The Western Cape

by Tim Grimes

We wanted a short break in the sun, in the middle of the dismal British January weather; somewhere within reasonable striking distance, a change from Europe and the USA. Never having set foot in Africa, we decided on South Africa’s Western Cape.

The huge land mass and low labour rates, combined with the low Rand, at R12.5 = £1, make South Africa exceptional value. But the catch is the rack rate for the flight, which is something like £700 per adult, This may not be unconnected to the fact that only BA and SAA and, to a limited extent, Virgin fly to Cape Town, from the UK. We arrived in Cape Town at 6.30am, after a tedious and sleepless 11 hours on a BA plane. BA leaves Heathrow at 4.50pm, or at 7.30pm. We didn't see any point in hanging around for the later flight.

Cape Town: The Waterfront

We made our first stop at Stellenbosch, which we reached at about 8.00am on Sunday. We were the first customers at the local Mugg & Bean Cafe, the only place in town which was open. Stellenbosch is a small, historic, town where Dutch Cape colonial architectural still predominates. After an hour or two, a few more people appeared and, until we returned to Cape Town a week later, that’s just how it was. Few people in quiet towns, and very few cars on the roads. We rarely saw municipal car parks and we were struck by the ease of driving up to a high street and just parking outside a shop and walking straight in. (In smaller towns, parking is free of charge, but with a R2 or R3 tip for the “parking host” – unemployed black boys who “look after” your car in your absence – and why not. In larger towns, there is a card system for meter payment.)

We continued through the Winelands, where visitors can call in without notice at wineries for a tasting or a meal, stopping next at Franschhoek, the centre of the former French Huguenot community and credited with bringing wine growing to South Africa. A cynic might think the French influence (e.g. rue la Rochelle and rue de la Rey) somewhat over-worked to attract the tourists. The raison d'étre of the place is to service the vineyard visitor, with local arts and crafts. But we weren't visiting vineyards. So we didn't stay long.

We spent our first night at Montagu, passing through Robertson which is, what we have come to understand to be, an archetypal Western Cape small town - a wide dusty street without cars, a few shops, a huge and well-kept church, and some bungalows on the outskirts.

Montagu is a charming village with a couple of dozen properties on the historic houses register. Many of these are guest houses. We stayed at the delightful Malherbe on Route 62, the main road, with the equally delightful Joop and Micky who welcomed us as their first bookings. Even if our room had been at the front, there wouldn't have been much worry about noise. I reckon a car passes every 5 minutes at busy times of day. The sleepy town has useful shops and some arts and crafts galleries.

The next day, we continued along the R62, to Oudtshoorn, via Barrydale and Ladismith (not Ladysmith of Boer War fame), which were unexceptional and typical; and Calitzdorp with some very attractive houses around the atypically English-styled church. The Country Pumpkin, on the main road outside Barrydale, however, served an extremely good lunch, but we didn’t stop at Ronnie’s Sex Shop between Barrydale and Ladismith – having already discovered it to be a café.

Oudtshoorn was bigger than any of the other towns we had seen since leaving Stellenbosch. Much of its architecture was 19th century colonial, with a fair bit of post-War colonial which I can remember being represented as modern, by colonial tea and coffee companies who used to tour prep schools with promotional film shows. Some of the shops of Oudtshoorn clearly catered for the less well-off. At Oudtshoorn, we stayed at the spectacular Baron’s Palace Hotel, built as a residence by one of the many colonial “feather barons” - entrepreneurs who made piles of money out of ostrich feathers for the fashion trade.

Just outside Oudtshoorn is the really professional Cango Wildlife Ranch with its collection of endangered cheetahs, white tigers and crocodiles which have been bred there. I had never heard a crocodile’s jaws snap shut – a chilling crunch like a car door being slammed. There are several ostrich show farms in the neighbourhood; we stopped at the Oudtshoorn Ostrich Farm, for a 45 minute tour - and an opportunity for a ride.

As we drove east, great craggy ranges of the Outeniqua Mountains rose up quite close to the road, from fairly barren scrubland. From Oudtshoorn, however, scrubland began to give way to ostrich grazing, then some cereals.

