The Cape Winelands - a kind of trip report. Long, and different
Aug 15th, 2009, 06:09 AM
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The Cape Winelands - a kind of trip report. Long, and different
This is a kind of trip report, though not the kind of trip that most people on this board take.
A bit of history.
My husband and I are Canadian, but moved to France in 1994. We love the Périgord where we live, and for many years thought the winters were great – especially compared to Toronto winters. And they can be good, with lots of sun. I normally walk with a group of friends all winter, which is amazing for someone used to Canadian winters. But they can also be damp and gloomy. And after a few of those, we started to think about options.
So, in 2005, after a difficult year, we decided we had to get away, but where? After a few minutes with minds gone blank, we both remembered Cape Town. Harry had worked in Johannesburg a long time ago, but never made it to the Cape. And I had always wanted to go. So we started looking.
The trouble was that we didn’t know where to start. Harry had no interest in ‘big smelly animals’ and January was the wrong season for safaris anyway. We had heard about Hermanus, Camp’s Bay, etc., but not much more. So I searched around, getting more and more confused, until I came across an agency that offered to recommend various options. Not something I would normally have agreed to, but we were getting desperate, now about 3 weeks before we wanted to go. The woman I talked to suggested Gordon’s Bay, a small town east of the Cape, still fairly ‘untouched’ and comfortable.. It’s on False Bay, but on the east side, not the west, where you find Simonstown, Kalk Bay, etc.
We’ve since been told that, when the railroad was built from Cape Town east, that Gordon’s Bay didn’t want to be part of it. So it stopped at Strand, which became a busy, thriving community. Now full of high rises all along the beach, just the sort of place we would never stay. But Gordon’s Bay stayed small, and is now a somewhat touristy fishing/seaside town. It has an old and a new marina, restaurants, a great second hand bookstore, not bad beaches, etc.
I forgot to mention that we live in a village of 600 people. When we go away we don’t want to be in a smaller place, but we aren’t very good with big cities any more. So it sounded like what we were looking for. Unfortunately for her, she wasn’t able to find us a place for 3 weeks, and so we never did book with her agency.
But it did give us something to aim for, and we managed to find an apartment in Harbour Island, at Gordon’s Bay. A marina supposedly based on the Mediterranean resort at Port Grimaud. Several people on this board thought we were crazy to choose Gordon's Bay rather than Muizenberg, Hout Bay,or Simonstown, but it worked for us.
We loved the area, and since then have gone back every year, each time for a longer period.
So what do we do?
Getting there:
First, a flight from Toulouse-Frankfort- Cape Town. If we’re lucky, friends will drive us to Toulouse; if not, we take the train, have lunch in one of our favourite restaurants, walk around town, and then get to the airport late afternoon.
Our requirements for a flight are that it be as fast and economical as possible, that it arrive at a reasonable time, and that it leaves from an airport near us – usually Toulouse, but at a pinch, Bordeaux.
For those of you who don’t know the airport in Toulouse, it’s quite small, reasonably efficient, and makes us happy every time that we don’t have to deal with Roissy/Charles de Gaulle. We don’t particularly like Lufthansa, but every time I check, no other airline meets our specifications. Either they add a stop a Jo’burg, or they arrive at midnight, or they have a 12 hour wait between flights, or you have to transfer from Gatwick to Heathrow...
So we get the 7 p.m. flight from Toulouse, the 11 p.m. flight from Frankfurt, and arrive at the Cape about 12 hours later. No jet lag, as there’s only one hour time difference. Lots of sun, and the view of Table Mountain when we arrive.
Arriving:
We pick up a rental car, or someone actually drives the car to the airport to meet us. We arrive at our apartment, still in Harbour Island. The last two years we have had an apartment with sea view from the kitchen, mountain view from the bedrooms, 2 levels, 3 bedrooms, 5 (small) balconies and a terrace. Looking out over blue sky, blue sea, the Hottentot Holland Mountains in the background, we remember why we love this area so much.
(We did actually spend 6 weeks one year in the centre of town, opposite the beach, but found that there were just too many people, too much noise on the weekend. Remember living in a village of 600 people???)
