Since Puerto Vallarta is the hub of tourism, several national and international sports competitions are held around the area of the Banderas Bay. Who would’ve thought that Puerto Vallarta, which is popular as a scenic resort could hold so many delightful activities in its pockets. The events that take place in Puerto Vallarta are abundant but unfortunately not many tourists are able to utilize this wonderful opportunity. All you need to do is check the flyers for the upcoming events and Viola! There you have; a never ending list of events that will blow your mind away. From girls’ softball leagues to aerobics to martial arts classes, all are available here in Puerto Vallarta.

One of the most famous and also the longest running event in Puerto Vallarta is the Annual Sailfish and Marlin Tournament. This event takes place on the Banderas Bay and it will be celebrating its 50th year next November. Nuevo Vallarta as well as Puerto Vallarta proffers several fine resorts and marinas in Mexico, which in turn makes it a popular destination for all cruisers and sport fishers from all over Canada and United States.

Another Sporting Event that Puerto Vallarta is a host to is the Canto Del Sol Tennis Tournament which utilizes a play on both hard and clay court surfaces. In addition to this, many tourists also come to Puerto Vallarta because of its abundant and magnificent golf courses. There is also no shortage of golf tournaments here and the largest tournament is played at the Paradise Villages El Tigre golf course. In the past year, up to 18 countries have competed in this event. The top three teams are then transported to the World Cup in which they also win money. Getting excited yet?

Well, Puerto Vallarta also hosts two international softball tournaments. Local, national and also international soccer tournaments are in profusion here. Professional beach volleyball events in addition to aggressive half marathon tournaments are also held here at Puerto Vallarta. Into bull fights? Well the “bloodless” bullfights in Puerto Vallarta begin in the middle of December which demonstrates the colorful Mexican culture.

Another very popular and hot sport here is Muy Thai and kick boxing. A fully functional sports stadium is present here in Puerto Vallarta which is a definite sight to see. I guess all the sporty people out there are already geared up and they should be because this is a great opportunity for tourists as well as locals. It adds a sassy spice to our life, which is much needed!

Get more information on Puerto Vallarta rentals, contact Pvrpv dot com at the following numbers.  Their Mexican office number is 322.222.0638.  In case you are calling from the USA or Canada, call on their local Vonage number 206.388.3703. You can email to Tim at his email address. For more details visit Pvrpv dot com which has been successfully servicing the tourists & local community for the past four years.  They have a qualified staff with years of experience and they may help you with rental properties in Puerto Vallarta.



By: Tim Longpre

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So you’ve decided to splurge this summer! Good for you! We all need a vacation and sometimes the ‘stay-cations’  everyone is taking these days just don’t cut it when it comes to relaxing and unwinding from the stresses of our everyday  lives. Still, let’s be reasonable. We may want a vacation away from home, but how many of us can afford a five-star hotel for  a week? Or the cost of three meals a day at fancy resort prices?  So is there a happy medium? You might be surprised to learn that you can have that get-away-vacation in a resort town like Santa Barbara and eat your  cake, too!  How? Check out the wide variety of Santa Barbara Vacation Rentals available all year round. 

Santa Barbara Vacation Rentals run the gambit from studio apartments  for the single traveler, or couple, to multiple-family sized villas exquisitely set on the pristine Santa Barbara coastline –  and everything in between. Whether it’s a place from which to take long walks on the beach, or one with full access to Santa  Barbara’s many offerings in town, you will find what you’re looking for in a Santa Barbara Vacation Rental at prices that  will take the sting out of the cost of a vacation.  Santa Barbara Vacation Rentals are usually privately owned rentals, and  for us, home-away-from-home complete with kitchens, room to spread out and often amenities we could only dream of having at  five star resorts, like a private Jacuzzi or pool, beach paraphernalia and a place to cook S’mores under the stars.

Once you’ve decided that these kinds of amenities are what you’re looking for, it’s time to narrow down the choices.  So what should you consider when booking a Santa Barbara Vacation Rental? Here are a  few things to think about as you peruse the hundreds of choices.