It is always interesting to spot the innovations in another culture. At Oudtshoorn, I was particularly impressed by the card-operated parking meters in larger towns (pressing the card to a meter debits the appropriate fee from a card which has been topped up at the local retailers). A curiosity is that the same card can also be used for petrol purchases - beware, petrol stations don't take credit cards, but petrol also is cheap - about £15 for a tank. I also liked the innovative banking feature, which allows account holders to pay their traffic fines at ATMs.

We continued to George, where we stayed at the stylish and comfortable Oakhurst Manor Hotel. The hotel is within walking distance of George, a busy town with a few decent shops and a scrappy end too. The hard-to-find railway museum is a vast warehouse which also houses quite an impressive collection of British and American cars. If you can stand the embarrassment of its name the Outeniqua Choo-tjoe, pulled by a fairly serious steam engine, takes passengers to Knysna and back - about 3 hours each way. From George, we drove to Plettenberg Bay. Having an air of Worthing on a very hot summer's day, it answers a need for South Africans seeking a seaside resort. Despite its spectacular, empty beach (most beaches we found were spectacular and empty) it is not a “must see” for visitors from overseas. Plainly the architects had been selected from the City of Coventry’s rejects list. It’s not that there is a genetic inability amongst South Africans to create seaside towns - Camps Bay, just south of Cape Town, is a very attractive beach resort with lively bars and restaurants.

Plettenberg Bay was our easternmost point and we drove back to Cape Town along the famous Garden Route, which is closer to the coast. Unlike most of the northern road which we had driven, the Garden Route runs through low hills folded into more hills until they recede into the distant Outeniqua Mountains on the inland side. The Indian Ocean can be seen, from time to time, on the seaward side. For most of the journey, the land is cultivated as far as the distant mountains, and sheep, cows and ostrich grazed on stubble from the recent cereal harvest, and clover growing between.

Knysna

Knysna is a bit of a tacky sea-side town, but with some redeeming features, which include views over the lagoon towards the Heads - the two rocky headlands which nearly enclose the lagoon. We stayed, just outside Knysna, at the Fish Eagle Lodge, a delightful log-cabined estate on a hill overlooking the lagoon and the hinterland.

Mossel Bay was the third seaside town we found. Pretty tired and scrappy, it does house the Bartholomew Diaz Museum complex containing a replica of the Cape discoverer’s ship and some of the town’s historical buildings. Also enclosed was the Post Office Tree - a tree said to have been used by early 15th century sailors for leaving letters for home. That would have made the tree about 500 years old. Visitors will make up their own minds about how long trees live.

Midway to Cape Town, we stopped overnight at Adin and Sharon’s award-winning Hideaway, in Swellendam – a really delightful town with some very attractive buildings. The Hideaway is apparently the only five star guest house in South Africa. Significantly dearer than average, it is even more accommodating than the very high standards we found everywhere else.

The centre of Cape Town is in the early stages of decrepitude, with disused buildings, poorly tended public gardens and no shortage of vagrants. Hardly a white face was to be seen and the atmosphere was just a tad threatening. Surprisingly, a couple of older buildings were to be converted into luxury apartments, many of which were claimed to have been pre-sold, so maybe some degree of recovery is in prospect. Plainly the best way to see the legislative capital is from the 2-hour hop-on hop-off “Topless Bus”, which picked us up close to our hotel. Out of a sense of adventure, and ignoring best advice, we decided to get off the bus in the centre of the city, and walk. Clutching bags and cameras as inconspicuously as possible, and snatching only surreptitious glances at the street map, we walked through the overgrown Company’s Gardens and along Darling Street with ostentatious nonchalance. We saw the City Hall and some other formerly fine pieces of architecture, and the Castle (really a fort) whose thick walls now give tourists the sense of security which had been offered to the Dutch East India Company soldiers in the 17th century. From just a few steps outside the centre, there are still some very respectable and attractive residential areas. Eschewing political correctness, we found our trip was complete without a visit to Robben Island.

