Summer

 
 

Beaches You Want to Visit in Cape Town

On the southern tip of South Africa along the Atlantic is Cape Town. Known as the “Mother City” as the original city established in S. Africa by Europeans in 1652. 

The location of Cape Town along the Atlantic coast is original for being a cosmopolitan city that sits among a beautiful landscape of mountains, ocean and also offering some of the best beaches in the world.

Visiting Cape Town for its history, culture, friendly people, wildlife or for her landscape, a beach visit is a must with many options: 

Atlantic Seaboard – on Cape Town’s western coast, the suburbs of Clifton and Camp Bay have the top real estate in S. Africa and the area’s top beaches with its white sand beaches and crystal clear water. Sitting on the Atlantic side of the peninsula and facing west for amazing sunset views and views of Table Mountain are another reason for the popularity of the beaches in this region. 

  • Clifton Beach and it’s 4 coves (Beaches 1 – 4)

Considered one of the top if not the best beaches in Cape Town, Clifton beach is located off the affluent Clifton neighborhood in the Cape Town region. 

Composed of 4 beaches separated by Granite boulders, called coves, the area attracts many locals and visitors for its powdery white sand and easy access for water sports. 

Uniquely due to the geography of the region, the warmest waters will be found in the winter months (May – August) when temperatures will reach 68 degrees as opposed to the summer months (November – February) when the water will reach maximum highs of 50 degrees.

Popular for wave and body surfing, plus boogie boarding the largest waves are found at 1st beach and the calmest are at 4th beach. 

1st beach is a popular surfing destination and where you will find the majority of the serious water lovers. 

2nd beach is popular with the teen and college crowd who spend their days playing volleyball, frisbee and other sand activities. 

3rd beach is the smallest in area and is known as a destination for the LGBTQ crowd looking for a more intimate setting. 

Families can be found at 4th beach where you will also find yachts that anchor near 4th beach due to its calm waters and easy shore access. 

  • Camps Bay Beach

15 minutes from central Cape Town and also located on the Atlantic Ocean, at the base of the Twelve Apostles mountain range near Table Mountain is Camps Bay Beach. 

The village of Camps Bay, like Clifton is an affluent neighborhood of South Africa. Camps Bay offers the largest white sand beach within a small bay off the western coast of the Cape Town peninsula.  

The largest of the beaches in the Atlantic Seaboard area is located within a popular tourist area with hotels, bed and breakfasts and villa accommodations plus offering acclaimed restaurants, cafe’s, bars and nightclubs for a one stop visit location at the beach.  

The beautiful views from the beach here has made it a popular wedding destination within South Africa for ceremonies on the beach or at one of the nearby resorts. 

West Coast beaches –  offering long, sandy beaches to the North of Cape Town. These beaches are popular for kite-surfing and windsurfing due to the wind and surf conditions.

  • Bloubergstrand

On the shores of Table Bay is a small seaside town located about 15 miles North of Cape Town. A mostly residential area, it’s northern location with consistent winds and cooler waters attracts visitors as the ideal location for windsurfing and kite-surfing enthusiasts. 

The Bloubergstrand beach region lies within a marine nature reserve protecting the endangered Cape Rock lobster and abalone. 

Another popular reason to visit the beach at Bloubergstrand is for the views of Table Mountain across the bay making it a picturesque spot.

During the S. African winter, this is the place to come for sightings of killer whale, dolphin and fur seals. Otherwise beautiful views of Table Mountain across the bay and for its uncrowded pristine beach makes it worth the visit anytime.

False Bay – Just shy of an hours drive from central Cape Town, the “C” shaped coastline is a picturesque region of the S. Africa to the southeast of Table Mountain along the east side of the rocky Cape Peninsula. 

  • Boulders Beach 

Simon’s Town located just over the mountains from Cape Town has a sheltered beach that sits between 540 million year old boulders which is how it received its name. A popular location for visitors but not for its sand and sea but for its local residents. 

Boulders beach is the home of the Africa penguin who can only be found along the South African coastline and are protected by the Cape Nature Preservation due to their current status of extinction. 

Boulders is one of the only locations to get close enough to observe the birds in their natural habitat as they wander the beach. 

Tip: Head over to nearby Foxy beach for an even better view of the feathered birds with boardwalks to view the birds from above. 