We pick up groceries, drive to Lourensford, a beautiful wine estate with a great coffee roasting/grinding facility, http://www.coffeecompany.co.za/ and a good cheese maker. http://www.healeys.co.za/ . We had some difficulty finding good cheese at the Cape, but then tracked down Healy’s, which actually makes raw milk, flavourful cheeses. We thought at one time that we would be able to lose some weight while away, since we wouldn’t be having French cheese. Alas, it hasn’t happened yet. Both of these are at the Lourensford wine estate, http://www.lourensford.com/ where the wine is not bad, but not our favourite, and the gardens are stunning, the architecture almost as good.
Then olive oil from Morgensterhttp://www.morgenster.co.za/ wins international awards. This vineyard is right next to Lourensford, and Vergelegen (of which more later)
Somewhere along the line we’ve probably picked up some wine, and maybe even some groceries, and so we’re set for a few days. If not we walk through the marina and have dinner at one of the restaurants, marvelling at the January weather.
Back to our apartment, and hook up the computer. Not easy, as it’s hard to get pay as you go Internet in the area, but we now have a Vodacom modem. So we’re able to continue our property management business, and keep in touch with family and friends in Canada, France, and Australia.
And while we’re there?
You might have noticed from the mentions of vineyards that we do like wine. In fact, although we say that we go to the Cape in the winter, it’s really a Cape Winelands holiday. This is the reason we like the location we’ve chosen, rather than somewhere closer to Cape Town itself. We don’t have to drive through the city to get to the Winelands.
We start off well, getting up early, around 7, because the light is so great, and having a walk around the marina, or on the beach. Then I do 20 laps in the (small) swimming pool. It’s great to have it all to myself. Since I am fair skinned, I don’t want to spend hours lying around in the sun, so just jump in, swim, and then back to the apartment for a shower.
Breakfast – if it’s Sunday we go into town and pick up a newspaper. And check out the second hand bookstore. I’m a voracious reader, and to have a huge bookstore nearby makes the holiday. We pick up about 10 books, return last week’s selection for a partial credit, and we’re all set for another week.
Going out
To Vineyards, of course. Not just for tasting wine, although there’s lots of good wine, and we do our best to taste as many as possible. But, unlike most vineyards in France, the Cape Vineyards are tourist destinations. Great restaurants, interesting architecture, and some fascinating history. Vergelen, http://www.vergelegen.co.za/ originally one with the Lourensford/Morgenster estate, founded in 1700, has restaurants, which we haven’t tried yet, but also a great picnic area, under the camphor trees. We took some visiting French friends there, who assured us they didn’t really like picnics. But glorious setting, very good food served from a picnic basket to your table with good cutlery, and dishes and tablecloth, changed their ideas.
These three estates are in Somerset West, a leafy and rich ‘suburb’ of Cape Town.
Fifteen minutes north is Stellenbosch, home of Terroir restaurant at Klein Zalze vineyard. http://www.kleinezalze.com/ Good wine and possibly the best restaurant we’ve found in the area. Though we’re still experimenting. (One time we were there, we saw foie gras on the menu. As it’s a speciality of our region, I asked about it. ‘Don’t worry madam’ said the waiter – we don’t force feed the geese here.’ ‘Well then’, said I, ‘it’s not foie gras’, I’ll have something else.)
The view, and the restaurant at Tokara http://www.tokara.co.za/ . The wine, especially the ‘Mint’ at Thelema http://www.thelema.co.za/
Or west along the bay to Kalk Bay and inland to the Food Barn at Noordhoek http://www.thefoodbarn.co.za/. Also in the running for one of the best restaurants, but it was a little disappointing that they offered a French Bistro menu, written in French – and no one in the restaurant seemed to speak a word of French. Good food though. We want to try Kalkie’s in the harbour next time.
And then there’s the River Cafe at Constantia Uitsig http://www.constantia-uitsig.com/pag...nts/river-cafe
In case you think we do nothing but go out to lunch (rarely dinner, but that’s what we do here in France also) I should mention that we now go away for 7 or 8 weeks, so there’s lots of time to try new restaurants. The benefits of semi-retirement, with computer at hand.
When we’re not eating
The penguins at Betty’s Bay, more natural than Boulder’s Beach, Butterfly World, a Crocodile Farm, all good for photographs.
Photography courses in Somerset West, originally with Nicole Palmer http://www.nicolepalmer.co.za . We’re now members of the Helderberg Photographic Society.
Walking around the waterfront. The V&A is really a big shopping area, which isn’t so bad for people who live in villages with limited shopping access. But there are often great musical groups and a nice ambience. We did also go to Robben Island on one of our trips, a very moving experience.
