I (Fred) took this 16 nights Saga tour in the fall of 1998. I have had good experiences with this London based tour company. Most of those who were on this tour were Brits and they were very friendly and experienced travelers. The cost was very reasonable, especially since it included most meals, comfortable lodging and international airfare. Just couldn’t pass this one up. Annette did not go with me because she was teaching full time. I had just retired from teaching at DML College.
Tuesday, October 13th
I left Minneapolis at 9 am on flight 134 with United Air Lines. This trip was compliments of the Spodens who gave me United perk miles. My arrival time in Miami was 2:53 pm and I departed Miami at 5:30 pm heading for Cape Town on a 14 1/2 hour flight on South African Airlines. Service was top notch and conducted much like under the British.
Cape Town International Airport is the primary airport serving the city of Cape Town, and is the second busiest airport in South Africa and third busiest in Africa. Located approximately 12 mi. from the city centre,
Wednesday, October 14th
The Saga representative met me outside of customs and escorted me to the Avenue Hotel in Fish Hoek. On the way to the hotel we passed Muizenberg Beach on Kalk Bay and stopped at an overlook.
Muizenberg dates back to 1670. The Battle of Muizenberg, 1795, marked the beginning of British influence on the Cape.
Our lodging and base of operations for the duration of our tour would be the Avenue Hotel in Fish Hoek. Very British atmosphere! On the city map below, the hotel is located on First Avenue,right where the “Y” comes together
Thursday, October 15th
After our included breakfast, Laura, our Saga guide, led us on a walking tour of Fish Hoek. Until recently, Fish Hoek was a "dry" area — one of the conditions placed by the owner who gave up the land for development was that there be no alcohol sold there. Nowadays, alcohol is available in restaurants and bars but there are no retail outlets.
After being part of the transitional South Peninsula Municipality after 1996 to 2000, Fish Hoek now falls under the City of Cape Town. Today Fish Hoek is regarded as a suburb of greater Cape Town and lies on the railway line from the central business district of that city to Simon's Town in the south. It is approximately 30 kilometers by road from Fish Hoek to the centre of Cape Town, a journey that can take anything from 30 minutes to two hours, depending on the traffic. See map.
Friday, October 16th
After another wonderful breakfast in the dinning room (where all meals were served) we fortified ourselves for the day’s activities.
Our first journey took across the peninsula on hwy M65 to the Atlantic Ocean side and then back to our Indian Ocean side.
The scenery was terrific, especially the Kommetjie Lighthouse and the Atlantic coastline.
Our included full day tour was a visit to Simon’s Town. We had a great view of the city from Red Hill Summit.
Within the city we started off with the Port site of the British Royal Navy (until it was relinquished to the South African Navy in 1957), and the Simon’s Town Museum.
We saw a photo of “Just Nuisance” a Great Dane who was an enlisted sailor of the British Navy during WW II. He was a very friendly dog and as such was treated to all sorts of tidbits, pies and beer by the sailors who loved him and to whom the dog in turn took a great liking, especially as they would often take him for walks and as such, he considered that all sailors were his friends. Many letters were written to the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy at that time. After much thought he decided to enlist him into the Royal Navy! Not only would this brave act save Just Nuisance but it would also raise his profile almost overnight and certainly guarantee that he would become one of the world's most famous dogs
After leaving the Museum we walked along the famous historic mile of downtown Simon’s Town. The buildings reflected both the heritage of the British and the Dutch. A marker along the way noted that in 1967 the city declared it was for whites only (apartheid) and that all others were forced to leave.
Then we visited Jubilee Square along the water front. Quite a few vendors plied their supply of African souvenirs.
On the north end of the square was a stone monument for “Just Nuisance.” Just about everyone took a picture of the statue.
Our van pulled off the road just south of Simon’s Town so we could visit Boulders Coastal Park.
The main attraction here was a colony of African Penguins, sometimes referred to as Jack Ass Penguins because of their braying sounds. They were interesting little creatures to watch.
