my views

When my brother called and asked whether I would like to abseil down Table Mountain I thought, ‘You must be nuts!’. But I said I would think about it…  I few years ago I read Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes . The book is based on Shonda’s experience of opening herself up to new opportunities by saying ‘yes’ for one year. It is astounding that our inclination is to decline things immediately based on preconceived ideas, fears (of the unknown) or limiting beliefs. With this at the back of my mind, I usually challenge myself and I after chatting to Waleed we agreed to do it. I’m not gonna lie, I was nervous but also comforted that my brother and his wife were going to join us. We made sure we were on the first cable car to the top of Table Mountain at 9am on the Sunday morning. My brother chose to hike up Platteklip Gorge. You have to book in advance with Abseil Africa and they give you a time slot for your abseil.  There is a safety briefing beforehand and you can ask them as many questio

People often ask how I know about so many trails and the truth is some of them are discovered in a serendipitous manner. Klaasenbosch was one of those amazing ‘by chance’ discoveries and has quickly crept up our favourite list.  We were doing the Alphen Trail one day, and we usually start at the bottom of Alphen Drive and walk all the way to the top of the trail. As we came out on the other side at Hohenort Avenue, we saw another trail board across the road and decided to try it. The rest is history... Waleed and Kygo exploring in the early morning light Walking the Klaasenbosch Trail For the Google Maps directions to Klaasenbosch - click here As you start the trail, the verges are the backyards of properties that have stables and depending on the time of day that you walk, we often see people horse-riding. There are no cyclists allowed, which makes it a popular spot for dog walking and trail running. The view of Klaasenbosch A great place to take your dog for a walk It is a short 3km

An easy 7km trail that is kid and dog-friendly My love affair with Silvermine Nature Reserve, part of the Table Mountain National Park, started four years ago when we hiked the Noordhoek Peak Circuit. I absolutely fell in love with the place - so much so that almost every Sunday, come rain or shine, you can find us exploring one of the Reserve’s trails.  Naturally when we got Kygo, our exuberant Rottweiler, we took him along on our hikes. Kygo was built with adventure hard-coded in his DNA. He absolutely loves water, swimming and outdoor adventures, and Silvermine offers all of this.  Kygo and I at the Noordhoek Peak Circuit looking out over Hout Bay About the Noorhoek Peak Circuit The Noordhoek Peak Circuit is a 7km hike that you can comfortably complete in about 2 and a half hours. With an elevation of 754m at the Peak, it offers spectacular views of some of Cape Town’s most amazing beaches. This hike is incredibly beautiful and as you are walking there are so many different aspects

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 was