Dubai is an ever-growing city in the Middle East with crazy skyscrapers and luxury around every corner. It is also a great add on to your trip by making use of a stopover. For this Stopover in Dubai 3 day itinerary I’ll tell how you can add one more destination to your trip… for the same price!
Dubai is a big city, so knowing
what to do and how to best divide
your visits between each area will
let you make the most out of your short stay in the city!
A stopover is a short stay over in a place during a longer journey to somewhere else (Cambridge dictionary). While travelling internationally a stopover is considered if spending more than 24h in the middle destination, whereas in domestic flights that is reduced to 4h. Anything below those hours respectively is considered a layover.
How
to book a stopover in Dubai with Emirates
Emirates has its base in Dubai
Airport, UAE. To book a stopover with Emirates you will have to enter your trip
legs separately, like a multi-city trip. Let’s say you are travelling from Cape
Town to Barcelona via Dubai. If you did not want to stop you would just create
a one-way itinerary Cape Town – Barcelona (and there would be a stop in Dubai
for a connection flight).
If you want to stop in Dubai
for a 3 day stopover you will have to search for Cape Town Dubai on a certain
date, Dubai to Barcelona on another date.
Attention: some years back you were supposed to book it normally and then message Emirates – this has now changed – just book it as different legs of your journey.
The price of the flight will depend on the chosen flight and date – you can move dates around to see if there is a cheaper one! If you have flexible dates check out the best time to go to Dubai before you make plans.
Note: before you book your Dubai stopover make sure to check if you need a visa!
Where
to stay in Dubai during your stopover
MINI Zabeel house: This hotel is located near Al Seef by Dubai Creek. It is a modern and playful style with small rooms. All of them have wifi, tablet, tv and working desk. There are different bars and restaurants on-site and the reception staff speak both Arabic and English. There’s a pool area and gym on one of the top floors and you can get free access to one of Dubai’s waterparks, in March 2019 Wild Wadi Park was their partner. Prices start from 64 EUR for a double room.
It worked out cheaper to pick this hotel and have the waterpark entrance for free than picking a hostel and paying for the water park entrance – and on top of that I cannot recommend the hotel more!
How to move around Dubai
The most convenient and cheap way
to move around Dubai is by public transport, specifically the metro and tram. The metro covers most of the
tourist areas with direct stops at certain
landmarks, so getting to these Dubai stopover attractions won’t be hard. Some others might require a bit of walking or taking a bus.
The metro fares depend on the area you’re in and the distance travelled. You can buy “Nol” cards (the red one is the one for tourists or short term) and buy trips. We found that paying for a full day fare worked out better for the number of trips we took most days.
The tram has a set price no
matter how long you travel for and this makes it one of the cheapest modes of
transport in the city.
Stopover
in Dubai 3 day itinerary
The famous city of Dubai has
been gaining traction
as a destination in the past few years. During the stopover there I really
enjoyed how different it felt from everything I had visited before. After
hearing so many different opinions I was glad I could experience it for myself.
My first thought of the city: “It’s enormous!”
Trip map created with Wanderlog, a road trip planner
Before you visit Dubai on a stopover you must do your research for activities you’d like to try out. For that I recommend doing a comparison of the Dubai Unlimited, Dubai Select and Dubai Flexi attraction passes.
They offer similar activities but you should pick the one that makes more sense in terms of your time in the city and the number of activities you want to do. We picked Dubai Select because it offered a competitive price for 3 activities. I checked the price of those activities if booked separately and the price was higher – hence why I went for the card.
Arrival
Most flights will arrive late in the evening or at night. That’s perfect to get a night of sleep and start the itinerary. If your flight arrives early morning you can check-in and get on with the visiting.
Day
1 of Stopover in Dubai
Enjoy the first morning at Wild Wadi water park. We spent the first hours playing (I love theme/water parks SO much!). From the park you can see the Burj Al Arab, the sail-looking “only 7* hotel in the world”. There is a beach called Jumeirah Beach if you want a better view of the hotel and haven’t had enough water yet!
Your next stop will be the
famous ‘The Palm’, a man made sand island that looks like a palm from the air.
You can access the palm by monorail.
The last stop is Atlantis Hotel, where you can find another water park and an
aquarium among other
activities. It looks like a mall before you enter the actual hotel, a lot of
people go there just to see it!
