future use.

Then it is bottled.

Every morning you'll have a choice of a cup of our pure honey together with two other of our homemade jams to eat with our daily freshly baked French croissants. ENJOY!

A special THANK YOU to Craig for shooting & editing this video, let alone helping throughout the harvesting process!

Enjoy a glass of Wine

Mon, 14 Mar 2022 00:00:00 +0200

Carmichael House can finally serve you a glass of wine, MCC, beer or even your favourite cocktail!

You can choose out of our wide range of alcoholic beverage menu and enjoy your drink around the pool, in the garden, near the fireplace or in your room.

French Croissants

Thu, 24 Feb 2022 00:00:00 +0200

What is better than a freshly baked croissant served for breakfast to start your day?

Our French Croissants are served daily with a selection of delicious Homemade Jams and Yves' personally harvested Honey

SPA Treatments

Tue, 05 Oct 2021 00:00:00 +0200

New addition to our Gem!

Highly personalised world class nail and skin care treatments in the comfort of your own room are now available at Carmichael House Boutique Hotel.

Enjoy and relax...

Book a massage, a skin or nail care, or grooming, and ask for your personal discount

Fripon forever

Mon, 10 May 2021 00:00:00 +0200

After almost 18 years, Fripon has sadly left us last Monday at 17h30.

His entire life, Fripon has been such a loving dog, naughty at times, but that's rather normal as he wouldn't be a Fripon after all.
He's been so brave till his last moments, and despite all the odds, he tried to please us with a wagging tail.

Fripon was a legend on his own. He travelled the world, be it by car, train, boat and even by plane. He is famous worldwide, and this is why I am sharing these memories with you, family, friends, guests, all the ones that knew Fripon.

This past year he's been hard at work, training the two new "worsies", Ceasar & Reglisse. He gave them instructions to protect and love his owners, which they are doing to perfection. Still need a bit of tuning here and there, but they're showing plenty of good will. Job well done Fripon!

You'll be remembered fondly. Au revoir notre chere Fripouille.

Ces incroyables français!

Wed, 28 Oct 2020 00:00:00 +0200

Dans le courant du mois d'octobre, nous avons eu le plaisir de recevoir Aurélie, Attache de Presse du Consulat de France au Cap. Suite à son interview, elle nous a fait l'honneur de publier un article sur notre aventure sous la rubrique "ces incroyable Français" du site web du Consulat.

Peu de temps après la parution de cet article, nous avons été contacté par des agents de voyage francophones. Cette perspective de potentiellement pouvoir développer de nouveaux partenariats commerciaux à venir nous enchante, surtout par les temps qui courent!

officially awarded by the TGCSA

Sun, 11 Oct 2020 00:00:00 +0200

A Gem is born!

Come and visit us. Yves & Valerie would be delighted to host you.

From ashes, a Gem is born!

Yves Ducommun — Thu, 17 Sep 2020 00:00:00 +0200

All the bedrooms are named after a Gemstone and decorated accordingly in the finest details. All this with impeccable touch, reflecting pure style and beauty.

Thanks to our family & friends, neighbours & colleagues, suppliers & contractors, not to mention our dedicated staff for their support during this long journey. We are so grateful to have you.

Till next update, keep well and safe.

Please share with everyone and we look forward to seeing you soon! Thank you.

Yves and Valerie Ducommun

Discover Cape Town, where the world meets!

Wed, 28 Nov 2018 00:00:00 +0200

Perched between the ocean and the mountain, with a national park as its heart, there is nowhere like Cape Town. Cape Town, the “Mother City”, is the oldest city in South Africa and has a cultural heritage spanning more than 300 years.

The unique topography of the region makes it easy to orientate oneself as long as you remember that with Table Mountain behind you and Robben Island before you, you are facing north, looking across Table Bay and up the west coast of Africa.

It is in Cape Town that the Rainbow Nation really covers the spectrum. Between beautiful Cape Dutch homesteads, traditional dancers with painted faces performing in the streets, the smell of spicy Malay cooking and the taste of a well-made wine, this city will fill your senses.

