Cape Town Car Hire

Immortalized by films like Jaws and stories that have been told around the fire at night, Sharks are feared by many and yet very few of the species are known to actually attack humans and on the rare occasion that they do it is mostly always a case of mistaken identity or territoriality. In the past very little was known about these amazing species hence their terrifying legends but as more research is done into the different species and their habits an understanding is being developed that is debunking all those amazing out there legends. The majority species that can be found in and around South Africa are the Great White, Whale Shark, Hammerhead, Bull Shark and Tiger Shark.
The Great White Shark:

The one and only shark that was the main character of the jaws films. This interesting shark is a larger member of the Lamniformes whose characteristics include 2 dorsal fins, and anal fin, five gill slits, eyes without nictitating membranes and a mouth extending behind the eyes. Its scientific name is Carcharodon Carcharias which comes from the Greek words Karcharos, meaning sharp or jagged, and odous, meaning tooth. The shark can grow to the size of 20-21 feet but usually you will find sharks that are 15-18 feet long. Its favorite food are pinnipeds (such as seals and sea lions) but they are also known to eat fish, porpoises, dolphins, whale carcasses and some times sea turtles, penguins, sea otters and other shark and have also known to be cannibalistic.

Whale Shark
Belonging to the Rhincodon genus and the Rhincodontidae family, the whale shark is considered to be the largest fish in the world, hence the name. It is a slow filter feeding shark that is harmless and can even be playful with divers, except when divers are accidentally struck by the fins or tail. It prefers to inhabit tropical and warm temperate waters and feeds on Phytoplankton, macro-algae, plankton, krill and small nektonic (animals which are able to swim on their own against currents in fresh and salty water) life forms such as squid and vertebrates. The females are ovoviviparous (gestation occurs in the uterus after birth from an egg) giving birth to live young which can be between 40 and 60cms long. They generally reach sexual maturity at 30 and can live well over 100years. Considered to be a deity in Vietnamese religion, calling the animal Ca Ong which literally translates into “sir fish.”

Hammerhead shark:

(Images found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hammerhead_shark)
Belonging to the genus Sphyrna which comes from the Greek term meaning Hammer and the family Sphyrnidae, there are 9 subspecies:
Scalloped Hammerhead

Hammerheads are found in warmer water along coastlines and continental shelves. They are ferocious predators which eat, fish, rays, cephalopods and crustaceans. The hammerhead is unusual from other sharks in the fact that it has internal fertilization and gestation, lasting 10-12months similar to mammals; they give birth to live young and range in size from 0.9-6m.
Bullshark
(Image found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bull_shark)
The Bullshark is also known as the Bull whaler, Zambezi Shark or Nicaragua shark. It is well known for its unpredictable and often aggressive behavior and it is by scientists that as they prefer to dwell in shallow waters and as they also tolerate fresh water, often found 1000 miles upriver, that they are possibly the biggest threat to humans out of all the sharks. Its name derives from its stocky shape, broad flat snout and aggressive unpredictable behavior. Commonly found in coastal areas of warm oceans, in river, lakes and some times in deeper streams. They can grow to between 2m and 4m long and the females are usually larger than the males.

Tigershark
(Image found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiger_shark)
This shark is known to be the 2nd largest predatory shark in the world and grows to an average size of 3.25m to 4.25m; there have been cases though of species that were caught that turned out to be larger than 6.5m. Enjoys tropical to subtropical waters but can also be found in temperate waters and can be mainly found around the tropical islands in the Pacific Ocean. Its name derives from the dark stripes running down its body and these tend to fade as it grows older. Its usual diet consists of fish, seals, birds, smaller sharks, squid and turtles although tires, license plates, suits of armor and other man made objects have been found in its digestive tract giving it the name “the waste basket of the sea.” It usually gives birth to live young with litters of between 10 and 80 sharks. It is considered, along with bullsharks and great white sharks, to be the most dangerous shark to man due to its unusual feeding habits.

The best diving spots in South Africa are Aliwal shoal, considered to be among the top 10 diving spots in the world and situated in Kwazulu natal, Gansbaai (Dyer Island) in Western Cape, Mosselbaai in Western Cape, Protea banks in Kwazulu Natal, and Sodwana Bay in Kwazulu Natal. Here you can experience both shark cage diving and free diving for those braver souls although it is always at your own risk. There are many tour operators that organize diving with sharks so just contact the nearest info centre for the most reliable.

