I want to sleep on Table Mountain!

So many people are dreaming about this. To sleep on Table Mountain. To see the stars so near and bright. But is this something that can really be possible? Will it be safe and is there any way that you can make this dream come true?
For sure, you aren’t the only one that wants to sleep on Table Mountain. The only thing is that it is quite hard to figure out if this is something that you can do. Are you allowed to take your sleeping bag and food to camp out on Table Mountain? These are some things that you should know and consider about sleeping on Table Mountain.

Is sleeping on Table Mountain really possible?
Wouldn’t it be great if this was really possible? Waking up to the most beautiful view in the world? The surface of the mountain is quite flat, so why can’t you sleep on the mountain?
This is every tourist’s dream. To camp out on the mountain for a night. Or, even for a weekend. The good news is that this is possible to sleep on Table Mountain. There are some cottages where you can sleep. You might have seen it when you were walking around on the mountain. It is hidden between the natural habitat of the mountain, so you should look carefully before you can actually see the cabins. However, the good news is that staying on Table Mountain can be more than just a dream. It can come true. You can, in fact, sleep on the mountain!

Why do you want to sleep on Table Mountain?
Why are there people that want to sleep on Table Mountain? There is nothing but a restaurant and some fynbos on the mountain. This is great to go up the mountain during the day. Enjoy the views and eat a great meal at the restaurant. But, to sleep there?
The thing is that during the night, the views from Table Mountain is completely different. You will have a completely new outlook of the Mountain. The stars will shine brighter, and you will see the lights of ships, and of Cape Town. This is a view that you will not see anywhere else. And, the only way that you can see it, is by making some time to sleep on the mountain. This is something that you as a tourist will never be able to do again. Away from the city, away from the noise and just you and the mountain. What more do you really want in life?

Taking your sleeping bag and sleep on the mountain?
Now, you might be wondering if you can take your sleeping bag and spend the night on the mountain. Finding a spot where you can be comfortable and sleep there for the night?
No, this isn’t what we mean. And, no this isn’t allowed for you to just take your sleeping bag and spend the night on the mountain. You should go with a tour group that is taking people on the overnight Table Mountain hikes. Then, you can spend the night as a group of people on the mountain. Making it a lot safer for you. You can get in serious trouble if you are just camping there, without permission or without the overnight hike group. This is a nature reserve and sleeping in a sleeping bag anywhere on the mountain is going to get you in trouble.

Are there any overnight facilities on the mountain?
This is a big surprise. Yes, there are a couple of overnight facilities on the mountain that you can make use of. You should make sure that you are making bookings ahead of time, but this is really possible to find a cottage or two on the mountain.
The overnight hikes, for example, have their own cottages where they can overnight when they are taking tourists on the overnight hike. This isn’t luxurious cottages that you will find in Cape Town, itself. However, there is everything that you need to have to be comfortable during the night. Making a booking for the overnight hike is easy. Everything that you need can be found at the tourist information station in Cape Town and online. Online, you can make the bookings directly and easily.
Then, there are cottages that you can rent for spending the night on the mountain. These are private cottages that you can rent from Table Mountain National Park. You can even spend the weekend there with friends and family. There are some strict rules to ensure that you don’t damage the park or the mountain.

Overnight hikes that let you sleep in the cottages on the mountain
Overnight hikes are when you are going on a hike that is taking more than just a couple of hours. You need two days to complete the whole hike. There is such a hike on Table Mountain. And, therefore, they need to have overnight facilities for the hikers.
You can only do this hike with a guide, so making a booking to a tour group for the hike is important. This isn’t one of those hikes that you can do by yourself, by just following the guides on the route. But it is worth it, to make the booking and to take the overnight hike. Normally these overnight hikes are fully booked, so booking beforehand is essential if you want to experience sleeping on the mountain before returning home.
It will give you a completely new way of appreciating nature and the wonder of Table Mountain. The overnight facilities for the overnight hikes aren’t luxurious, but you won’t sleep on the floor in your sleeping bag. The last tip is that you can’t really take children with you on this hike. The walk is too much for them. Teenagers won’t have a problem with this walk, but this is difficult to take this hike with smaller children. They will get too tired to continue.

