 Simon's
Town (also spelled Simonstown) is located at the east side (False Bay
side) of the Cape Peninsula near Cape Town, South Africa and is home to
the South African Navy.
While
Simon's Town is small enough to get around by foot (It takes less than
30 minutes to walk from one side to the other) another option is to take
a "Riki". A "Riki" is a small minibus which usually runs from the train
station to Boulders. Unlike other minibus taxies, the Riki's do not hoot
their horn constantly so you must keep an eye out for them. Their vehicles
are unique in that they are obviously a minibus but much smaller in size
and painted white (often with an advertisement on the back) and often flash
their lights. Also, unlike most other minibus taxis, the Riki's are driven
safely and considered safe for tourists. As of July 2006, the cost of taking
the Riki's is around 50 cents (US)
Boulders
is a popular beach near Simon's Town, Cape Town in the Western Cape province
of South Africa. There are larger and more scenic beaches around, as Boulders,
which gets its name from the large boulders surrounding it, is fairly small.
From the beach one has views over False Bay. It is world famous for its
colony of African penguins (formerly known as Jackass penguins).
 Penguins
The
first penguins came to Foxy Beach only two decades ago and with the time
their number increased to more than 3000, mainly because penguins from
the surrounding islands immigrated to the beach. Although they attract
hundreds of thousands of tourists every year, they can be a menace to the
local inhabitants. The penguins do not stick to their beach, but like to
go on safari, and can occasionally be found in neighbouring gardens and
houses. A fence has been erected, but they still seem to find holes...
One
can see the penguins without having to pay any fees, but the penguin's
private beach is managed by Table Mountain National Parks and an entry
fee R25 per person is charged. Alternatively, entry for those with Wild
Cards is free. See Wild In Africa for more information about the Wild Cards
for local and international tourists.
Once
you have parked your car at the parking lot, pay the entry fee, and go
either to Boulders Beach to enjoy a relaxed time, swimming together with
penguins (the only place in the world, where you can do that) or walk further
on and you will get to a spotting place, where you will be able to see
most of the penguins from a small distance.
 Going
to the beach is an adventure especially in summer, when it is warm and
when you will share most of your time with penguins in the water. You can
also climb around to get to a less crowded part of the beach. Please do
NOT try to catch or touch the penguins. They are already distracted from
their natural way of life by tourists and they can easily bite off a finger!
Going to the beach means getting up early, because only a limited number
of people are allowed onto the beach and it can be full by 10 or 11am.
Though
you will see pengiuns here all year round you will see less during September
to October as they will be spending most of their time out at sea feeding
up for moulting season. Moulting season is from November to December. In
January adults will spend a lot of time out at sea again, feeding up for
breeding season between February and August.
Getting
there:
By
car
Follow
the Main Road (M4) south from Cape Town via Fish Hoek to the Cape of Good
Hope along the east side of the peninsula.
By
train
There
is a regular MetroRail service from Simon's Town to Cape Town via Fish
Hoek, Kalk Bay, Muizenberg, Wynberg and Claremont. Be sure to buy a first-class
(metro plus) ticket ; these are not expensive. Although safety on trains
has been an issue in the past, in recent times MetroRail has put a lot
of effort into improving the situation and now the Cape Town-Simon's Town
line is considered totally safe and reliable. The journey from Cape Town
takes just over an hour.
The
station is at the north end of Simon's Town, about a 10 minute walk to
the centre of Simon's Town. Alternatively you can grab a ride on the back
of a Riki Taxi
By
plane
The
nearest airport is that of Cape Town, a good hour's drive away. You can
also go on a trip with Civair from the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town
along the Cape Peninsula.
Reserve
the Simon's Town Quayside Hotel
Source:
Wikipedia
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