Visiting Cape Town - how about Gardens?

Gardens is a suburb which is part of Cape Town's famous City Bowl. A beautiful, leafy area with wonderful Table Mountain and sea views, within very easy walking distance of the city centre and the popular V&A Waterfront.

If you want to be close to everything, but in a more quiet environment, you can't go wrong with Gardens!

All Cape Accommodation has recently updated a selection of lovely, mostly Victorian, bed & breakfasts in Gardens, all well worth a visit for comfort and delicious breakfasts, in relaxed and informal surroundings.

The newest additions to the family are the following:

15 Welgemeend Street - a bed and breakfast with a beautiful vista of Table Mountain! 
This lovely bed & breakfast is nestled quite literally at the foot of Table Mountain, only minutes from the Cape Town city centre. It is also central to some of Cape Town's major attractions, including the V&A Waterfront, Table Mountain cable car, many shops, restaurants and lovely beaches.

And this is the view you get from the garden of Villa Zeezicht, another lovely bed & breakfast on the slopes of Table Mountain.
This beautiful bed & breakfast is a historic, gabled villa, situated in an upmarket area of Cape Town. The house is set in an attractive garden right at the foot of Table Mountain, with views of Lions Head and the sea. 

Situated just outside the Cape Town city center in a quiet and peaceful area, but within minutes of the V&A Waterfront, city centre shops and restaurants, and the cableway to the top of Table Mountain. The popular Clifton and Camps Bay beaches are just a short drive away.

So for your next trip to Cape Town, consider the Cape Town city bowl - be close to everything, but in a serene and green area!

Recommended holiday properties in South Africa

We have decided that it would be a good idea to feature new additions to the family of All Cape Accommodation, in the way of recommended holiday accommodation in South Africa.

In February 2013, the following lovely properties joined us:

Affordable Self-Catering Apartment in Camps Bay, Cape Town, South Africa

The Totness Place Apartment is located in upmarket and beautiful Camps Bay in Cape Town. While the area is normally expensive, this lovely home-from-home is affordable.

The beautifully decorated apartment has two bedrooms - the main bedroom with a king size bed and the second bedroom with a 3/4 bed.

There is a comfortable open plan lounge and dining room leading to a fully equipped kitchen with stove/oven, large fridge, large freezer, microwave, washing machine and dishwasher. The bathroom has a bidet, bath, shower and toilet. 

Everything you need to be comfortable while enjoying the splendours of Camps Bay beach and all the lovely cafes and restaurant close by!

For those wishing to be more central in Cape Town and live like a Capetonian in the heart of the City Bowl:

Stylish and charming house from the early 1800's in De Waterkant, Cape Town

Java House is a stunning, renovated home, which was originally built as Army Officers Quarters in the early 1800’s. Now it is a stylish, yet comfortable, “home from home” offering the best of the Cape from the heart of the Old Quarter. 

The house is a double-storey terrace with incredible roof top views of Table Mountain and the City of Cape Town. It sleeps 6 in 3 double bedrooms and a double day bed is suitable for a further 2 children or teenagers. The house has 2 bathrooms each with a shower and bath.

A balcony in the front looks onto Jarvis street and the new Cape Quarter where there are wonderful shops and many restaurants as well as a fabulous supermarket for groceries. The area is also home to many other delicatessens and great restaurants many of which are literally right on the doorstep. 

Fancy a trip down the Garden Route?   There is something wonderful on offer in Knysna. A beautiful, luxurious colonial guesthouse in Knysna with magnificent panoramic views Double Dutch B&B is a beautiful colonial style guest house with swimming pool in the town of Knysna, on the glorious Garden Route, not too far from Cape Town.  The guest house has magnificent panoramic views over the Knysna Lagoon and the Knysna Heads into the Indian Ocean. Staying at Double Dutch B&B offers you the following: Bathroom en-suite, TV/DSTV, radio, intercom, safe, fridge, extra long double king sized beds, hairdryer, make up mirror, coffee/tea facilities, under floor heating in the bathroom, personalized bathroom amenities and a comfortable furnished relaxing area in which you experience the colonial atmosphere of Double Dutch. Guests can also relax at our swimming pool with sundeck and lounge chairs and a special terrace to have a private barbecue in our extended, cultivated garden. Stay tuned for newest additions to our website!

Review: Constantia Vista — Ultimate hideaway in Cape Town, South Africa

If you are thinking of a trip to Cape Town, South Africa, this is the ideal place to stay. A luxury retreat at an affordable price in the beautiful countryside, but close to all the major attractions.

The writer has personally stayed at Constantia Vista twice as a guest, and even did a stint at managing the property in the owner's absence some years ago. The comfort was amazing and everything was there, right at her fingertips.

