Local Expert
René & Andrew
Rene is a registered guide in Cape Town and the surrounding areas i.e. West Coast, Winelands, Overberg, Route 62 & Garden Route.I have lived in Cape Town all my life and know all the secrets of this…
Rene is a registered guide in Cape Town and the surrounding areas i.e. West Coast, Winelands, Overberg, Route 62 & Garden Route.I have lived in Cape Town all my life and know all the secrets of this vibrant city. Andrew has travel the world & has now settled in South Africa. We specialise in custom made tours, audio tours and aternative tourism. We speak English and Afrikaans and a good few words and phrases in a few of the 11 official languages that there are in South Africa. We are interested in Culture, History, Wildlife, Music... and are keen photographers.
"George" is the new addition to our family he is a 1984 Series 3s Station Wagon Land Rover who has tavelled all over Africa doing relief work. He gets us to places and on paths beyond our dreams...
Come and join us in the city known as the Gateway to Africa! Contact us on apr@axxess.co.za
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The Table Mountain Gift Shop is definitely one of a kind item. It is situated on the summit of the mountain in an old stone cottage.
The shop stocks a variety of novelty items that will keep you remembering Cape Town for years to come.
There is a special Table Mountain Range that includes hats, caps, jackets, t-shirts just to name a few of the items. Everything is branded with the Table Mountain logo making sure the world knows you either walked up table mountain or took the Cable Car to the summit that stands 1085 m above sea level at the highest point.
In the kiddies section you can find a variety of puzzles, books, games. The great thing about it is that most of the items are educational based and teach children that nature conservation is very important.
Then you have the usual novelty items such as key rings, place mats, calendars, posters, books, CD's, magnets, postcards, chocolates. What I like are the little bottles that are in the shape of Table Mountain and the wooden pens and pencils made of alien plants found in the Cape. There is even a an old fashioned English post box outside which after purchasing your postcards and stamps available from the gift shop, you can deposit the completed postcards and they will be sent with the table mountain frank mark.
Personally I think that the best item in the shop is the Baboon Droppings - made out of Chocolate in very realistic form! Its a great gift for that serious family member or boss.
The note that accessing the shop is very weather dependant so make sure you check the weather on the mountain by calling 021 424 8181 before making plans. We would advise that you plan your trip up the mountain at the beginning of your holiday just in case the weather turns nasty.
Public Transport in Cape Town - Well what a can of worms .... there are various forms of public transport in Cape Town some reliable and some totally unreliable....
Firstly there are the notorious minibus taxis which I would not recommended for a tourist to use. They are 15 seater minibuses that are known for their totally unruly driving habits cutting in, stopping in the middle of the road and just plain and simple disregard for the rules of the road,but rather more serious is the very high rate of serious crime involved with them.
Next on the list is the Train Service known as Metro Rail. Well now all I can really say is that they have tried to better their services i.e. putting more security in the carriages and trying to be on time., but once again I would not really recommend this means of transport except for the Cape Town to Simonstown train that has a small restaurant on board and which is a spectacular peninsular train ride with stunning views especially in whale watching season. The train goes all the way through the suburbs and then along the ocean where you can view whales, seals as the train travels along.
Like all the other services there is also only one Bus Service and there is not much to say about it except that they travel to all areas in Cape Town however they are also running on "African Time" not one that I would recommend for tourists travel on any sort of a schedule .
Finally we come to the other Transport Serves we could recommend:Private Company Taxis Services ... Those that are seen across the world they tend to be more reliable, safe but Costly
Personalised Transfers - there are a variety of companies and individuals that offer personalised transfers to and from the airports and various destination. They are safe and more personalised with very friendly drivers willing to assist you with any information needed.
Lastly you could hire a car and get a good few maps and then hit the road. This is easer however it is good to do some research and make sure you know where you are going before hitting the road as there are places you should not get lost in. Please remember car jacking is a real possibility in the whole of South Africa and all tourists are much more at risk. Try to take the advice of an experienced unbiased local who tend to know the safer areas.
Like in any other big city in the world there are places that are safe and those that are not safe. It is best that visitors travelling on their own should research and map their routes carefully.
Shopping in Cape Town can be a similar experience to shopping anywhere in the world after all a mall is a mall no matter where you are travelling. That is why we encourage visitors to enjoy the alternative shopping opportunities that Non Profit Community Development and Empowerment projects offer such as Learn to Earn's, Khanya Creations.