On the quayside, we enjoyed the Waterfront - a civilised and stylish shopping centre with loads of restaurants and bars created out of restored and rebuilt dock buildings. It has to be said, however, there is nothing essentially South African about the Waterfront, which could be anywhere in the world. Parts of it strongly resemble San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf, other parts Boston’s Quincy Market. The unexceptional, but perfectly serviceable, Waterfront Holiday Inn, where we stayed, must be so called because it is near the Waterfront, not because it is at the Waterfront. In fact it takes a 15 minute (probably safe by day) walk, or a 20 minute hotel bus ride to get to the Waterfront.

We couldn’t take the Table Mountain cable car, once because of high winds, and once due to low cloud: the lesson is to grab the first opportunity available especially if time is limited. However, there is a pretty good view of the city from the lower cable car station, about a third of the way up and, contrary to expectation, that is a really cheap place to buy polo shirts and souvenirs.

Down the Cape Peninsula, 30 minutes’ drive from Cape Town, is Groot Constantia, the oldest winery on the Cape. Access to the relaxing grounds is free, with a small charge for the principal manor house. There are a couple of good restaurants on the campus, and wine tasting. And the views are spectacular. Simon’s Town, about 1 hour’s drive south of Cape Town, is an absorbing former Royal Navy base, with an attractive shopping street, some interesting walks, and an apparently very active local history society which has erected plaques all over the place. Just beyond the town, lies Boulders Beach, where we walked amongst dozens of penguins.

Prices in the Cape generally are almost embarrassingly low, although the tourism journals have expressed concern that some hoteliers and restaurateurs are over-charging. At today’s R12.5 = £1, a good restaurant will charge 50p for a beer, £8 for dinner for two. In the most attractive villages, 2 hours from Cape Town, a 4-bed house with land could set you back £120,000: we saw some rural 2-bed bungalows at £9,000.

We were surprised at the strength of Afrikaans, in the Western Cape. It is almost prevalent in conversation and common in road-signs, although most Afrikaans speakers also speak English. In the countryside, the pace of life is really really slow. People are welcoming and helpful and seemed anxious to talk to Britons. We found everyone whom we spoke to - black and white - very pleasant and helpful. We were frequently approached by strangers who seemed very anxious to tell us about their connections with the UK, and how many generations of their families had lived in South Africa. Some even insisted on showing us their homes. Good manners extended noticeably to driving: slower drivers pull over to be overtaken and drivers approaching crossroads wait their turn to proceed. Society seems well ordered, having reverted to the pre-apartheid era. Perhaps with the exception of central Cape Town, the Western Cape seemed settled and peaceful despite (or, maybe, because of) warnings on most houses and shops of “24 hour armed response” provided by private security companies – the sign even appeared on the walls of police stations. But, whilst we didn’t feel threatened by day, my night-time walk in George was more of a dare than a constitutional.

Eschewing travel agents, inbound tourist agencies, and similar parasites, a good place to start is the Cape’s own tourist website, which accesses hotels and guest houses directly. This not only connects you to the hoteliers (eg for directions) and at direct prices, but also avoids the need to pay for accommodation before arrival. And resist the request from hoteliers to charge 50% up front - there are enough places not requiring this, to make it negotiable. (Here’s another tip for saving money: I bought a digital camera at the duty free, at Heathrow, on the way out. Having decided what model I wanted, research showed that was cheaper than any available in the whole of Tottenham Court Road, the internet, and South Africa. And you can buy it by phone, in advance, and collect it on departure). Most of the major car hire companies are represented in South Africa, and therefore car hire is accessible in advance, by internet. A local wrinkle to beware, is the widespread insurance excess (£900 in our case) which can be bought down significantly or, if agreed in advance, reclaimed from the UK provider retrospectively. It would be wise to sort this, in the UK, when booking.

Having criticised some of what we saw, was it a good trip? Unreservedly yes. In my opinion, the climate is ideal, the countryside is spectacular and, whilst the towns are not all overflowing with architectural gems, they are the real thing. It has whetted my appetite to see more of South Africa and to learn more. Although I imagine the Western Cape is not representative of the whole of South Africa, it was a fascinating insight into the similarities and the differences of a European way of life which has developed in Africa. We met so many people and had the privilege of discussing their backgrounds and ways of life and hopes and fears for the future. Whether the new majority-elected government will recognise this unique opportunity in Africa and develop it; or lay waste its wealth and potential, is for the pages of another SIG’s journal.

First published in VISA issue 56A (June 2004)