Staff are friendly and helpful and ensure that your suite is impeccably clean and tidy for you when you arrive. Your host, and owner of Constantia Vista, Ian Assin, is friendly, down to earth and always happy to assist you with any directions, tours, etc.. read more and view photos.

South Africa - Alphabetically Speaking...

South Africa - a Quick Alphabetical Tour

At the very end of Africa is a land of wonder - offering everything possible to satisfy anyone's vacation or holiday needs. The following is a brief alphabetical tour of the highlights:

A - Addo Elephant Park - currently housing more than 450 elephants, 400 Cape buffalo, over 48 endangered black rhino as well as a variety of antelope species. Lion and spotted hyena have also recently been re-introduced to the area.

B - Beaches - South Africa has some wonderful beaches, including Blue Flag beaches - some on the cooler Atlantic Coast, and others on the warm Indian Ocean. Visit the Western Cape, Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal for endless golden sand.

C - Cape Town - rightfully called the most beautiful city in the world - framed by the awesome Table Mountain, this lovely city is just waiting to be visited. Shops, restaurants, history, views - beaches, mountains, winelands - this is just a sample of what can be found in this wonderful city.

D - Durban - a city in KwaZulu- Natal on the warm Indian Ocean with the famous Golden Mile of sandy beaches and wonderful coastal areas to the North and South.

E - Eastern Cape - part of the famous Garden Route - a stunning area with wonderful scenery, attractive small towns and golden beaches.

F - Free State - when travelling from Johannesburg to Cape Town, you pass through this area - although not a popular destination it has its attractions, including Bloemfontein, a small and lovely city. The vast Karoo desert offers incredible landscapes...

G - Garden Route - glorious stretch along the Cape Coast from Mossel Bay all the way down to Port Elizabeth - wonderful scenery, beautiful coastal regions, golfing, Ostriches, caves… an endless variety of entertainment and holiday value. Golf is another good "G" word - there are many quality and high-class golf courses all over the country - truly a golfer's paradise!

H - Hermanus - on the Overberg Whale Route - a beautiful small town where at the right time of year, you can see the Southern Right Whale close up and personal!

I - Indian Ocean - the warm side of South Africa - from Cape Point, all the way up the right side of South Africa to Hluhuwe in KwaZulu- Natal .

J - Johannesburg - The City of Gold - in Gauteng Province although probably not the best tourist attraction, and a little dangerous, it has its moments. Fly into Johannesburg Airport on the way to your Kruger National Park safari.

K - Kruger National Park - famous for the Big Five - Lion, Leopard, Buffalo, Elephant and Rhino. Many wonderful safari and game lodges in this area and a MUST VISIT safari location!

L - Limpopo Province - the real and raw Africa with wonderful wildlife, where the Big Five and other animals roam free. Amazing scenery, and malaria free for your comfort…

M - Mandela - Nelson Mandela, the icon of the New South Africa - imprisoned on Robben Island off Cape Town for 27 years before becoming the 11^th South African President.

N - Northern Cape - part of the semi desert area of the Karoo - includes the fascinating Kimberley Hole - diamond mine of fame!

O - Oudtshoorn - in the Klein Karoo (little Karoo) just off the Garden Route on Route 62, this wonderful little town has many ostrich farms - you can even ride on an ostrich if you are brave enough! Also the famous Cango Caves are well worth a visit.

P - Pretoria - capital of South Africa - affectionately known as the Jacaranda City for all the purple blossom-bedecked streets and a calm and elegant city.

Q - a difficult letter! Suffice to say that the smaller towns in South Africa are Quaint, Quiet, Quintessentially beautiful!

R - Ramsgate/Margate - on the South Coast of KwaZulu-Natal - beautiful seaside towns with endless sandy beaches.

S - Stellenbosch - in the Cape Winelands of the Western Cape - a historic and beautiful town, home to South Africa's second oldest University - the University of Stellenbosch. Surrounded by history and endless vineyards, and well worth the visit.

T - Tours and safaris - South Africa offers excellent tour and safari options in all its many touristic areas.

U - Umhlanga - beautiful seaside town on the North Coast of Durban.

V - Another difficult letter! V is for Visit South Africa for the holiday of a lifetime.

W - Wild Coast - on the Eastern Cape - a remarkable area with wonderful scenery, gorgeous beaches and beautiful little seaside towns.

X - Xhosa - the Xhosa are speakers of Bantu languages living in south-east South Africa, and in the last two centuries throughout the southern and central-southern parts of the country. A fascinating language to listen to with a series of fifteen different click sounds.

Y - You should visit South Africa! :o)

Z - Zulu - A member of a Bantu people of southeast Africa, primarily inhabiting northeast KwaZulu-Natal province in South Africa.

In conclusion, South Africa has so much to offer - impossible to put in full detail on one article, but definitely a travel destination of note.

Anne Sewell runs several tourism related websites including All World Vacation Station , a travel guide offering accommodation options worldwide.