What should you take with you for an overnight hike on Table Mountain
If you never have done an overnight hike before, it might be difficult to know what you should take with you. Especially, when you are going to do the overnight hike on Table Mountain with the rest of a tour group.
Normally, these tour groups ensure that there are food and drinks at the overnight facilities on the mountain. But, snacks for the two days, is your responsibility. Taking enough water with you are also essential to make sure that you are staying hydrated.
With clothing, you need to take warm, weatherproof clothing with you. You will not know when the weather is going to change. An extra pair of clothing for day 2 is also essential. You don’t want to walk in the same clothes as the day before. It is going to be filthy and sweaty. Or, even wet. It is best to take clothing for all weather conditions with you. But you should remember to keep your bag light. You are going to carry it the whole time that you are hiking. So, the more you are going to pack, the heavier you are going to carry.

Renting cottages for the weekend or for an overnight stay on the mountain
This is the good news. You don’t need to attend the overnight hike in order to stay on the mountain. This is your second option for sleeping on the mountain. There are a couple of cottages that you can rent for a weekend. Or, just for one night if this is what you prefer.
The cottages are large enough for a whole family, or for a group of friends. So, making this an experience that you can enjoy with friends and family, is possible. The one thing that is essential to remember is that these cottages are limited. There aren’t many of them. So, making sure that you are booking beforehand is really essential. This is to make sure that you are able to sleep on the mountain when you are visiting Cape Town, South Africa.
These cottages are a bit more luxurious than the overnight hike cottages. However, this is still not offering you 5-star accommodation. This is units that you need to clean yourself and where you should prepare your own food if you don’t want to eat in the restaurant every day. But it is offering you enough to have a wonderful, dream come true, with sleeping on the mountain. And, experiencing a completely different view from the mountain.

You are visiting Cape Town for the first time. And, you see the great Table Mountain, the first thing that you think is that you want to sleep there, for a night or two. Is this really something that you can do? The answer is yes. There are cottages that you can rent, and there are overnight hikes that let you sleep on the mountain. But this is the only way that you can sleep on the mountain. You can’t just go up the mountain with your sleeping bag and sleep there overnight. This will get you into trouble. But, with the hike or renting the cottage, you are going to have a view that you will never see, ever again.

Garden Route hiking on the Garden Route in South Africa

If you appreciate nature and wildlife and have a holiday or vacation coming up in South Africa, then doing the Garden Route is a must when visiting Cape Town. It’s the road trip adventure of a lifetime, with many amazing and interesting things to see and do along the way, one of them being hiking.

Hiking is popular in and around the Garden Route, and there are numerous hiking and walking trails suited to adults and children of varying fitness levels. Whether you are looking for a challenging hike with tricky twists and turns or you simply want to reconnect with nature and have fun exploring the great outdoors, Garden Route hiking won’t disappoint. It’s an excellent way to spend quality time and bond with friends and family.

What is the Garden Route?

The Garden Route is a beautiful 300-kilometre (190 miles) stretch of coastline in Cape Town. It extends from Witsand, a coastal town in the Western Cape, to Storms River in the Eastern Cape. Towns/villages that you encounter on the route include Knysna, Plettenberg Bay, Mossel Bay, Little Brak River, Great Brak River, Wilderness, Nature’s Valley and Sedgefield. George is the largest city on the route.

Verdant and ecologically diverse (hence the name), the Garden Route lies between the Indian Ocean and the Outeniqua and Tsitsikamma Mountains. On the scenic south-eastern South African stretch, you encounter mountain passes, lakes, rivers, lagoons and forests. There are also historical buildings and many other attractions. The oceanic climate here is lovely, with warm summers and mild to cool winters.

Indigenous forests on the Garden Route are spectacular. They are made up of Cape fynbos (fine-leaved plants) and temperate forest vegetation, where close to 300 species of bird reside in an assortment of habitats. The forests provide trails for enjoyable Garden Route hiking and ecotourism activities.

What are the best Garden Route hiking trails?

There is a plethora of hiking trails on the Garden Route, each offering its own unique experience. Knysna alone has several lovely trails. Generally, the more popular the town, the better the experience, though not always. The trails range in length and difficulty level. Here are a few of the top trails to hike on the Garden Route.