Labels: Cape Town. Cape Town Car Rental, Shark diving

As I’ve shown many a time in these blogs South Africa is definitely and unequivocally one of the best tourist destinations in the world and owing to the strength of the local currency in accordance to the dollar it is also a very affordable holiday destination for overseas visitors. Like any country though there are some popular places that tourists cannot get enough of and they just keep coming back for more. The 10 most popular tourist hot spots in South Africa are the Kruger National park, Table Mountain, the Garden Route, Robben Island, V&A Waterfront, the beautiful beaches, Sun City resort, Cultural Villages, The cradle of Human kind and Soweto.

The Kruger National Park
The size of the Kruger National Park stands close to 2 Million Hectares and it is roughly the size of Germany. Through its years of dedication to Nature conservation it has become the leader in advanced environmental management techniques and policies. It has a vast amount of fauna and animal life and the list of species to date stands at 336 tree species, 49 fish species, 34 Amphibian species, 114 Reptile species, 507 Bird species and 147 Mammal species. With such a variety and diversity in natural attributes you cannot help feel like you’ve walked into paradise. Most people usually go in for trying to spot the bigger animals the park has to offer and totally miss the smaller, often more fascinating species, so word of advice find out more about the types of tree and animal species that the park has to offer from your ranger while out on those drives or walks. The more you know about the surroundings the more magical the park will become. You can also discover more about the cultures that have dwelled in the park through its history by the Rock Painting they left behind and the Archeological sites that are being worked on in the park. The Kruger conservation is as passionate about preserving its history as it is about preserving its natural life.

Table Mountain
Spanning about 1086m above sea level, Table Mountain is a wonderful unique area with Cape Town surrounding its base. Many activities can be enjoyed on Table Mountain and it makes a wonderful hiking area. Popular routes up the mountain are Platteklip Gorge, the Back Table route, nursery ravine, The Bridle path and Skeleton Gorge. The mountain can be accessed from Constantia neck, Cecilia forest, Kirstenbosch, Newlands forest and Rhodes memorial. The cave systems of Table Mountain are very unusual as they consist mainly of Sandstone where as most Cave systems in the world consist of limestone. The biggest of these are the Wynberg cave system located on the Back Table.

Garden Route
Stretching from Heidelberg to the Tsitsikama forest and storms river, it is considered to be the most beautiful route in South Africa with popular visitors spots, Tsitsikama forest, Cango Caves, The Bloukraans bridge which is incidentally where the highest bungee jump in the world is, Knysna and much, much more. Entertainment can be found everywhere along the route with such diversity that it’s too numerous to mention. Depending on how fast you travel the average rout will take you around a week to complete so plan it carefully around your time frame.

Robben Island
Literally translated from Dutch as Seal Island, not to be confused with the actual seal island off of False Bay and lies 7-11kms of the coast of Cape Town. It has an incredible history dating back to the Stone Age. People inhabited Robben island during the Stone Age when it wasn‘t an island. It used to be a flat topped hill within walking distance from where Cape Town now lies and became an Island after the flooding of parts of the world due to the melting ice of the Ice Age. From the 17th century it has mainly housed prisoners and between 1836 and 1931 it was home to a leper colony. After the 2nd world war it became a prison and in 1959 a maximum security prison was built here. From 1961 to 1991 it housed more than 3000 political prisoners. The Island is Arid and a pipeline for fresh water was laid in 1965 stretching from Cape Town. Before that in the early 20th century, bore holes were sunk but these were soon taken over by sea water. It has a national park and today you can still see the antelope and other wildlife introduced to the island by the warden of the island in 1960. Robin Island is today a national heritage site and can be accessed by Ferry via the V&A Waterfront.

V&A Waterfront
Historically this busy harbour was constructed by Prince Alfred in 1860, he was the 2nd son of Queen Elizabeth and named the 1st basin after himself and the 2nd basin after his mother, hence the name. It is now undergoing a massive restoration known as the Victoria and Alfred development project and the entire restoration costs exceeds an amount of 8 Billion Rand. The most fascinating thing about the V&A is that it is a busy commercial harbour set in the centre of a massive entertainment area which incorporates, pubs, restaurants, Specialty Shops, Craft Markets, Theatres, museums, movies, hotels, luxury apartments and the two oceans aquarium and it is the most visited tourist destination in South Africa.