With the Dubai card, you can enter the aquarium if you are interested. Going there if you don’t want to go to the water park or aquarium is interesting enough (you’ll get to visit the mall under the hotel) but it’s not really worth it in my opinion – better to plan so that you do an activity there!
From there you want to go to Dubai Marina, the neighbourhood with skyscrapers and impossibly shaped towers. I was blown away by how small that area made me feel – every building around you is at least 60 stories tall! Walk around and explore at your own pace. When you are ready to relax, head to JBR beach for sunset.
There are countless shops, stalls and a main road full of expensive cars. I recommend walking around the promenade and beach but when you are hungry you should go one or two streets back – the prices are much better when you are not on the beach itself!
Day
2 of stopover in Dubai
This day was possibly my favourite in
Dubai! Time to explore the old town and desert.
Everywhere you need to visit to
explore the old town! If your stopover itinerary day 2 falls on a Friday
you might want to alter the order of days, as markets and souks open late
on Fridays due to
weekend starting!
Old
Town DIY itinerary in Dubai
Start your day going to green
line metro station Al Ras, the closest station to all the souks and markets. The first stop will be
the Gold Souk where, as the
name suggests, you can find
gold traders and jewellery shops. There is a Guinness world record holder there for the heaviest
gold ring.
You want to leave through the
shop’s nearest exit and walk approx. 5 min to Deira Grand Souk with it’s
typical Arabian smells. This souk is known as the spice souk since you can buy herbs and
spices there mixed with some textiles and
of course tourist souvenirs.
Beside Deira Grand Souk you will find Dubai’s Creek, a very important part of Dubai’s history as it was used for fishing (it’s a saltwater creek). Nowadays there are modern boats available to cross but locals and tourists alike get on the Abra, the old wooden boats. They cost only 1 Dirham to cross the creek. Ask to go to the other side, Bur Dubai abra station.
Reach Dubai Old Souk next to
the station. They sell typical Arabian food, textile and fabrics. If you decide
to get anything don’t forget to barter before you buy!
Walk to Al Fahidi Fort or Dubai
Museum, the oldest building in Dubai. It was opened as a museum in 1971 to
showcase the traditional way of life of the Dubai Emirati. The
entrance fee is 3 Dirham.
Near the museum you’ll see the neighbourhood of
Bastakiya with it’s preserved
homes. The quarter used to be inhabited by rich merchants and now there are
restaurants, museums and
hotels in the area.
Finish your old town Dubai DIY tour by going to Al Seef. The area was only developed a few years ago as a replica of traditional Arabian homes and it feels almost as if one is outside the big city. It is very quiet and there are some hotels and restaurants there. I felt like I was on a quality movie set – that’s how authentic it was. Zabel Mini is located next to it (and they have a sister hotel one can stay at right inside Al Seef, if you love the area as much as we did!) we visited twice in 3 days 😉
Safari Desert Tour
Go back to your hotel to freshen up and wait for your safari driver to pick you up (the time will have been emailed to you the day before). Once you get in the car you will drive to one of the reserves outside of the city, in our case Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve, the first National Park in the UAE.
The activity starts with a little safari – we only saw Arabian oryx and Arabian gazelle – and then the real fun starts with some dune 4×4 racing. The drivers are extremely good at making you feel like you’re on a roller coaster. It lasts for about 40 minutes but I can guarantee you that it will feel too short! We had a family in the car with us and the mum was a little afraid so the driver kept saying “Oh my god, I lost the control” and similar all the time – it was hilarious and a super fun experience!
After the driving, you’ll arrive at a traditional Arabian desert camp where you can choose between different activities for the night (or all!): camel riding, sandboarding and henna paintings. There are snacks provided and when it is dark a fire and great Emirati food. The night finishes up with some traditional dance performances and a drive back. The desert safari tour is my must do activity in Dubai if you are short on time – do not leave without doing it!
Day
3 of stopover in Dubai itinerary
The last day of the stopover in Dubai 3 day itinerary will start with a visit to Dubai Mall. If shopping is not your strong suit (neither is mine) check out the aquarium inside the mall and then head to Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world. After admiring the views go outside and find a good spot to watch the fountain show, from 1 to 1h30pm and from 6 to 11 pm every half an hour.