  • Muizenberg Beach 

One of the longest beaches in the area covers 20 kilometers (12 miles)

A beach side suburb of Cape Town, in the western Cape region, this beach town is the top surf destination. Due to it’s warmer waters (can hit up to 58 degrees) and consistent swell of waves, surfing here dates back over a hundred years accounting for it’s popular surf culture and where many come to learn to surf, or sample riding the S. African waters. 

The beautiful wide beach is flanked with colorful beach cottages on the beachfront. Venture a little farther down the beach and you will find picturesque Victorian bath houses that date back to the heyday of the beach’s history in the 1800’s.

Like the historic beach huts, this beach is all about simple good old fashioned beach fun and is the perfect setting for swimming, gathering, learning to surf and sun-bathing.

Adjacent to the beach you will find cafe’s, restaurants, boutiques and surf shops for the full beach resort town experience.

Africa is a bucket list destination for wildlife and exploration. When planning an African experience, South Africa is a must see and a visit to beautiful Cape Town is highly recommended.  

For more information on how to explore Africa, visit our webpage. 

Categories: Bucket List, Summer, Travel, Travel Bucket List | Tags: , , | 2 Comments

The “New” Theme Park Experience

Posted on June 2, 2020 by expertbucketlister

With planned staged openings throughout cities and states and American’s stuck home or only traveling to locations close to home, it is expected that theme parks will be in high demand for vacation experiences this year.

So what can we expect? Will the “happiest place on earth” still fill an emotional need without hugs during social distancing? Will live character’s be wearing masks? What about queue’s how will they navigate the long waits and people sharing space? What will change with daily protocols and food service?

Six Flags has announced when they reopen, they will have safety precautions in effect. Crowd control will be in effect with scheduled entry times (reserved in advance), staggered so guests can enter without mass crowds. Temperature checks will be mandatory at the park entrance. Masks will be required, hand washing stations will be added throughout the parks as will sanitizing stations at ride exits. Employee’s will be disinfecting rides between guests, separating families by empty rows and seats for social distancing. One way walking path’s will be set to keep guests apart.

Disney has recently re-opened their downtown area Disney Springs with some shops and limited restaurant options and is making plans to reopen parks in stages. Starting with Magic Kingdom & Animal Kingdom on July 11, and then Hollywood Studios and Epcot on July 15. Theme park attendance will be scheduled and restricted sans their most popular parades, nightime experiences and character greetings. Character’s will be scattered around the park in no-contact zones for waves and to blow kisses. Not all dining venues will be open (buffet’s and family style are out) will be restrictive to reservations and app use. They will restrict park hopping due to the scheduled visit requirement.

Universal has announced the reopening of their parks, including their water park Volcano Bay in Florida, early June and are stating that they cannot guarantee that guest’s will not get Coronavirus by visiting and by purchasing a ticket and entering the parks you are accepting the consequences. That makes me want to join the party! Similar to Six Flags, Universal will be requiring masks, temperature checks and hand sanitizer stations will be available while they also will be limiting capacity and increasing cleaning protocols. They are encouraging use of their dining app’s for contactless dining experiences.

So is the cost of an entrance ticket worth the limited experience? Single day tickets (single park) are currently at $119 a day for Universal, $115 for the Magic Kingdom, $107 for the other parks, Six Flags tickets start at $42.

Limited crowds will be enjoyed at theme parks, but for the regular theme park guests and family who have saved up for their summer vacation, they may be left feeling like the “Whole New World” is not a “Zip-a-dee Do Dah” day but instead a long slow ride on “Its a Small World”.

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What is a Travel Bubble and How it will Guide Future Travel?

As cities, regions and countries reopen in stages there is a new travel term that will become part of our planning process, namely referred to as a travel bubble.

A “travel bubble” is not a new form of transport to get you to a land away from home. Nor, is it a protective suit so you can social distance. A travel bubble is an agreed upon partnership between countries, like Israel with Greece and the Czech Republic with Slovakia and Croatia being developed to encourage safe travel and reignite tourism for summer travel and for the remainder of 2020 tourism.

A travel bubble, also being called “Corona corridors” will allow countries to experiment with allowing guests back into their countries knowing where they came from and providing a simpler option in closing borders should a resurgence appear in their countries, after tourists arrive. You can equate this to the metaphor of learning to walk before you can run. They don’t want to open their borders to everyone and have no idea who is bringing the virus with them.

