Our lucky number 13th tour, this Sunday at 14h00, takes us via at least one of the three most gorgeous approach roads in the world to consider the life and vibes of Cape Town’s one true, semi-secret microcosm – the Republic of Hout Bay.

Before you start to worry: No! You won’t need to have the right passport to join, you’ll just have to buy one for R10 at the Mariner’s Wharf souvenir store before we wrap up! And also, this is literally a walk on the beach for the most part, so don’t be afraid of getting tuckered out!

Unlike all my other tours, Hout Bay is a sort-of monumental amphitheatre for itself and so much of the loveliest history, anthropology, zoology and virtuosity of the enclave is clearly visible from all along the breezy shoreline. So just bring or steal birding binoculars!

Even if you’ve lived under the Sentinel’s watchful gaze for many decades, I’m sure you (like me) have often questioned the particular charm of the Cape’s Atlantean cove. Why, for example, are the street names so royalist? Why does the Dorman family take credit for everything? When did the Hangberg fishermen sign their pact with the seals? And why hasn’t the Bronze Leopard gotten sick of his perch yet? (Don’t ask me the answers yet, I’m still cramming in the research…) These are the true concerns for any day-tripping Capetonian, and so I encourage you to try stump me with your own!

In the meantime, prepare to set off at the Sentinel Coffee Stand right by the starting-line of Chapman’s Peak Drive for a whirlwind adult field-trip that will encompass all the heritage exhibits of the Mainstream Mall, the centuries of Constantia franchise estates, the decades of dune control and low-key fishing empires, the best acreage of momentous hiking routes in the country, before eventually settling down for an early dinner at Mariners’ Wharf two-and-a-bit hours later.

Have you ever had such a good excuse to get out on a Sunday afternoon? Spread the word if not!

Yours,
Cameron Peters of CTHT x

P.S. If you’ve read this far I’m guessing you’ll want even more of the specs, so here goes:
– Use a two-car system with friends or walk back to the Woodcutter’s Arms with me after the tour finishes to save yourself from being marooned by the Seal Island Cruises…
– We’ve just put up our ticket prices for the first time in two-and-a-half years, from R120pp to R150pp. This is just to keep with inflation and to allow the tours to remain a sustainable enterprise for the foreseeable future, but this is still about R50 less per person than our nearest competition. In other words, we are deliberately undercharging the tours so as to keep them affordable for locals and visitors alike and to encourage guests to come back weekend after weekend.
– Book via Quicket, WhatsApp us on 076 033 8164, E-mail us on cameronlukepeters812@gmail.com or Message us via the buttons on our home page to secure your place.
– We have also just introduced a broad scheme of discounts you can apply for on each tour, so please do consult the list below before contacting us!
– And we’ve decided to partner with a different local NGO or charity for each and every one of our tour routes so that R10 of every ticket purchased goes directly to a good, sustainable, local cause. For the Hout Bay tour, we’ve chosen to fund-raise for the Sentinel Ocean Alliance and you can inspect their brilliance here: https://sentineloceanalliance.org
– This is a consistently well-reviewed heritage-focused walking tour; which is to say that all you’ll need to enjoy yourself is curiosity about Cape Town’s past (and History in general) and enough stamina to walk just less than 3km in one afternoon (with stops and snacks).
– If you’re rejoining us, please consider dropping us a short (or extensive) review on our Facebook Reviews or Google Reviews section as it will help spread our gospel of curiosity and playful appreciation across the internet and across the spectrum of all potential visitors to the Cape. It helps us more than you can believe!
– You can also add an optional R10 donation on your ticket which will go directly to the NGO Streetscapes as part of our mission to spread love, enthusiasm, mutual support and respect for all of Cape Town’s people and histories. Just think how many people we could help and the difference we could make with a few hundred tours!
– Feel absolutely free to spread the word, invite friends who’ve been looking for this kind of experience and badger us with every imaginable heritage query. We live for it!

THE CTHT DISCOUNT LIST:
1. Guests over 65 and under 18 can claim a 33% discount on each ticket, at R100pp pre-booked.
2. If you buy tickets for both the Saturday and Sunday tours on one weekend, you can claim R50 off each ticket, at R200pp pre-booked.
3. If you buy a Cape Town Heritage Tours Tote-Bag or any of our books on sale at our Half-Booked Online Shop, you can claim a free tour voucher for each piece of merchandise.
4. You can buy individual advance vouchers for our public tours at R150 each and then message in the week before a scheduled tour. But you can also buy value-packs of five for the price of 4 (R600), 10 for the price of 7 (R1050) or all 18 for the price of 10 (R1500).
5. If you bring 2 or more friends on a weekend tour you can claim R30 back on each of your tickets, at R120pp pre-booked.
6. If you share the posts promoting individual tours you can claim R30 back as well, at R120pp pre-booked.
7. If you review the tours on Google Reviews, Facebook or TripAdvisor (at any rating) you can claim 50% off your next ticket, at R75pp pre-booked.
8. Likewise if you recommend the tours to a friend who then attends a weekend tour, you can claim 50% off your next ticket, at R75pp pre-booked.