Other than helping you find an internship the Connect-123 team is always on hand to let you know what’s fun to do. In this series of interviews with the Cape Town team they share some of their personal favorite things about Cape Town. Hopefully this will help you to discover the good life in the beautiful city they live in!
Our second interview is with Melanie, Account Manager:

Firstly, where do you go to get that magnificent tan?
I am a dedicated sun-worshipper and my boyfriend is an even more dedicated surfer, which makes for a lot of beach time! My favourite beach for carrying out this hobby has to be Llandudno.

You’re also always out and about hiking – what’s your favourite trail?
We are so spoilt for choice here with so many amazing hikes.  One of our first hikes was in Silvermine – we reached this spot looking over Hout Bay which will stay etched in my mind forever, top of the world!  Lion’s Head is an obvious one but being able to leap up there after work, watch the sun go down and then Cape Town’s twinkly lights come out is unbelievable.  So great to be able to get on top of your city, in so many places the city swallows you up, but Cape Town lifts you up!

Describe your ideal Sunday in Cape Town.
Kalk Bay is a great Sunday spot, potter around the antiquey shops and find yourself a unique piece of junk, lunch in the institution that is the Olympia Café, mussels and white wine mopped up with that delicious bread.  Buy a fish from the impressive no messing fish wives at the harbour, have a drink in Polana watching the waves crash against the glass and if you’re lucky the whales in the distance listening to their Sunday band, then if you can peel yourself away, have friends around for delicious fish on the braai.

What’s been your best weekend away around Cape Town?
We went away with a big group of friends to this awesome spot in the Cederberg which was amazing, you feel like you are going back in time, crazy rock formations, red sunburnt earth, and unlikely sprays of wild flowers.  We are off to Stilbaai for another group getaway soon to a farmhouse on a river so will keep you posted on that.  It is amazing how diverse the scenery is within a few hours’ drive of Cape Town.  I’m going to share my favourite weekend getaway site with you: www.budget-getaways.co.za.

What do you do on a rainy day in Cape Town?
Rainy days remind me of home so it is straight to a cosy pub, The Perseverence, with a pint of Guinness and a roaring fire does the trick. Or, curl up at home with a good book, or game of scrabble (if anyone will play with me, bit of a scrabble geek!) , and cook a comforting roast.

What’s the coolest thing to do in Woodstock other than the Old Biscuit Mill?
Happy hour after work drinks on the roof of Jamaica Me Crazy looking out over the harbour.  Saturday brunch in Frangipani’s coffee shop, kick start coffee and delicious fresh produce, watching Woodstock in all its mix and colour go by.  Hitting the factory shops for an absolute bargain, thank you Shoe HQ! Oh, and The Albert Hall is a cool little venue for comedy, swing dancing, Balkan parties, and other off the wall fun.

Mel, you are the queen of the picnic, what’s your favourite spot?
With my trusty picnic hamper and blanket, everywhere becomes a picnic spot!  I love heading to Koegel Bay for a full day picnic though, as long as you have some strong guys with you to carry the stuff!  Beautiful drive along the coast to get there and can then flop out with miles of beach to yourself, slightly warmer water, and good waves for the guys.

What’s your favourite dinner spot?
For cheap and cheerful spot with friends, Carlyles in Vredehoeck.  The chicken & prawn pizza with coriander and cherry tomatoes is Amaazing!  For something a bit classier, I love Five Flies for antique surrounds, great food and service.

Other than helping you find an internship in Cape Town, the Connect-123 team is always on hand to let you know what’s fun to do. We will be publishing a series of interviews with the Cape Town team where they share some of their personal favorite things about Cape Town. Hopefully this will help you to discover the good life in the beautiful city they live in.

Our first interview is with Eimear, the South Africa Program Director:

You’re Irish, where’s the best place in Cape Town to get a pint?
First place in Cape Town that I had a pint when I moved here was the Irish pub Cátú – and I don’t think I’ve had nicer since!

What’s your favourite dinner spot?
One that I keep going back to is a little restaurant on Church Street in Stellenbosch called Basic Bistro – their Dukkha Chicken is delicious!

You’re always out and about hiking – what’s your favourite trail?
I still have loads to discover! But one of the most spectacular is definitely the Pipe Track trail which takes you along the side of Table Mountain with stunning view of the sea, Camps Bay and the Twelve Apostles.

What’s been your best weekend away around Cape Town?
This is a tricky one but probably a weekend on the West Coast – staying in a whitewashed cottage in the fishing village of Paternoster, walking along the shellstrewn beaches, eating the freshest seafood, with trips to Tittiesbaai nature reserve and to the absolutely stunning West Coast National Park on the way back to Cape Town.

I know you appreciate a good wine, what’s your favourite wine farm?
Absolutely 100% impossible to answer – there are so so many beautiful ones – but the most recent one that blew me away was Zevenwacht near Kuilsriver, as much for the idyllic setting, great food and peaceful atmosphere as for the wine itself. It’s also got a spa and spots to braai and have picnics!

Other than the traffic, I’ve heard Durbanville, the suburb where you live, is a great place – what do you do for fun around there?
My favourite thing about living in Durbanville is being 5 minutes drive from Tygerberg Nature Reserve – it’s not huge but has quite a few different trails and is big enough that you can do a 1.5 hour walk well away from noise and traffic, with stunning views of the sea and Table Mountain, as well as back towards the Hottentots Holland Mountains.
There’s loads of birds and wildlife too. Generally you’ll meet a few striped mice, one or two mountain/leopard tortoises and they even have 7 or 8 bontebok that are happy to let you get quite close and watch them grazing – and now there’s a little one too!

Durbanville is also a well known wine-producing area with several beautiful old wine farms with historic buildings, picturesque settings and of course yummy wines to drink. Being a little more off the tourist trail than Stellenbosch and Franschoek prices can be lower and you’re more likely to mingle with locals rather than busloads of tourists! Try Poplars restaurant at D’Aria wine farm for brunch under the oak trees, and then spend the afternoon meandering around to the many other wine farms – see the Durbanville Wine Valley website for ideas!  Nitida has a very popular farmers’ market on the last Saturday of the month.

Connect-123 program participants now receive a complementary voucher on arrival for an open top bus tour of Cape Town.  Cape Town City Sightseeing was awarded the title of International Tour Operator 2009 at the annual City Sightseeing Awards in Portugal, beating top international operators in New York, Paris, and London.   And you can see why! Cape Town is truly one of the world’s most beautiful cities and what better way to take it all in?

Connect-123 new arrivals get to bask in the sunshine in an open top bus whilst touring the amazing city of Cape Town, taking in the sights of Table Mountain, Camps Bay Beach, The Waterfront, and learning about the rich culture and unique history of the city.   You can hop on and hop off at your leisure for a stroll on the beach, a visit to one of the museums, a cable car ride up Table Mountain, a plunge into the Aquarium, or a boat trip to historic Robben Island.  This tour will be sure to give you a taste of all Cape Town has to offer, leaving you hungry and excited for more.

Don’t worry if you don’t get to do it all in one day, you will have plenty of time to enjoy all this and more during your stay with us in Cape Town.  Connect-123 will make sure you have the time of your life, not only in your internship or volunteer placement, but in your free time as well.  We organize loads of fun packed events and social activities to keep you busy. Check out our Facebook page to see some of the fun in store.

Work, learn, and explore in one of the world’s most beautiful cities, Cape Town!