jazz up your holiday with these hidden gems

Are you headed to the Cape Town International Jazz Festival? Clinton Moodley shares some cool spots to visit

TRAVELLERS to Cape Town usually plan their trip in a predictable way. They fill their itineraries with way too many wine-tasting experiences and hike up mountains that provide flattering views of the city.

But Cape Town is more than its attractive wine farms and Table Mountain. The city boasts many experiences that will make you fall in love with the city all over again.

If you are visiting for the Cape Town International Jazz Festival, here are some activities to add to your itinerary:

GO ON AN ADVENTURE (AND SHED THE EXTRA KILOS) ON A WATER BIKE

Cape Town Water Bikes host sustainable eco-adventures on what they call the “world’s most advanced water bike”. The ocean biking adventure is based at Simon’s Town, about 50 minutes from Cape Town. Guests have a choice of either a one or two-hour guided tour.

Accompanied by a guide, travellers will enjoy gorgeous views of the ocean. If you choose a two-hour tour, you will either head towards the seals and African penguin colony at Boulders Beach, or meander along the coastline past Long Beach to the Clan Stuart shipwreck before turning back towards the historic naval base.

There’s also the option of a 30-minute self-guided rental. Priced from R290. Call 083 777 1048 or email: info@capetownwaterbikes. co.za

CHOCOLATE WORKSHOP AT HONEST CHOCOLATE

Honest Chocolate is a small artisanal bean-to-bar chocolate company based in Cape Town.

The company hosts chocolatemaking classes in the Honest Chocolate production kitchen in Woodstock once a month.

The hour-and-a-half class offers insight into the chocolate-making process, and a full tasting.

Guests also learn to dip, decorate and wrap their own set of four bonbons to take home. Priced from R200 a person. If you have time, visit the Honest Chocolate Café secret gin bar at 64A Wale Street.

The production kitchen is at

The Woodstock Exchange, 66 Albert Road, Cape Town.

Call 021 447 1438 or email: info@honestchocolate.co.za

WANDER THE ORANJEZICHT CITY FARM MARKET

Oranjezicht City Farm Market, also known as OZCF Market, is at the Granger Bay site of the V&A Waterfront.

The market takes place on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday.

While it’s a place for locals to stock up on fresh produce like fruit, vegetables and organic dairyfree products, it is also a space for travellers to chill.

There are food stalls that serve the most delicious cuisine, ranging from South African to Korean, Vietnamese and Portuguese.

The market also has 15 stalls catering for clothing, decor and homeware. Entry is free.

Call 083 628 3426 or visit: https://ozcf.co.za/market-day/

WOODSTOCK STREET ART TOUR

Tour guide Juma Mkwela offers street art tours on foot or by bicycle in Woodstock and Khayelitsha.

Travellers get to hear stories about Woodstock, the locals and the decorative art plastered on large walls.

Participants can opt to “get their hands dirty” by creating a home garden or paint a mural.

Mkwela says that “You’ll find a piece of home in every person you meet, every piece of culture and history you experience, and every piece of art you encounter.”

From R350. Call 073 400 4064, email: juma.mkwela@gmail.com or visit: www.jumaarttours.co.za

CAPE TOWN WALKING TOUR

If you want to learn about Cape Town’s history, architecture and design spaces, then this is the tour for you. Kate Crane Briggs, the founder and registered tour guide for Culture Connect, gives tailored tours and public group tours for locals and international visitors. The tours can take you anywhere from Cape Town City Hall to the colourful art scene in Salt River. The tours are two hours long. Priced from R1 000.

Call 072 377 8014 or email: kate@cultureconnectsa.com

EXPLORE CAPE TOWN ON A VINTAGE SIDE BIKE

If you don’t mind the wind in your hair as you ride along some of Cape Town’s most picturesque locations, then you should book a side bike experience for two.

Hosted by Cape Sidecar Adventures, experiences range from two-hour to half-day or full-day tours.

The choice of where to go is entirely up to you. Whether you want to explore the Atlantic Seaboard or Scarborough, you get to enjoy this bespoke Cape experience anywhere your heart desires.

The website provides itineraries to help travellers decide the best locations to visit. Priced from R2 500 for two people. Call 021 434 9855 or email: info@sidecars.co.za