Cape Road Trip: Cape Town - cool & quirky

12/1/2016

Day 11 - Hermanus to Cape Town

DISTANCE: 123 kms

On the Road
Hermanus to Cape Town
We've never driven this route before and we've been told it's stunning. It is, in a wind-blasting, jaw-dropping sort of a way. These mountains are uniquely Cape Town, we couldn't be anywhere else in the country - or the world. Things we note with interest: pohutakawa trees (New Zealand's native red flower 'Christmas tree') appear to do as well in this climate as proteas, agapanthus and arums do in NZ's North Island, and even a spectacular backdrop can't take the edge off the Cape Flats.

Overnighted at: Ashby Manor Guest House
Located: Fresnaye, Cape Town
How we found it: Booking.com
Road Access: Tar-sealed and good, we're in the Big Smoke.
Accommodation: Bedroom with ensuite, tea & coffee making facilities, satellite TV, free wifi, onsite parking, complimentary breakfast.
Cost: NZD85 / ZAR850 for two adults

Our experience
We swapped the bush for the 'burbs and our tent for a heritage building, complete with original creaking wooden floors. On multiple levels giving new meaning to the phrase 'nooks and crannies' with no two rooms decorated the same. We got lost continuously and found new places at every turn. Smothered in sumptuous cushions and wall art and quirky stuff - eclectic would be one way of describing it. Did I mention the cushions? So many cushions. Lots of fun.

Soundtrack: Other guests navigating the creaking floors and stairs. Possibly ghosts?

Highlight: The surprising decor and proximity to the sea. Just 600 metres from Sea Point Swimming Pavilion, the beach and the icy Atlantic - as well as shopping malls, bars and restaurants.
Lowlight: There wasn't one. The novelty and eccentric-ness of the place blinded us to any faults.

Lessons Learnt:

How comfortable a king size bed and crisp sheets can feel. Ten days in a tent gives you a new appreciation of the conveniences that come with city living.