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MikeInTown
MikeInTown
First Reviewer
5 out of 5
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1
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4
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Peninsula Tour

  • February 3, 2007
  • Rated 5 of 5 by MikeInTown from Norristown, Pennsylvania
Peninsula Tour

Several tour companies in Cape Town offer this tour. Ours was through Thompsons Africa. It was an opportunity for us to see some of South Africa's jaw-dropping natural beauty. This full-day excursion took us on the winding roads through the mountains while never losing sight of the blue waters of the bays and ocean. We took a scenic, 45-minute boat ride (optional) to Seal Island to see a pod of seals lying on rocks and swimming in the water. I got a little nervous about how much the boat was leaning while everyone was on one side snapping pictures of these smelly creatures. After about ten minutes of seal viewing, the captain turned the boat around headed back to the dock.

Our van continued along the spectacular Chapman's Peak Drive stopping occasionally at gorgeous scenic overlooks before eventually arriving at the rugged shores of the Cape of Good Hope. Many early European explorers such as Bartolomeu Dias, Vasco da Gama, and Sir Francis Drake sailed around this peninsula with the mission of colonization and finding trade routes with the Far East. We took a picture behind the sign indicating we were at the most south-western point of the African Continent.

We were driven to Cape Point where we had a nice lunch (not included) at the Two Ocean Restaurant overlooking the ocean. We took a funicular ride up to the location of an old lighthouse where we could get a nice view of Cape Point jutting out into the ocean. People have said that the Atlantic and Indian Oceans meet at the Cape of Good Hope. Some have even said that you can actually see a line in the water at the junction. However, our tour guide explained that there is really no way to tell exactly where the oceans meet. It is more likely they meet much further east than this cape. Furthermore, the line that is sometimes seen has more to do with the ocean current and weather conditions.

The land we were riding through is actually the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve. It is known for its abundance of plant and animal life. It was not quite spring yet when we were there so there were not many flowers in bloom; however, we did spot some wildlife along the way. We saw whales, zebras, ostriches, and lizards. We made a stop at Boulders Beach to look at a colony of African penguins. They were originally called African jackass penguins because of the sound they make. They really do sound like donkeys. However, in recent years, the "jackass" has been dropped from their name. Tourists used to be allowed to walk on the beach with the penguins; however, it was decided later that it is probably better for the birds if the humans were kept at a distance. Therefore, a wooden walkway was built over the beach to allow people to observe the penguins without interfering with them. I thoroughly enjoyed the Cape Peninsula Tour.

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