Blog - Casa Del Sonder

Family-Friendly Adventures in Cape Town: Stay at Our Guest House and Explore the City

2024-10-10T00:00:00+02:00

Table Mountain Aerial Cableway

Table Mountain is one of the world's seven natural wonders and it's no surpise why. Enjoy breathtaking views of the city and coastline from the top of the table. You can choose to ride the cable car up or enjoy family-friendly hiking trails that will take you to the top. If the walk up is a little daunting, you can also enjoy shorter hikes on top of the mountain, where your kids can learn about the local flora and fauna.

Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve

This stunning nature reserve offers scenic hiking trails that auitable for all ages.
Spot diverse wildlife, including ostriches and baboons on your exciting day out. Why not take a picnic and enjoy a lovely family meal while overlooking some incredible landscapes.

Two Oceans Aquarium

This world class museum is only minutes from our doors and offers interactive exhibits featuring marine life from the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. Perfect for young kids who are eager to learn about marine life, the aquarium offers touch pools for hand-on learning as well educational talks and feeding sessions.

Boulders Beach

Famous for its resident African penguin colony, this beautiful beach is a must visit for family outings in Cape Town. With safe swimming areas for children, and stunning views of False Bay, as well as a museum showcasing the lifecycle of the African penguin, the kids (and you) will absolutely love a day spent on Boulders Beach.

Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden

Another must visit for those on a family adventure to the Cape, Kirstenbosch offers gorgeous gardens with ample indigenous flora and fauna, as well as beautiful picnic spots, forest walks and a lovely restaurant on site.
With a large children’s play area, educational exhibits and weekly summer concerts for family entertainment, Kirstenbosch is truly for everyone.

District Six Museum

Perfect for a rainy day, the District Six Museum is an important educational experience for the whole family, showcasing the Cape's history and cultural diversity. Featuring family-friendly activities and workshops as well as engaging storytelling sessions for kids, you'll find this a rewarding and moving experience for everyone.

Cape Town Science Centre

Another perfect rainy day activity, the science centre features hands-on exhibits and interactive displays as well as science demonstrations and workshops for various age groups. There is also an IMAX theatre for an immersive movie experience.

Adventures in the Winelands

The Cape Winelands isn't just for adults. With an abundance of family-friendly hiking trails and outdoor activities, a day out to Stellenbosch or Franschhoek ins a must for families of all ages.
Indulge in cheese and chocolate tastings while the adults sip on world-class wines, or enjoy horse riding, bike rides or local markets.

Cape Town is truly a family friend destination offering an extensive list of family-friendly activities that cater to all interests, ensuring that both kids and adults can create unforgettable memories together. When staying at Casa Del Sonder, you are positioned in the perfect location to enjoy the city and all it's offerings. Whether it's the Waterfront, exploring nature, indulging in cultural experiences, or enjoying thrilling adventures, there's something for everyone in this vibrant city.

Exploring Cape Town’s Culture: Local Sights and Hidden Gems Near Our Guest House

2024-09-05T00:00:00+02:00

I once heard someone say ‘being bored in Cape Town is a choice’. And, to be honest, nothing could be truer. There are plenty of cities, worldwide where one could potentially find themselves at a loss for things to do. But Cape Town is certainly not one of them. Not only is the city bursting with natural beauty and splendour, but it's also incredibly cultural and historically rich. With an abundance of world-class restaurants, vibrant bars, colourful food markets, beaches, hikes, museums, art galleries, Unesco world heritage sites, summer festivals, cafes, botanical gardens and the list goes on, it would be virtually impossible to be bored in this incredible city.

To help you plan your stay and decide what to do in Cape Town, we have compiled the perfect Capoe Town bucket list featuring our favourite day trips and cultural activities to do in the Mother City, all in close proximity, or less than an hour from our doors.

1. Drive through Chapmans Peak, Noordhoek, Kalk Bay, Boulders Beach, Cape Point.

Known by many as one of the most jaw-droppingly beautiful drives in the world, it's an absolute must for anyone wanting to explore the Cape's incredible natural landscape. Carved into an ancient bed of granite rock and teetering precariously over the edge of the Atlantic Ocean, this gorgeous coastal road will take you straight to the white sand shores of Long Beach in Noordhoek. Stop for a coffee at the Noordhoek Farm Village and then continue on towards Kalk Bay. This quaint seaside village is the perfect pit stop for a seafood lunch overlooking the harbour.

Carry on along the coastal road and you'll reach Boulders Beach, famed internationally for its African penguins. Swim in the turquoise waters with these wonderful creatures or walk along the boardwalk and check out the sanctuary before jumping in the car and heading further South towards Cape Point. Situated on the extreme southeastern tip of the African continent, this mountainous scenic landform makes for a stunning hike. Head back to our guesthouse via the gorgeous Chapmans Peak once again, enjoying sunset overlooking the bay and return to Casa del Sonder for a drink on the roof and dinner nearby at one of the amazing local restaurants. A perfect day out!

