When a person, like you, is planning on visiting a new city, like Cape Town, it's pretty easy to find a whole lot of decent places to stay and places to eat. But when it comes to all the fun things to do, you need to get on the inside with an insider - like me. Which is why I'm going to tell about Daytrippers, just about the most fun people to show you just what lekker (cool, nice) things there are to do in Cape Town.
But back the beginning ... When Steve and Di Thomas left university they decided to pedal across the States, from Walden Pond near Boston to Seattle, Washington via Bolder, Colorado (just to catch a friend's wedding). That done, like Forrest Gump, they just kept pedaling ... across Europe, from London to Kiev with baby Ricky in a bike trailer camping all the way.
You're in Good Hands, and Feet
When they got back to Cape Town they decided to do what they knew best, so they started a bike touring company and called it Daytrippers (Steve's also a modern music aficionado). They've been at it for some 20 years now and they have several full-time guides, more than 200 bikes and a small fleet of small tour buses. They do bike tours, short and long, hiking, mountain biking, sight seeing, township tours, wine tasting tours and a whole other bunch of fun things.
Steve is just about the most stoical, calm and happy guy you'll ever meet, while petite Di is the muscle behind the operation (don't take her on, strong men have wept in her dust). A few times each year they and their guides undertake some longer tours - no-one I know knows the Western Cape better.
There are tours of the Garden Route and Karoo mountain passes and the Cederberg wilderness area. But best in my book is the Cape Epic companion ride, joining but not racing the most talked-about mountain biking stage race in the world.
Unusual Cape Town City Tours
If it's tours of Cape Town itself you're looking for, two newly pioneered ones might appeal (so new they not yet on their website): an historic city cycle tour, and a drain tour. The first is pretty obvious, but don't shy away from the second: it's a combination of adventure sport and seeing the seldom-seen underbelly of the place. For those not in the know, subterranean tours are like getting an intravenous historical tour of a city.
But don't take my word for it, take Steve's: "If you don't want to miss out on any of the highlights of the Cape, but simply hate the prospect of an organized tour, Daytrippers is definitely for you." Ride on, partner.
Tel 021 511 4766, or a/h 082 807 9522