Coastal Beaches
South Africa has 2 coastlines, the Atlantic to the west and the Indian to the East. The best swimming beaches are situated along the Indian Ocean Coastline as it is a warm current making the waters very pleasant to swim in. The Atlantic side has some wonderful beaches that are very popular but have very cold water due to the cold Benguela current come up from the Arctic Ocean. Favorite beaches are Margate (Indian Ocean), Clifton (Atlantic), Camps Bay (Atlantic), Warner Beach (Indian), Amanzimtoti (Indian), Banana beach (Indian) and Big Bay (Atlantic).

Sun City Resort
An amazing holiday resort that offers everything the imagination can think about. It has 4 hotels, Palace of the lost city, Cascades, Sun City Hotel and the Cabanas.
The Palace of the lost city is a fairy style palatial hotel featuring opulent luxury, beautiful mosaics and frescoes, hand painted ceilings and every amenity to make you feel like royalty. The prices per night range from between R4655-00 to R46700-00 but look out for specials.
The Cascades hotel is the grand old lady of Sun City Resort and is named after the tumbling waters flowing through the lush tropical forest in which it’s set. Prices here range from between R2790-00 to R16900-00 per night.
The Sun City hotel was the 1st of the 4 hotels at the resort and has a 24hr room service. Prices range from R2375-00 to R8700-00 per night.
Cabanas is wonderful for families, having areas that look after and entertain the kids, which leave the parent’s time to enjoy some of the other entertainments at the resort. It is also a fantastic place for the entire family to enjoy time together. Prices range from R2045-00 to R2520-00 per night.
Activities that can be enjoyed at Sun City resort are numerous but here are a few that I enjoyed, Elephant back riding, Quad biking, Archery, Clay pigeon shooting, balloon safaris, the Pilanesberg national (for wild game viewing), 2 world class golf courses, The crocodile park, Valley of the waves with the lazy river and the exhilarating 17m high water slide (where your boxers become g-strings, Water sports (on Sun City lake), a Sauna and the pool bars. There is also more adult style entertainments like the jungle casino with the ever popular dream machine making people millionaires, cabaret shows and live entertainment.

Cultural villages
Cultural villages is a new initiative that has come around due to the growing demand from foreign visitors to learn more about the different cultures in South Africa. Here the traditional lifestyles of the people are in an environment that encourages the visitor to be apart of the proceedings. You will be able to witness traditional dancing and rituals, see the type of lifestyles traditionally led by these people and bear witness to their belief systems. Some of the villages are mentioned here but there are many more dotted around the country. Basotho Cultural villages show huts from the 16th century to present day and you can see people in traditional roles accurately depicting accurately depicting the lifestyle and architecture of South Sotho. Kosi Bay in Northern Kwazulu Natal is a community owned tourism camp that has been established on the shores of Lake Bangazi. Here visitors can experience first hand the lifestyle of the indigenous people.
Further south from Kosi Bay is the 4 star luxury hotel Zululand which has a perfectly constructed Zulu Kraal dating back to the time of Shaka Zulu. There are 40 huts which make up this fascinating village. Bothshabelo historical village shows the life and culture of the colorful Ndebele people. Lying 12kms west of Middelburg it was set up by the Middelburg Town Council as a Typical Ndebele Village. Another Ndebele village just out of Cullinan near Bronkhorstspruit provides demonstrations of traditional art works, including bead work, weaving and the famous hut painting.
Groot Marico in the North West Province is a place where you can witness the lifestyles of the Voortrekkers. It was one of the 1st places settled by the Voortrekkers in Transvaal and a mampoer (a potent liquor made from fruit) tour, and a cultural tour to old farmhouses (where bread is till baked in an outside oven) are a must. In the farm house tour you would be able to try other cultural cuisine, such as Melk tert (milk tart) and gemmer bier (ginger beer).

The Cradle of Human Kind
A cave system covering 47000 hectares of mostly private owned land, it comprises a strip of a dozen dolomite limestone caves containing the fossilized remains of ancient forms of animals, plants and most importantly Hominids. Hominids are your early ancestors and are reported to have split from the African Ape around 5-6 million years ago. To date 850 hominid fossils have been discovered in this system and it cements the belief that all human species originally came from Africa.

