When you’re in Cape Town, it’s fairly hard to pick and choose between all the fantastic attractions on offer, and you often never get to explore or experience any local hangouts. One of my favourite suburbs is not listed on any tourist top ten, (like Camps Bay, or the City Centre often are), has plenty of activities and sites of interest to keep locals and visitors occupied.
- Organic goodies – Earth Fair Food Market
I’m not afraid to admit that I’ve jumped on the organic food wagon, and those of you looking for a funky, family-friendly place to grab your groceries, while your little ones are entertained, then the Earth Fair Food Market is for you! I love popping in on Saturday mornings to get local produce, and always grab a freshly squeezed juice (usually the celery, ginger, apple, carrot, and beetroot brew) when I arrive. When I leave I make sure to get a VERY strong coffee – that we call moer koffie locally – to keep my energy up. My husband loves the local beers on tap, which he’ll get if we go for lunch. The best part is, there is always plenty of parking available.
- Hiking – Silvermine
I love the smell of the fynbos (fine bush) in the morning, and though I’ve never done it myself, I’ve watched others dare a swim in the reservoir at Silvermine Nature Reserve. It’s the perfect place to visit with a picnic basket or backpack, and I’ve spent many a Saturday roaming up here with my husband, listening to the bird songs and enjoying the brisk mountain air. If picnics aren’t your thing then mountain biking (bring your own) and hiking are also available. Another great place to hike is in the Tokai Forest Preserve, which has its own Arboretum.
- Restaurant and wine – Steenberg Golf Estate
Looking for a classy place to take friends for lunch or enjoy a wine tasting? Then Steenberg (Mountain of Stone) Golf Estate is the perfect setting; it has also recently won first place on Conde Naste’s travel list as the top foreign golf course in the world! The beautiful vineyards, mountain backing, and two on-site restaurants guarantee you’ll find something to your taste, and as it is the Cape Peninsula’s oldest farm, you should indulge in a wine tasting if you have time.
- Spa – Stillness Manor
Some days you just feel completely out of balance – stressed, rushed, crazy – and my favourite place to go to and recover is at the spa at Stillness Manor, above Steenberg Golf Estate. Here you are welcomed into the warm, beautifully decorated environment of an old Cape Dutch house in the picturesque vineyards. The friendly professionals ease away all your tension with a variety of massage options and treatments, and the best part is you can spoil yourself afterwards by visiting the steam room or the pool to completely make sure the tension is gone.
What are your favourite places and space in Tokai?
Main image credited to mallix (Flickr)