•        Are you a beach comber?  Lover of beachy sunsets? Do you have children who would love nothing more than to  dig in the sand all day?  If so, look for a Santa Barbara vacation rental near the coast. This will save you precious time  and money in driving costs daily, and allow you the freedom to come and go instead of having to plan your entire day around  one trip to the beach.  Parking costs can be steep there, as well, so proximity allows you to avoid the high costs of  shuffling your car between parking meters.  And if you don’t have a car, staying close by the beach will save on public  transportation costs.

•         While we’re on the subject of parking, check to see if your vacation rental includes free on-site parking.  This can be a major and expensive hassle if it doesn’t.  You can save big bucks if your Santa Barbara Vacation Rental is not  only close to the places you want to visit, and you can leave your car parked for the week.

•        Is shopping your thing?  Do you love fine dining?  Santa Barbara offers a broad spectrum of wonderful  restaurants and shopping from imports and seasonal craft fairs to high end boutiques. Most of these are in town, so if you’re  a gourmet, shopping aficionado and not a beach comber, consider staying in a Santa Barbara Vacation Rental in town. Not only  will you avoid the beach crowd and traffic, you’ll be right where the action is.  And if you don’t have a car, Santa Barbara  is a small town, and extremely walkable.  But public transportation makes it easy to get from one end of town to the other,  should you want it.

•        If you’re going to be on the beach, check to see if your Santa Barbara Vacation Rental provides any beach  equipment. Not only will this come in handy, it will save you from having to drag it along or invest in costly rentals or  disposable purchases while you’re there. What kinds of things should you look for in your Santa Barbara Vacation Rental?  Ask  if the owners have Boogey boards, skim boards, or beach chairs and umbrellas. Are there any bicycles you can use? Do they  have buckets and shovels for the kids or even coolers to bring along on beach picnics? You might be surprised to learn that  many Santa Barbara Vacation Rentals do provide amenities like these. The secret is: Ask!

•        Check to see if your Santa Barbara Vacation Rental provides linens for the beds.  While most do, some don’t,  so be sure to ask.

•        One of the advantages of staying in a Santa Barbara Vacation Rental is the feeling that you’re not just  staying there, you’re living there. So be sure to ask if there are things like dishwashers, irons, washer and drying on the  premises.

•        Even if you’re close to the beach, a pool can be just the spot to lounge around on hot summer days. It can  also be a romantic place for two under the Santa Barbara night sky. So if a pool is on your list of must-haves, be sure to  ask if your Santa Barbara Vacation Rental comes complete with one!

This is your vacation. Make the most of it in a Santa Barbara Vacation Rental!



By: ANDREW WARREN

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2.2 million acres of perfect vacation destination, that’s the Yellowstone National Park for you. This northwestern corner of Wyoming has a little bit of everything – history, geology, natural beauty, bird and animal watching and photographic thrills. Yet, many people who come here return even without tasting a half of the rich and variegated fare on the Yellowstone menu.

Most of the tourists who come to the Park indulge in ‘car-watching’. They look at rustic wildlife, the amazing geothermal phenomena and exciting waterfalls through the tinted glasses of their air-conditioned car! However, to really enjoy your vacation at the Yellowstone, dump your car and bring out your hiking shoes. Get adventurous!

One of the greatest attractions of the Yellowstone for the adventure-minded is its vast array of trails suitable for every skill level. Hiking through these verdant woodlands is a great way to enjoy the rich beauty of Yellowstone’s natural environs. Many of the trails have wilderness camping shelters which makes it easier on hikers.

The bulk of visitors who visit the Yellowstone National Park come to witness the glory of one of its most popular and commonly viewed phenomenon – the Grand Canyon. A huge gorge carved out of the earth’s bowels, the Grand Canyon is a magnificent caldera consisting of many awesome mountains. You can hike from rim to rim or just sit at the tip and ruminate. Either way, you’ll love it at the Canyon.

 

The Yellowstone offers more geothermal activities than the rest of the world combined. Take the Old Faithful, for instance. Neither the biggest, nor the tallest, but the Old Faithful is the most impressive geyser in the area with its gushing spout shooting water in one foamy spray.

If you’re a fishing enthusiast, the Yellowstone won’t disappoint. Fly fishing is particularly popular in this belt. From the last week of May to the first week of November, people come to the Park with their tackles and lines to catch trout, shrimps, salmons, minnows and other varieties of native fish, Of course, the increasing number of anglers has led to the formation of stringent regulations. But what the heck, you’re here for fun, not survival! So, just follow the rules and have a blast.

