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From Away.com
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Cape Town, South Africa
Sea Kayak in Hout Bay (Cont.)
Access and Resources


Sentinel Peak aflame: the skyline of
Hout Bay at sunset (Wally Lange, courtesy
South African Tourism)

Getting There:
Hout Bay sits south of Cape Town along the M6 coastal road.

South African Airways (27.11.978.5313; www.flysaa.com/saa_home.jhtml) now offers direct flights from New York City's JFK Airport to Johannesburg. The flight is long—a full 13 hours—but you are crossing an ocean and traveling into the Southern Hemisphere. They also offer domestic service from Johannesburg to Cape town and all points domestic as well as throughout the continent.

Activities:
In addition to sea kayaking, the forests surrounding Hout Bay, where the region harvested its timber for ship hulls (hout being Dutch for "wood"), makes for stellar hiking and cycling. Adventure Village (021.424.1580; 229 Long Street; www.adventure-village.co.za/) offers guided day-long and half-day sea-kayaking trips in Hout Bay to Duiker Island, and can also arrange guided hiking and mountain biking trips in the region. Talk with Janine or one of the other guides and express your interests—chances are they can tailor a day-long or multi-day itinerary to fit your active desires. They practice what they preach at Adventure Village, and serve as a great introduction to all that South Africa has to offer.

Surfers brave enough to tackle the Dungeons, ominously referred to as the Himalayas of the Sea by one regional adventure publication, should travel to Cape Town during the Southern Hemisphere's winter (May and June), when the waves are at their peak. Wet suits are essential. South Africa has a slew of other world-class surfing spots, like the barrel-perfect waves of Jeffrey's Bay. Adventure Village can point you in the right direction.

Books
In addition to the usual guidebooks, I heartily recommend you snag a copy of Coast to Coast: How to Survive Backpacking in Africa, a humorous and comprehensive guide to the hostel and backpacker scene in South Africa, Lesotho, and Namibia. Best of all, it's FREE. (P.O. box 564; Simon's Town 7995; tel: 021.786.1742; fax: 021.786.2081; info@coastingafrica.com; www.coastingafrica.com



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