2. OZCF Market and the V & A Waterfront

Who doesn't love a little shop? The OZCF market is undoubtedly one of the best markets in Cape Town and is situated in Granger Bay, right next to the waterfront just a 5 minute drive from our doors. It could well be one of the best local secrets in the city (although hardly a secret anymore). The market offers tourists and locals alike an abundance of local organic produce, incredible food stalls and clothing and accessories to browse through, showcasing Cape Town's quality local brands. Open Sat and Sun and Wednesday evenings in the summer. Follow this up by a wander through the V & A Waterfront where one can fine dine, shop til they drop or jump on a sunset boat cruise leaving from the harbour. There is so much to do here - you'll be overwhelmed with options.

3.Visit Robben Island

Declared a UNESCO World Heritage, the island site holds immense historical significance as the prison where Nelson Mandela spent 18 of his 27 years incarcerated. A guided tour, often led by former political prisoners, provides a moving glimpse into South Africa’s struggle for freedom. Book your tours online or from the waterfront directly.

4. Explore the Zeitz MOCAA (Museum of Contemporary Art Africa)

Known as Africa’s largest contemporary art museum, this world-class venue showcases thought-provoking contemporary art from all over the continent. The architecture itself, repurposed from a historic grain silo, is a marvel. Spend the morning exploring incredible local and continental art and leave feeling moved and inspired by the creativity and high-calibre of African art!

5. Stroll through the Bo-Kaap

Literally minutes from our doorstep, this vibrant neighbourhood, famous for its bright and colourful houses and cobblestone streets, has deep roots in the cities Cape Malay history. A walk through these streets offers a glimpse into the Muslim community's traditions, history, and cuisine. Try a local cooking class, visit the museum, or simply join a free walking tour and enjoy taking photos and sampling local cuisine while learning about the rich history of this community, it's bound to be a morning well spent.

6. Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden

This stunning UNESCO-listed garden is truly a sight to behold. Thousands of indigenous flora and fauna, bloom beneath an ancient mountain range. Yhis natural wonder is truly one of the cities greatest cultural treasures, featuring sculptures and an amphitheater where outdoor concerts and performances are held in summer. Enjoy a walk on the boom-slang walkway above the trees or a lovely afternoon picnic with friends.

7. Discover the District Six Museum

This museum commemorates the forced removal of over 60,000 residents during apartheid. It offers powerful insights into the country’s history of racial segregation and the resilience of communities displaced by apartheid policies.

8. Take a Township Tour

Township tours offer a deeper understanding of South African life, culture, and history, as well as the resilience of communities. You can visit local homes, community projects, and art initiatives that support social change. We partner with local tour guides to offer a life chan

9. Visit the Castle of Good Hope

As the oldest surviving colonial building in South Africa, this fortress offers insight into Cape Town’s military history, Dutch East India Company rule, and the role of the indigenous Khoisan people.

10. Explore the Iziko South African Museum and Planetarium

With its collection of natural history, anthropology, and archeology, this museum is a must for those interested in learning about South Africa's ancient cultures and the natural world, including Khoisan heritage and African fossils.

The above list offers a rich into Cape Town’s diverse and extensive cultural landscape as well as a glimpse into our unique blend of history, art, and community spirit.

The Significance of Sonder

2022-11-07T00:00:00+02:00

In 2009, I discovered a word that would go on to change my life.

Of course, back then I didn’t know that. Back then I was just an angsty teen, scrolling through tumblr, seeking connection deep within the internets cavernous rabbit holes. I’d spend hours sifting through blogs, reposting quotes and poetry, all in an attempt to feel a little less confused about my place in it all. When I stumbled across this particular word, I remember feeling as if the world suddenly made a little more sense. That perhaps there were other people out there who just like me, found themselves yearning to unravel the secret worlds hidden within the faces of the people who passed them by on the street or in their school corridor.

It was odd that a word that wasn’t even in the Oxford dictionary could possibly offer me so much comfort. But I recognized something in it – a feeling I’d felt many times. This notion that although I was at the center stage of my own existence, the protagonist of my book, the main character in the swirling cosmos that was my internal universe, that there were in fact millions upon millions of other stories playing out at the exact same time.

Often I would find myself engrossed in the act of watching people. Of observing their obscure habits and idiosyncrasies. Airport lounges, doctors offices, trains, planes, bars and cafes – all of these common places engendered this sensation within me. Some may simply term it “people watching”, while others, namely John Koenig, have coined it: “Sonder”.

An author, filmmaker and graphic designer by trade, Koenig first began to compile his list of made up words onto the social blogging site, Tumblr, as far back as 2008. The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows, as he named it, was his attempt to define all of the complex emotions and feelings so many of us feel but lack the words to express. Today it currently has over 700 words.

One example of a word in the dictionary is:

“Vemödalen” n. taken from the Swedish word ‘vemod’, meaning, tender sadness, and 'vemdalen', the name of a Swedish town, which is the kind of thing that IKEA usually borrows from to name their products:

Vemödalen: “the frustration of photographing something amazing when thousands of identical photos already exist—the same sunset, the same waterfall, the same curve of a hip, the same closeup of an eye—which can turn a unique subject into something hollow and pulpy and cheap, like a mass-produced piece of furniture you happen to have assembled yourself.