The nearby Scratch Patch and Mineral World Gemstone shop was an awesome spot for foraging gemstones. Here we watch stone pieces being carved and tumblers polishing stones into gems. Children amused us as they played in the Scratch Parch. From the parking lot here we could see whales in False Bay when they emerged from the water.
We took the highway along the ocean back to Fish Hoek. Railroad tracks ran parallel to the road.
Saturday, October 17th
Today we spent a full day touring Cape Town, the nation’s oldest city, founded by Jan van Riebeeck as a supply station for the Dutch East India Company. This is considered the “mother city of South Africa." We started with the Castle of Good Hope (right side of map in center).
The Castle was built near the site of Van Riebeeck’s original mud-walled fort. It was constructed between 1665 and 1679 and is one of the oldest European structures in Southern Africa. The British took the fort from the Dutch in 1795.
The entrance to the Castle of Good Hope
The moat surrounding the Castle
We next explored Adderley Street, the main thoroughfare of the city.
The Boulevard Fountain
From here we headed to the Cable Car ride up Table Mt.,3280 feet up a sheer side. On windy days the cable cars are closed down.
New revolving cable cars were added in 1997. The floor of the 65 passenger cable car rotates 360 degrees on the ascent/descent which takes 5-10 minutes
View of Cape Town from Cable Mountain
At the Visitor Platform on the mountain we read Psalm verses inscribed on a plaque. Very fitting: “O Lord, how manifold are Thy works.”
And then we took the return trip down to our waiting bus.
Then we stopped for fish and chips on the waterfront at the Victoria and Alfred Center.
We returned to Fish Hoek via the scenic Atlantic coastal road, stopping for a little whale watching at Hout Bay. Every once in a while a whale emerged from the water and then plunged back into the sea. As the roadway ascended, we had a beautiful view of Sentinel Mountain across the bay.
That evening at the Avenue Hotel we were treated to a dinner with ostrich meat. I also enjoyed the variety at the cheese and cracker table.
Sunday, October 18th
After an ample breakfast, we set off to see the World of Birds. at Hout Bay
Then to the Mariners Wharf at Hout Bay
Here we booked a cruise to Seal Island
Over 300 seals
After our boat cruise we returned to the wharf and took another scenic trip on Chapman Peak Drive. Wonderful day!
Monday, October 18th
Today our main objective was to tour Robben Island. We went into Cape Town and caught the Robben ferry from the Victoria and Albert Waterfront. Near the dock we saw the Planet Hollywood which had been closed because of a terrorist bombing attack.
We boarded the Robben Island Ferry for the thirty minute ride.
Prison buildings on Robben Island. Table Mountain is visible 1n the background.
Indigenous African leaders, Muslim leaders from the East Indies, Dutch and British soldiers and civilians, women, and anti-apartheid activists, including South Africa's first democratic President, Nelson Rolihlahla Mendala and the founding leader of the Pan Africanist Congress, Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe, were all imprisoned on the Island.
Jan van Riebeeck first set a navigation aid atop Fire Hill (now Minto Hill),, the highest point on the island. Huge bonfires were lit at night to warn VOC ships of the rocks that surround the island. The current Robben Island lighthouse, built on Minto Hill in 1864, is 59 ft high and was converted to electricity in 1938. It is the only South African lighthouse to utilize a flashing light instead of a revolving light. [citation needed]. Its light is visible for 24 nautical miles.
We took a bus tour of the island in a rather rickety bus. Our guide, who was sentenced at age 17 in 1976, had been a political prisoner here until the 1990s. He talked about prison life on the island. We were taken to the lime quarry where Mandala toiled throughout his sentence here. The cave in the photo served as the latrine.
Our bus tour included a drive around the island where we observed a rocky coastline and a shipwreck,
Of course we entered the prison itself which was walled off with barbed wire.
And viewed the actual cell which house Mendala. One has to wonder how a man could endure such hardships and not harbor bitterness towards those who had placed him here.