If kayaking is your weakness, visit the Shoshone-Lewis Lake route. Or go canoeing in the Yellowstone River. The water is flat, but moving nevertheless. If you’re into camping and backpacking, you can make use of the dozen or more campgrounds within the Park. Watch out, though. In summers, these grounds tend to get pretty crowded.

In the winter months, the Yellowstone undergoes an unbelievable metamorphosis. From sun-baked to surreal is the only way to describe it. Snow covers the area and your only access to the place is through snow mobiles, snow coaches and skis.

The Yellowstone National Park is really too vast and variegated to bottle into a single trip. Instead, you need to take one piece of the Park in isolation and enjoy its unique flavor before moving on to the next section. That way, you can really enjoy a treat that indulges each of your senses.



By: Lizzi

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 Now that the Election is over, all eyes are on Barack Obama as he prepares to move into one of the most famous homes in the world. But what else has Washington got to offer apart from the White House?

I visited Washington a few years ago when I was in the US with my partner. We rented a car and drove down from New York. My first thought when I arrived in Washington was that it almost looked fake – it was extremely clean and tidy compared to the other places we had visited, almost like someone had done a spring clean just before we arrived, like they were trying to make a good impression.

And that they did. I was pleasantly surprised by Washington – we hadn’t planned to visit the USA capital but had heard good reports from other travellers we had met and decided to stop off for photo ops if nothing else.

There are lots of things to see and do in Washington. The National Mall is 3km stretch of land home to some of the most recognisable landmarks in the world, from The Capitol Building which serves as the seat of government for the US Congress, to the Washington Monument (a Presidential Memorial to the 1st US president George Washington) and the Lincoln Memorial statue.

In between, there are numerous museums to visit including the National Museum of American History, National Air and Space Museum and the National Museum of Natural History. You could spend a number of days along the Mall, there are so many attractions here.

Don’t miss the Lincoln Memorial – a 20ft sculpture of the assassinated president Abraham Lincoln. It was on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial that Martin Luther King gave his famous ‘I Have A Dream’ speech in 1963 – very symbolic after the election of the country’s first black president.

Close by, there are various war memorials including the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the Korean War Veterans Memorial and the National World War II Memorial. You will notice a sombre mood when you visit these sites, which is not at all surprising.

Of course, you couldn’t possibly visit Washington and not see the White House. There were lots of people standing around the parameter, using their zoom functions to get a good shot. I imagine it will be even busier from 21 January when Obama moves in!

We also visited Arlington Cemetery which is a short drive from the centre of Washington and a military cemetery. Another sombre trip, we saw the grave of JFK which is marked with an eternal flame and the Tomb of the Unknowns, which houses the bodies of soldiers who were never identified.

One of the most intriguing things I’ve ever seen is the guard in front of the Tomb of the Unknowns. The Tomb has been guarded continuously – 24 hours per day, 7 days per week - since 1937. It is considered one of the highest honours for a guard and involves a meticulous ritual of taking 21 steps in front of the Tomb, facing the Tomb for 21 seconds, waiting for 21 seconds and repeating the process until the end of the shift. The Changing of the Guard happens every 30 minutes in summer and is also fascinating to watch.

Overall, I really enjoyed my visit to Washington. I love when a destination surprises you and is better than what you expected. Obama will certainly not be bored in his new city if he ever has a day off! You could easily spend a few days in Washington and having a rental car gives you a chance to get outside the city.

Just make sure you bring your camera and fully charged batteries - there are more photo opportunities than you could shake a stick at!



By: Car Guru

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Host a reunion from our luxury vacation homes