St. Blaize Hiking Trail (moderate difficulty, 13.5 kilometres)

Saint Blaize is in Mossel Bay. It is a coastal trail with sightly fauna and flora that offers incredible ocean views. While it may be suitable for some beginners, the trail does extend over quite a distance and there are steep climbing areas and sections that are rocky and technical. If you don’t mind breaking a sweat on your Garden Route hiking trail but don’t want something too challenging, St. Blaize is a good option.

Dutton’s Cove Walk (easy difficulty, 4 kilometres)

Dutton’s Cove Walk, in the Western Cape’s Herolds Bay, is an easy and breezy trail that is suitable for almost anyone, including children and unfit adults. Offering breath-taking sights of the expansive Indian Ocean, hiking this trail involves more walking than hiking, as the name implies. You begin your walk at Dutton’s Cove beach and head east along the coast to a residential area, crossing road and footpaths overlooking the sea.

Pass-to-Pass Trail (moderate difficulty, 7.5 kilometres)

The Pass-to-Pass Trail is a splendid Garden Route hiking trail in George that hikers can do from either direction. You can start at the top of Montague Pass or Outeniqua Pass, detouring to Losberg approximately midway for stunning views of George and Victoria Bay. The detour point is a great spot for picnics. If you’re feeling energetic, then you can hike back to the starting point but arrange a lift back for after the hike.

Cradock Peak Trail (hard difficulty, 19 kilometres)

Cradock Peak takes hikers to the highest peak in the Outeniqua Mountains, 1578 metres above sea level. The trail, which starts at Witfontein Forestry Station in George, offers unbelievable views of the Swartberg Mountains, Mossel Bay, Knysna and George. This hike is challenging, a lot more so than many other hikes. However, the streams, forests, pine plantation and everything else you see make it worth it.

Wilderness Heritage Trail
This is a great hiking trail that you can do when you are looking for an interesting hike. This hike is taking you through the wilderness to the beach. The trail ends at the Kaaimans river mouth. This is about a 7kilometer hike and you can find some interesting plants, and birds along the way.
This is a hike that family and children can take, and it is relatively easy to do. The great thing about this hike is that you don’t need to pay anything to enjoy the hike with family and friends. Making it easier for tourists to enjoy nature without spending extra money on entrance fees.

Different Knysna Forest Walks
In and around Knysna there are three popular hiking trails that you can take. Because of the beautiful scenery, many people like taking these trails. Knysna has the forest, the ocean and other scenery that are beautiful and interesting. And, this is why this is one of the more popular places on the Garden route for hiking. The three trails that we are talking about is the:

• Woodcutters Trail: You can choose between the 3- or 9-kilometer trail.
• Jubilee Creek Forest Walk A 3.6-kilometer trail through the forest.
• Millwood Goldmine route. This is a 5.6-kilometer trail.

There are other trails as well, but according to tourists, these are the top three trails if you want to get the best Knysna experience.

Tips before you are going on any of these garden hiking routes
Before you can go on any of these garden hiking routes, there are a couple of things that you should consider. Especially, if you are taking the free routes. These are some of the things that you should remember:

• You should not go on these hiking trails alone. This can be dangerous and you will always have the possibility to lose your way back home. A group of at least four people is recommended.
• Take water with you. Even, if it isn’t really getting hot on these trails, you are going to get thirsty. Getting water while you are walking is going to be impossible. It is essential that you are always taking water and snacks with you on any hiking trail.
• Make sure that you are telling someone where you are going and which trail you are going to take. If you are getting lost, there is someone that will know where you are.
• The right clothing is important. You need to be able to dress warmer if the weather is changing. And, you need to make sure that you are wearing light-colored clothing. Especially, during the summer time. A raincoat or waterproof jacket is also something that you should have with you. No matter which of these routes you are going to take.
• It is recommended that you are doing research about the hike that you want to take. You should make sure that the trail is marked and that you will get your way back. And, you should make sure that you are going to know if there are any dangers about the trail that you need to know about.

The garden route. Something that every tourist should visit before returning home. There are many things that you can experience and do on the route. But, going on a hike might be the highlight of the trip. Because of how large the garden route is, there is a huge selection for trails that you can take. Some are just a day trip, while other might be even two to three days. You should make sure that you are going to choose the right hiking trail for you. A place that you find interesting and that you want to learn more from. There is nothing better to end a Cape Town holiday by taking one of the garden route hiking trails.

