Day trips Archives - Focused Travels

Best things to do at the southern tip of Africa

I always thought that Cape Point was the southernmost tip of Africa, but while planning another road trip along the coast of the Western Cape, I discovered that the southern tip of Africa, and therefore of South Africa, is located at L’Agulhas.

We spent a day in Mosselbay and from there we were going to Cape Town for a few days to explore the Mother City. Visiting L’Agulhas was an opportunity we could not pass by despite the additional hours required to drive there.

How to get to the southern tip of Africa

Getting to the southernmost tip of Africa requires a car. L’Agulhas is not en route to anywhere. Visiting L’Agulhas has to be a conscious decision as it ads several hours on any road trip in the region.

Driving from Cape Town to Mosselbay or the other way around means following the N2. To get to L’Agulhas, one has to get off the N2. If you are coming from Mosselbay, you will most likely turn off towards Bredasdorp/Struisbaai after leaving Swellendam. From Swellendam, it will take another 90 minutes.

If you are coming from Cape Town’s side, you will leave the N2 after reaching Caledon. From Caledon, it will take about 90 minutes to get to L’Agulhas.

L’Agulhas and Struisbay are two small towns next to each other. They appear to not be quiet during non-peak times.

Things to do near the southern tip of Africa

For such a small area, there are many things to do. What follows is not an exhaustive list, but features the highlights of the area.

Climbing to the top of the Cape Agulhas lighthouse

The Cape Agulhas lighthouse is in the Agulhas National Park. Entrance to the Park is free, but there is a small fee for entering the lighthouse. Before purchasing your tickets, bear in mind that the steps to the top of the lighthouse are steep. The view from the top of the lighthouse is unbeatable!

The Cape Agulhas lighthouse is near the entrance to the Agulhas National Park, and parking is available. The lighthouse is the third oldest lighthouse in South Africa. It is also the second oldest lighthouse still in operation (the Green Point lighthouse is the oldest operational lighthouse in South Africa). The Cape Agulhas lighthouse was declared a national monument in 1973. Currently, the lighthouse keeper’s house now features a museum and a restaurant.

Visiting the southernmost tip of Africa

The southern tip of Africa is near the Cape Agulhas lighthouse. Be warned; it is probably the busiest attraction in the Agulhas National Park! We had to wait 20 minutes before we could take our pictures at the marker as there was a constant stream of people wanting to capture their visit to the southern tip of Africa with a photograph.

Near to the southernmost tip of Africa is a map of Africa, which is missed by many people since they are so focused on the marker at the southernmost tip. The Map of Africa is only a few meters from the marker and worth seeing.

The Meisho Maru 38 shipwreck

There are many shipwrecks along the Agulhas coast. The easiest to spot from the shore is the shipwreck of the Meisho Maru 38. This shipwreck is Instagram worthy, especially at sunset.

There is a shipwreck museum in Bredasdorp, which is a town near Struisbaai. Unfortunately, we did not visit the museum, but it is something to add to our list for a future road trip!

Eating at Sea Shack

Eating at the Sea Shack is quite an experience. The Sea Shack’s tables stand on the beach; you can drag your feet through the beach sand while eating. We were there for lunch, and the place was quiet. I imagine evenings may be busier and livelier, especially during peak season.

The food was fresh and tasty and the prices were reasonable – we thoroughly enjoyed our meal. The portions were large – don’t be tempted to buy extras!

Worth the extra hours on the road?

We found the visit to the southern tip of Africa worth the extra hours on the road. The roads to Agulhas were in good condition and not too busy.
We did not spend a night in Struisbay or L’Agulhas, but that would have given us some extra time to explore the area as there are many things we did not get to do and see. There are several hiking trails in the Agulhas National Park I would love to explore. Spending a relaxing few days in L’Agulhas or Struisbay could be just what the doctor ordered!

Have you ever visited the southernmost tip of Africa? Did you try any of the other sights and activities in the area?

6 Day trips from Cape Town to experience the region

By Sabs 14 Comments

If you ever get tired of the hustle and bustle of Cape Town, there is a variety of day trips from Cape Town IF you have a car at your disposal. These are the day trips from Cape Town we have done and enjoyed.

Our favorite day trips from Cape Town

Day trip 1: Driving along Chapman’s Peak and visiting Cape Point, Simon’s Town and Boulders Beach

This is one of the day trips from Cape Town where you don’t leave Cape Town, but since it takes more than an hour to get to Cape Point from Cape Town’s city center, I have included it here.

