Today I went to Boulders Beach, here in Cape Town South Africa. I went to see the penguins and it was more complicated than it should be. A lot more happened but spare no expense, I will spill each and every detail on this blog post.
If this is your first time on my blog and you’re looking for answers you couldn’t find anywhere else. Let me help you out a bit:
Can you swim with the Penguins? Yes. There is a small beach near the parking area. It’s free. You can go there and swim, sit, picnic. Penguins come here and chill as well, but not as many. You should be aware that there is no guarantee you’ll see a penguin on this side of Boulders Beach.
You should also know that there is no such thing as a private beach in South Africa. This means you can try to make your way into the protected cove of Boulders Beach where most of the penguins are. However, to do this, the tide might have to be low since you have to jump or swim around the giant boulders.
How much is the entrance fee to Boulders Beach penguin sanctuary? Its about $150R per adult. It differs if you’re a South African resident.
Upon arriving at Boulders Beach, you’ll actually have to walk about 5 minutes to the actual entrance. Walk down the booths of sellers selling African chackies. There are many stores and fast food stands if you get hungry.
Once you enter Boulders Beach penguin sanctuary, you’ll see two piers or boardwalks. Either can be used as an observation deck. There’s about three thousand of them. They’re all cute. They’re all wild. There’s also this type of gigantic rat-like creature in the bushes that’s the size of a cat. It will literally run near you. Dont panic, just don’t feed it. They’re called Dassies.
The penguins are amazing. You’ll watch them swim, eat, fight. They chase the seagulls away, and fight the Dassies. They nuzzle each other, keep each other warm, make cute noises. The Boulders Beach penguins are amazing. I’m so glad I go to see them.
Seeing the Penguins at Boulders Beach is incredible and beautiful. The only thing I really regret is not doing this on my own. We literally only had thirty minutes to observe since we ran late. I wanted to swim with them and get up close and personal. It is what it is. Maybe next time I’m in South Africa, I will do this with a personal driver instead.
Getting to Boulders Beach
I’ve only been here a short time but it seems you need a driver to do most of these things. Many of these attractions are far away and simple taxi rides are out of the question at this point.
You should know one thing, I hate tour groups. But the best option to see the penguins a la last minute is a tour group. So I hopped on viator.com and purchased a half day tour from African Eagle Daytours.
The tour lasts four hours and they show you three places during these four hours. One stop is Boulders Beach to see the penguins. Then they drive down the most beautiful road in the world. Finally, they stop at the one and only Cape where the Atlantic and the Indian ocean meet.
If I’m being completely honest, I would say do your research first. Hire a driver or chauffeur and create your own itinerary. It’ll be way better and you’ll have more time to spend at any destination. An Uber driver will not suffice on a trip like this. You’ll need a proper driver.
My Experience
The tour is supposed to pick me up from 1:15 to 1:30pm. Forty five minutes later, I have the concierge of my hotel call and they simply tell him they’re running late. At this point, I’m thinking this is some kind of scam and they’re not coming.
To my surprise, they arrive a few minutes after that phone call. We head off and pick up the rest of the passengers of the group.
The good thing is that there aren’t too many. Theres about 9 total.
Not being one for groups, long lines, or tour groups I just went with it.
The driver is actually very professional and well-intentioned. He apologizes for being late and tell us that the main road to these attractions are closed every Wednesday for repairs. If you’re from LA you know what that’s like. So, I give him a pass. I’m still annoyed, but ok. Not his fault.
As a prisoner of a tour group we’re now subjected to whatever the group wants. The driver, trying to maneuver his way from the closed road, takes us through a suburban route. It takes us about an hour and forty five minutes. This also includes a kismet pitstop at a popular beach with cute beach shacks.
I didn’t want to stop. I wanted the driver to bulldoze through. However, as annoyed as everyone is, we all had to pee.
After the hour and a half drive to Boulders Beach to see the penguins. I was done. I got what I paid for. We could leave the rest. All I want to do is see the beautiful and playful penguins. I got so many videos and pictures. It’s truly an incredible sight to see.
To be honest, I’m not even sure how we’re going to fit two other stops in the next two hours and 15 minutes.
On the plus side, the group of young Australian girls on our tour openly decided to share their frustration with the way the tour was going.
Onward to Stop Two
After Boulders Beach we went to Table Mountain National Park which is actually a giant national preserver that spans most of Cape Town. This protected area, extends to the actual peak or Cape of the southern most point in Africa. We literally got to stand and see where both, the Atlantic Ocean and Indian Ocean meet. To our delight we saw many baboons roaming around freely. In fact, they came so close to you it was frightning.
I saw several baboons chase children, climb on cars and even sign for food. It was so freaking adorable. I just wanted to hug one and squeeze it so tightly it would die in my arms!
From here we are driven to the actual point of Africa. This is the southern most point in the entire continent. It’s beautiful. The hills are prehistoric. The beaches are rocky. The sun is setting. It’s a moment for sure.
Although, you can’t see Antarctica from where I stood, this moment was magical. I am glad I did it. Even though, I mostly felt like a prisoner of this group.
We drove back with several hiccups along the way. From drop off to pick up was about six hours. It took up most of my day. It’s the reason I intentionally picked a half-day tour—To have the rest of my day to do as I wish.
Im tired. Dead tired. I could sleep in the gutter tonight and not notice. But at least I got to see the lovely penguins.
Let Me Break It Down For You:
Seeing the penguins is an absolute must.
We did it through a tour which i did not like. But then again, I’m not a fan of tour groups.
It was $59 per person.
This particular tour takes you to three different sites.
They ran really late and it lasted about 6 hours. Considering I don’t like tour groups, the least amount of time, the better. 6 hours is way too much.
I would say head to Boulders Beach with a personal driver or chauffeur service. That way you can enjoy the penguins and even make a day out of swimming with them. Yes that’s more expensive but it might be worth it.
PIN ME ON PINTEREST!
Aww the dassie looks so cute. Are they friendly? Are car rentals expensive in South Africa? That would be my preferred option to visit the penguins beach and the southern most point of the continent.
Good question. Not so sure about that one. I wouldn’t think so. They drive on the opposite side of the road here tho. Might take some time getting used to. Everyone uses private cars here. Its a normal thing. I would think the hotel would know how to get u a cheap cat service too
The Dassies are very friendly. The will walk right up to u. I saw a giant one chase a bird and almost ran into me. But then it saw me and slowly backed away. It was cute n funny.
All your coworkers are super jealous…have fun buddy, I’m having a blast following you on your adventures
Hey there. Good to hear from you. Glad ur enjoying the posts. Unfortunately my vacay is gonna end soon. Im starting to get the post vacation blues. Which happens on every trip. I have to plan another one stat! Lol
Those penguins are so cute. Any idea how they taste?
Lol. Considering they’re a protected species I would say they probably taste like death.
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