The bells of St George’s Cathedral alternate with the plaintive tones of the muezzin calling the faithful to prayer. Visitors give a startled jump, and Capetonians calmly glance at their watches, when the noon gun booms above the city – a relic from the days of sail when sea captains had to check their chronometers.

It has the top five national attractions in South Africa, all of which should appear on every visitor’s itinerary all year round. These include a visit up Table Mountain, either by cable car or manually climbing up routes of varying degrees of difficulty; and the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, internationally acclaimed as one of the great botanical gardens of the world.

The Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, one of the city’s main tourist attractions, offers the visitor a unique shopping and holiday experience on a scenic working harbour. Currently undergoing expansion, the complex features shops, restaurants, launch areas for short cruises and a variety of entertainment for those who flock through it by day and night.

Looking further offshore, visitors can take a boat ride to Robben Island, the former home of Nelson Mandela and several other political prisoners who fought against the apartheid government. Visitors to the island are taken on a tour of the old prison complex, as well as to a museum on the island.

You will never be bored in Cape Town. Table Mountain offers some of the best climbing in the world, and it’s right here in the city. The surfing is fantastic; the diving is cold but good. You could go mountain biking, or go sea kayaking – you may see whales or penguins.

A great thing to do on a full moon summer’s night is to walk up Lion’s Head before dark, watch the sun set on one hand and the full moon rise on the other and then walk down in the silvery light.

If the wind is right, you could fly off Lion’s Head with a qualified tandem paraglider pilot, and land on the beach in time for sundowners. You’ll never be bored.

If all this sounds too gung ho for you, don’t worry. You can shop till you drop at Cavendish, Canal Walk or the Waterfront. There is lots of live music, art exhibitions, museums, plays and even opera, ballet or symphony concerts on all year round.

The city has also recently developed tourism routes such as the Cape care route, which showcases sustainable development by taking tourists to destinations including a community-based bicycle workshop and a community weaving centre, and the Southern Line tourist train route between Cape Town and Simon’s Town.

Cape Town is also probably the most popular backpackers destination anywhere, with more hostels than any other city worldwide. It’s also the home of the backpackers special, the Baz Bus.

Sources: City of Cape Town, South African Tourism, Tourism Cape Town, Baz Bus and Brand South Africa.

#NowhereBetter #Capetown #Carmichaelguesthouse

15 ways to experiment Cape Town Like a Local

Fri, 28 Sep 2018 00:00:00 +0200

1 - Enjoy a braai with locals

The Braai is a traditional South African barbecue. South Africans make braais every now and then for any kind of celebration or even just because we have fresh booze in the fridge and we want to spend a good time with some friends.

2 - Take advantage of Cape Town restaurant good deals
If you look out, Cape Town is filled with great food deals. You can easily find offers for half prices burgers, sushis, wine and so much more!

Restaurants in Observatory are usually family friendly where you can find weekly specials.

3 - Company's Garden promenade!
The city’s Company’s Gardens is a must for those who love beautiful and quiet places. Bring a packet of nuts and fall for these little creatures, the cutest, fluffy-tailed animals, eating right from your hand!

+tips: there is a magnificent white albino squirrel out there, try to spot and capture it with your camera.

4 - Discover the beach by night

Alright, that's not a Capetonian thing but it's a worldwide secret kept by every people living in a seaside city that I'm about to tell you.

When the stars appear, the beach becomes a mystical fairy place. A late picnic with some friends, some candles, feel the sand filtering between your toes, and enjoy the atmosphere.

5 - Take a promenade on First Thursdays
Every First Thursday of the month, the city stay woke late: art galleries and shops stay open till +9pm, and locals gather in the streets pretending to know what the artist tried to immortalize in his masterpiece.

Join the movement, take a glass of wine, walk in the open streets and embrace the creative vibe of cape town.

