Cape of Good Hope & Penguins

We headed South from Cape Town towards the Cape peninsula. Driving over the mountain passes, one is able to see the Atlantic and Indian Oceans on either side. The first stop was Simon's town located on False Bay, which is home to an African penguin colony. On a short hike along the beach, we spotted several penguins and some amazing beaches with crystal clear water and large boulders throughout. Then we went into the Boulders Beach National Park to learn more about the penguins. There were hundreds on their favorite beach spot, some of them jumping into the water looking for fish and waddling out. Several were molting, shedding their feathers to waterproof themselves, which occurs annually. During this time, they're unable to hunt for fish so they fatten up before. It was a pretty cool experience seeing the penguins in their natural habitat.

45 minutes further South, as far South as the land stretches, lies the Cape of Good Hope. A 15 minute hike took us to the lighthouse at Cape Point overlooking the vastness of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. This location was geographically important to sea farers because of the strong currents, high winds, and frequently bad weather encountered on the journey from Europe to the East Indies and back. The National Park also featured several baboons.

Afterwards, we enjoyed a delicious lunch in Simon's Town overlooking the sleepy harbor.

We chose Chapman's Peak Drive on the return journey, unbeknownst to us at the time that it is one of most renowned scenic drives in the world. The views were absolutely stunning: steep granite cliffs with hints of orange and red, deep blue water, more mountains rising from the water across Hout Bay, and vast green landscapes beyond the town, all under perfect sunshine. Having been on several amazing drives such as the Pacific Coast Highway and windy mountain roads along lakes in Colorado and Switzerland, we agree that this one tops the list.

Shortly after our return to the hotel, at around 6 PM, a dense fog rolled in around the bay. This is apparently typical during the summer months, but it can dissipate just as quickly as it appeared. We had an excellent dinner at the Harbour House in the waterfront area, and then Sina enjoyed a quick ride in a helicopter.Read more