Talking about the weather is daily ritual in Cape Town and reputations can be won or lost predicting what the next day will bring. That’s why seasoned paragliders usually say, “wait and see,” when asked where they will take off the next day. The weather at 34º south can provide just about every season in [...]
The tough, nutrient-poor leaves of fynbos are indigestible to most animals, apart from some highly adapted browsers like klipspringer and grysbok. Tortoises are probably the best adapted nibblers, as they can eat plants that are not only unpalatable, but are positively poisonous to other animals. To counteract these clever adaptations by animals, many plants have [...]
There is nowhere more colourful in Cape Town than the flower market at the lower end of Adderley Street, with masses of flowers at the best prices in town. Here are flower seller, Gairo Spannenberg’s top pick of March blooms and some flower meanings to take into account when buying: 1.) Carnations – give in [...]
Dolphins move so fast it is at times difficult to identify which type they are, but with this quick guide to the dolphins of Cape Town’s waters, you’ll have a better chance of getting it right (although it’s important to note that there is considerable colour variation). Dusky – This highly gregarious and acrobatic dolphin [...]
Cape Point seems like the end of the earth – next stop Antarctica. Staring out at an endless watery horizon can create a queasy agoraphobic shiver when you realise there is nothing but freezing cold southern ocean ahead of you. The horizon is so far away that you can see the earth beginning to curve. [...]
Sunfish, also known as Mola mola, are the most peculiar looking fish species found in the waters around Cape Town. These giants reach up to 3 metres in length and weigh about 2 tons – making them the heaviest bony fish in the world. Most fish look aerodynamically designed for their watery habitat, but not [...]
1.) Meat sizzling on a braai 2.) Suncream on a tanning body 3.) Freshly cut pineapple 4.) Scent of the salty ocean 5.) Sprigs of rosemary What are your most evocative summer smells?
“The north-west wind blows with such violence in Camps Bay as to pluck your cabbages right out of the ground and toss the garden soil into clouds of dust,” said an anonymous 19th century Cape diarist. This doesn’t resemble the Camps Bay we know today, which isn’t the kind of place you find many cabbages. [...]
Spontaneous celebrations at the abolition of slavery in 1834 brought people onto the streets in marches, music and dancing. This tradition survives today in the form of the Cape Town Minstrels Carnival and the party really gets started on Tweede Nuwe Jarr (Second New Year), when thousands of minstrels march and sing loudly through the [...]
Two of the top guys at Cape Grace – General Manager Nigel Pace and Operations Manager Andrew Rosettenstein – had their weddings within a couple of months of each other, we asked them for a few tips about the man’s role in wedding preparation and how to survive it! Pre-Wedding Tips Nigel: Turning up on [...]