Riverlodge Blog

Cape Town's Winter Is Feeling Like Summer!

by Saskia Carelse Jul 23, 2018 0 comments

The last few days in Cape Town has us in a summer vibe! It's currently mid-winter yet everybody is flocking to the beaches, hiking on Table Mountain and pulling their shorts and dresses out from the dark corners of their closets. We took to Twitter to see how everybody was taking advantage of the lovely weather in Cape Town while it lasted and we just had to share it with you!

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Mother City's Latest Trend: Cape Town's New Gin Route

by Saskia Carelse Jul 12, 2018 0 comments

Boutique Gin distilleries, brands and bars have erupted into Cape Town's scene over the past year or two, to the point where there is now an official Gin Route, similar to South Africa's famous Wine Route and Spice Route. Read all about the new Gin Route and what you can expect on the exciting full day tour.

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Take A BITE Out Of This GREAT Shark Cage Dive Combo Deal | Cape Town

by Saskia Carelse Jul 03, 2018 0 comments

Are you an adventurous spirit? If so, the thought of booking yourself a Shark Cage Dive tour while in Cape Town is most likely on your bucket list. Book yourself this once in a lifetime shark cage dive combo deal with 2 nights accommodation included.

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[WATCH] Cape Town Asked For Rain And We Got PLENTY Of It! (Latest Images & Videos)

by Saskia Carelse Jul 02, 2018 0 comments

Hallelujah! With many forecasters and researchers predicting Cape Town's winter in 2018 being just as dry as 2017's, this past weekend has been a relief. Heavy downpours and flash floods have given many Capetonians hope and comfort that our drought and water crisis is coming to an end. See the latest videos and images of Cape Town's rains and floods in July 2018.

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Your Guide To Mountain Climbing In And Around Cape Town

by Saskia Carelse Jun 27, 2018 0 comments

The Cape region of South Africa boasts some of the best rock climbing, highly regarded among international climbers. The Cape's mountains harbour waterfalls, valleys & views, making your climbing adventures breathtaking. Read our guide on where the best climbing spots are, which routes to take & what you need to know.

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Tours, Activities & Attractions For School Groups In Cape Town

by Saskia Carelse Jun 12, 2018 0 comments

Plan educational, interactive and fun tours/activities for school groups and kids in Cape Town. Riverlodge Backpackers delights in advising and organising educational and fun activities for our young guests and their teachers/guardians while in Cape Town. Riverlodge Backpackers - affordable group bookings in Cape Town.

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6 Secret Spots And Attractions In And Around Cape Town

by Saskia Carelse May 08, 2018 0 comments

We all know about the regular 'top attractions and activities' to do in Cape Town.. Table Mountain, boat trips and tours to Robben Island, V&A Waterfront, hiking Lions Head, Cape Point, right? While I'm not undermining these attractions in any way because they are all AWESOME, I'm here to let you know that there happens to be so much more to Cape Town than most blog articles will tell you. Here are 6 hidden treasure in Cape Town that you just have to experience!

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Cape Town's Game Reserve Is Proud To Announce The Arrival Of A Baby Hippo!

by Saskia Carelse Mar 27, 2018 0 comments

"We hope guests will see this adorable hippo calf on their Big 5 safari and be inspired to take action to protect them in the wild,” says one of the people working at the Cape Town game reserve. It has since been confirmed that the baby hippo is a girl!

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Paying Tribute To Sharpeville Massacre - Human Rights Day, 21 March 2018

by Saskia Carelse Mar 20, 2018 1 comment

On 21 March of every year, South Africa celebrates Human Rights Day to commemorate the Sharpeville Massacre that took place in 1960. Find out what lead up to the pivotal event and how we now celebrate this day.

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The Cape Town Cycle Tour 2018 Is Drought Friendly!

by Saskia Carelse Mar 06, 2018 0 comments

The 2018 Cape Town Cycle Tour Is Drought Friendly!

The annual Cape Town Cycle Tour (formerly known as The Cape Argus Cycle Tour) is coming up again this weekend on Sunday 11 March 2018. It's a buzzing event in the Mother City that draws people from all over the globe to take part in the largest timed cycling event in the world. About 35 000 cyclists line up to ride the annual 109km route through some of the world’s most spectacular scenery.

Seeing as there will be an influx of visitors into our city, it has been a huge concern for the organisers of The Cape Town Cycle Tour as to how our critically low water levels will be affected. It is their intention that the 2018 Cape Town Cycle Tour will draw zero litres of drinking water from the municipal supply on event day.

The Cape Town Cycle Tour Management Team announced that they were putting in dedicated efforts to ensure that the event could continue as normal without impacting Cape Town's water shortage. They laid down initiatives that they are taking to avoid any repercussions on Cape Town's water supplies.

Some of these initiatives are as follows:

Bringing water from upcountry for drinking and ice on the route, and using locally-produced desalinated water for all cleansing purposes.
No Cycle Tour suppliers, including hospitality management and toilet suppliers, may utilise water that comes directly off the city grid. Instead, spring water, greywater, desalinated water, waterless soap etc will be used.
Greywater will be collected during the event and afterwards delivered to a water treatment plant.
All water ballasts previously utilised for weighting various structural solutions has been changed to cement blocks

The Cape Town Cycle Tour Trust will be introducing 3 million litres of water to Cape Town from areas not experiencing drought, such as Swellendam. David Bellairs, a Director of the Trust said, “We are extremely grateful to Swellendam municipality, its Municipal Manager Anton Groenewald and Mayor Nico Myburgh for their generous offer of 2.2-million litres of potable water."

We think it is absolutely amazing that the Cape Town Cycle Tour Management and Trust are taking Cape Town's water situation to heart and have proactively come up with concerted efforts to manage the event's water usage without making a mark on Cape Town's water levels.

Please note: if you are taking part in the Cape Town Cycle Tour and would like to book accommodation with Riverlodge Backpackers for the event, you will receive a 10% discount. View our accommodation options here.

READ: HOW TO SAVE WATER DURING CAPE TOWN'S DROUGHT

If you enjoyed this article and want to read more about the exciting things we get up to in Cape Town, follow us on Twitter , Instagram and like our Facebook page. If you'd love to have your own Cape Town experience, contact us at Riverlodge Backpackers to book your affordable accommodation or book online (view our accommodation options).