We drove south along the beautiful Victoria Road and arrived at Hout Bay, a small bay with a beach and harbor nestled against the cliffs of the western mountains! It's breezy and the view is great! The sky is a beautiful blue!
This port, which is always included in sightseeing tour routes, is lined with many souvenir shops!
These beaded accessories make lovely souvenirs from South Africa. I was about to buy a beaded bracelet that I really liked, and thanks to our Japanese guide, Keiko, who even taught me how to get a discount, I was able to buy it at a much lower price! (laughs)
After enjoying shopping in shops filled with handicrafts, you can take a sightseeing cruise from Hout Harbor to Duiker Island offshore. Although you cannot land on the island, you can see a colony of Cape fur seals, said to number over 4,000. There is also an animal park, mainly featuring birds, on the hillside of Hout Bay. This time, due to time constraints, we decided to skip this cruise.
Nevertheless, sea lions still gather in this harbor, attracted by the small fish that fall from fishing boats, so if you look out into the sea, you can enjoy the sight of several of them swimming in groups.
While some sea lions do come ashore, it seems that locals are feeding them and using them to make money off tourists, so you'll likely be charged if you take pictures of them up close. I recommend taking photos from as far away as possible.
This is only held on weekends.Bay Harbour Market Hout Bay?This market is located near the back entrance of the harbor. It's a really fun place, with shops selling arts and crafts, local gourmet food and drinks, and delicious meals!
Since it was the weekend, it was bustling with many locals. Delicious smells wafted from all directions, and every shop had a delightful selection of handicrafts, clothing, and accessories to browse.
I was particularly interested in a shop selling ostrich jerky, a local specialty, and was given a sample. Apparently, it has little odor or strong taste, and is low in fat. All the jerky I tried was soft, easy to eat, and delicious. It's really sad that I can't take it back to Japan! What a shame!
Here is the table of contents for my travelogue about Cape Town, South Africa.
Bay Harbour Market Hout Bay
http://www.bayharbour.co.za/