How will this impact future travel? Well like a travel Visa that allows countries to decide who can visit them and for how long, a travel bubble will have strict guidelines and may include mandatory requirements so the countries can track tourists should they want them to leave.

Once countries feel comfortable with the guidelines and have had positive results, they will expand their bubble to include farther reaches. We are already seeing this form of restriction here in the U.S. where some states are restricting arrival of tourists from Covid-19 hot spots.

Expect the travel bubble to expand into the U.S. starting with Canada and some of our close neighbor countries before moving onto other regions. This could possibly have American’s able to wander the farther reaches of the world by the end of fall if resurgence does not occur.

As a travel advisor, I recomment that before traveling outside your state and/or the country you should verify restrictions and requirements from the areas you will be visiting on their tourism website(s).

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Hitting the road for Memorial Day Weekend!

Posted on May 6, 2020 by expertbucketlister

After weeks quarantined at home and cancellation of summer plans to places far and away. Memorial Weekend and Road trips will go hand in hand this year. The first official weekend of summer for many will be a chance to get away.

So, consider these tips as you plan for your auto travels.

Clean your car– The anticipation of leaving behind your day-to-day and heading somewhere fun. Don’t bring the unneeded with you like all items that found a place in your vehicle that don’t need to be there. They will only frustrate you when all the new items start to add up.

Have a plan, keep it flexible – Holiday travel is the busiest time on the roads. Traffic, construction, weather, accidents and unexpected delays will happen. It’s always nice to get where you are headed on or ahead of schedule, but keep it real.

Play it safe– Worse than getting pulled over, being 300 miles from home, realizing you can’t find your insurance card…. sorry officer – not a great way to start a weekend. A plastic baggy with copies of insurance card, registration and Drivers Licenses for each driver. Who knows when you will lose something or worse it gets stolen.

Make it an adventure – As great as it is that we now have entertainment to pass the time in our vehicles, like DVD players, iPads and Nooks, the fondest memories are always the time spent together. Take breaks from the electronics, play some old fashioned road games, sing songs, or just chat. Even the most familiar travels will become fun and new.

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Ssshhh! Secret Travel Pricing!

Posted on February 12, 2019 by expertbucketlister

We are just about to hit May and you haven’t planned your summer travel yet. Scouring the internet you are seeing hundreds of offers from cruise lines and travel suppliers that look interesting and may even entice you to take a deeper look. But did you know there is pricing out there that you do not know about?

Most suppliers do a great job of filling rooms and cabins with their competitive offers and monthly promotions. But there are hundreds maybe even thousands that go unbooked. So how do they fill these? Many of these are offered to partner Travel Advisors to offer to their personal clients in the form of “secret or covert pricing”.

I am sure you are aware of  third party travel suppliers and websites that claim to have incredible pricing, commit now  and supply a credit card  and you will lock in at stated price. In reality, you get a call to say that price or option is no longer available, but we have this other more expensive option available that we will put you in. Or, you call the travel provider directly and they quote you a price that is a little better then what is advertised, which is great,  but you may still be leaving money on the table.

Travel Advisors who specialize in specific vendors are offered highly discounted pricing, prices they can not advertise but can share directly with their clientele. These are prices that can get you locked into an itinerary paying hundreds and sometimes thousands less then what the same option is advertised for on the internet. Another reason why having a travel consultant on speed dial, who knows you and what you are looking for, can guide you into finding these “secret” offers and bring value to you. Or, you can spend hours searching the internet…..

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Honor America – Travel America

Posted on June 14, 2012 by expertbucketlister

Today is National Flag Day  – what that means is that we as Americans recognize that this is the official day that our country adapted the flag of the United States in 1777. The  U.S. Army also celebrates its birthday today. Congress adopted “the American continental army” on this day in 1775. These are steps our forefathers took for independence from England.

So lets honor our country and take independence from our current financial situation and buy American. This includes travel. As much as I love visiting the Caribbean Isles or the coasts of Mexico, there are so many amazing places here to visit and experience, most of which are rarely thought of as a travel experience and can be quite affordable.

From the coastline of California to historic experiences in Boston, Philadelphia or Washington DC, cruising the rivers of America, or a drive through the American frontier and visiting our many National Parks. There are so many options, experiencing our own country will have your family honoring our past and keep the money here where it is most needed. And, if you still have that yearning to hit the Caribbean, then think U.S. Virgin Islands. Yet another amazing US venue.