Are you trying to get the old college gang together? Planning a family reunion with your brothers, sisters and family? Having a girls-or-boys-only retreat? Casa Valerie’s luxury rental villa on the Puerto Vallarta, Mexico shore will treat you right! Located in exquisite Puerto Vallarta on the Pacific Ocean there is something for everyone to do in this stunning resort town. The girls can go shopping while the guys can head out to sea for an afternoon of fishing or other adventure sports and the kids may host a pool party. At night, everyone can get together for a fun evening in the city or a quiet dinner at your private luxury exican villas. Puerto Vallarta is like no other place on earth. With a tropical climate, beautiful beaches and friendly people you will feel right at home as soon as you arrive. Puerto Vallarta was at one time of time, just a small little fishing village, but has now established itself on the world stage as the one of the s most popular and happening beach vacation destinations. So when you are deciding to book your Puerto Vallarta vacation rentals, you should know what you are looking for and what is offered throughout this tropical paradise. This gorgeous area offers visitors and residents alike some of the most luxurious places in the world for the very best price. Puerto Vallarta Rental Villas are so popular because the area offers visitors so many choices - luxury villas, condohotels, gorgeous beaches, water sprots, art and various entertainment options that all work together to keep this area in the international vacation spotlight. Let your vacation take a magical turn south of the border. You’ll be glad you did!

Live like the rich and famous in Mexican villas:

There are many Villa Rentals, who can reserve your villa vacation in beautiful Mexican villas that will rejuvenate you with private massages, spa services, personal trainers, manicures and pedicures, all in the privacy of your own personal villa. With a trained staff of a chef, butler and waiter a phone call away, infinity pool, jacuzzi, the ultimate bedrooms and baths you can let your hair down and relax on your vacation. Puerto Vallarta is nearby with plenty to see and do, or you could stay in your luxury vacation homes for the entire stay and not miss a thing. Lay by the infinity pool at night, watching as the stars twinkle to life in the southern sky. Learn to surf in the Pacific Ocean. Watch the sunset over the Pacific from your terrace, gather shells from the beach or watch the sunrise over the majestic Sierra Madre mountains. Your comfort and enjoyment is our first priority.

Author: Aniruddha Badola



By: Aniruddha Badola

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Koh Phangan parties are famed the world over. Each month, under the cool white light of a full moon anywhere from seven thousand people in the off season to thirty five thousand in peak season pour out of their Koh Phangan accommodation to dance, listen and let loose.

Besides Bangkok bar girls, the full moon party is probably the number one reason for Thailand’s reputation as the land of pleasure and sin. Call it Eden or call it the Asian Las Vegas, it’s somewhere in between. The image of a western tourist in a Bangkok bar, surrounded by beautiful Thai girls is pretty magnetic. It’s brought more than a few lonely men and women across the high seas.

Koh Phangan parties are now played by some of the world’s biggest DJs who are more than happy relax in free accommodation on this paradise island for a few nights and play to the immense crowd. The tunes generally hover around House, Transe, Jungle and more recently Dub and Dubstep. The vibe is always high, high energy and the crowd is enormous and notoriously easy to please.

Its hard to really grasp the magnitude of one of these parties without actually experiencing it. Unfortunately, as with Bangkok bar girls, the few fun details to spread are what everyone hears. What’s missed in the rumors that spread around the world about the full moon party is the wholesome side, the fact that this is thousands of people together on a beach, under a moon dancing and sharing joy.

What’s truly unbelievable about Koh Phangan parties is the backdrop. The tropical Pacific around Thailand’s islands is the very epitome of beachside paradise. That is what makes this a truly transcendent experience.



By: Terry

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With its fine treasure of 75 shops; four delightful restaurants, beautiful surroundings and lagoons and well maintained cobblestone pathways used for walking, Seaport Village is a must visit place during a San Diego holiday. People from different corners of the world come here to enjoy shopping, dining and other leisure activities. In fact, the popularity of the Seaport Village is such that people who come to San Diego for a beach vacation specifically ask for a visit there..

Here are some of the things for which Seaport Village is popular:

Colorful and lively shops

There are plenty of unique shops dotting the walking pathways of Seport Village. In these shops one can find exclusive hot sauce, music boxes, clothes, wind chimes, hammocks, kites, toys, handicrafts and the world’s largest selection of mugs. Some of the popular shops that are worth visiting are California Original Sunglasses, Carousel Music Box Company, Discover Nature, Mystic Mermaid, Rip Squeak & Friends Gallery, Silver Crossing, The Little Viking, Urban Girl Accessories and Village Hat Shop and many more.

Food

Whether you want to eat an ethnic dish or something familiar such as burgers, cookies and pizza, you will certainly find something favorite to eat here. Seaport Village is home to four bay-view restaurants namely the Edgewater Grill Harbor House restaurant, Buster’s, and the Pier Cafe. Apart from these, there is also a food court and many other small roadside shops selling popular delicacies to satisfy the taste buds of the visitors. To complete the dining experience, you must have an ice cream cone at Ben & Jerry’s at the end of the day.