A trip to the Cedarberg desert, to see cave art. Interesting, but TOO HOT. One short trip to Wilderness and Knysna on the Garden Route. Weilderness is a charming town, with a great beach. Knysna was under construction, and too touristy. We didn’t like it as much as where we stay. And for us, unlike most people talking this trip, every kilometre we go along the Garden Route we have to retrace to get back to where we started.
Namibia. Harry took a photo workshop last year at the end of our stay on the Cape, and loved it. This year we will go back together so that I can see some ‘dirty smelly’ animals, the dunes, the stars, etc.
What we don’t like
Well, strange to say, since most people who go to the winelands love it, we really dislike Franschhoek. It’s too touristy, too hot, too busy. We like the Huguenot monument and museum, but haven’t tried any of the restaurants in town, because we are always turned off by the crowds and the overly touristy atmosphere. But then we live in France. (Moreson Bread and Wine just outside of town is another thing altogether. http://www.moreson.co.za/the-restaurant . Certainly worth going back to.)
And the wind. The Cape, with the ‘Cape Doctor’ is often very windy. Gordon’s Bay is one of the windiest places on the Cape, and Harbour Island is probably the windiest place in Gordon’s Bay. It does seem sometimes as if the roof will blow off. But we survive.
And, is it safe?
The question that everyone asks. We have heard that the Gordon’s Bay/Somerset West area is probably the safest part of South Africa – and possibly the safest place IN Africa. We don’t ever feel in danger there. We do stay in a gated community, and there are bars on windows and security notices on every house. But even in French villages your house insurance isn’t valid unless you have shutters on every window, and multiple locks on our doors. So that doesn’t seem so strange to us. We know there are places that we would not go at night. But we went into Cape Town to a play at the University one night, and were amazed, and gladdened to see that the audience there was just what you would see in a university theatre in Canada – different ages, different races, all mixed in together. And we drove home on the N2 with no difficulty.
We took a photography course in Stellenbosch that didn’t end until 9.30, and drove home two nights a week for 6 weeks, again with no difficulty. People do actually live their lives there.
We know that there are dangers, but so far we have had no problems. The only time we tend to worry is when we are in France reading about how dangerous South Africa is. Once we’re there, we don’t think of it again.
When are we going back?
Last year we said it should be the last time. We should try new places, explore new areas. But every time we looked at the ocean, the mountains, the flowers, the light, we had second thoughts
So, before we left, we booked for 12 weeks, beginning early December. The first time we will spend Christmas at the Cape. It will be busy, as it’s school holiday season, but we’ll just have to live with it. Here we often have quite lonely holiday seasons, as our friends have their families visiting, or are off to visit them. So we’re used to being alone. But this year we’ll be in the sun. Still no safari though.
We moved to France 15 years ago because we fell in love with the country, and the south-west, where we live. The Cape is the only other place we have ever felt the same attraction to. There are lots of reasons why we wouldn’t move there – we are not completely unrealistic about the problems the country faces, and our whole heritage matches western Europe better. But it’s a magical place.
A bit of history.
My husband and I are Canadian, but moved to France in 1994. We love the Périgord where we live, and for many years thought the winters were great – especially compared to Toronto winters. And they can be good, with lots of sun. I normally walk with a group of friends all winter, which is amazing for someone used to Canadian winters. But they can also be damp and gloomy. And after a few of those, we started to think about options.
So, in 2005, after a difficult year, we decided we had to get away, but where? After a few minutes with minds gone blank, we both remembered Cape Town. Harry had worked in Johannesburg a long time ago, but never made it to the Cape. And I had always wanted to go. So we started looking.
The trouble was that we didn’t know where to start. Harry had no interest in ‘big smelly animals’ and January was the wrong season for safaris anyway. We had heard about Hermanus, Camp’s Bay, etc., but not much more. So I searched around, getting more and more confused, until I came across an agency that offered to recommend various options. Not something I would normally have agreed to, but we were getting desperate, now about 3 weeks before we wanted to go. The woman I talked to suggested Gordon’s Bay, a small town east of the Cape, still fairly ‘untouched’ and comfortable.. It’s on False Bay, but on the east side, not the west, where you find Simonstown, Kalk Bay, etc.
We’ve since been told that, when the railroad was built from Cape Town east, that Gordon’s Bay didn’t want to be part of it. So it stopped at Strand, which became a busy, thriving community. Now full of high rises all along the beach, just the sort of place we would never stay. But Gordon’s Bay stayed small, and is now a somewhat touristy fishing/seaside town. It has an old and a new marina, restaurants, a great second hand bookstore, not bad beaches, etc.