6 - Buy the local fashion
The local fashion and design scene is very dynamic and vibrant in the moment in South Africa. And Cape Town is lucky to have some of the bets entrepreneurs in all Africa.

Take back home a souvenir and see your friends be in awe in front of your new colorful wax jacket.

7 - Explore Woodstock
The streets of Woodstock are filled with bright street art. The locals use the walls of lame buildings to express their talent.

Explore the suburbs of Woodstock, you will be surprised by the variety and amount of wonderful graffiti in the area.

8 - Sunrise AND Sunset on the top of Lion’s Head
Would you be an amateur of landscapes, the Lion's head will be a must hike for you while you are in Cape Town.

With a 360 degree view of the city, It is just the perfect spot to observe either the sunrise or the sunset. Golden hour has never been anywhere else as beautiful as it is up there.

9 - Try an open-air venue

If you like cinema, you must try one of the many open-air movie that you can find in Cape Town. The most popular ones are probably the Galileo Open Air venues, the Spier drive-in movie and the Maynardville Open-air (this one is a theatre).

Grab a sandwitch / popcorn and enjoy your show in a delightful atmosphere.

10 - Take part in the City Walk and the Open Streets
The City Walk and Open Streets are both locals initiatives that encourage to take in the city on foot and to change how we perceive, use, and experiment our streets.

It is another way to fight the "insecurities" in Cape Town. A way to say that there should not be any form of danger in these streets and that we all should be able to walk freely. Reclaim street as a public space.

11 - Visit the Planetarium

Take a break off your screen and visit this wonderful attraction. It’s real stars, and it’s just beautiful.

Very entertaining and family friendly, come explore the wonders of the universe.

Be in awe in front of their daily show and let what you see do the talking for us.

12 - Visit the Cape Town Comedy Club for a good time
What a better way to embrace a culture than to listen to a comedian laugh at their own local "strange and peculiar" behaviors.

You will find in Cape Town many young and talented comedians. They will explore, expose, describe and put the emphasis for you on these special local gestures and expressions that may seem really weird for a foreigner.

13 - Take part in the cheering crowds at Newlands stadiums

You will enjoy the atmosphere in the stadiums of Newlands for cricket and rugby. South African supporters are very passionate and you can't help but get caught up in their positive vibe that you will feel throughout your body while you will be cheering together.

14 - Take a break at Kalk Bay

Take a seat in one of the many restaurants in this seaside of Cape Town and listen to the waves break on the rock. It's a relaxing sound to listen to while eating, and taking a break from work and daily stress.

Also, the seaside air is great for your health anyway.

15 - Take your breakfast at a local Bakery

The Mother City has some really great and trendy bakeries and coffee shops. It's a 6 senses experience: smell it, see it, hear it, touch it, taste it, feel it.

Enjoy the aromas of a milky, creamy and smooth or strong and straight-up coffee with your little croissant while chatting with your local barista.

Thank you for reading this article, hopefully you will enjoy your stay with us soon!

Cape-Town, a new world leader in responsible tourism and resilience

Fri, 17 Aug 2018 00:00:00 +0200

There are always benefits that come from every crisis. During these times, we must force ourselves to become practical and resourceful, and that will always bring something back to the community.

This water crisis has been the perfect way to rise awareness in the population. People are taking actions and tried to change their habits. We are all doing what we can, each one of us at our own level: doing the right thing, doing our part as a community member, and trying to avoid waste as much as possible, has really become the general mindset of Capetonians.

This said, the situation is getting better for sure. Even if the tourism industry suffered badly, the travelers are beginning to coming back to the mother town. Current dam levels in Cape Town, August 2018, are just under 60%, which is really great in comparison with the same time last year, the water levels only stood at 32.5%.

If you have not been in Cape Town yet, it’s well time to pack your bags and book your room. We have water and we use it wisely. Discover a now eco-friendly city with a totally different lifestyle than ever before.

Talking about water, we are in the middle of the whale season!