On a wild, wet, windy, wintery day last week I set off with fellow travel writer, Di Brown, on a #CheapflightsExplorers campaign and our aim was to dig a little deeper beneath the surface of our home town… the one and only, Cape Town!
On the morning we discovered that Hout Bay was to be our surprise destination and headed off over Constantia Nek to explore the village-like suburb surrounded by mountains and the sea…
Our first stop was, of course, the sea!
We watched the wild waves break on the shore, seagulls scattering across the skies and the moody grey clouds encroaching towards land from out at sea. This is a beautiful stretch of beach in summer, but it’s equally stunning in winter – albeit a bit colder!
After taking in so much fresh, salty air it was time for something warm and we stopped off to grab a takeaway warm drink at Dunes… quite literally located ON the dunes as is evident by the amount of sand on the road outside!
The views from the deck upstairs are stunning and leave you feeling like you’re almost out at sea yourself!
Usually a humming family-friendly destination on weekends, our mid-week visit meant we had the place to ourselves – and we relished the silent beauty of this moody moment…
Our next destination in our explorations was Chapman’s Peak Drive… the incredible road that winds and weaves it’s way around, through and beneath the towering peak. Let’s just say this road is not for nervous drivers!! But if you haven’t motored around it’s bend before you’re missing out. To be honest I hadn’t driven this road in years and was amazed by the beauty of it all.
We stopped of at a few of the vantage points and picnic sites to snap photos of the valley and waves below… Along the way meeting a few friendly vendors peddling their hand-made curios
The day seemed to get darker and greyer as we went, but our spirits soared as we spent time in the crisp, cold air breathing in the beauty of nature all around us… even in bad weather and on grey days there is still something to enjoy, you just have to look for it a bit harder!
The swirling clouds descending the mountains overhead, the quiet solitude of being a tourist on a day not made for tourists, the adventure of escaping the rain drops and taking cover in the car while watching the skies change before us. There was plenty of fun to be had!
We drove up and over the drive paying our toll and continuing on to the other side so as not to miss the incredible views of Noordhoek Beach and it’s verdant valley… This endless stretch of sand still looked inviting in the moody weather but is probably a better experience with a bit of sun!
Just on the other side of the drive is Noordhoek Farm Village, and this is a little haven of foodie delights… The Food Barn, Cafe Roux, The Toad Pub, Village Sushi, The Food Barn Deli, Kristen’s Kick-ass Ice Cream parlour, The Village Roast coffee roastery, Faith Juice Bar…. The options for refueling were endless!
We opted for another warm drink and a bit of browsing among the delightful shops before heading back over to Hout Bay for lunch…
A return drive over Chapman’s Peak allowed us to enjoy the views from a different angle and we marvelled at the feat of engineering it took to create this road… one of the most beautiful in the world!
Arriving back in Hout Bay, our destination was the harbour area located on the other side of the bay. We first headed to the very end of the road to Bay Harbour Market (open Fridays – Sundays) and then meandered the area snapping some pics of the street art and seagulls that call this spot home!
Our tummies told us it was time for lunch and we opted to head into the harbour area for a quick walk along the harbour wall to meet a man and his seal (they aren’t known as the dogs of the sea for nothing!)… and then a turn past Mariner’s Wharf for the best calamari and chips in Cape Town! Undisputed!
Despite the weather, we had a great day out, exploring Hout Bay and Noordhoek between the showers as part of the #CheapflightsExplorers campaign with Cheapflights. If you’re looking to plan a trip to explore the wonders of Cape Town in the near future be sure to check out their site. They offer a smart and simple flight search platform to take the stress out of searching for the most direct, affordable, shortest flights!
Disclosure: This post is part of a Cheapflights campaign, opinions are all my own.
Beautiful photos of such beautiful places.
I loved the one with the fisherman and the seal!.
Will definitely go on a tour with this company very soon!