Eclectic architectural styles

All around the Seaport Village, there are several freestanding buildings. You will find standing examples of Victorian to traditional Mexican architectural styles amongst these buildings. There are various winding paths that connect the various buildings. Just walk around these paths to enjoy the architectural variety which is hard to find anywhere else.

Sunset

Seaport Village is also a great place to enjoy the sunset. As the hot orange ball goes down, the whole valley gets transformed in a majestic view. Make it a point to come early to get a good place to sit on the seawall for watching the sunset. For enjoying the whole atmosphere completely, stay in some good vacation rentals in San Diego so that you can stay here till late.

Riding experience

One of the major attractions of this unique place is an antique carousel that dates back to 1895. This Broadway Flying Horses Carousel is a delight for children of all ages and even adults. Originally built at Coney Island in 1890s, the Broadway Flying Horses Carousel is enjoyed by over 400,000 riders each year. The Flying Horses have saddles with jumping and standing horses, goats and even dogs.

The best way to enjoy a trip to the Seaport Village during your San Diego beach vacation or San Diego family vacation is by staying at a vacation rental from where commuting to this lively place is easy. Browse the net to look for some good vacation rentals in San Diego located close to this place.



By: David Miller

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5. See An Open Air Gallery

Northern Ireland’s political murals are now famous across the globe. In a small area in the city of Derry /Londonderry called the Bogside, local artists have created, quite literally (it was inaugurated last year), an Open Air Gallery with 12 larger than life wall murals. Giant paintings depict various historical events on the gables of houses and have turned this village into an outdoor art gallery.

And while you’re there…Take a walk around the city of Derry/Londonderry-the only completely walled city in the British Isles.

4. Marble Arch Caves

Don’t miss the Marble Arch Caves in the west of Northern Ireland in County Fermanagh. These are a series of natural, limestone caves housed under mountains. Get a boat through the caves and have a look at underground rivers, waterfalls and passages.

And while you’re there…Take a drive to Omagh in county Tyrone to visit the Ulster American Folk Park, an outdoor museum which tells the story of emigration to America in the 18th and 19th centuries.

3. Belfast

You couldn’t possibly visit Northern Ireland and not stop off in the capital city. Belfast is a compact and friendly city with a perfect mix of old and new, with traditional Victorian architecture alongside funky and modern cafes, restaurants, pubs, shops and apartment blocks.

And while you’re there…. Check out the home of the Titanic in the developing Titanic Quarter. Yes it did sink but the people of Belfast are still proud of the ship built here. As the locals like to say, “It was fine when it left us!”

2. Enjoy the “Craic”

Craic (pronounced crack but 100% legal) is an Irish term which means fun, enjoyment and basically having a good time. A trip to the Emerald Isle is not complete until you meet some locals and experience this phenomenon, most likely to be found in a pub! Irish people love to talk, especially to tourists. It’s no wonder the Lonely Planet Blue List 2008 named Ireland as the friendliest destination in the world!

And while you’re there…Try some Bushmills Irish whiskey which has been around since 1608.



1. The Giant’s Causeway

You cannot, I repeat cannot, leave Northern Ireland, or Ireland for that matter, without a trip to the Giant’s Causeway on the Antrim Coast. An absolutely amazing sight, formed by polygonal basalt columns-the result of a volcanic eruption some 60 million years ago, it quite literally has to be seen to be believed. It’s so good that it is a listed World Heritage Site-the only one in Northern Ireland.

And while you’re there…Take a scenic drive along the Antrim Coast – absolutely stunning and on a clear day you can even see Scotland!

The best thing about Northern Ireland is the size! It’s all so compact and everything is within (relatively) short distances of each other so it’s perfect for a self-drive. Check out DriveAway Holidays great rates for car rental in Northern Ireland.



By: Car Guru

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There are numerous wonderful things to see and do in New York. It is difficult to picture that in a life you could possibly get to them. The difficulty is that most of them seem like so much fun that it is very hard to choose some of them. The excellent solution is to hold with things, which cannot be done and seen at home. Playing in theme parks for the many part may be done at home. When no one of our parks contrasts to the numerous available here, it may still be done in your own city without tripping thousands of miles to do so.