Soweto
A mix of black cultures, with a history that was central to the uprising and a people that are a special mix of sophisticated and street wise, it’s not hard to see why Soweto has become such a popular tourist destination. Once a home to Nelson Mandela and other famous political leaders, it was started as a black settlement in 1904 for workers looking for jobs on the mines. The name changed to South Western Townships and then to Soweto which is the Acronym of the original name. It is considered to be the most populace black residential area in the Country with a population of just over 2 million. It is now the site of a major development and renewal project running into the billions with shopping centers, hotels, museums, parks and many other fascinating things been developed. Housing which had no structure in the past is being redone and new residential areas are being developed to accommodate the ever increasing population. The guest houses in the different rural areas are always friendly and welcoming and although not luxurious will definitely leave you with a sense of well being and a better understanding of this amazing community.

Labels: Cape Town Car Rental, Car Rental Cape Town

Cape Town in winter can be a very wet place, a lot of the outdoor activities tend to take a back seat when the rains hit and people often don’t what to do with themselves when the grey clouds gather and the soft rain falls. Cape town can be as an exciting place indoors as outdoors with many good an fun activities and for those who like a bit of spice then there are also many under the cover activities in Cape Town.

For those animal lovers who need to be indoors for a bit.

Places like the Two Oceans Aquarium at the V&A waterfront, with over 3000 animal species type is the perfect place to visit. Here you can see certain sea bird species, water mammals, many different fish types, a Kelp forest and much, much more. For more information contact the aquarium at +27 (0) 21 418 3823.

There is also the spectacular Butterfly World near Paarl is another land of wonder. It is an enclosed garden wonder world that is abound with beautiful flying color. It also features a restaurant where you can obtain refreshment and you can stay as long as you like learning about the different species and how to distinguish them. For more information contact +27 (0) 21 875 5628.

For the Kids

Do you enjoy playing the casino and worry about the kids, Grand West has a fantastic kid’s area that is called magic village. Here you will find a shooting gallery, go carting, racing, rocking boats, and video arcades. For more information contact +27 (0) 21 534 0244.

The icy temperatures call for some warming activities like ice skating. Grand west has an Olympic sized ice rink and just outside a small ice rink for the younger children. Put those blades on and go and enjoy. Contact +27 (0) 21 535 2260 for times and prices.

For the older kids or adults who are still kids at heart then go and try the Kenilworth Kart racing track in Kenilworth behind Access Park. For times and prices contact +27 (0) 21 682 2670/ 6174.

Want to do a bit of shopping and get the younger ones out of your hair for a bit then go to Jimmy’s jungle in the Tygervalley Shopping centre, Claremont or Summerset West. Which caters for children between 6 and 9, for more information contact the head office at +27 (0) 21 556 5034.

Worried that your kids don’t get the exercise that they need and don’t get out of the house much then go to SSISA Kids Club, it has specific programs that are designed with kids in mind and take place 4 days a week. For more information contact +27 (0) 21 659 5600.

For a bit of fun with those kids parties or outings why not go and try Laser Quest which is a harmless action packed shooting area Laser game. Situated in Claremont, for more information contact +27 (0) 21 683 7296.

For family outings

Enjoy your golf, then go and try out the spectacular indoor put put course at the V&A waterfront. Very economical and challenging, contact +27 (0) 21 419 9429 for more information.

Want to learn more about South Africa’s precious and semi precious stones the come and visit the scratch patch and have a go at starting your collection. Situated in Simons town and the V&A Waterfront, for more information contact +27 (0) 21 786 2020 for Simons Town and +27 (0) 21 419 9429 for the V&A Waterfront.

Enjoy your star Gazing then come and visit the planetariums in Cape Town and surrounds for a very peaceful, relaxing and awe inspiring time. There are 2 worth mentioning, the SAAO in Observatory, contact +27 (0) 21 447 0025 and Iziko planetarium at the top of the Cape Town gardens, contact +27 (0) 21 481 3900.

Ten Pin Bowling is a game traditionally going as far back as the early Egyptians and has spread very fast around the world. A good action packed and challenging game for the whole family. There is one in the Tygervalley shopping complex +27 (0) 21 914 8217, N1 city +27 (0) 21 595 2100, Claremont +27 (0) 21 671 1893, and in Somerset West +27 (0) 21 850 0254.

