Day 10 Franschhoek + Hermanus by Millen

After saying our goodbyes to Lovemore, Billy and the brilliant breakfasts they had cooked up we hit the road again, heading to Babylonstoren the vineyard not the wonder. However it was quite the wonder- it’s another vineyard and hotel but it’s just a whole “experience” with a huge working farm that you can wander around that is similar to RHS gardens at home . There are several restaurants on site as well as the most luxurious shops.. ooh and even a wine museum!!!

You were greeted with donkeys and chickens running around. It was blood orange season, so the farm was filled with them and I mean filled, even in the reception there was mounds and mounds of oranges. They were also selling orange juice which was so fresh it tingled in your mouth. Even the lifestyle and home section was spectacular, they almost had enough variety of handcream that I could have one for each day of the month. The peace and serenity of the area is hard to capture with words, so it was hard to say bye, but eventually we did.

We were heading for Hermanus next . This coastal town in South Africa’s Western Cape, has earned a global reputation for whale watching and for good reason. Recognised by the WWF as one of the world’s top 12 whale-watching spots, it offers some of the best land-based whale viewing anywhere. The calm, shallow waters of Walker Bay attract Southern Right Whales, Humpbacks and Bryde whales each year, who come here to mate and calve, creating reliable and often breathtaking sightings. But whales aren’t the only stars of the show. The area’s rich marine life includes dolphins, Cape Fur Seals, African Penguins, and a wide variety of seabirds, turning most outings into a full wildlife experience.

We actually booked our tour Gaansbaai, a ghostly coastal town across the bay from Hermanus .
After being briefed, we headed out to the water putting on our life vest and flattering jacket before venturing on to the boat.

Day 10 Whale watching continued by Simi

Unfortunately Millen suffered from a bit of sea sickness so spent a lot of the journey horizontal so I’m writing this up for him!
We were hoping for the Marine big 5… clearly we were totally sucked in by the marketing … but these are the whale, dolphin, shark, penguin and seal.
The sea was unbelievably rough with the surge a startling 6-10 foot around us. So many people
Were throwing up and looking positively green! The captain of the ship didn’t seem to be phased by this at all and just kept his foot firmly in the accelerator and we were really going at quite a pace!

We eventually stopped and waited .. it wasn’t an easy wait as the surge was so high so people were still being sick but somehow despite a rather slow start it all turned around.. and quite unbelievably we found ourselves literally just a few feet away from a couple of amazing humpback whales .. we identified them quickly by their blowholes and could not believe their size. They were huge. We were lucky enough to see them playing in the water and swimming besides us. It was one of the most memorable things in nature I have ever seen. We were with them for a good 30 mins or so and really didn’t want to leave but clearly the captain wanted us to tick off as many of the big 5 so we zoomed off to Dyer Island, which is home to a colony of African or jackass penguins, as well as Geyser Rock, home to an incredible 50,000 Cape fur seals. The seals were great fun to watch - but the smell was not so fantastic!  We loved watching these creatures and getting to see them interacting in their natural habitat . It was totally awesome.

Some trips also take part in Shark Alley, where sharks can normally be seen gliding through the water. Our boat company also had trips for caged divers so they took us out to see this trip- this was not comfortable viewing actually.
It felt more like a circus with the boat men throwing meat out for the shark as baits. Obviously we still stood there totally mesmerised trying to click the perfect shot but it’s not how I had hoped to see these magnificent marine creatures - it felt totally staged and more like the zoo. It wasn’t good watching and I was more than happy seeing three of the marine 5 but it was still a privilege to see these Bronze whaler sharks, (also known as copper sharks) who we were told are considered potentially dangerous to humans, although they are not typically aggressive.. thanks God!
We returned to dry land still exhilarated by what we had seen though . It was pretty amazing !



Back to Millen!

Luckily I felt better by the time we were back and the warming soup they provided helped me feel better too- it was totally brilliant seeing these animals but I was very relived to be off the boat!

We were actually staying in Hermanus. It is known as the whale capital, but also an area recommended for elderly people, because of the tranquility
From that description I think you would get the vibe of the place. After dumping our stuff at our apartment , we quickly headed out to look at places for dinner. We eventually landed at Pear Tree Cafe. The food was delicious. Dad and I shared lots of small dishes and the highlight for me and dad were the hake wraps.Read more