When the tour was ended we re-boarded our ferry and headed back to Cape Town with Table Rock in the distance.
Tuesday, October 20th
After a good ol’ English breakfast we launched out into the wine country for which South Africa is well known. Our journey took us past Muizenberg and then over to the upper right on the map to
Stellenbosch. Our guide Andre was of Dutch blood and an Afrikaner. He was born here as was his father and his father before him. Our guide grew up in Drakenstein Prison where his father was employed as the prison warden. Needless to say, he was an interesting person for conversation.
First wine stop was at Nederburg winery.
We were to enjoy wine tasting with one of South Africa’s best known wines,The hostess at the welcome center started us off with champagne.
After our sampling session we toured the wine cellars of Nederburg.
After our tour of the bottling plant, we walked around the grounds and admired the early Dutch manor house, both outside and the inside.
Before leaving we took our last look at the vineyards.
Andre next drove us to the Drakenstein Prison where he grew up and his father served as warden. Andre’s brother guarded Mandala here for the 10 months before his release (after Robben’s Island). His brother said that Mandala was friendly and always said good morning to him. One time Mandala came over to talk to him and he expected something profound, but Mandala just wanted to inform him that a water pipe was broken and needed repair.
One commentator said it looks more like a boy’s school than a security prison.
Nearby was Franschhoek where Huguenot vineyards and wineries predominated. The valley was originally settled in 1688 by 176 French Huguenot refugees, many of whom were given land by the Dutch government in a valley that came to be known as Franschhoek (Afrikaans for "French Corner"), with many of the settlers naming their new farms after the areas in France from which they came.
This heritage is shown today by the Huguenot Monument which stands at the end of town.
The Dutch Reformed Church is used by the French Huguenots who are also of Calvinist background. Services are held in Dutch. All the people here of French background all speak Afrikaner (Dutch).
It seemed like every building and home were embellished with flowers.
A group of us men had lunch at the famous Gideon Pancake House. We all ordered Dutch pancakes. One of the Brits picked up my tab.
Next stop was Boschendal. Set against the backdrop of the Groot Drakenstein Mountains, Boschendal has over the past 300 years of its existence, become a heritage icon of the Cape wine lands. The wine making tradition dates back to 1685.
The Manor House with its classic H-shaped building, authentically furnished in period pieces, is one of the finest examples of Cape Dutch architecture and boasts the oldest yellow wood floors in the country.
Scenic gazebo on the grounds
Then the ultimate stop, Stellenbosch. It is the second oldest European settlement in the province, after Cape Town. The town became known as the City of Oaks due to the large number of oak trees that were planted by its founder, Simon van der Stel, to grace the streets and homesteads. Initially the oak trees were planted too provide wood for wine barrels, but because of the climate, the trees grew rapidly, producing porous wood not suitable for wine barrels.
Soon after the first settlers arrived, especially the French Huguenots, ,grapes were planted in the fertile valleys around Stellenbosch and soon it became the centre of the South African wine industry.
Stellenbosch University is one of South Africa's leading universities. This institution has a rich history dating back to 1863 and has 10 faculties. The University currently has about 25,000 students. Although the official language of the university is Afrikaans, most post-graduate courses are presented in English.
This institution was originally established in 1859 as a Theological Seminary to train ministers of the Dutch Reformed Church in South Africa (DRC). This makes it the oldest institution of its kind in the country. It is still accommodated in the same building, albeit with extensions. The DRC became
established in South Africa in the middle of the 17th century. In 1961 the Seminary amalgamated with the DRC Missionary Training Institute (established in 1877 at Wellington, South Africa) and in 1963 it became a Faculty of the University of Stellenbosch, which confers all degrees obtained at the Faculty. The University was formally established in 1918.
A typical Cape Dutch style house in Stellenbosch
Our last stop was a wine tasting session at Welmoed Winery and then, a little lightheaded, we headed home.
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