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Hitting the Pavement Over Memorial Weekend

Posted on May 23, 2012 by expertbucketlister

Memorial Weekend and Road trips go hand in hand. The first official weekend of summer is a chance to get away. Consider these tips as you plan for your auto travels.

Clean your car– The anticipation of leaving behind your day-to-day and heading somewhere fun. Don’t bring the unneeded with you like all items that found a place in your vehicle that don’t need to be there. They will only frustrate you when all the new items start to add up.

Have a plan, keep it flexible – Holiday travel is the busiest time on the roads. Traffic, construction, weather, accidents and unexpected delays will happen. It’s always nice to get where you are headed on or ahead of schedule, but keep it real.

Play it safe– Worse than getting pulled over, being 300 miles from home, realizing you can’t find your insurance card…. sorry officer – not a great way to start a weekend. A plastic baggy with copies of insurance card, registration and Drivers Licenses for each driver. Who knows when you will lose something or worse it gets stolen.

Make it an adventure – As great as it is that we now have entertainment to pass the time in our vehicles, like DVD players, iPads and Nooks, the fondest memories are always the time spent together. Take breaks from the electronics, play some old fashioned road games, sing songs, or just chat. Even the most familiar travels will become fun and new.

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How to Plan an Affordable Summer Vacation – US News and World Report

Posted on May 1, 2012 by expertbucketlister

How to Plan an Affordable Summer Vacation – US News and World Report.

The biggest key to affordable is “PLANNING”. The days of last minute bookings are gone with the booming economy. By planning ahead, travelers will find that they have more options available to them at prices that are more affordable. Waiting until the 11th hour to book can be hit or miss. If you are lucky enough to grab a travel deal that fits perfectly into your plans and dates, you should consider yourself “in the right place at the right time”.

“FLEXIBILITY” – just saying I want to go here for these days and spend this much are not realistic. Be willing to compromise on what is least important and you will find that your funds will take you a lot further. Flying in or out of alternative airports,  red eye flights, or staying at the next city over instead the popular locale with higher priced accommodations.

“OFFERS” – taking advantage of them is the biggest way to save money. If you want Disney, go when they are offering their free dining or off-season specials. You may not want to be in Florida in July, but you will save and get the same Disney experience at a more affordable price. Consider cruising or a tour, you can find some amazing values on these prepackaged arrangements and will save by not needing to rent a car and pay for gas at its peak this summer.

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How to Enjoy Tax Day!

Posted on April 17, 2012 by expertbucketlister

Making your Tax refund a gift to yourself.

Tax day has arrived and for many the stress of organizing receipts and information of the prior year has not been a walk down memory lane. Once that tax return is sealed and stamped or e-filed what next?

If a tax refund is heading your way, that is a opportunity to look at using those funds to invest in some memories that will last a lifetime. To help celebrate “Tax Day” there are many options to plan the trip of a lifetime or a fun, “I have always wanted to go there or do that but never have” adventure.

                              Whatever your pleasure, you can reward yourself for a year of hard-work and planning and truly enjoy the fruits of your labor.

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When to plan your Summer Vacation?

Posted on April 10, 2012 by expertbucketlister

With Easter behind us, that means one thing. Summer is approaching. In today’s economy, many people choose to wait until the 11th hour to plan their summer vacation. However, with rising gas prices, airline mergers and an unpredictable american economy, travel suppliers are rewarding those who choose to think ahead.

Booking air travel is the most difficult part of planning your travels. When is the right time to purchase, you don’t want to buy at the wrong time and find out later that you could have saved by waiting, who is the best carrier to fly with, with all the rules and restrictions you are pretty much locking yourself into that fare because they will charge you anywhere from $100 – $250 to change your flight. Booking air is like playing the stock market, your best bet 3 – 4  months out  is to watch the fares and purchase when you see it at a low. But, wait, if you don’t purchase in time 6-8 weeks out or more you may end up paying top dollar. The best way to get a great fare, is to book it as part of a travel package. Airlines will offer discounts to travel suppliers and the suppliers are happy to pass it along to you for planning your travels with them.

Additionally, cruise, tour and even hotel suppliers have packages that come with discounts or with benefits that will not be available if you wait. The best advice from travel professionals, book in advance. In most cases you will be required to put down a deposit, but you have many months until you have to sign on that dotted line.

Categories: Summer, Travel, Vacation | Tags: | Leave a comment

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