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Tips and Tricks for working for Voys Europe at Voys South Africa

Where did previous colleagues sleep

Adams Place (facebook & site)

A Victorian house in the Tamboerskloof neighborhood. Highly recommend staying in that neighborhood. At Adams Place you can rent rooms (6 in total). The kitchen is shared and so is the bathroom, although there are two rooms you can rent with private bathrooms. The house has a small backyard where you can hang out, eat and in the evening you can light a campfire. Adam the owner is very relaxed and can easily help you if there are things you can't figure out.

How did previous belhamels get around?

Uber

The easiest and safest way to get around. If you link your credit card you don't have to carry cash in your pocket either.

Rental cars

Can be cheap and allows you to wonderfully explore Cape Town and its surroundings (or all of South Africa) on your own. You can rent cars through sites like Rentacheapy, Bidvest. And remember to drive on the left :)

Walking

Walking (you can walk through the center part of the city and in a neighborhood like Tamboerskloof also at night) We often liked it better to skip Long Street (crowded, sometimes a bit bleak and touristy), rather walk through Breestreet

How do you work nice and remote in South Africa

A small move

Even though you may have a workplace with Voys South Africa, it is good to take the following with you so that you can work comfortably and ergonomically. Headset, keyboard and mouse.

Voys South Africa

Of course the easiest thing to do is to see if there is a workplace available at Voys South Africa. Although it may not be possible to work directly in the office, the entire building usually has wifi as well so you can always take a seat in the 'lunch room'.

4G Internet

You can buy a prepaid simcard from Vodacom with x amount of gb. Ideal to be reachable with a South African number and at the same time have internet while you are staying there.

What are fun things to do?

Table Mountain

That flat mountain! You can't avoid it you have to go up once. You can take the cable car or walk. There are several routes up Note that on this site they are offered commercially. Depending on your fitness and experience in mountain hiking, they can also be undertaken on your own. We did the India Window trail and Skeleton Gorge trail. It is wonderful to see the sunset from Table Mountain.

Lions Head

That other mountain! A lovely walk up about 1.5h gives you a beautiful view 360 degrees over Cape Town. This walk is really excellent to do yourself. Take drinks and food with you! Nice walk for after a day of work. It can be busy especially on vacations and weekends. Going up with a full moon is also a thingy there

Pipe track trail run

You don't have to run of course, walking this one is nice too. It's a trail that starts at the bottom of Table Mountain and goes right past it. This gives you a beautiful view of the expensive district of Camps Bay and the sea. Lovely as a walk or as a run around. You can also walk all the way to Camps Bay and the sea if you keep looking on google maps.

Robben Island

Apartheid came to an end in 1996 but still its effects can be experienced during your stay in Cape Town. Actually a mandatory history trip is the visit to Robben Island. The ferry goes from Waterfront. Upon arrival you board a bus with a guide who takes you around the island. You finish your visit with a visit to the prison itself. If you're lucky you'll be shown around by an ex-prisoner (but that is a literally dying group). Impressive, though a bit 'touristy'. It can be 'fun' to watch the documentary 'A long road to freedom', or the movie 'Invictus', to understand a little bit the history. And of course there are plenty of books to read about it.

Surfing

Lots of possibilities. Kitesurfing, wave surfing, windsurfing or supping it is all possible around Cape Town. We have had surf lessons (wave surfing) in Muizenberg through Surfemporium. A nice and relaxed surf school and Muizenberg is ideal for beginners. If you want to kite surf then Langebaan is the place to be (or Blouberg and Langebaan).

Skydiving

Something to have ever done, from 3.5 km altitude step out of a plane and 30 seconds to make a free fall. Then enjoy the view for a short time hanging on a parachute. After a total of about 4 minutes you will be back on the ground with buckling knees. Then you can relax and look back at your video footage and photos. The rest of the day you can relax because it does something to you :). A 45 minute drive from Cape Town you will find a small hangar where Skydive Captetown is located.

Free Walking Tours

Free guided walking tours start at various times from Green Market Square. For the details, check this site. Free means at face value. Definitely worth it to hear the stories that are there in a city and so you come in neighborhoods where you do not just walk in.

Old Biscuit Mill

http://www.theoldbiscuitmill.co.za/

It is a beautiful hipster place where many creative people and people with passion sit together. There are stores, places to eat (even a really good one).

Stellenbos

Wine, wine, vineyards, vines, vineyards, wineries, wine barrels, wine bottles.... You get it already a beautiful region to drive through, to bike, to taste, to eat, to drink! You can do a lot yourself, but there are also plenty of tours to book.

Kirstenbosch (and summer concerts)

Kirstenbosch itself is a very large and beautiful botanical garden. A lovely place to find some shade on a hot day or to walk or to do the Skeleton Gorge hike up the table mountain.

Summer concerts

On Sundays from late November to April, concerts are also given here. Very nice to do, because you may bring your own food and drink so everyone enjoys a nice performance while picnicking. Check the 2017 program here

Cape of Good Hope

If you want a nice day road trip then a round trip of Cape of Good Hope is wonderful. Penguins, monkeys, beautiful nature and a nice route if you drive the famous Chapmans Peak. Here you can find a little report from someone.

Where can I grab some tasty food

The hospitality and service is fantastic in Cape Town. So the choice is also plentiful. Use especially Tripadvisor and local tips. Here are some tips:

  • Kloof Street House
  • Bouchon Bistro
  • That beachcomber
  • Blacksheep
  • Chalk and Cork
  • Kauai
  • The favorite lunch spot. Delicious salads and wraps to take away and super tasty
  • Wellness food
  • The fat cactus
  • Rick's cafe
  • Jason Backery
  • Blue cafe
  • Good use

The standard is to take the food you have left in a doggy bag (sometimes you have to ask for it). What many people do is take it but then give it to a stray. That is appreciated.

10% tip is the standard. In some places that is the income for the staff so just do it. It may also be that someone's shift is over he/she will come and ask if you want to checkout already.

Other convenient or fun places

  • Barber - The Widowmaker on Loop street.

Travel Advice (safety)

  • You can talk long or short about this but you just have to take it into account. Your life is worth much less here than in the Netherlands and the violence spectrum is completely different. Use your common sense and listen to your gut feeling. A few tips
  • Don't walk around showing off your new IPhone on the street.
  • Do not visit townships alone (there are tours or go with a local if you know one well)
  • Lock the doors of your car from the inside
  • Do not stop or buy anything at traffic lights
  • Travel by day rather than in the dark
  • Do not use the local minibuses (drive like a bunch of idiots)
  • Leave nothing, absolutely nothing in sight in your car.
  • Parking in Cape Town
  • When you park in Cape Town there are often people wearing yellow vests to assist you in parking. And they "watch" your car afterwards. The idea is that when you come back you give them some change (10 rand is fine 0.75 euros).
  • It's a nice business because everyone has their own neighborhood or street. You can also find official parking attendants who note the time you arrive and when you leave you have to pay.