my views

On Saturday we took Kygo, our rottweiler, for a walk at Groot Constantia . The estate was established in 1685 and is Cape Town’s oldest wine producing farm. It offers the most picturesque views of the vineyards and the mountains. The great news is that the estate is dog friendly (provided your pooch is on a lead) and you can wander on the designated paths on the estate between 8am and 5pm, 7 days a week. Kygo and I at the Groot Constantia Estate Groot Constantia offers amazing views and a fun-filled adventure Elephant's Eye in the distance Waleed and Kygo enjoying the stroll through the vineyards The estate is extremely popular with many people enjoying a trail run or a walk with the family. It also attracts lots of tourists with the sightseeing red bus passing through.  When you’ve entered the estate and parked, you can follow the tree-lined path that leads to the Iziko Museum where you can learn about the estate’s fascinating history. Behind it, there are two shallow ponds where...

Arderne Gardens, in the Southern Suburbs, provides an exotic escape for anyone craving some fresh air and a walk in nature. The great news is that the Gardens is open under the National Lockdown Level 3 restrictions for walking and is dog-friendly, provided your pooch is on a lead.  Situated at 222 Main Road Claremont, just opposite the Life Kingsbury hospital, the Gardens is a national heritage site with a rich history dating back to 1845. While they are keeping the gates closed, it is not locked and you can push it open to go for your walk. With the current restrictions, they are limiting the number of people and there are security guards at the entrance to monitor this. You aren’t allowed to sit on any of the benches or picnic. I haven’t been to these gardens in years. The last time to be precise, was when I was part of my aunt’s bridal party and we took some photos there. It still remains a very popular spot for wedding photos. I was struck by the beauty of the gardens anew. It...

One of our absolute favourite walks to do with Kygo, our rottweiler, is Sea Point Promenade. The nice thing about this walk is that it is paved and fairly flat, making it suitable for all types of dogs and people of various fitness levels. You can decide which distance you’d like to do but the entire prom is about eight kilometres.  A beautiful day for a stroll The highlight of this walk is the stunning views of the Atlantic ocean and of Signal Hill, Table Mountain and Lions Head as you snake along the prom. We started our walk (just after 7am) opposite the Dolphin Inn on Beach Road, where the paved area starts. We walked all along the ocean, allowing Kygo to stop and sniff and say hi to any friends that came by.  The promenade was already brimming with people but everyone was wearing face masks and there’s enough room to practise social distancing.  What a blue Monday looks like Depending on the weather, this is a great walk to do any time of the day.  But if you wa...

With South Africa under national lockdown Level 3 to curb the spread of the Coronavirus, the beaches and many recreational activities like picnicking, braaing and swimming are off limits. And while a dip in the ocean may not be permitted, a walk alongside it, smelling the fresh sea breeze and feeling the cool ocean spray is a great consolation.  Hike the Hoek van Bobbejaan Trail We hiked the Hoek van Bobbejaan Trail in Cape Point, which is part of the Table Mountain Nature Reserve. It is a circular route with an estimated hiking time of 3 hours.  The trail starts with a sharp, stair-like descent to the beach. There were many people foraging in the low tide for crayfish. This is allowed, provided you have a permit. We also saw quite a few people angling (fishing). We were fortunate that there was a bit of mist when we started (just after 8am) so it was nice and cool.  A misty morning Can you spot the diver? He's searching for crayfish Stunning ocean views As our hike conti...