My boyfriend Ed for scale 😉
Head to Emirates mall, the only mall in the world (as far as I know) that has an indoor skiing slope! I was dying to try it out and got myself a 2h entrance (the shortest) to give it a go – I enjoyed it because it was a new experience but obviously it couldn’t compare with actual mountain skiing :).
On the way out go to for some sunset drinks. If you have plenty of time to start the sunset mission early go to Tomo in Raffles Hotel for further away views of the skyline. When it starts getting dark, head over to Level 43 Skylounge at Four Points Sheraton for 360 views of the towers next to the rooftop.
@ Level 43 skylounge
If you have 4 days in Dubai for
a stopover you can add a one day visit to Abu Dhabi to check out another big
city in another of the Emirati regions.
After following this stopover in Dubai 3 day itinerary you will have visited Dubai’s major attractions and landmarks.
Tofo is a charming fisherman’s village on the east coast of Mozambique. The name is pronounced “to-fu” and it’s a well-known destination for backpackers and divers in Southern Africa.
If you’re looking for amazing long beaches, epic diving spots, palm trees everywhere and delicious food, Tofo is the right destination for your holiday.
The village of Tofo has a very laid back atmosphere, with friendly locals, diving schools, hotels and restaurants. It is listed as one of the best diving spots in the world to see manta rays and is a popular destination for South Africans during public holidays, owing to its closeness.
Where is and how to get to Tofo
The town of Tofo is located about 7 hour car drive from Maputo, the capital of the country.
By flight:
If you are flying from abroad you will have to fly to Maputo airport first (MPM) and take a flight to Inhambane (INH) next. From Inhambane the driving time to the village of Tofo is about 20-25 minutes.
By shared transport:
From South Africa:
Two days a week there is a shuttle bus going from Johannesburg international airport to Tofo directly, they drop you at your exact accommodation. It is very well priced and a great option for backpackers or budget conscious travellers. The drive takes around 14 hours and you can book it on their website.
Another option is to take an Intercape bus (bus company offering cross country itineraries) from Johannesburg central station to Maputo.
From Maputo:
You can take a private transfer or hop on one of the shuttle/minibuses available. If you are not sure about how to hop on a mini bus in Africa, rest assured there’s an easy way! You can always contact Fatima from Fatima Backpackers Maputo and book a spot in hers, departing every day at around 6am from the hostel.
Things to know before you arrive at Tofo
Most people speak Portuguese but there are a number of Bantu languages spoken as well
The closest ATM is about 20min away from town. If you don’t have your own car for the stay, make sure to withdraw money before your arrival
Tofo is a small village, with 10 or so streets and few houses. If you are looking for a crowded destination this might not be your best bet
It is a high-risk malaria zone, you should visit your doctor to get a recommendation for the best medication before your trip. Bring bug spray too if you want to avoid numerous mosquito bites
Tofo has a noticeable number of expats living there and owning businesses, so English is widely spoken too. Tofo area is one of the safest in the country – there is no violence problem
Best time of the year to go to Tofo, Mozambique?
What makes Tofo an amazing year round destination is the temperate temperature and pleasant weather all months of the year. June to September is considered high season as it is dry and pleasant with temperatures between 20ºC and 25ºC. During summer months (December – February) the humidity is high and temperatures range between the 22ºC and 32ºC. It often rains with short showers in the afternoon.
From January to March it’s cyclone season, the weather is still very nice but you might get some heavy rains if you visit during a cyclone.
We stayed with our friends at the 10 people dorm and have nothing but good things to say about the hostel. It is a 15 min walk from the beach. They have dorms and private rooms with individual mosquito nets and fans for the room. There are lockers and shared bathrooms – ours was an outdoor bathroom & shower!
Their garden area is lush and invites people to relax and get to know each other (very important in a hostel!). They have a pool (with a pool bar omg!) and their food is cheap and delicious. During high season (we visited during Christmas) there are parties every second night – and the whole of Tofo comes there so if you want a quiet place this is not your best bet.
The rooms are far away enough from the music that you can hear it but it won’t be overwhelming if you want to have an early night.
This hotel is great for couples as it offers a more secluded experience with fewer guests and stunning ocean views. There are so many trees in the property that it feels like you are in a lush paradise by the sea.