Knowing the best wine tasting locations in Cape Town, right now

You can’t visit Cape Town without considering wine tasting. Some of the best wines are produced in Cape Town, or in the area around Cape Town. If you are a wine drinker, this might be the most exciting thing that you can do on your Cape Town, South African holiday.
It is important to make sure that you know the best wine tasting locations in Cape Town. This is so that you can get the best possible experience from your wine tasting experience. However, this isn’t the only thing that you should know. There are a couple of other things and information that also might come in handy when you want to know the best wine tasting locations. With this information, you won’t go wrong. For sure.

Wine history in Cape Town
It is quite interesting to know some of the histories of the wine in Cape Town. Where the wine originated, and how wine developed from the beginning, to where we are now. The more you know about the wine history, the better your experience of wine tasting will be.
The first Dutch governor, Jan van Riebeeck was the person that was planted some of the first vines. This was during the early 1650s. His vines fell out of use shortly after it was able to produce wine. This was because of his lack of winemaking knowledge. 30 years later, another Dutch governor, Simon van der Stel gotten 2500-hectare land. He planted vines and was planning to produce the best wines. The first drinkable wine was made in 1680. This is how vineyards were started to grow in Cape Town, and where winemaking started. Now, you won’t just find drinkable wine, but you will find some of the best wines in the world, produced in Cape Town.

Some of the wines that you should try during your visit to Cape Town
The one problem that many tourists, like you, have is the amount of wine that is available for purchase in Cape Town. Some of the wines are just ordinary, cheaper wines. However, there are some wines that you just should try or purchase while you are staying in Cape Town. With this list of wines, you can’t go wrong. You can even take some of these wines back to your home country to add to your wine collection.

• Armilla Blanc de Blanc
• LA Chataigne Semillon 2012
• Maison Blanc De Noir 2014 And Shiraz 2011
• D’aria The Piccolo
• Steenberg 1682 Brut Pinot Noir 2013 and Sparkling Sauvignon Blanc
• Eagles Nest Shiraz 2012 and Little Eagle 2013

Unique wine tasting experiences in the Cape to consider
We all know the normal wine tasting experience that you can get. By going to the wine farms, walk through the winery and then taste the wine in the cellars. Afterward, you can decide if you want to purchase some of the wine or not. But, there are some unique was in Cape Town, that you can also taste wine. In a completely different way than what you normally would. Making the experience unique and special. These are some of the unique ways on how you can taste wine in Cape Town as well.
At Weltevrede wine estate, you can have a unique experience in wine tasting. They are offering underground candlelit tasting. You are basically tasting wine in a cave. By candlelight. An experience that you will not get anywhere else. They are also talking about the different wines, while you are tasting it.
The single-vineyard boutique winery, Esona Boutique wine, you will get another unique experience. In earlier years, wines were stored underground in cement coolers. At this winery, you are going to be taken to one of these cement coolers for your wine tasting. To top it off, they are offering fruit preserves and chocolate to give you the different tastes of the wines. Making the wine tasting even better.
These are the three most popular wine tasting tours that you can go on, that will give you the best possible experience.

Durbanville Wine Valley
One of the best wine tasting locations in Cape town is the Durbanville wine valley. There is a total of 12 wineries that you can visit and taste. This is a popular wine route, because of the variety of farms that you can visit and the different wines that you can taste.
On this route the oldest wine cellar and the oldest in South Africa is Altydgedacht. This is one of the more popular wine farms that people are visiting. Some of the other wine farms that you can find in this wine tasting location are:

• Diemersdal
• Hillcrest Estate
• Bloemendal
• Phizante Kraal
• Signal Gun

Helderberg Wine Route
Not only is this wine route popular with great wine to taste. However, you are going to get views that you will not get from the other wine routes. Here you are going to get some Gordon’s Bay and Strand views from some of the wine farms. And, you are going to enjoy spectacular views of vineyards all the way.
Here are just five farms that you can visit. Making this the perfect wine location for a day trip. You don’t need to choose a couple of the farms on this route. You can visit all of them. Some are offering restaurants where you can enjoy a meal before you are moving on, and there are even a museum and a harvest market. The farms that you can visit on this route is:

