Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Exploring in a double-decker
IT’S been a long-held opinion of mine we locals don’t always get out to experience the things we perceive as “touristy” and that’s a shame because although we go about our business and enjoy many other activities, there’s a great deal to be said for being a tourist in your own city.
In a similar vein, I’ve long been a fan of City Sightseeing and its various offerings. The famous red roofless buses have taken me on the Red City Route, the Blue Peninsula tour, the Purple Wine Route in Constantia and up Signal Hill for sunsets. We’ve been to the townships with La Gugu, cruised around the harbour at the V&A, and circumnavigated the two oceans in a motorcycle sidecar.
The latest offering is the Cape Point Explorer (CPE). It differs from the other bus tours in a few ways, the most obvious being the bus is not roofless. This does not detract from the tour in any way and in fact makes it more accessible during inclement weather. The interior is air conditioned and there are useful overhead USB ports for charging devices or whatever else you might want to stick in there. There is also a toilet, which is good to know for emergencies. The rule of any road trip though, is go before you set off.
It’s also not strictly hop- on hop-off, although there are two (or three, we’ll get to that) stops during the full-day tour which begins around 10am, depending where you get on, and ends at about 5.30pm.
Thirdly, the CPE employs the services of a live guide as opposed to the multilingual recordings on the other buses. Being such a long trip, one has to admire the ability of the guide (in our case, Ian Wallace) to keep up an informative and interesting patter all the way from the Two Oceans Aquarium to the first stop at Boulders, then to Cape Point (including the inevitable wait time in the queue at the entrance) and then all the way back to town. His monologue includes history and anecdotes, as well as pointing out places of interest.
The first stop is Boulders, where passengers get off to see the penguins. The colony is part of Sanparks so there is an entry fee (not included in the bus ticket, but available on board). From there, it’s a short ride to Cape Point.
On the way, Ian warned us over and over about the baboons – not to feed, and to beware – they would in all likelihood steal the food from our mouths. Not being our first rodeo, my friend and I were the only ones who had packed our own picnic, but with the terror struck into our very souls these marauding monkeys would snatch away even our glasses of bubbly, we did a few quick photo opps before retreating back to the safety of the bus to eat our lunch. That there were no baboons in sight meant nothing; we were assured they would emerge from the bushes the moment we put out our plates.
After lunch we took the Flying Dutchman funicular to the lighthouse at the point where the two oceans do not meet. This ticket is not included in the price of the tour, but can also be bought on board.
During this layover, there are two options: get back on the bus and drive down to the edge of the ocean for a quick 15-minute stop, or leave a bit earlier and walk down guided, which takes about 45 minutes. We went by bus.
After departing Cape Point, the bus winds its way back to the Two Oceans Aquarium via Misty Cliffs, Scarborough and Kommetjie and over Ou Kaapse Weg. From there, you can catch a connecting bus back to the point from which you began or explore the V&A Waterfront, have dinner, listen to some live music or watch a movie.
Our verdict? A fabulous day out. We were blessed with spectacularly good weather and it was a wonderful opportunity to take in a few moments here and there just to stand back, breathe and appreciate the natural beauty of the Cape of Good Hope or simply gaze out of the window at the magnificent scenery. Please. Treat yourself. The Cape Point Explorer runs daily with staggered departure times from 9.45am from selected hotels and stops in Camps Bay, Sea Point, Green Point and the city, as well as City Sightseeing tour offices at stop 1 (V&A Waterfront) and stop 5 (Long Street, where you can grab a Kamali coffee from the newly expanded HQ).
Book online or at City Sightseeing ticket offices. Tickets are also available from bus drivers, subject to availability. When booking, make sure you state your pick-up point. Tickets are valid only for the stipulated day booked.
Cost: R550 for adults (age 12 and up) and R275 for children aged 2 to 11. Buy online and save: adults pay R530. This includes entrance to the Cape Point Nature Reserve (well worth it when you know it costs R135 a person on its own) and the live guided tour in English.
Excluded are lunch, entrance to Boulders, and the Flying Dutchman funicular (if required, one way or return) at Cape Point.
www.citysightseeing.co.za