It has sea view bungalows and standard rooms and prices start at 100 USD per couple.
There are slightly more luxurious hotels in Tofo but if you want something 5* luxurious you will have to go to Barra, where different hotels can all be found on the same beach strip. You can check Sentidos Beach for a 5* location and service.
Activities available in Tofo
One of the main activities that Tofo offers is diving, but there are more options if you want to try different things! Here are some of the activities you can do:
Ocean safari:
Always dreamt of swimming with whale sharks, the biggest fish in the world, or dolphins? Well, an ocean safari is your best bet! During a couple hours you will explore the ocean with a Zodiac in search of a big shadow underneath you. Once they find one you will jump in with your snorkelling gear and enjoy swimming next to it! Their season is September to February mostly, and whale season is June to October.
Quad bike in the dunes:
You can go on a guided activity that will take you to the dunes between Tofo and Barra.
Hit the beach:
Tofo has two main beaches Tofo and Tofinho. Tofo is the main one, located on the village promenade with hotels and restaurants, and it is the one most locals and tourists go to. Tofinho is a little bit farther down and it has no entertainment but has better waves for surfing.
Barra Beach
Do nothing:
Stay in your chosen accommodation and relax. Do nothing or don’t move much while you tan, read a book, swim for hours in the pool (like we did) or nap.
Rent a dhow:
Dhows are the traditional fisherman boat from the area. It is possible to rent a dhow and spend the day snorkeling around some islands and have a meal with the fishermen’s family.
Other activities possible in and around the village include going to Barra to spend the day there. Barra is another village that has a long stretch of wide white beach with hotels and restaurants on the sand. You can spend the day walking around them and enjoying good food, views and some sun.
Diving in Tofo: What to expect
Tofo is considered one of the best destinations in the world to see manta rays year round, as there is a permanent cleaning station. The area has +20 different dives that go from easy to complicated and vary in depth.
Diving sites are between 40 min and 1h from shore using a Zodiac. There are pretty reefs and so many banks of fish – your diving experience will change every day.
My opinion about diving in Tofo: it surprised me in ways I wasn’t expecting. The diving was pretty great (and I say pretty great only because we had bad weather forecast Choppy sea and murky water for visibility. With clear waters it must be phenomenal. Even in less than ideal water conditions, I saw a manta ray right under my finns and so many schools of colourful fish.
Tofo Main Beach
Best seasons for diving in Tofo
Luckily for all of us with busy work schedules, Tofo is a great destination for divers year round. If you want to see whale sharks and manta rays – drum roll – you can go any month of the year! Those animals stay in the area and you can see them any month. They are more common during summer months, September to February in Tofo. If you’re interested in seeing Humpback whales then your season is from June until the end of August.
We did our Advanced Padi course with Peri Peri Divers. They’re right on Tofo beach and have a team of young entertaining guides and staff. They also work with Marine Megafauna Foundation.
Tofo is a great destination for a chilled holiday with friends, diving and partying. It is also a great add on for a bush and beach combination with South Africa. I cannot recommend doing some dives there enough as the fauna and flora under the sea are something special to witness.
Have you ever been to Tofo? Did you see manta rays or whale sharks? Let me know in the comments!
Do you want to sleep perched up in the trees? Located in a beautiful forest of oak and elm Cabanes als arbres is the best place in Catalunya to enjoy a treehouse stay.
Located in Sant Hilari Sacalm, this treehouse hotel is the perfect getaway to reconnect with nature and bring your inner kid to (happy) tears!
Ready to be high up in the trees in an all round eco-friendly hotel? Let’s go!
Quick facts:
Good for: families, couples
Starting from: 149€ per night
Location: 1h30 from Barcelona, Catalunya
How to get to
Cabanes als Arbres
The forest where the treehouses and main house are located is near the village of Sant Hilari Sacalm, in the northeast of Catalunya.
Nothing! Relax under the branches of the forest, have a nap, meditate, read a book. Time passes quickly when you have time for yourself (or for yourself and your partner) and don’t have any activities planned. If doing nothing for a couple days gets too much then you can:
Enjoy an adventure park with ziplines and bridges in Coll de Ravell
Go for a hike
Stroll around Sant Hilari Sacalm or go to the Spa there
Go on a mountain bike tour
Take the car and go visit the Guilleries Forest or the well known Sau dam
The Property
Cabanes als Arbres is made up of the Main House Vileta and
10 treehouses.