I forgot to mention that we live in a village of 600 people. When we go away we don’t want to be in a smaller place, but we aren’t very good with big cities any more. So it sounded like what we were looking for. Unfortunately for her, she wasn’t able to find us a place for 3 weeks, and so we never did book with her agency.
But it did give us something to aim for, and we managed to find an apartment in Harbour Island, at Gordon’s Bay. A marina supposedly based on the Mediterranean resort at Port Grimaud. Several people on this board thought we were crazy to choose Gordon's Bay rather than Muizenberg, Hout Bay,or Simonstown, but it worked for us.
We loved the area, and since then have gone back every year, each time for a longer period.
So what do we do?
Getting there:
First, a flight from Toulouse-Frankfort- Cape Town. If we’re lucky, friends will drive us to Toulouse; if not, we take the train, have lunch in one of our favourite restaurants, walk around town, and then get to the airport late afternoon.
Our requirements for a flight are that it be as fast and economical as possible, that it arrive at a reasonable time, and that it leaves from an airport near us – usually Toulouse, but at a pinch, Bordeaux.
For those of you who don’t know the airport in Toulouse, it’s quite small, reasonably efficient, and makes us happy every time that we don’t have to deal with Roissy/Charles de Gaulle. We don’t particularly like Lufthansa, but every time I check, no other airline meets our specifications. Either they add a stop a Jo’burg, or they arrive at midnight, or they have a 12 hour wait between flights, or you have to transfer from Gatwick to Heathrow...
So we get the 7 p.m. flight from Toulouse, the 11 p.m. flight from Frankfurt, and arrive at the Cape about 12 hours later. No jet lag, as there’s only one hour time difference. Lots of sun, and the view of Table Mountain when we arrive.
Arriving:
We pick up a rental car, or someone actually drives the car to the airport to meet us. We arrive at our apartment, still in Harbour Island. The last two years we have had an apartment with sea view from the kitchen, mountain view from the bedrooms, 2 levels, 3 bedrooms, 5 (small) balconies and a terrace. Looking out over blue sky, blue sea, the Hottentot Holland Mountains in the background, we remember why we love this area so much.
(We did actually spend 6 weeks one year in the centre of town, opposite the beach, but found that there were just too many people, too much noise on the weekend. Remember living in a village of 600 people???)
We pick up groceries, drive to Lourensford, a beautiful wine estate with a great coffee roasting/grinding facility, http://www.coffeecompany.co.za/ and a good cheese maker. http://www.healeys.co.za/ . We had some difficulty finding good cheese at the Cape, but then tracked down Healy’s, which actually makes raw milk, flavourful cheeses. We thought at one time that we would be able to lose some weight while away, since we wouldn’t be having French cheese. Alas, it hasn’t happened yet. Both of these are at the Lourensford wine estate, http://www.lourensford.com/ where the wine is not bad, but not our favourite, and the gardens are stunning, the architecture almost as good.
Then olive oil from Morgensterhttp://www.morgenster.co.za/ wins international awards. This vineyard is right next to Lourensford, and Vergelegen (of which more later)
Somewhere along the line we’ve probably picked up some wine, and maybe even some groceries, and so we’re set for a few days. If not we walk through the marina and have dinner at one of the restaurants, marvelling at the January weather.
Back to our apartment, and hook up the computer. Not easy, as it’s hard to get pay as you go Internet in the area, but we now have a Vodacom modem. So we’re able to continue our property management business, and keep in touch with family and friends in Canada, France, and Australia.
And while we’re there?
You might have noticed from the mentions of vineyards that we do like wine. In fact, although we say that we go to the Cape in the winter, it’s really a Cape Winelands holiday. This is the reason we like the location we’ve chosen, rather than somewhere closer to Cape Town itself. We don’t have to drive through the city to get to the Winelands.
We start off well, getting up early, around 7, because the light is so great, and having a walk around the marina, or on the beach. Then I do 20 laps in the (small) swimming pool. It’s great to have it all to myself. Since I am fair skinned, I don’t want to spend hours lying around in the sun, so just jump in, swim, and then back to the apartment for a shower.