A drive along Chapman’s Peak never disappoints, the ocean and mountain views from this road are simply fantastic.

Day trips from Cape Town - Chapmans Peak Drive — The view of Hout Bay from Chapman’s Peak Drive

From Chapman’s Peak drive you can either go to Cape Point first and then go to Simon’s Town and Boulders Beach or the other way around. Both ways have the same spectacular views.

Cape Point is a nature reserve at the most southwestern point of both Africa and South Africa. If you are into hiking, you can easily spend a whole day here. Most people go to Cape Point for one reason only: to walk to the point where the Indian and Atlantic oceans meet.

Day trips from Cape Town - Cape Point — Cape Point

From Cape Point Nature Reserve the next stop is Boulders Beach where you can see hordes of African penguins.

Day trips from Cape Town - Boulders Beach — Boulders Beach with its many penguins

Simon’s Town is not far from Boulders Beach. Here you can spend some time in the Naval Museum if that is something you find interesting.

Day trips from Cape Town - Simons Town — Simon’s Town with its Naval Base

Day trip 2: Stellenbosch

Stellenbosch offers visitors many attractions. There are many hiking trails in Stellenbosch and plenty of art galleries. Apart from being pretty, the town center is historic and includes an old shop called, Oom Samie se Winkel (Uncle Samie’s Shop), the beautiful Moederkerk (Mother Church) and plenty of museums covering early life in the Cape – there is something for everyone! Stellenbosch is well-known for its wines. There are many wine cellars to choose from, and most offer tasting tours.

Day trips from Cape Town - Stellenbosch — Cape Dutch style buildings in Stellenbosch

Day trip 3: Franschhoek

Franschhoek means French Corner. The name came from the French who fled from France due to religious persecution and came to settle in the area. The Huguenot Memorial Museum honors the memory of these settlers.

Day trips from Cape Town - Franschhoek — Franschhoek as seen from Dieu Donne

Franschhoek is a beautiful town to visit and is known as South Africa’s food and wine capital. If that does not convince you to visit, there are also many galleries and antique shops in the town. The town also has a wine tram, offering you the opportunity to visit a few of the many vineyards in Franschhoek while traveling on a tram.

Day trips from Cape Town - wine tasting in Franschhoek — Wine and cheese, wine and chocolate tasting at Franschhoek Cellars

Day trip 4: Paarl

Day trips from Cape Town - Paarl — Afrikaans Language Monument in Paarl

You can visit almost any of the town in this region and enjoy good food and wine and Paarl is no exception. What sets Paarl apart is that it is the birthplace of Afrikaans, one of the official languages spoken in South Africa, mostly by the descendants of the Dutch that came to South Africa after Jan van Riebeek. Paarl’s most well-known landmark is the Afrikaans Taal Monument (Afrikaans Language Monument) – quite a striking monument.

Day trip 5: Darling

Darling is a tiny town about an hour’s drive from Cape Town. Darling offers vineyards, wineries, and olives. There is also a museum about the history of the town. Most South Africans who visit Darling go there for a unique experience called Evita se Perron (Evita’s Peron), a play on Evita Peron from Argentina.

Day trip from Cape Town - Darling - Evita se Perron — The restaurant at Evita se Perron

Evita se Perron included a restaurant selling traditional South African food such as bobotie (mince mixture with baked egg custard on top), a theater and a museum with a twist. The museum depicts some historical events that occurred in South Africa, but in a humorous way.

Day trip 6: Driving up the West Coast up to Paternoster

Driving along the West Coast is quite a treat. The West Coast National Park is located on the way to Paternoster and offers hiking trails and beaches. It is a beautiful park and worth seeing.

From the West Coast National Park, you can stop in Langebaan for lunch. If water sports are your thing, spending some time in Langebaan is a must. You can find anything from kite surfing to windsurfing here.

Day trip from Cape Town - Langebaan Beach — Langebaan Beach

After Langebaan, Paternoster is another 30 minutes’ drive. Paternoster is an old fishing town on the West Coast. It has lovely little white houses to stay in, quirky shops for souvenirs and a few good restaurants. When visiting Paternoster, it feels like time is standing still.

Day trip from Cape Town- Paternoster — Quirky shops in Paternoster

As you can see, there are many options for day trips from Cape Town. Any of these day trips can easily be extended to include an overnight stay, giving you more time to explore the beauty of the Western Cape.

Have you ever done any of these day trips from Cape Town? If not, which of these day trips would you like to try? Have you done any other day trips from Cape Town that I have not mentioned?