Vileta is about 50m from the parking lot
and where most of the services are. At the main house there’s a reception, bar area, bathrooms
with flushing toilets and showers, the garden and the swimming pool. There’s
also a couple of living
room areas for guests to complete their check-in forms or just chill by the
fireplace.
The 10 treehouses are scattered in the
forest and each is named after a bird.
If your orientation isn’t great don’t worry! The welcome package, provided at reception, includes a basket with a lantern, how to get to the treehouses (each with a differentiated colour for easy map reading), treehouse key and walkie talkie for communication with Vileta if needed.
The Treehouses
at Cabanes als Arbres
Each treehouse features a double bed, gas
fire place, sink and mirror area, 2 individual couch chairs and balcony.
There’s a big jar of drinking water for you to use and a chemical bathroom.
I adored the wooden look and feel of the treehouse and the ethanol fireplace to kept me warm during the stay.
The balcony had two hammocks and had
spectacular views to the forest. Depending on which treehouse you stay at you
may have views of another treehouse in the distance, but privacy is almost
absolute and balconies never face the same way!
The treehouse entrance can be a vertical staircase to the floor of your balcony, through up a trap door, or some regular stairs.
There is no electricity on the treehouse but there is the fireplace and a couple electric lights.
Services
included in the price
Breakfast is included with the night rate.
What makes the experience remarkable is that it is attached to a rope hanging from your balcony and you
must hoist it up
by pulling up the rope system until
the basket reaches your
treehouse balcony level.
During my stay in April it was so cold
that at night, the outside area froze.
In the morning, when I wanted to go outside I was trapped and couldn’t open the
door! I communicated with the walkie talkie and got sent two thermos flasks with boiling water to
defrost the trap door – such a funny and unique experience!
You can have dinner at your tree house and they have a menu suitable for vegetarians and vegans. They also have a small menu of items at any point.
Why is Cabanes als Arbres an eco-friendly accommodation
The wood used for the treehouses is sourced locally and used depending on its qualities to ensure the outside wood is more resistant while the inside wood together with a hemp layer makes for good insulation.
Each treehouse has a dry toilet, flushed with sawdust. The bag used is biodegradable and together with the elements inside used as a fertilizer in the property once it’s been composted.
The manor house uses low consumption bulbs, recycles and the pool uses ultra violet light instead of chemical products to be kept clean.
My stay at
Cabanes als Arbres
It is quite amazing to be woken up by the birds chirping and look at the views from the warmth of your bed. As a treehouse lover, enjoying my first Catalunya treehouse experience had been high on my to do list and the experience was incredible!
The quiet one can hear from the balcony at
any point, with just the natural sounds to bother you, is a moment that I’ll
remember for a long time.
My only interaction with the staff, at
reception, was warm and
very informative. The price is lower during the week so if your dates are
flexible you will save some money by
travelling midweek.
I will book the treehouses again, staying at another one this time, because it was a beautiful stay and I enjoyed it throughout.
Don’t miss my Cabanes als Arbres video!
Have you ever slept in a treehouse? Let me know where in the comments below!
Is it possible to travel, sustainably? To find the right places to shop and go to? The right hotels to sleep in without having to worry about destroying the planet? I believe it is and I want to show you how, so that you can make the most of your travel experience knowing that you’re visiting this beautiful place – guilt free.
We all know what to do in Cape Town. And, if you don’t, you can check 10+ incredible things to do in Cape Town post and 5 epic places to enjoy sunset. But here’s the sustainable guide to Cape Town for the thoughtful traveller who wants to contribute positively to the city, the digital nomad looking to maintain an eco-friendly yet long stay in the”Mother City”.
You might also be the passerby who wants to pick the right hotel or, a South African local; it doesn’t matter who you are – there are always ways to travel more sustainably.
In this post, we will focus on different filters – because there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach to sustainability. Some of the options will be vegan, plastic free, using renewable energy, etc. and some will tick only one or two of those boxes. Remember, this is fine too.