Based in one of the biggest South African townships of Khayelitsha just outside the city centre, this is where top quality handmade good are made by people who were previously unemployed. They design and craft items such as ladies shirts, cushions, place mats, handbags and a variety of other gifts. All the products produced have a unique African twist highlighting the vibrancy and enthusiasm of the African spirit.
One of the great things about visiting The Learn to Earn Centre and Khanya Creations is that you have the opportunity to sit back and enjoy a cup of tea or a snack at the Odd Cup Coffee Shop.
The store is open Monday to Thursday from 8h00 to 16h30 and Friday 8h00 to 15h30 however it is recommended that if shoppers would like to enjoy a meal or a snack it is best to book in advance by calling 021 361-5972.
If you find yourself on the other side of the worlds and not able to pop into Khayna Creations you can always make a difference by shopping at their online store http://www.learntoearn.org.za/KhanyaCreations.htm
By shopping at empowerment projects such as Khanya Creation you are helping to fulfil the dreams of so many people who have been trained to do a variety of crafts and taken up the challenge of being self sustainable and not reliant on others to meet their needs.
If you are a gold lover then the gold museum and their shop is a place like none other.
The gold museum and the gold shop has their own goldsmiths that craft a variety of gold artefacts inspired from all over the continent of Africa. The shop has a variety of books, CD's and an exclusive range of jewellery amongst many other Gold related items.
One of the most interesting item they stock is the highly prized traditional Kente Cloths which is a beautiful cloth made in Ghana. It is a Ghanaian ceremonial cloth usually worn at important religious or social events. It is a handwoven on a wooden loom and the colourful strips that are are individually woven and then sewn together forming a lovely cloth that could be worn in a variety of ways. The kente plays a very important part in Ghanaian life representing, their history, religion, customs and principles.
The shop is open Monday to Saturday from 9am to 5pm. We do advise all visitors to try and slot into one of the guided tours in the museum that give you an over all perspective of the true wealth of Africa.
This is truly a unique shopping experience that gives you an opportunity to admire and appreciate the natural wealth Africa has to offer.
All good shoppers know that the best place to find those little hidden treasures are at second hand shops/antique bric a brac shops. We have often visited second hand shops but we truly believe that Oasis is the best run second hand shop in Cape Town if not the whole of South Africa.
They stock an excellent variety of high quality used books, antiques of every description and a variety of goods which could range from kitchenware to baby items which have all been donated by the community.
What makes Oasis second hand shop different is that it is forms part of a recycling and job creation project for intellectually and physically challenged people from all over Cape Town.
One thing that always impresses us is that all the goods and books are very clean (to the point of almost new/unused) and are all very well presented . The staff are always very helpful and friendly and the prices are very reasonable and to a certain point can be negotiable depending on the total cost of the item(please don't haggle too much as they need the money for the fantastic work they do ) .
Once visitors have looked and purchased goods in the store they are welcome to sit in the relaxing tea gardens and enjoy a lovely cup of tea along with scrumptious light snacks and the best crunchies I have ever tasted. It is something that is hard to resist as there is always a wonderfulnsmell from the bakery on the premises, so from the moment of your arrival you are welcomed with the freshly baked aromas of these crunchies as well as breads,biscuits, toasted sandwiches etc(unfortunately I am six weeks into a new diet and eating regime so they are now off the menu for me).
One of the important parts of Oasis is the recycling division that is very proud of the fact that they recycle 220 tons of waste a month. Recycling is something that everyone can participate in and they have found a way in which to empower and develop young men and women who in other circumstances may lead a very dull life due to their disabilities.
We pop in at least once a week and are intrigued at the quality and uniqueness of the interesting items. There is definitely something for every age group and we do recommend that you pop in even just for a cup of tea who knows you may just bump into us enjoying tea there.
They say Diamonds are a girls best friend and where better to buy them than in South Africa where they are mined polished and designed into fantastic jewellery. The best place to admire and buy diamonds is at Diamonds of Africa situated at the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront in the Clock Tower Centre adjacent to the Nelson Mandela Gateway building. .
With over 40 years combined experience in the industry the owners are Sean de Stadler and Peter Winhall. The company has won numerous awards over the years giving them a very good reputation for top quality merchandise.
Home to an amazingly wide variety of diamonds, they also stock the beautiful Tanzanite stones which they sell at very competitive prices. A good thing about Diamonds of Africa is that they boast a selection of contemporary and classical designs to suit all tastes.
They have expanded their services to cater for those who live in the far corners of the earth - their online design service allows you to design your own ring by either emailing a photo or a sketch of what you want.
So if you are looking for something special for yourself or a loved one then make a point in visiting Diamonds of Africa either at their shop or online...