What you could be doing now…

Feeling trapped on either side of the northern hemisphere’s late sunrises and depressingly early sunsets?

Perhaps you’re doing a ritual you read about on the Internet that includes a weird song and dance, in the hope that it will bring the warmer weather earlier this year…

Luckily, there’s a balmy light waiting for you… long before the end of the winter tunnel: glorious sunrises, breathtakingly beautiful sunsets (after 7pm, we must mention) and sizzling T-shirt weather can still be found in Cape Town for the next couple of months. If you’re still not convinced why you should swap your current (northern hemisphere) location for the sizzling southern hemisphere, then allow us to entice you! Here are some of the things you could be doing right now versus the bright and beautiful experiences you could be having on our side.

#1: GETTING STUCK IN RAIN/SNOW/BLIZZARD TRAFFIC VS. TAKING AN OPEN AIR BUS RIDE

Wouldn’t you rather be sitting back and soaking up the breathtaking views of the Mother City from the open deck on Cape Town’s renowned City Sightseeing Bus Tours? These famous red busses offer various excursions to all the must-see spots, including Table Mountain Cableway, Camps Bay, Cape Point, The V&A Waterfront, Kirstenbosch Gardens, Constantia Winelands and Imizamo Yethu Township in Houtbay. The best part? You don’t need to deal with traffic at all!

Don’t forget to pack something warm but light when going on the bus tour – it can get a little nippy (although, nothing like the sub-zero temperatures you’re familiar with right now…).

#2: STAYING IN AND WATCHING SERIES VS. WATCHING THE SUNSET… OUTDOORS! 

Let’s face it: with Games of Thrones in hiatus, is there even a point to switching your telly on?

Instead, turn your eyesight to some of the most amazing sunsets you’ll experience in your lifetime! Cape Town is renowned for its many options when gets to watching the sun set and the moon rise: atop Table Mountain or Lion’s Head, at one of our many beaches (Clifton, Llandundno or Blouberg beaches are firm favourites with the locals), onboard a catamaran in the Atlantic Ocean (sunset cruises depart from the V&A Waterfront, daily), or among the vineyards in the Cape Winelands.

#3: LAYERING UP & WADDLING LIKE A PENGUIN VS. DRESSING DOWN & WATCHING REAL PENGUINS WADDLE

We all know the rule well: to keep warm, you need to layer (and layer and layer) up. This, of course, has the ability to make anyone look and feel like a penguin waddling down the street…

Here, you can swap those layers of scarves, gloves, vests, shirts, jerseys and jackets for a simple shirt, shorts and sandals… Because just about 40 minutes from Cape Town’s city centre, the soft sand and turquoise coloured waters of Boulders Beach will warm you up in an instant. This little stretch of coast also happens to be home to an impressive colony of tuxedoed chaps, namely the African Penguins – it’s the kind of thing that warms up the cockles of any animal-lover’s heart.

Come early and set up camp for the day – mornings or late afternoons are the best times to catch these birds in action. The beach also has a few magnificent rock pools that will also provide endless entertainment for water babies, young or old.

#4: SKIING DOWN A SLOPE VS. HIKING UP A MOUNTAIN AND COMING DOWN WITH A CABLE CAR

Yeah, we guess it can be fun… for some (we’re just not that great at it).

Imagine this instead: scaling a mountain that looks like it has flat surface at the top (which has also been named one of the New Seven Wonders of Nature), then soaking up breath-taking views of a city that’s enveloped by hills, forests and bays, as well as spotting a dassie (a rock hyrax that’s indigenous to Cape Town) or two, before heading down in a cable car. Well, this is what Capetonians can do on a daily basis and what many tourists travel to Cape Town especially for. Of course we’re a little biased, but we think this beats skiing down a mountain any day!

Remember to pack water, put on sunscreen and wear good hiking gear (trainers are a must when summiting Table Mountain). You can also bring a few snacks in your backpack to enjoy when you get to the top!

#5: SIPPING ON SOUP VS SAMPLING FINE WINE, CRAFT BEERS AND GOOD FOOD. 

Wholesome and heartwarming? Yes. But the most delicious food (and fun) you could have right now?

Probably not… Especially when considering that Cape Town has firmly established itself as one of the world’s top wine producing cities, with award-winning vineyards stretching as far south, north, east and west as the eye can tell. In addition, there are budding craft beer breweries scattered across the province where brew-lovers from all over the world are enticed daily. Did we mention that Cape Town is also one of the top foodie destinations in the world (Luke Dale Roberts’ The Test Kitchen earned the 22nd spot in the “World’s 50 Best Restaurants” in 2016)? Come on, save the soup and rather give your taste buds something to sing about!

Many wine farms throughout Cape Town offer interesting and wonderful food and wine pairings – Creation Wines in the Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge is definitely worth the drive. Alternatively, if you’re around on the 2nd Wednesday of the month, join Cape Town’s inner city wine route called Tuning the Vine, where you can explore the heart of Cape Town’s food scene while sampling the finest wine our province has to offer.

#6: TURNING UP CENTRAL HEATING VS. WARMING UP WITH ICON VILLA’S SUMMER PROMOTION 

Forget the temperature gauge on your central heating! Warm up from the inside out and outside in at one of our villas.

From spacious elegance and chic city living to magical sea views, whether you’re a single traveller or touring with a group of 10 people, Icon Villa has properties that will cater to any need.

In addition to this, we’ve put together a wonderful special offer for the rest of summer: Book to stay at one of the selected villas for 3 nights or more before 30 April 2017, and you will receive 6 bottles of Creation wine on arrival. Plus you’ll draw for a 2 night stay for 2 in Cape Town! Enough reasons to hop over to our side? Click here for more details.

So, what are you waiting for? Stop what you are doing and opt for what you could be doing!