Experiencing the making of Dutch wooden shoes at Zaanse Schans

By Sabs 18 Comments

After arriving at Zaanse Schans, which is less than 20 minutes from Amsterdam, we decided to first go to the Dutch wooden shoe workshop. We had never seen Dutch wooden clogs before and was interested in learning more about these shoes.

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Outside the Dutch wooden shoe workshop

Outside the Dutch wooden shoe workshop, there are a few HUGE and colorful wooden shoes or clogs outside. They are perfect for taking pictures – you can either sit in them or stand up – your choice! It was quite fun!

Zaanse Schans Dutch Wooden Shoe Workshop from Outside

Inside the Dutch wooden shoe workshop

Entrance to the workshop is free! When you enter, there is a long passage which serves as a type of a museum showing the history of Dutch wooden shoes.

Welcome sign at the entrance of the wooden shoe shop — Welcome sign at the entrance of the Dutch wooden shoe shop

The variety of Dutch wooden shoes

I never knew there was such a variety of Dutch wooden shoes. For weddings, you get the shoes decorated with elaborate carvings, very detailed and quite lovely.

There are also different types of wooden shoes for working or sports events. There are even silly ones like this pair of Heineken wooden shoes.

Dutch wooden shoes can also be used as decor inside your house. Just add a few wooden tulips and you are set to go!

Shoe-making demonstrations

The Dutch wooden shoe workshop also offers regular demonstrations of how they used to make wooden shoes in the olden days compared to now. Even with the faster methods currently used, the shoes still need a few days to dry out before decoration takes place. I was really impressed with the presenter as he could speak so many languages, even Mandarin!

Dutch wooden shoe workshop demonstration

The workshop sells a vast range of wooden shoes covering different sizes and decorations. There is a pair for everyone! We tried some on, and they felt quite comfortable but felt that it would take us a while to get used to since it feels different to regular shoes. Coming from South Africa with our really weak currency, we found the actual sized wooden shoes a bit pricey at around Euro 40 – 60.

Dutch Wooden Shoe making at the Zaanse Schans village near Amsterdam. — Dutch Wooden Shoe workshop at Zaanse Schans

Dutch wooden shoe souvenirs

The workshop also sells other types of souvenirs, such as key rings and mini wooden shoes as memorabilia. We had a difficult time choosing what we wanted to buy for friends and family.

Visiting this wooden shoe workshop is definitely worth visiting for some insight into an old Dutch tradition!

Uetliberg mountain Zurich: a wonderful view from Zurich’s home mountain

By Sabs 2 Comments

I woke up feeling refreshed and looking forward to another day of sightseeing. When I arrived at the Zürich HB and asked for tickets to go to Felsenegg, the ticketing guy informed me that Felsenegg is serviced once a month on the first Monday of the month, which happened to be that day. I was disappointed. In my pre-trip planning, Felsenegg was a must-see. After seeing my disappointment, he suggested that I visit Uetliberg mountain Zurich. Since I had no other plans for the day, I decided to follow his advice.

Uetliberg Mountain Zurich for wonderful views of Zurich — Uetliberg Mountain Zurich

Getting to Uetliberg Mountain Zurich

The train ride took about 30 minutes. At first we went past residential areas, but eventually, it became more rural with some beautiful scenery.

Scenery from the train on the way to Uetliberg Mountain Zurich — View from the train on the way to Uetliberg Mountain Zurich

Going to the top of Uetliberg Mountain Zurich

When we arrived, I was a bit lost as the area looked like a forest with no signs of where to go. I then decided just to follow the other people who got off the train.

It was an uphill walk all the way, but it was beautiful and green everywhere.

When faced with such an uphill walk, it is always nice to look back and see how far you have come!

Looking back on my progress walking up Uetliberg Mountain Zurich — Looking back on my progress

Along the way, I discovered that there is a hiking trail in the area. It is called the Path of the Planets or Planetenweg. If I had more time, I would have loved to do the hike.

Planetenweg Uetliberg Mountain near Zurich

I also saw a “planet” next to the footpath.

A Planet from the Path of the Planet - Uetliberg Mountain Zurich — A Planet from the Path of the Planet

The view from the footpath was stunning and motivated me to go on.

The view from the footpath on the way to Uetliberg

When I saw this sign, I knew I was almost there!

Uto Kulm on the way up Uetliberg Mountain Zurich

The lampposts along the way were unique!

The top of Uetliberg Mountain Zurich

And finally, I was there! I had reached Uto Kulm, the top of Uetliberg Mountain. The view of Zurich from the top was amazing and worth the climb!