For the young individuals and older Jollers, Cape Town is alive with vibrancy and has entertainments that would keep you partying late into the early hrs of the morning. Try Long Street for a good pub and club crawl or visit Stellenbosch (a university town) for an incredible party.

Labels: Cape Town - Places, Cape Town Car Rental

Voted among the top 10 cities in the world to visit, Cape Town is a definite must see. Being the only city of it’s kind to have a solitary mountain rising from it’s centre, Cape Town has a history of natural beauty, cultural clash and peace, turmoil and rest, incredible night life, and relaxed day time frolics.
For ease of direction and to give you a focal point to start on, the Cape has been divided into 4, Central Cape, Cape Town North, Cape Town South, and Cape Town East.

Central Cape:
This area is situated at the foot of the table mountain and includes the CBD, the city beaches along the Atlantic seaboard. The sights and places to visit in the Cape Central area are Museum Mile, The company gardens, Green Market Square, St Georges mall, the Bo Kaap, V&A Waterfront and much more.
If it’s the surf that you’re after then here are the beach side suburbs of Central Cape, Bakoven, Bantry Bay, Camps Bay, Clifton, Fresnaye, Green Point, Mouille Point, Sea Point, Three Anchor Bay, Llandudno and Hout Bay. Full of culture and history Cape central is the hub of culture and life in the cape and there isn’t time to be bored with the things you can see and do.

Cape Town North
The Area found between the Blouberg coastline and Tygerberg hills and incorporates Milnerton, Sunset Beach, Bloubergstrand, Table View, Atlantis, Melkbosstrand, Durbanville, Century City, Pinelands, Goodwood, Parow, Bellville and Langa.
The area’s attractions are the Durbanville wine route which is synonymous with its fantastic crisp Sauvignon Blanc.
You have numerous shopping complexes where you can find anything from African curious to Wellness clinics.
The area boasts a Sun international casino, Grand west, for entertainment which ranges from gambling to opera with all the drama that goes with it, the area also offers bars, restaurants, clubs, and various other entertainments for a special holiday.

Cape Town South
A beautiful area which boasts 2 coastlines and a mountain, an area full of wonder and housing most of the main attractions that Cape Town is famous for. Here you have Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, The Table Mountain national park, Cape point (reputed to be the Southern most point of Africa), Boulders beach which is home to the famous Jackass (African) penguin and where you will see whale sightings from between May and September.
You have numerous wine routes with the Constantia wine route boasting the oldest wine estate in South Africa called Groot Constantia. You also have numerous shopping experiences to visit including Cavendish Square and some wonderful arts a curious shops set all along the way.
It is home to two of the most popular sorting stadiums in South Africa, namely the Newlands cricket grounds and the Newlands rugby Stadium. It is also home to the University of Cape Town where academia excels.
The suburbs of the area are Mowbray, Rondebosch, Newlands, Claremont, Kenilworth, Landsdowne, Wynberg, Constantia and Tokai. Seaside villages of Muizenberg, Zeekoeivlei, St James, Kalk Bay, Clovelly, Fish Hoek, Simon's Town, Scarbourough, Kommetjie and Noordhoek. As well as the infamous Cape flats suburbs of Athlone, Grassy Park, Gugulethu and Mitchell's Plain.


Cape Town East
Here you will a feast of scenery with beautiful coastlines, inebriating vineyards, and rugged enchantment. Come and drive along Clarence Drive which is widely regarded as one of the top 10 most scenic drives in the world. It also has the Hottentot Holland Mountain Range and the Helderberg Mountain Range to boast its magnificence and to show that it is a place where nature lovers can come and play to there hearts content with open areas, hiking, fishing, Surfing, and many other good open air activities.
What is traveling without your own vehicle, come and rent a car in cape town from us at www.wisewheels.co.za and get the best deals on offer.

For more tourist information go to www.tourismcapetown.co.za

Labels: Cape Town Car Hire, Cape Town Car Rental, Cape Town Tourism

Cape Town the mother city, land of peace harmony and loads of fun but what few people realize is that Cape Town and the Western Cape Province have quite a few strategically placed reserves where you can discover all types of wondrous fauna, animal life and exquisite beauty. Things such as Poisonous snakes and the none lethal variety, different types of antelope, reptiles and bird life are abound in these reserves where the delicate eco balance is harmoniously at work to balance out life in these secluded areas.
This article is a list of the different reserves and the type of animal and plant life available within. I will also try to supply a link to each reserve where-ever one is available.