• Waterkloof
• Avontuur
• Vergelgen
• Morgenster
• Lourensford

Darling Wine Route
The Darling wine route is the third most popular wine location in Cape Town. They are offering a couple of wine farms that you can visit on this route. Because of the number of farms that you can visit, this is also a route that you can do within a day. Making the most of your wine tasting day. Some of the wine farms that you can visit and get tours through the cellars and enjoy some wine tasting on the Darling wine route are:

• Darling Brew
• Cloof Cellars
• Darling Cellars
• Groote Post
• Darling Olives

Things to consider before planning your wine tasting locations
If you want to make sure that you are going to have the best experience at the best wine tasting locations in Cape Town, you need to make sure that you consider these things. There are a couple of things that are really essential to know. Especially, if this is your first wine tasting experience. With considering these things, you will know that you have planned the best route and that you will have an experience of a lifetime.
The first thing that you should consider, is that you should not visit more than 3 or 4 wine farms on a day. You want to taste the wines for purchasing your favorite wines. If you are visiting too many farms, you might get drunk and will not be able to remember which wines were the best. This isn’t a drinking route. It is a route where you are tasting wines to find the best ones for you to purchase.
You should also make sure that you are planning the whole day. You need to make sure that you know where you are going to eat breakfast, lunch and where you can sleep over if you don’t want to drive back to Cape Town. With a map and some research, you will be able to make the most out of your day. Not wasting any time on finding places for lunch and to sleep over.

Hiring a designated driver might be a good idea. Not only will he know the area, but you can taste all the wine without any worries about driving under the influence. And, the best part is that you won’t struggle to find all the farms that you want to visit during the day.
You might want to take an empty box with you. You will buy wine during your adventure. The last thing that you want is the wine bottle to break into the car because it is falling against each other. With a box, you can make sure that the wine is secure and will stay intact. Remember that you can and should ask questions. The whole idea about the wine route tour is that you are learning more about winemaking. If you don’t ask as many questions as possible, you might end up just drinking wine and purchasing some for taking home. You will not really learn anything about winemaking.

When it comes to the best wine tasting locations in Cape Town, you want to get as much information as possible before your first wine tasting tour. The more you know about the locations in and around Cape Town, the better your experience will be. And, you will know what routes you should try and which farms are going to give you a unique experience. Making the most out of your wine tours will let you not just purchase the best wines, but will give you something to remember for a long time.

What are the top Hiking trails in South Africa

When it comes to South Africa’s beauty, there is one way on how you can enjoy their nature. By going on hiking trails. Not just in Cape Town, but all over the country. Hiking trails that will take your breath away as you are walking through the trails.
The only problem that you might have is that you won’t know which of these trails is the top hiking trails in South Africa. The hiking trails that you just need to experience before returning home. With a tour to South Africa, it is essential to make sure that you are choosing one of these trails to walk in. This is the only way that you can enjoy everything about this beautiful country.

The Cape point hiking trail
The number one hiking trail in South Africa is in Cape Town. At Cape Point to be exact. There is a trail that will take you to the point of the Cape and South Africa. Where land and sea connect. Where the two oceans meet.
Not only will you see great fauna and flora, but this is a hike that has great views. Views of the ocean the land and all the rocks. This is the only way that you can get as close to the point of Africa as possible. This is a relatively easy trail without too many obstacles. You can do the hike yourself, or you can make a booking for a tour group hike. With joining a tour group, you will also get some information about Cape point that you might not have known.

Walking trails in the Kruger National Park
Cape Town is the one place that people are choosing to visit. However, the Kruger National Park is the other top reason why people are visiting South Africa.
At the park, you can experience a huge variety of animals in their natural habitat. But, if this isn’t enough for you, you can take one of the many hiking trails through the park as well. Giving you a much closer view of some of the animals. It is just important that you don’t choose to do the hike alone. You should book with a tour guide, to ensure that you and your family stay safe during the hike. You need to remember that there are dangerous, wild animals all around you. You can’t just decide to walk it alone. However, this will give you an experience that you will never get again.