They are all contributing something good for our Earth – and adding them to this list just proves how we can all do our little part to contribute, whatever we do and wherever we are. Personally, I am very committed to a plastic-free life – and you will see more of that later in this article!
The Sustainable Guide To Cape Town
Sustainable transport options in Cape Town
Public transport is better for the environment than travelling solo in an Uber, for example. Busses, trains and taxis still have CO2 emissions but these transport a lot of people at a time. Cape town makes it especially challenging to do this, as the culture here is to drive everywhere by car. So, what are the options to help you move around more sustainably in the city?
Mini Taxis
Mini taxis are white vans that drive routes along the main streets around town. There are different routes for each group of taxis. The prices are set by a mini taxi association, all of them follow the same pricing guidelines, costing much less than an Uber or car trip. They drive on the main road and you can stop them wherever you want to get on by raising your hand. When you’re inside, you’ll pay in cash, and then tell them where you want to get off along the route. It’s like public carpooling and works very well in the city.
It feels crazy the first couple times and I’d advise you to go with someone that does this often – just to get the hang of it. They run from early in the morning (about 4am) until quite late at night, but once it is dark I would recommend that you take an Uber instead – for your safety.
MyCiti bus
This transport service has different routes connecting the centre of Cape Town with its suburbs. They generally stay out of main roads to avoid traffic and cater to a different market than the mini-busses or mini taxis. To get in, you will need a card that you can buy on the following shops and the card needs to be topped up with money. It is a hop-on, top-off system.
Sightseeing Bus
The red double-decker busses offer tourists routes around the city and peninsula. They are also the first South African bus company that is carbon-neutral. They offset their emissions by buying credits from a composting company.
The Green Cab
The Green Cab is a taxi company that uses fuel polishers to help make the diesel cleaner and to reduce the pollution they release. The business also counterbalances emissions by planting trees. They offer point-to-point tours or transfers – but you’ll need to booked in advance.
Sustainable shopping in Cape Town
When it’s time to get cleaning products, house products or groceries, the below shops will help you consume in a more eco-friendly way:
Shop Zero, in Woodstock
This shop is plastic free and you can find food, kitchen supplies and other household items for you to choose from. You will also find all types of grains, soap and shampoo bars, stainless steel cups and cutlery. You can bring your own produce bag or container from home, weigh it at the store and fill it.
They have a great array of bamboo underwear for men and women, as well as plastic-free deodorant, sunscreen and soap. Inside the shop there’s also a café that serves vegan food – and its delicious!
Nude Foods, in Zonnebloem
The first plastic-free shop in Cape Town. Their array of spices, grains and products is very impressive. You can get everything from nuts to rice and cumin – right through to legumes and olive oil. They have fresh veggies, personal care hygiene products and even dairy products made organically and packaged in glass, like yogurt, kombucha or even feta!
They have just opened a second shop in Newlands!
Faithful to Nature, Online
The first online shop in the world to allow the filter “plastic-free” – which is pretty cool right? They offer so many different products which can be delivered straight to your house or wherever you’re staying. Just make sure to prepare for some delivery time.
Frankie Fenner Meat, different parts in town
This butcher cuts out the intermediaries to offer you meat that’s sourced directly from the farmers and their staff try to use every part of the animal to not waste it. Their meat is always tasty and you can take your own containers to help reduce the impact of packaging
Oranjezicht Market
This well-known farmers market has become a trendy weekend activity, open Saturdays and Sundays. You will find vegetables, fruits, cheese and so many different stalls to get food. Some stalls use plastic packaged products but there are enough that will let you bring your own containers.
My latest favourite? The juice shop that serves sugar-free fruit juice in glass bottles – and when you are done you give them back and they clean them and re-use them!
The Neighbourgoods Market
This eclectic market happens every Saturday at the emblematic Old Biscuit Mill, and has a mix of food stalls and fresh produce with local artisanry. I find it more of a social event than getting stock for your kitchen, but it has some great vegetables on offer too.
Fish 4 Africa, Woodstock
The fish shop is located on Main Road in Woodstock and sells fish and sea food, as well as some herbs and sauces. they let you bring your own containers and you can get fresh sea without creating waste!
