Nestled comfortably between the Karbonkelberg and Skoorsteenkop Mountains lies the still active fishing village of Hout Bay, just 20 minutes drive from Cape Town and 40 minutes drive in the other direction, from the Cape Peninsula Nature Reserve, along the world class ocean drive of Chapmans Peak.

Whatever you choose, the trip along the stunning coastline makes the journey a truly memorable experience - you may even be lucky enough to spot a whale or two! The whales come to Hout Bay to calf every year and use the bay like a giant bath tub with their sounds echoing from the ocean up through the mountains. Dolphins can often be seen too dancing and playing close to shore.

Hout Bay offers everything for a South African holiday to remember, with seal tours, yachting, enchanting mountain walks, horse trails, a wide range of restaurants with the emphasis on top notch seafood, locally caught or many other international styles.

On Sunday, it hosts a craft market and is an ideal jump off point for Cape Town itself or the Cape Peninsula and the many quirky towns along the way, Simonstown, Boulders Beach with its penguins, the delightfully quirky Kalk Bay and Scarborough, the conservation oceanside community of Misty Cliffs and Kommetjie the other way round.

Nenya Guesthouse is located just five minutes from the famous Groot Constantia Vineyard Route and Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, where visitors can enjoy a Sunday evening concert.

Cape Town's famous beaches of Clifton, the ultra chic Camps Bay and Llandudno are 15 minutes drive.

Here are just a few of my favourite things to do – there are many others!!!

Table Mountain on a clear day – take something warm to wear as the temperature is always a couple of degrees colder way up there and the weather can change on a heartbeat, but the views from the top are spectacular.

Jump on/off City Sightseeing on the Topless Bus – bus leaves hourly from Hout Bay Harbour or the Clock Tower on the Waterfront for the return journey.

Cape Point and the penguins at Boulders Beach – perhaps with lunch at 'Cape to Cuba' in Kalk Bay, or the Harbour House Restaurant right on the ocean. Kalk Bay is a quirky little town full of arty, junky, antiquey shops and great for shopping for those special unique items to take home. Drive on round to Simonstown an old naval town with the British influence still in place, just around the corner is Boulders Beach with its penguin colony.

Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens – wonderful views, terrific horticulture and more. We are happy to book a golf cart ahead of your visit and you can ride around at ease with a running commentary by the driver. Enjoy summer time concerts with African/classical/jazz music in the bosom of Table Mountain Nature Reserve. Concerts begin at 5.30pm, but go early and take a picnic and a bottle of wine (we will supply a picnic blanket).

Markets – Hout Bay craft market every Sunday, Kirstenbosch market the last Sunday in every month; Green Market Square in the City Centre - daily except Sunday, when Green Point Market operates. Also to be seen is the 2010 Football Stadium now in an advanced stage of construction.

World of Birds, Valley Road, Hout Bay – the largest bird sanctuary in Africa with 3,500 varieties.

Trips to Seal Island – lasting about an hour - boats leave Hout Bay Harbour in the mornings.

Horse Riding at Noordhoek – Experience breathtaking views of Chapman's Peak and Noodhoek Beach from horseback. Visit the Kakapo shipwrek and watch indigenous bird life on one of the Cape's most beautiful 7 km white sand beaches. Enjoy a glass of champagne while watching the sun set or or rise and feel the wind in your hair when cantering along the beach – knowledgeable guides and well-behaved horses.

Robben Island – the prison home of Nelson Mandela for 27 years, visitors can view the cell in which he was held with a commentary by one of Robben Island's former prisoners. This is one of Cape Town's most popular tours, in high season booking ahead is essential to experience this powerful trip.

Take a tour of Imizamu Yethu with a local guide Patrick who takes pride in showing visitors around.