Day 3 in Cape Town was an exciting day for Dariece because we were going to see penguins at Boulders Beach, where about 3,000 penguins live. After an hour-long drive along the coast, we arrived, and Dariece could barely wait for me to get the tickets. She ran ahead, but as we reached the beach, we were disappointed to find no penguins. We learned it was nesting season, and the only way to see the penguins was on another beach where tourists are kept away from their nests.
Feeling a bit let down, we made our way to the tourist zone. Just as we were about to leave, Dariece spotted a small penguin hiding under a bush about four feet away. It was adorable. After taking some pictures of it, we walked over to the fenced beach. There, we saw hundreds of penguins nesting and sleeping on the rocks. They were surprisingly calm, even coming up to the fence to look at us.
Unfortunately, since it was mating season, we couldn’t swim with the penguins. I had hoped to get some shots of Dariece walking alongside a group of them, but it wasn’t meant to be. Nevertheless, we’re optimistic about seeing penguins elsewhere, possibly even in another part of South Africa.
The following day, we embarked on a self-guided museum tour. I mapped out a few key museums to help us understand South Africa’s rich history. Learning about a country’s past is something we love to do, and South Africa’s history is especially fascinating and complex.
From the Dutch arrival about 350 years ago to the present day, South Africa has faced immense cultural turmoil, including slavery, racism, apartheid, wars, and drought. Despite being heavily divided, the country is slowly knitting its racial fabric back together. Though there is still a noticeable divide, people of all races are finding ways to coexist.
We noticed the racial divides are now more economic. Sadly, this still often results in racial separation. Visiting the museums provided us with some in-depth insights, but it was our conversations with Afrikaaners (descendants of Dutch settlers) and English South Africans (descendants of British settlers) that really helped us grasp the nuances of the country’s history and current state. Interestingly, these groups seemed to have had more conflict with their European counterparts than with the indigenous African people.
On our third day, we set out on another adventure, guided by directions from locals at our Backpackers (a type of hostel). We drove through Hout Bay and along Chapman’s Peak, one of South Africa’s most scenic routes. On our way out of Cape Town, we stopped at the harbor to watch a family of fur seals waking up on the docks. We spent almost an hour watching these amusing creatures before resuming our journey.
The drive along the steep, rocky cliffs of Chapman’s Peak was breathtaking, offering stunning panoramic views of the Atlantic Ocean at every turn. Our journey ended at the Cape of Good Hope, our first South African reserve. Primarily a hiking area, we were told we might spot some antelope or zebras. On our way to the hiking trail, we saw some ostrich and antelope in the distance, and with our zoom lens, we managed to get some decent photos.
We started our hike along the Shipwreck Trail, which began on a pristine white sand beach and then moved inland through some brush and rocky hills before looping back to the parking area. Near the end of our hike, we spotted a large tortoise near a garbage can—a delightful surprise to conclude our walk. The hike was beautiful, and our first taste of an African trail was perfect; we’re excited to do more hiking throughout the country.
After the hike, we drove to the southernmost tip of the Cape. While driving and chatting, Dariece suddenly shouted “Zebra!” I quickly stopped the car, and we hopped out to take some pictures of a pair of zebras relaxing in the grass. It was a lucky sighting, as large animals are not often seen in that area. We capped off our day with a visit to the lookout point, enjoying the view where the two ocean currents meet. Although it’s not the southernmost tip of Africa, it was a stunning spot. Our five nights in Cape Town were fantastic, and we were ready to head to the Winelands in our little Chevy Spark.