Durbs has its charms but give me CT anyday!
Nice photo of "The Tavern of the Seas". With a little zoming I can see my old office at Foretrust building and, if the quality were better, I could spot my old home in Gardens.
I can warmly recommend cruisers to visit either CT or Durbs, but preforably both, of these places and why not add
Knysna too?
There are many other interesting places to visit:
Richards Bay;
East London and
Port Elizabeth are not in the same league as
Durban or
Cape Town but they too have their charms;
Simonstown with its naval history and charming Victorian buildings;
Saldanha and the West Coast National Park MPA. Lying between Cape Point and
Cape Town there is also the wonderful
Hout Bay; a natural harbour well worth visiting.
The SA coast, especially the Wild Coast of the Transkei, has a bit of bad press in cruising circles because of a lack of ports of refuge but it is worth remembering that more vessels have probably been lost when trying to make port in bad weather than through ensuring they have sufficient searoom and riding out the storm at sea.
If you do round the Cape of Good Hope and proceed northwards, even though it will make the journey longer, try to visit Namibia too. There are only two ports to consider there; Luderitz and Walvis Bay. Of the two, Luderitz is the more charming but also the more remote but, having said that, you are in easy striking distance of the fabulous Fish River Canyon and only a very short distance from the deserted mining town of Kolmanskop. Visit Kolmanskop - it is a step back into history!
The town of Walvis Bay may not be so interesting but it is another good natural harbour. On entering the lagoon after passing the fishing and commercial ports you will find a very welcoming yacht club hidden at the edge of the town. The lagoon host millions of migrant flamingos. You are also close to the fascinating town of Swakopmund from which the Skeleton Coast with its famous ship wrecks stretches northwards to the Kunene river and the border with Angola.
Honestly, I fail to understand why anyone would choose the Suez canal route over the Cape. Having lived and worked in both areas and whilst I do admit to there being a few points of interest in the Gulf of Aden and Red Sea, I do know that there is no finer or more interesting area in the world than southern Africa.
Aye // Stephen
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