A visual expedition of Cape Town and its surrounds

Tuesday, January 03, 2006

Camps Bay


Camps bay is a very popular beach town both for upper class residential and holiday makers alike.


It has a restaurant and cafe "strip" that is popular with the jet set. Classic cars and Harley Davidsons cruise up and down the strip while restaurant and cafe patrons are crammed into seats on the pavements and balconies overlooking the beach.


This shot of paragliders jumping off Signal hill shows Camps Bay beach on the left and Clifton on the right.

NEXT STOPS : South to Bakoven or North to Clifton

CATEGORIES : 1atlantic, 1campsbay, 1beach, 1coastal trip

Bakoven


Bakoven is a very small holiday enclave jutting out into the Atalantic ocean. From here you can view the Twelve Apostles rather nicely when looking South.


Typical holiday house shown with entrance and parking in view. The house faces onto the sea and the Twelve Apostles at the other side.


This is the northern side of Bakoven. You can see that it has the smallest public beach in South Africa, which can only accomodate a few dozen people!

NEXT STOPS : South to The Twelve Apostles or North to Camps Bay

CATEGORIES : 1coastal drive, 1bakoven, 1beach, 1atlantic

The Twelve Apostles


You follow a magnificently tarred new road that winds with the mountain for about 10 minutes until you reach "The Twelve Apostles",which is a series of 12 peaks/outcrops on the mountain. These are shown clearly from the shot taken from this passenger liner. Camps bay is to the left of the picture.


Open your window on the drive to smell the refreshing sea breeze.


You will see the Twelve Apostles Hotel on the side of the road, positioned to have glorious views over the ocean. The sun sets on this side of the ocean providing for spectacular sunset drinks or dinners from the hotel. The hotel is popular with honeymooners as it provides luxurious accomodation too. There is a cocktail bar which is highly recommended for sundowners. You can see three of the Twelve Apostles in the backdrop.


Just past the hotel are many little rocky coves used by divers to fish out crayfish (lobster) from the kelp (seaweed). You will see the divers parked on the side of the road in long rowson a nice day. You can see Camps Bay jutting out the water in the distance.


If you bother to stop and park with the string of divers' cars you will see them working up a sweat climbing up and down the small cliff from the road to the sea.

NEXT STOPS : South to Llundudno or North to Bakoven

CATEGORIES : 1twelveapostles, 1coastal drive, 1atlantic, 1hotel, 1diving


Sunday, January 01, 2006

Llundudno


From Hout Bay, one also has the option of taking the northernly Atlantic drive that eventually lands up in the main city. This drive is in the opposite direction to Chapmans Peak drive. The first little enclove we reach about 10 minutes out of Hout Bay is the suburb of Llundudno.You can see Chapmans Peak drive carved into the mountainside in the background.


Half permanent residents and half holiday homes, some homes reach $2-3M. Its little beach is a favourite with the boogie boarders and surfers.


Just past the entrance to Llundudno, there is a large parking area for sightseers on the highway. Vendors selling all makes of African curious take up a good chunk of the parking area, but it seems a favourite stop for the tourists to pick up some souvenirs against the magnificant backdrop scenery.

NEXT STOPS: Back to Hout Bay or onward to The Twelve Apostles

CATEGORY : 1coastal drives, 1llundudno, 1atlantic coast,1souvenirs