The Table Mountain hike
Another popular hiking trail that you can do, and again in Cape Town is the Table Mountain hike. People think that because you are in the city, that there won’t be any beautiful trails.
Here you can choose between two trails. The one is on top of Table Mountain, to see all the fascinating things on the mountain. The other hiking trail is to get to the top of the Mountain. This is when you don’t go to the top making use of the cable cars. You are hiking to the top of the mountain. No, this isn’t as hard and difficult as it sounds. It is an experience to take the trail to the top of the mountain instead of going up fast with the cable cars.

Drakensberg day walking trails
One of the largest mountains in South Africa is the Drakensberg. However, the thing that you should know is that there is a couple of day walking trails that you can enjoy on the Drakensberg.
Some of the hiking trails might be more difficult than other trails. However, if you are making the right choice, you will have one of the best hiking experiences that you can find. To see the view from the top of the mountain is something that you will not easily forget again. If you are doing the hike during the winter time, you even might experience a view where the top of the mountain is covered in snow.

The green mountain day hiking trail
The Green mountain might not be as popular as the Drakensberg, but they have a couple of day hiking trails that is to die for. The view might be the best there is in South Africa. Seeing over the mountains, and have a view of South African nature. Just as people are describing it on the internet.
For many tourists, there isn’t a better place to experience South African’s beauty. And, most definitely something to consider, if you are passing the Green Mountains. Make sure that you are sleeping over at the mountains and take the time to choose one of the hiking trails. This will be worth it, and you will be able to have as much fun as possible while exploring nature at it’s best.

How to choose the best hiking trail for you
This might be your first time that you are going on a nature hike in South Africa. And, because of the variety of hiking trails that you can choose from, it might be harder than what you think. However, if you know how to choose the best hiking trail for you and your family, then you won’t need to worry that you have chosen something that is going to be too difficult for you.
The first thing that you should do is ask around to locals about the hiking trails that can be found in the area you are staying. If you are staying in the popular Cape Town, then you will have a huge selection of great hiking trails to do. However, this doesn’t mean that if you are in Cape Town, that you can’t enjoy a hike. As shown, there are a couple of great trails that you can choose all over South Africa. You should just know where to find the trails. And, doing research will give you that answer.
You might have found a couple of hiking trails in the area where you are staying. How do you choose the one that is best for you? To know more about the difficulty levels the hikes might be and to know how to fit and experienced you are. You want to consider the easier routes if you are inexperienced in hiking or if you aren’t as fit as what you hoped to be.
With some hikes, there are mountain climbing involved. And, this is why you should make sure that you know as much about the hike that you are choosing. You should know if you are prepared for the rock climbing or if you can take a detour that is easier. This is all the information that you will get when you are spending some time doing research about the different hikes.

Tips when you are going to hike for the first time in South Africa
Now you know the top hiking trails in South Africa. And, you know that no matter where you are visiting, you will have a couple of hiking trails options. You will also know how to choose the best hike for you and your family. But, what about other tips to make sure that your hiking experience in South Africa is going to be unforgettable? This is why these tips are also really important to remember.
Take water with you. You will not know if there is any drinking water available during the hike. And, in the South African heat, you will not want to hike without water. Enough water is the first and most important thing that you should take with you on a hike.
Wearing the right clothing. Depending on where you are hiking and what season you are hiking. You should choose light-colored clothing that can be layered. Some of these locations can be cold in the morning, but get hotter as the day goes by. By dressing in layers, you can get cooler as it is getting warmer during the day. The right hiking shoes are also essential. This is going to ensure that you don’t slip and fall during your hike. If you are hiking in Cape Town, having a raincoat and warm jacket with you is essential. Some snacks to snack on during the hike is also important. You don’t want to get hungry in the middle of your hike.
The last thing that you should take with you is a cell phone. To be able to make a call if you are getting lost or when someone has gotten injured. Some hikes might not have a good signal, but it is still essential to take your phone with you.
Cape Town, The Kruger National park, the Drakensberg and the Green Mountains. What do they all have in common? Some of the best hiking trails that you can go on. These places are all popular for the various hiking trails that they have to offer. Making your experience in South Africa so much better. It is recommended that when you are visiting South Africa, that you are searching for a hiking trail near you, and enjoy a day in nature. The beauty that you will not see again.