The Table mountain National park, is a beautiful reserve set almost entirely in the greater Cape Town Metropolitan area, incidentally it is the only reserve in the world of its type that has such a richness of beauty and biodiversity. Here you can find the world renowned fynbos, Jackass penguins and breathtaking whale sittings and breaching. If you are lucky then you will also spot some of the smaller antelope, reptile and bird species that inhabit the area. For information of this go to

The west coast national park is famous for its spectacular scenery and incredible variety of seabirds. Situated just inland from the secluded harbor of Saldanah the park boast the azure waters of Langebaan lagoon as its focal point. Species to look out for are the Cape Gannet, Jackass (African) penguin, Flamingo’s, Waders, and Black Harrier. Go to http://www.sanparks.org/parks/west_coast/ for more information.

The Cederberg wilderness area is named after the rare Clanwilliam Cedar tree and encompasses 71000 Ha or mountainous terrain. Fynbos is the main type of fauna to be found here with a diverse amount of animal species such as Baboons, dassies, grey rhebok, klipspringers, duiker and grysbok which are common. You also may be lucky enough to find porcupine, honey badger, Cape clawless otter and aardvark but these are rare and not easily spotted. The main predator in the reserve is the leopard but you can also find the African wild cat, lynx, bat-eared fox, aardwolf and Cape fox wondering around. For more information go to http://www.capenature.org.za/reserves.htm?reserve=Cederberg+Wilderness+Area

Groot Winterhoek Wilderness area covers about 30608 ha and has many endangered fauna and animal species within its borders. The main vegetation type is fynbos and the reserve has the threatened Sorocephalus scabridus, a member of the protea family, growing at Kliphuisvlakte. A variety of animals abide here including the more commonly seen Klipspringers, grey rhebok and grysbok and the lesser seen Leopard, Caracal, wild cat, mongoose, genet. There are 100 different types of bird species including Cape rockjumper and numerous raptors like black eagle, goshawk and jackal buzzard. For any needs go to http://www.capenature.org.za/reserves.htm?reserve=Groot+Winterhoek+Wilderness+Area&PHPSESSID=c614b909887ae2843b70d24e67809a9c#reserve_tabs

Anysberg Nature Reserve occurs within the Cape Fold Mountains and comprises an area of 62500 ha. The terrain runs from gentle plains to rugged mountain scenery, it has a variety of plant life from succulents to proteas and some amazing animal life such as steenbok, duiker, gemsbok, red hartebeest, Leopard, black-backed jackal and caracal. The Reptile species include tortoise, boomslang, Cape cobra and puff adder. To find out more go to http://www.capenature.org.za/reserves.htm?reserve=Anysberg+Nature+Reserve#reserve_tabs

Hottentot Holland nature reserve is a 42000 ha nature reserve set in the Hottentots Holland mountain range. The reserve is there to protect the indigenous mountain fynbos and a few animals such as Grey Rhebok, klipspringer, common duiker, grysbok and Leopard can be found there. Go to http://www.capenature.org.za/reserves.htm?reserve=Hottentots+Holland+Nature+Reserve#reserve_tabs to find out more about this rugged reserve.

De Hoop nature reserve forms as a part of one of the worlds most threatened plant kingdoms. The cape floral kingdom has fynbos as its main vegetation group and is largely confined to nutrient poor soils in the winter rainfall areas of the Western Cape. It is the largest reserve for this type of fauna having approximately 1500 of the 9000 species in the kingdom. For more information go to http://www.capenature.org.za/reserves.htm?reserve=De+Hoop+Nature+Reserve#reserve_tabs

Bontebok national park is an amazing park all round. Named after the Bontebok that inhabits it, the species were on a brink of extension numbering only 17 and have been bought back to life, so to say, numbering 3000 today. Bontebok isn’t all you can find in the park though it is home to over 200 bird species, has Renoster veld (grows in nutrient rich soil types) and fynbos (grows in nutrient poor soil types) within its kingdom and a wide variety of animal species. The 5 major sites to see are Bontebok, Cape Mountain Zebra, Stanley’s Bustard Breede River, and Lang Elsie’s Kraal. For more information go to http://www.sanparks.org/parks/bontebok/