The same may be stated for watching films, fishing, riding bikes, hiking, and roller blazing. When making exercise is wonderful, there will be abundance of walking on your tour to New York City. But when you adore doing such things, you should not deprive yourself of doing it just because the backdrop has changed. Here you will obtain a new shot of landscape to delight, new sounds and sights, and maybe you can take your family, out, up, and active along with you.

Between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, New York City transforms itself into a holiday wonderland. There are carolers in the West Village and tubas at Lincoln Center. There’s the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and the giant ball that drops in Times Square on New Year’s Eve. In between, there are dozens of celebrations and special events commemorating everything from Christmas and Hanukkah to Kwanzaa. In New York’s 50 Best Wonderful Things to Do at the Holidays, you’ll find both the expected (the tree at Rockefeller Center, the annual performance of Handel’s Messiah at St. John the Divine) and the surprising (the Bensonhurst man who gives out 250,000 candy canes on his front lawn; the post office where all letters addressed to Santa end up, allowing citizens to choose a letter and make a child’s dream come true).

Besides, the physical activities, here are numerous wonderful shows, which may be observed on and off Broadway.



By: Alberto Sleeper

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Cape Town has several scenic drives that will allow visitors to enjoy the full Cape experience, from the richly vegetated mountains to the heady cliffs of Cape Point.

These spectacular sojourns should be enjoyed at your leisure, so head for the nearest quality car rental company, pick your preferred model and take to the road.

Cape Point

Follow the coastline of the Indian Ocean past the white beaches of Muizenberg and Fish Hoek and keep a sharp eye out for the pods of whales and schools of dolphins that flock to the relative calm of False Bay to breed or frolic in the waves. There are excellent view sites all along Boyes Drive that will provide sweeping views of the bay and beyond.

Pop in at the bustling fishing harbour of Kalk Bay where there is an array of restaurants serving the freshest of fish and other ocean delicacies. Then, if you have time, you can trot across the main road to a selection of curios and collectibles stores where all sorts of hidden treasures are waiting to be unearthed.

Make an effort to stop off at Boulders Beach, a great swimming destination, but also home to a colony of endangered penguins. Then it’s off again to the naval village of Simon’s Town where the English influence still remains decades after the last British fleets left the area. The tiny Simon’s Town waterfront has a selection of restaurants and pubs offering the perfect lunch time venue.

Then it’s on to the Cape Point Nature Reserve where wild life abounds. You can hike up the hill to the point itself or there is a funicular that will do all the work for the unfit and infirm.

Take the alternate route home, this time all along the Atlantic coast to the city. Marvel at the seclusion of Misty Cliffs and Scarborough and stop off at Kommetjie Lighthouse where the lighthouse keeper will be more than happy to take you on a tour of one of the last remaining manned lighthouses in the world. From Noordhoek you will have a choice of following two other very famous scenic routes – Chapman’s Peak or Ou Kaapse Weg.

Chapman’s Peak

From the slumberous sea-side suburb of Noordhoek, follow the signs to the awe inspiring Chapman’s Peak. Hewn out of the rock face itself by Italian POWs, the road literally hugs the near vertical cliffs of the Table Mountain Range’s backbone.

Chapman’s Peak forms one of the more challenging obstacles for athletes who take part in both the annual Argus Cycle Tour and the internationally acclaimed Two Oceans Marathon.

Take time out to discover Hout Bay, a virtually self sufficient suburb that boasts both sea-side living and mountain escapes. Then follow the coastline past Llandudno, Camps Bay and Clifton, all the way to the city itself.

Ou Kaapse Weg

At Noordhoek you can either follow the coastline or enjoy another drive with memorable views. Ou Kaapse Weg was built in the 1970’s and takes you over the Silvermine Mountain Range, through some of the most pristine wilderness areas and on into the Constantia Valley below.

The entire range is part of the Table Mountain National Park and boasts some of the most unspoilt examples of Cape fynbos. Take a stroll on the top of the mountain and enjoy the wonderful views across the southern suburbs and False Bay. After you’ve enjoyed a lovely sunset from here, you can head back to your hired car and make for the M3 highway home.



By: Lavana James

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