Breakfast – if it’s Sunday we go into town and pick up a newspaper. And check out the second hand bookstore. I’m a voracious reader, and to have a huge bookstore nearby makes the holiday. We pick up about 10 books, return last week’s selection for a partial credit, and we’re all set for another week.
Going out
To Vineyards, of course. Not just for tasting wine, although there’s lots of good wine, and we do our best to taste as many as possible. But, unlike most vineyards in France, the Cape Vineyards are tourist destinations. Great restaurants, interesting architecture, and some fascinating history. Vergelen, http://www.vergelegen.co.za/ originally one with the Lourensford/Morgenster estate, founded in 1700, has restaurants, which we haven’t tried yet, but also a great picnic area, under the camphor trees. We took some visiting French friends there, who assured us they didn’t really like picnics. But glorious setting, very good food served from a picnic basket to your table with good cutlery, and dishes and tablecloth, changed their ideas.
These three estates are in Somerset West, a leafy and rich ‘suburb’ of Cape Town.
Fifteen minutes north is Stellenbosch, home of Terroir restaurant at Klein Zalze vineyard. http://www.kleinezalze.com/ Good wine and possibly the best restaurant we’ve found in the area. Though we’re still experimenting. (One time we were there, we saw foie gras on the menu. As it’s a speciality of our region, I asked about it. ‘Don’t worry madam’ said the waiter – we don’t force feed the geese here.’ ‘Well then’, said I, ‘it’s not foie gras’, I’ll have something else.)
The view, and the restaurant at Tokara http://www.tokara.co.za/ . The wine, especially the ‘Mint’ at Thelema http://www.thelema.co.za/
Or west along the bay to Kalk Bay and inland to the Food Barn at Noordhoek http://www.thefoodbarn.co.za/. Also in the running for one of the best restaurants, but it was a little disappointing that they offered a French Bistro menu, written in French – and no one in the restaurant seemed to speak a word of French. Good food though. We want to try Kalkie’s in the harbour next time.
And then there’s the River Cafe at Constantia Uitsig http://www.constantia-uitsig.com/pag...nts/river-cafe
In case you think we do nothing but go out to lunch (rarely dinner, but that’s what we do here in France also) I should mention that we now go away for 7 or 8 weeks, so there’s lots of time to try new restaurants. The benefits of semi-retirement, with computer at hand.
When we’re not eating
The penguins at Betty’s Bay, more natural than Boulder’s Beach, Butterfly World, a Crocodile Farm, all good for photographs.
Photography courses in Somerset West, originally with Nicole Palmer http://www.nicolepalmer.co.za . We’re now members of the Helderberg Photographic Society.
Walking around the waterfront. The V&A is really a big shopping area, which isn’t so bad for people who live in villages with limited shopping access. But there are often great musical groups and a nice ambience. We did also go to Robben Island on one of our trips, a very moving experience.
A trip to the Cedarberg desert, to see cave art. Interesting, but TOO HOT. One short trip to Wilderness and Knysna on the Garden Route. Weilderness is a charming town, with a great beach. Knysna was under construction, and too touristy. We didn’t like it as much as where we stay. And for us, unlike most people talking this trip, every kilometre we go along the Garden Route we have to retrace to get back to where we started.
Namibia. Harry took a photo workshop last year at the end of our stay on the Cape, and loved it. This year we will go back together so that I can see some ‘dirty smelly’ animals, the dunes, the stars, etc.
What we don’t like
Well, strange to say, since most people who go to the winelands love it, we really dislike Franschhoek. It’s too touristy, too hot, too busy. We like the Huguenot monument and museum, but haven’t tried any of the restaurants in town, because we are always turned off by the crowds and the overly touristy atmosphere. But then we live in France. (Moreson Bread and Wine just outside of town is another thing altogether. http://www.moreson.co.za/the-restaurant . Certainly worth going back to.)
And the wind. The Cape, with the ‘Cape Doctor’ is often very windy. Gordon’s Bay is one of the windiest places on the Cape, and Harbour Island is probably the windiest place in Gordon’s Bay. It does seem sometimes as if the roof will blow off. But we survive.
And, is it safe?
The question that everyone asks. We have heard that the Gordon’s Bay/Somerset West area is probably the safest part of South Africa – and possibly the safest place IN Africa. We don’t ever feel in danger there. We do stay in a gated community, and there are bars on windows and security notices on every house. But even in French villages your house insurance isn’t valid unless you have shutters on every window, and multiple locks on our doors. So that doesn’t seem so strange to us. We know there are places that we would not go at night. But we went into Cape Town to a play at the University one night, and were amazed, and gladdened to see that the audience there was just what you would see in a university theatre in Canada – different ages, different races, all mixed in together. And we drove home on the N2 with no difficulty.