Sanbona wildlife reserve is a wild game reserve in the heart of the Little Karoo. It is a 54000 ha reserve with rock art and big cats, it is incidentally the first private reserve in the Western Cape to have free roaming big cats roaming around its interior. It has a good variety of big game and is also home to the rare ravine rabbit. To find out more about specials and visiting the spectacular reserve then go to http://www.sanbona.com/properties/?MicroSiteID=3

Swartberg nature reserve can be found in the Oudtshoorn district and is bordered by the Gamkapoort nature reserve to the north and the Towerkop nature reserve to the south; these two reserves are incidentally not open to the public but run in conjunction with Swartberg nature reserve. The entire conservation area together is a staggering 180000ha large and is critical to the management of mountain catchments and water yields in the area. The area has an amazing diversity of plant life and some of the classifications are featuring Renosterveld, mountain fynbos, Karoo-veld, spekboom veld, and numerous geophyte species. It is also home to many animal species including klipspringer, grey Rhebok, kudu, baboon, dassies, springbok, Leopard and caracal. For more info go to http://www.capenature.org.za/reserves.htm?reserve=Swartberg+Nature+Reserve#reserve_tabs

Karoo national Park is a harsh environment where many species have adapted to living in the harshest of areas. Many species of animal to be found in the park have always been naturally found there but a few species have been reintroduced into the eco system such as black rhino and buffalo, and Cape mountain zebra. There are also over 20 breeding pairs of black eagle who have found sanctuary within the park. For more information go to http://www.sanparks.org/parks/karoo/

These diverse areas in the Western Cape show the amazing beauty that this area does have to offer. So next time you come to the Cape don’t only think sun sea sand and fun since there is so much more to do. Plan your trip carefully and if you want to get around come and hire a car from us at www.wisewheels.co.za

Labels: Cape Town - General, Cape Town Holiday

JACUZZI TIME! Everybody loves them – its just the amount that you are willing to pay. Here are some spas, guest houses and hotels with jacuzzi's around the Western Cape.

Get to any of these great places with one of our great cars from Wise Wheels Car Rental.

Luxury accommodation

Cape Grace at the V&A Waterfront
5 star luxury hotel with spa set on the top floor where it has panoramic views of Table Mountain, the Waterfront and Cape Town. Pricey, but really amazing.

The cheapest room you will find is around R4500.00 per night, and if you want to splurge - you can hire a penthouse suite for R12,000.00 + per night

Further out, is another luxury guest house, Rea Lou in Franschhoek - some of the rooms have a Jacuzzi on suite. Prices are:

Harley Room R700.00 per night
Cape Dutch Room R900.00 per night
Spa Bath Room R1,000.00 per night
Honeymoon Room R1,100.00 per night
Family Room R1,200.00 per night
Ursula Family Room R1,200.00 per night


Middle of the range

Mountview Spa and Guest Lodge has 4 star accommodations with reasonable pricing

Out of season, you are looking at between R450.00 - R750.00 per night, and out of season it will set you back R550.00 - R795.00 per night

Sacred Mountain Guest Lodge has luxury and elegance with a 4 star rating:

From R395 sharing for all cottages and suites. Ask about pricing for the children!
Luxury Self catering cottage or suite from R585 p/unit p/n. Breakfast may be taken at an additional cost of R75pp.

More Affordable Accommodation

SaltyCrax Backpackers is ideal for water sports enthusiasts with its own heated Jacuzzi.
Prices are as follows:
Double En-suite: R300 p/n
Private Doubles/Triples and Family Rooms: 1 person R200, 2ppl R250, 3ppl R360, 4ppl R420

Labels: Cape Town Car Hire, Cape Town Car Rental, Cape Town Holiday, Cape Town jacuzzi

THE Cape Town Book Fair will take place in the Cape Town International Convention Centre from 16 to 19 June.

Over 200 published South African authors will be at the Fair signing copies of their books and discussing their work.

The human rights activist and man who defended Mandela where he was imprisoned for 27 years at the Rivonia treason trial, advocate George Bizos, will be discussing his much anticipated autobiography.

The Fair will host exhibitions by publishers from Africa, Europe, the United Kingdom and elsewhere. More than 300 events including readings, book launches, panel discussions and seminars will take place.

The Cape Town Book Fair is a joint venture between the Publisher’s Association of South Africa (PASA) and the Frankfort Book Fair.Tickets are on sale at computicket.com.
Article from http://www.paarlpost.com/
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Labels: Cape Town - Events