GORDON'S BAY
It was an easy start from home after a long week at work. Had a long flight - Gatwick to Doha to Johannesburg to Cape Town. As we arrived in Cape Town we were welcomed by Heidi (our friend's Sister). Drove down to the coast where we planned to spend the week. It was Harbour Islands, in Gordon's Bay. The location was absolutely gorgeous. The house was right in front of the seaside, with private boats harboured in front of the house and picturesque scenery of the mountains on the sides. We couldn't have asked for anything more. The house was amongst other luxury mansions and apartments and was about a minute's walk away from the famous bikini beach, with white sand. It was surely a great place to relax and especially stroll around with an ice cream.
CAPE TOWN
Cape Town is about 30 minutes away from Gordon's bay. Lokesh and I were totally set to explore Cape Town on the day of arrival. Drove down and spent the day on the waterfront. Did a little city tour to get a glimpse of the great Table Mountain, the cape Castle - Cape of Good Hope, and the city centre of the whole.
We then spent couple of hours in the "Two oceans Aquarium ". Got to see Sharks, penguins, jelly fishes, turtles, etc… name a fish and they had it. An aquarium with at least 300 species!!!! An excellent place, where we could actually see the divers get into the water along with many sharks and little fishes.
TABLE MOUNTAIN : Cape Town's most famous landmark and also a great attraction to all. Going onto the table mountain to see the breathtaking view from the top is every travelers dream and of course we were lucky enough to do so on a clear day. With clear blue sky and ample sunshine our trip was unforgettable. Took a cable car and went up about 1086 meters above sea level in just 6 minutes. Table Mountain being a part of the nature reserve has been very well maintained. The flora is phenomenal, the colorful flowers and great walks in the park (on the top of the mountain). Being on top of the table mountain feels like being on top of the world! It is just heaven for photographers - with the panoramic view of the whole city including the great coastline of South Africa.
Castle of good hope: The stone walled castle built between 1666 and 1679 on instruction from the Dutch East India Company. It is one of the city's oldest buildings and very interestingly shaped as a pentagon and all the belongings are displayed in various museums within the castle. The bastions housed the military, storerooms, prisoner's cells and torture chambers. It was informative to do a guided tour within the Castle.
Winelands and wine tasting center's are in plenty. It is one thing everyone does while in SA and so did we. The wine route is surely a wondrous plan. We spend an evening driving amidst the lush gardens and sipping some world class wines (both white and red). To make the place more interesting, the wineries do tours to show the cellars and explain the whole process of wine making. The scenery around in striking and surely worth a visit.