Sustainable dining in Cape Town
This list of restaurants and bars below which have different levels of commitment to local produce or plastic-free living. Let’s see which restaurants care the most about what they serve:
Black Sheep Restaurant: most of their food is sourced locally from ethical farmers, reducing their footprint
Delaire Graff Restaurant: located in the Winelands this restaurant makes a commitment to use seasonal produce from local farmers, contributing to the local economy
Societi Bistro: the restaurant part of Societi offers locally sourced food when possible, even though some products come frozen from the Indian ocean (like prawns)
The Table at De Meye: they use produce from their own garden and locally source the rest of their ingredients for their 3-course menu
Farmer Angus: They provide free-range and healthy animals, to produce meat and eggs
Wild Peacock: They serve ethically farmed meats and always pick their fish fresh in the morning, ensuring a seasonal offering
The Restaurant at Waterkloof: The chef places an emphasis on using seasonal products and changes the menu as ingredients vary
Riverine Rabbit: The chef only works with seasonal, sustainable and locally sourced ingredients
Image Credit: The Table
Sustainable accommodation in Cape Town
Searching for hotels with green initiatives proves difficult as you have to check each hotel’s pages and see if they have any system in place for water, energy waste or food. The list of hotels below are all putting policies in place, to live in line with the Earth.
Image Credit: Hotel Verde Cape Town
Hotel Verde Cape Town: this hotel, situated at Cape Town International Airport, was the first African hotel to offer 100% carbon-neutral accommodation. They also provide conferencing facilities. Their list of achievements is great and I wish more hotels would go to these lengths to apply some care for the planet!
Holiday Inn Cape Town: the IHG brand has four different levels of sustainability for their branches – despite the fact that only the first level, with 10 policies, is mandatory for each hotel. A sustainability level one is a good start but more emphasis is needed to impact sufficient change. So the Holiday Inn stands out in this way.
12 Apostles hotel & Spa: This 5* hotel has some water-saving policies in place and encourages their clients to change some behaviours with signs in the rooms. They promote local charities, and respect the local communities.
Mariner Guesthouse: the building was built with eco-friendly construction in mind so that natural light, good isolation and high ceilings create the right temperature in the rooms. They have solar geysers that deliver warm water to the whole house during the summer months. They also recycle, use LED bulbs, and washing machine and dishwasher powders – they rock!
Grootbos: this hotel outside of Cape Town preserves the ecosystem in the property fiercely. They own a foundation uplifting the local communities and support small businesses in the area, making them hotels suppliers. Most of their food is grown in-house.
The Backpack hostel: This hostel is located in the city centre has an impressive list of accomplishments that make it a greener business. Including but not limited to, vegetable waste feeding worm farms, offering biodegradable cups, recycling throughout the company, and using glass bottles to offer tap water for guests, as water bottles aren’t supplied.
Sustainable activities in Cape Town
Cape Town has different things to see and do while you are in the city. Is there a way to enjoy the city to the maximum while having a low impact? Absolutely! Here are just some of the sustainable options:
Hiking
The Mother City is surrounded by Lion’s Head, Table Mountain and Devils Peak. These three peaks alone have more than 15 different routes to traverse. Spend your time breathing in fresh air, climbing to a higher viewpoint and enjoying the views.
If you don’t want to do “high/long” hikes, there are different hiking paths and trails in the Newlands forest, Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens or Rhodes Memorial that are shorter. If you are up for a full day mission there are a number of natural areas surrounding the city centre with hiking paths available for all fitness levels.
Rent a bike in the Winelands
Sign up for a fun bicycle tour, where you will discover different wineries and bike between them (hint: you can have some wine as long as you remain coordinated!)
Walking tours
There are different ways to do a walking tour in Cape Town. For those of us who want it organised, you can hire a guide to walk you around the main areas in the CBD and surrounds, ff you are looking for the most cost-effective way. In a group you can also check out the daily Cape Town free walking tours. And finally, there’s the free walking tour of central cape town that can be downloaded online.
Greenpop
This association has a foundation for connecting humans with the Earth. They also have a non-profit that’s dedicated to planting trees where they are needed. Greenpop has helped plant more than 100,000 trees in Southern Africa with their initiatives, as well as fruit and flower gardens. They have a couple of festivals during the year where people can sign up to go plant trees for a weekend. How’s that for a different activity?