When I turned to the other side, I could see the small village I had seen earlier, but the view was much better from the top.

Small village view from Uetliberg Mountain Zurich — Small village views from Uetliberg Mountain Zurich

I could even see snow-capped mountains in the distance!

While I was standing there, I had a friend join me…. He allowed me to pet him and kept on following me.

On Uetliberg there is a tower. I thought it would be possible to go up the tower, even though I don’t know if I would have, but it was locked. Lucky! If it were open, I would have felt compelled to go up!

The tower on top of Uetliberg Mountain Zurich

I took a bit of a breather on the bench which matched the lampposts from earlier.

I also admired the plants – They were gorgeous and bright green!

Beautiful plants on top of Uetliberg — Beautiful plants on Uetliberg

There is also a hotel and restaurant on the top.

Hotel and Restaurant on Uetliberg — Hotel and Restaurant

I spent about 30 minutes on the top and then it was time to walk down again. I was feeling happy and pleased with myself for making the journey. On the way down I saw more beautiful trees…

I was very lucky; I just reached the bottom of the path when the train came. During weekdays the train stops at Uetliberg every 30 minutes and every 20 minutes on weekends.

I had been disappointed about not being able to go to Felsenegg, but Uetliberg had been worth it!

Have you been up Uetliberg Mountain Zurich? What about Felsenegg? Which one did you like best?

The magnificent Rheinfalls near Schaffhausen: a fun day trip from Zurich

By Sabs Leave a Comment

It was still too early for me to check-in to the Leoneck Hotel in Zurich. I decided to visit the Rheinfalls near Schaffhausen. My neighbor on the flight from Johannesburg to Zurich had warned me that it might rain since the region had been experiencing a lot of rain over the past few days. Fortunately for me, it looked like a lovely day – warm but cloudy. Perfect for sightseeing. She had also told me that the Rheinfalls would be very impressive to see because of all the rainfall of the past few weeks. I was excited to be going there!

Getting to the Rheinfalls near Schaffhausen

I took the train from Zurich to Winterthur. In Winterthur, I had to change trains in 4 minutes! From Winterthur, I went to Schloss Laufen, Rheinfall with the train. The entire journey took less than an hour.

Choices when you get to the Rheinfalls near Schaffhausen

Upon arrival, I looked around a bit. It appeared that there were two ways to get to the falls. The one way was to take a lift down, and the other was to walk down following a little footpath. I thought the footpath would be more fun. I went to the ticket counter and bought my ticket.

Off I went. I saw this view of the falls from the top of the footpath.

The scenery around the falls was also nice with traditional looking mills and houses.

Along the footpath, there were several lookout points. As I walked down, the roar of the falls became louder and louder.

This lookout is right next to the falls, and it almost feels as if the water is going to reach you – the spray from the water does fall on you! A little bit scary and yet exhilarating at the same time!

I eventually reached the bottom of the footpath and came to a docking area. There was a blue boat there, ready to take us across the lake.

Crossing the lake

Upon arrival on the other side of the lake, I realized that there were three different colored boats – each with a different route. The yellow boat took people to the rock in the middle of the Rheinfalls, where they then get out and climb to the top. It looked like everyone got soaked going there. Then there was the red boat which took people a little down the river and then looped in front of the falls and the rock. The blue boat I came with fetches people from the other side of the river and also sailed to the front of the rock and the falls.

I decided first to take a walk on the side of the river I was at. I walked past Schlossli Worth – it had been used for shipping and loading many many years ago – but was now a restaurant and souvenir shop.

I then reached a souvenir shop with a bright orange train-like vehicle parked right next to it. I absolutely could not resist taking the tour on this train!

Touring Schaffhausen on the train

There were not many people on the train. We drove through Schaffhausen and stopped at several places to drop people off and also to take pictures and walk around for a few minutes.

We eventually stopped near the Rheinfalls. The falls were deafening at this point, but it was also nice to see it from this angle.

After this stop, we went back to the starting point of our journey. There were some lovely parks along the way.

Getting close to the Rheinfalls near Schaffhausen

I decided that I had seen enough of the Rheinfalls and bought a ticket to go back to the other side of the river with the blue boat again except this time we made a loop right in front of the falls.

Getting so close to the falls was magnificent! The falls were thunderous and powerful. It sprayed us even though we were not that close to it. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

If you are staying in Zurich and looking for a day trip out of the city, visiting the Rheinfalls near Schaffhausen is the perfect trip for you!

Have you been to the Rheinfalls? Is there another waterfall that you loved visiting?