Caitlin Hood’s Action-Packed Cape Town Adventure

If there’s one factor Caitlin Hood doesn’t do, it’s stand nonetheless. She’s all the time chasing the subsequent thrill, saying sure to new experiences, and discovering enjoyable wherever she goes.

When the Durban content material creator arrived in Cape City, she wasted no time filling her itinerary with bucket-list experiences, native jaunts, and loads of spontaneity.

Right here’s what made the minimize:

Paragliding off Sign Hill

Operating off the facet of a mountain isn’t how most individuals begin a vacation, however for Caitlin, it was the right approach to start. She makes it a rule to incorporate a minimum of one “loopy expertise” on each journey, and in Cape City, that meant paragliding off Sign Hill. The journey had a private connection, too. Her love of journey runs within the household. Rising up, her father flew planes and jumped off cliffs for enjoyable, inspiring the identical curiosity and willingness to embrace the unknown. As her ft left the bottom, town unfold out in all its glory, from Desk Mountain’s beautiful views to the Atlantic Ocean under.

“It was insane. Put this in your bucket listing,” Caitlin says.

Location: Sign Hill Drive, Cape City

Web site: www.parapax.co.za/

Prepare Rides, Browsing, and Lekker Fish and Chips

A short stopover in a number of Deep South coastal cities changed into seven hours of spontaneous journey. Becoming a member of fellow content material creator Aakifah Slarmie, Caitlin boarded PRASA’s Individuals’s Prepare for a day in Muizenberg, St James and Kalk Bay. Their first cease was Surf Emporium in Muizenberg, the place they hit the waves for a surf lesson. Amid wipeouts and loads of laughs, they steadily discovered their rhythm earlier than wandering by way of the neighbouring seaside villages.

From there, they explored the coastal stretch between the cities, looking small retailers, thrift shops, and native craft retailers alongside the best way. When starvation set in, they headed to Kalk Bay and stopped at Kalky’s, the well-known fish-and-chips establishment.

“Muizenberg, Kalk Bay and St James are neighbouring cities straight out of a Pinterest board. It seems like dwelling, and the individuals are so heat,” she says.

Web site: Surf Emporium: surfemporium.co.za/

Kalky’s: www.fb.com/kalkys.seafood/

Bo-Kaap Koesister Making Class

You can’t go to Cape City with out attempting a heat, freshly made koesister. However for Caitlin, tasting one wasn’t sufficient. She needed to be taught the story behind one among the Cape’s most beloved candy treats.

Within the coronary heart of the vibrant Bo-Kaap, she rolled up her sleeves and joined a hands-on koesister-making class. Because the dough got here collectively, so did the koesister’s wealthy historical past, from its Cape Malay roots to the household traditions which have made it a Sunday favorite for generations.

Though koesisters have been a well-recognized a part of her childhood in Durban, she’d by no means made them herself. She left with a barakat, the native time period for a takeaway, to get pleasure from the remainder of her journey.

Location: 46 Rose Avenue, Schotsche Kloof, Cape City

Web site: www.bokaapcookingtour.co.za/

Radisson Assortment Lodge, Waterfront Cape City

Regardless of her larger-than-life character, Caitlin is aware of the worth of slowing down, and the Radisson Assortment Lodge, Waterfront Cape City, is the place to just do that. Set on the sting of the Atlantic Ocean, the lodge makes probably the most of its waterfront location, with sweeping ocean views, quick access to the V&A Waterfront, and a recent design that displays its environment. After checking in, Caitlin headed straight to the spa for a number of hours of therapies and quiet time.

“I like spa experiences. It was precisely what I wanted. I walked into my room and felt at dwelling. Even with the storm outdoors, it felt like being on a cruise at sea, but utterly at dwelling. There was one thing so calming about it, as if discovering peace in the course of the storm. It was the right, surprising approach to finish the journey.”

Location: 100 Seashore Street, Granger Bay Boulevard, Mouille Level, Cape City

Web site: www.radissonhotels.com