South Africa with a Toddler - Hout Bay - Part IV

Day 8 - Oudtshoorn to Hout Bay

'The only journey you will regret is the one you do not take'

After an immense scenic drive we arrived into Hout Bay around 5pm to our final accommodation for the holiday at the Cap Serein Guesthouse, Petra checked us and was great throughout the stay for local information and also providing Bubs with lots of fun toys, he also loved feeding the fish each morning. 

Cap Serein is located on the top of the hill therefore the views at any time of day are beautiful, the only downside I felt was wifi is only available in the common areas and not in the rooms themselves. 

After a quick shower and change we headed out to enjoy dinner at Kitima, a delicious thai restaurant that was very busy on a saturday night, despite being the only child in the restaurant Bubs was really well behaved and loved all the attention he received. After demolishing a bowl of noodles he fell fast asleep in his pushchair whilst we continued enjoying our wine recommendation and dinner. 

Day Nine - Hout Bay - Chapman Peak Drive 

Breakfast at Cap Serein was really fresh and homely, with lots of fruits, cheeses, hams and breads alongside yoghurts, granolas and cereals, the best bit being the early morning views and peacefulness. 

We soon hit the road to do the world famous Chapman Peak drive and it definitely delivered on the views with several stop off points along the route to park up and take it all in. 

Our first stop was Noordhoek Beach, one of the largest and whitest beaches I have ever seen in my lifetime. Bubs just loved the freedom of being able to run in any direction he could see, he stopped near the waters edge though as despite a blue sky and warm temperatures it was still freezing. 

Our second stop of the journey was at Boulders beach, probably one of the only places in South Africa we saw other tourists, unfortunately you cannot actually go onto the beach with the penguins much to Bubs disappointment but you do get to see them sunbathing from a raised wooden bridge surrounding the beach. Bubs had to make do with buying a cuddly penguin rather than getting a cuddle from a real one. 

For lunch we stopped off at Imhoff Farm and whilst Bubs had his afternoon snack we enjoyed huge bowls of delicious salads at the Blue Water Cafe 

Chocolate Cake not as good Deer Park Cafe

We spent most of the afternoon at the farm enjoying the family activities on offer before heading back to our B&B to freshen up for our last dinner.

Sunset in Camps Bay

That evening we headed to Camps Bay for dinner at The Butcher Restaurant, me and Bubs shared the grilled chicken with my favourite extra crispy onion rings whilst Mr S had his final steak of the trip.

Day Ten - V&A Waterfront and the journey home

After breakfast we loaded the car up one final time before heading into visit the V&A waterfront, this area is very famous but for us after seeing how much more South Africa and Cape Town had to offer we were glad we had not spent more time here. There are several markets, shops and malls along with lots of restaurants much like any other large leisure complex anywhere in the world.

For our final hour or so before we had to leave for the airport we escape to the tranquility of the Cape Grace hotel for a final tea and cake. 

Last drive back to the airport

Final Thoughts and Holiday Video

South Africa was one of our favourite destinations, the stunning natural beauty, the oh so delicious food, the small amount of wine we did get to enjoy, the friendly people and beautiful weather made it a great trip for us. It is not often we feel compelled to return to a country again but we will definitely be coming back to SA one day. 

A few people were concerned before we left regarding safety and driving around especially in Cape Town following the recent media attention it has had, however in our case I can truly say we never felt unsafe. It is like anywhere in the world there are bad parts and things do go wrong but you can try and avoid it by staying  out of certain areas, not wearing valuables, having secure bags, locking car etc. All the usual safety measures you would take anywhere including when at home. Our little family was made to feel very welcome by everyone we met along our 10 day journey and I cannot recommend this country enough - please go and visit it for yourself.

'The only journey you will regret is the one you do not take'

A short video clip showing some of the highlights of our magnificent trip to South Africa made by Mr S himself. 

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