SANParks
Go on a national park day trip to any of the surrounding SANParks options like the West Coast or Cape Agulhas. They all protect and preserve flora and fauna, and the entry fee helps support their conservation practices.
Other ways of being sustainable in Cape Town
Waste –ed: they collect personal plastic bottles filled in with plastic to make eco bricks and use them for projects (like building schools). If you are a company you will have to contact them directly.
SASSI: the South African Sustainable Seafood Initiative has a great chart to show you which fish are endemic to the area (and good to get) and which come from far that you should avoid. They have differentiated the types in 3 colours. Green for good, orange for mostly avoid and red for always avoid based on sustainability. It includes both fish and other seafood.
Edible Co: get a veggie box delivered to your house or office. Their produce is ethically and locally sourced.
And if you don’t feel drawn towards ANY of the options presented above, well, you can still make a change. Try to cut down on take away food (plastic), refuse the straw (even on your 4thdrink, yes) and carry a cloth bag in your bag so that you don’t need to use plastic options.
Small changes make a difference to our Earth, one at a time. Start making a change slowly to make it easier and more enjoyable for yourself.. If you’d like to know how to implement a more sustainable way of travelling beyond what’s already been mentioned, you can check out 10 easy actions you can take to be a responsible traveller.
Let me know if you know of any suggestions that should be added to this list. This is an ever-growing list that I plan to keep updated as I make new discoveries! If you are a shop, hotel or tour operator implementing sustainable ideas shoot me an email to be included!
A country excluded from most world maps, located in West Africa, São Tomé island has incredible coffee, landscapes and great weather year round.
The sightseeing attractions on the island can be split into 3 different day tours. in this blog post you will find detailed information on the São Tomé Central day trip.
You will discover more in depth how important the cocoa and coffee plantations were and still are for the inhabitants of the island. This day tour is the most cultural out of the three. Infrastructure on the island isn’t well developed, so be prepared for a bumpy and scenic ride! (4×4 is a must).
If you haven’t read my previous article about the Southern day trip tour I recommend you start there as there is a short overview about why you need a car on the island and why this is the best order for the day tours.
São Tomé Central day trip
1. Trinidade
The first stop of the day will be Trinidade, not far away from São Tomé. The small town has some colourful streets. You can walk around the main street to get feeling for the little town or just drive straight through.
2. Batepa
The next stop in the Sao Tomé central day trip is another small town. Our stop here was very short, as there is a main crossroad with colourful decoration and a shop. I’m always drawn to colourful facades and that crossroad had colours everywhere.
3. Monte Café
Monte Café is one of the few restored coffee and cocoa plantations on the island. Long ago it was the most important coffee and cocoa plantation in São Tomé and Príncipe.
They have now created a cooperative that runs the place. You can ask for a guided tour around the different buildings of the plantation and visit the museum too. You will be able to taste the two main coffee variations, Italian and Arabic, at the end of your visit.
I definitely recommend the visit as it gives one insight into the way the island worked and still works for some. The installations are in a good state to visit but they could make it much more attractive if they restored and cleaned some of the areas… there is a lot of litter around….
4. Sao Nicolau waterfall
You will have to drive on a gravel road for some minutes to get there. It is very pretty and a change of scenery after spending the day in the mountains.
Check out this Cinematic Travel video about São Tomé and Príncipe
5. Jardim botanico de Bom Sucesso
The entrance per person is free but you can get a guide for 5€ per person. It is a small garden but the flora, especially the trees are very stunning.
The garden is famous for having more than 100 varieties of orchids endemic to the island.
If you are just eager to see the different flowers and trees, but don’t really care about the explanation, ask to walk without a guide.
6. Visit São Tomé the city
The city is pretty small and can be walked. The buildings haven’t been taken care of, so don’t expect a pretty city… more like the opposite. We visited the Cathedral and independence square.
All government buildings in Sao Tome are pink, making them easier to spot.
After that we decided that it was a rather depressing and dirty city – so we went to a high point to enjoy the views while having a beer.
The national museum, San Sebastian Fort, is in a deplorable state, the inside of the building was dirty and in poor repair. We visited the different rooms and didn’t like it very much.
My favourite part of the day during our São Tomé central day trip was the hour long visit in the Monte Café plantation and the waterfall of Sao Nicolau.
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