Or perhaps you resonate more with,

“Midding”, v. A feeling of tranquil pleasure being near a gathering but not quite in it—hovering on the perimeter of a campfire, chatting outside a party while others dance inside, resting your head in the backseat of a car listening to your friends chatting up front—feeling blissfully invisible yet still fully included, safe in the knowledge that everyone is together and everyone is okay, with all the thrill of being there without the burden of having to be.

The book itself is a juicy tapestry of descriptive words that helps to bridge the gap in our language of emotion. It’s most popular word, ‘Sonder’, (derived from the French, meaning to probe or plumb the depths) found its way into the viral regions of the internet and subsequently into my orbit. And just the way someone with a mysterious illness breaths a sigh of relief finally learning their malady has a diagnosis, I relished in the fact that my relentless curiosity of strangers, actually had a name.

It’s a feeling all of us have felt before, at least once, but especially when we travel.  When temporarily suspended in the passage of time, stuck in an airport departure lounge, we are forced to observe the herd of fellows humans spilling out of the security lines. We notice our differences first, our opposing hair colour or skin tones, body shapes, fashion choices and physiognomy. But the longer we observe peoples behavior, their mannerisms, their impatience and frustration, exhaustion or excitement, we also begin to witness all the tiny commonalities we share.

Remembering that everyone around you is living a life as complex as your own is a fantastic way to humble yourself. To step outside of the limitations of our constructed reality, out of the systems we have built for ourselves, out of the seriousness of the game and into a realm of fascination. Whenever the world feels too heavy or overwhelming it helps to look around and remind oneself that none of us have any idea what we are doing.

This is all of our first time here.

It is surely is one of the true joys of travel, to fly thousands upon thousands of miles away from home only to discover that people in faraway corners of the world are just like you and me. That they too love to watch soap operas, play football on the beach, hold hands when they cross the road or sing at the top of their lungs in the shower. That they too love to swim in the sea, hug their friends or gather around heaped tables of homemade food.

But one doesn't have to travel to experience sonder either. In fact I like to play a game with myself when I am stuck in traffic. I’ll focus on a specific vehicle, scan the face of the driver and try to imagine the intimacies of their story. What will they go home to tonight? An empty house, a bare fridge filled with old condiments and leftovers, a cold-shouldered partner, or a lover waiting to rip their clothes off, a house filled with the loud cries of children, a pot of spaghetti bubbling on the stove or a weeks worth of washing waiting to be folded. When they lie in bed at night what do they dream about, worry about, wish for?

Witnessing a snapshot into someone else life often feels like watching moving art. I’ll wander past houses, shopfronts, backyards and peer into the lives of others, wishing I had the power of X-ray vision. To notice the things people do when when nobody is watching. Not in a creepy way, but simply to bare witness to the banal. For these moments, the folding of the laundry, cooking dinner, washing ones hair, often possess an ethereal magic. Upon witnessing them, the mundanity simply seeps away and instead I am left comforted by the truth of our binding similarities. As if the ordinariness of it all extinguishes any loneliness that may be lingering inside of me and replaces it with a knowing sense of reassurance. We are all in this together.

Working in hospitality, one gains a special kind of insight into the lives of others that most occupations do not allow. Besides psychology. And perhaps being an Uber driver. Meeting different types of people from all walks of life forces you to break through barriers and ask questions, to see people, their habits, their true ways of being. Through this you start to glean insight into the little things we do that make us instinctively human.

I guess that is a long winded way of explaining why we chose to name both our cafe and hotel after this feeling. Because it is constant reminder that although one might not know the intricacies of the lives of those around them, the man sipping coffee across from you, the couple in the room next door, they are probably far more similar to you than you ever imagined.

The truth is, to truly try and imagine the magnitude and complexity of almost 8 billion stories is harder than perceiving the true size of the universe. To think of all the simultaneous timelines playing out across oceans and great expanses of land. All the rejection and celebration, the endings and beginnings, the pain and the exultation. To imagine it all is truly an unobtainable task and yet still, what immense comfort it brings to remember that despite everything, it is always happening.

A constant humdrum, a never ending murmur in the background.

We are the main characters of our own story. We are the only version of us that can ever exist, all the ebbs and flows and ups and downs of our own stories will always play out as the most important thing to us. It is all we will ever know. But when I am too deeply caught up in my own narrative, when I am wrapped up in my head and my unnecessary woes all I have to is focus in on the billions of humans doing things right now. 

I do this especially, when I am flying somewhere, soaring through the skies, looking down at some unknown city with its twinkling yellow lights. And I smile to myself as I imagine that down in that small town i'll never visit, in a place i'll never know the name of, there is a girl who probably feels similarly to me, looking up out of her window imagining someone flying through the sky, and wondering what they could possibly be thinking about.

I'll end with another of my most treasured words, second to Sonder of course, derived from The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows.
 
Suerza: n – taken from Spanish, suerte, meaning luck + fuerte, meaning force.
 
A feeling of quiet amazement that you exist at all. A sense of gratitude that you were even born in the first place, that you somehow emerged alive and breathing despite all the odds, having won an unbroken streak of reproductive lotteries that stretches all the way back to the beginning of life itself.