We took a photography course in Stellenbosch that didn’t end until 9.30, and drove home two nights a week for 6 weeks, again with no difficulty. People do actually live their lives there.
We know that there are dangers, but so far we have had no problems. The only time we tend to worry is when we are in France reading about how dangerous South Africa is. Once we’re there, we don’t think of it again.
When are we going back?
Last year we said it should be the last time. We should try new places, explore new areas. But every time we looked at the ocean, the mountains, the flowers, the light, we had second thoughts
So, before we left, we booked for 12 weeks, beginning early December. The first time we will spend Christmas at the Cape. It will be busy, as it’s school holiday season, but we’ll just have to live with it. Here we often have quite lonely holiday seasons, as our friends have their families visiting, or are off to visit them. So we’re used to being alone. But this year we’ll be in the sun. Still no safari though.
We moved to France 15 years ago because we fell in love with the country, and the south-west, where we live. The Cape is the only other place we have ever felt the same attraction to. There are lots of reasons why we wouldn’t move there – we are not completely unrealistic about the problems the country faces, and our whole heritage matches western Europe better. But it’s a magical place.
Aug 15th, 2009, 06:58 AM
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How lovely. You understand and love the place the way my husband and I do. And you express so well why we go back every other year, or oftener if the pocketbook allows. Even though we prefer the interior to the Cape, reading your "report" evokes for me all the things that make South Africa a place of wonder and delight.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Aug 15th, 2009, 07:39 AM
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Very vivid description of the liftstyle you enjoy in France as well as the South African!
I couldn't agree more to the latter!
We also would love to spend months there (which we yet cannot due to commitments here)but your report delivers a great excuse to focus on to spending much more time in SA as soon as we will be able to do that.
A very pleasant read!
SV
I couldn't agree more to the latter!
We also would love to spend months there (which we yet cannot due to commitments here)but your report delivers a great excuse to focus on to spending much more time in SA as soon as we will be able to do that.
A very pleasant read!
SV
Aug 23rd, 2009, 09:49 AM
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Carlux: Thank you for the evocative report. I do not know the specific area where you stay, but I fell in love with the Cape Province on my only trip to Southern Africa, and long to go back.
Our English friends go down every winter, and my dream is to do the same.
Is it difficult to find apartments, and are they expensive?
Our English friends go down every winter, and my dream is to do the same.
Is it difficult to find apartments, and are they expensive?
Aug 25th, 2009, 07:57 AM
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'Is it difficult to find apartments, and are they expensive?'
We don't find it expensive at all - we are using the Euro, which still has a very good exchange rate against the Rand. That's one of the reasons we are able to stay a long time. I'm not sure how the USD compares.
There are lots of apartment sites. Our problem originally was deciding which location we wanted. Once we knew that, we just checked online for apartments in Gordon's Bay (In English English, which many of the sites use it's 'self-catering.')
One thing that is useful to know is that it is common to charge by the number of people. It seems strange to us that we can rent a spacious apartment for a reasonable price because there are only two of us, but that's how most places operate - unless they specify a 'unit' price. So our apartment, like many others, is not expensive for two, but would be almost double for four.
You might try
http://www.safarinow.com/
http://www.capesecretselection.com/index.html
http://www.gordonsbaytourism.com/
The Cape Secret site is particularly attractive. Good for dreaming .
We don't find it expensive at all - we are using the Euro, which still has a very good exchange rate against the Rand. That's one of the reasons we are able to stay a long time. I'm not sure how the USD compares.
There are lots of apartment sites. Our problem originally was deciding which location we wanted. Once we knew that, we just checked online for apartments in Gordon's Bay (In English English, which many of the sites use it's 'self-catering.')
One thing that is useful to know is that it is common to charge by the number of people. It seems strange to us that we can rent a spacious apartment for a reasonable price because there are only two of us, but that's how most places operate - unless they specify a 'unit' price. So our apartment, like many others, is not expensive for two, but would be almost double for four.
You might try
http://www.safarinow.com/
http://www.capesecretselection.com/index.html
http://www.gordonsbaytourism.com/
The Cape Secret site is particularly attractive. Good for dreaming .
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