Township tours by bicycle in South Africa

Fleewinter has introduced Township Tours by bicycle providing a chance for visitors to learn about a side of South Africa that many tourists never see.

The Township cycling tours, which last 3-4 hours are offered in the Masiphumelele Township (pronounced Masi-poo-ma-le-le – say it quickly) outside Noordhoek along the Cape Peninsula and are all offered on a private basis with a local guide.

Using easy-to-ride hybrid bikes, (children’s bikes are also available on request) the guide takes people through the heart of the township, explaining township life, visiting a creche (or church on a Sunday) as well as a local Sangoma*, to learn about these interesting traditional healers.

Stops will be made to meet the locals and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee, and to try a koeksister (traditional sweet doughnut) or to lunch in a local cafe, sampling some of the township specialities.

The bicycles are the perfect way to get around the township and although a visitor, one gets a sense of feeling part of everything and not just being an observer which can happen in a tour bus.

Kids will run next to the bikes and occasionally jump on the back for a lift (which is not as scary as it sounds!) and it adds to the overall experience of feeling welcomed into a lifestyle westerners rarely see.

Timings are completely flexible and the bicycle tour is perfect to combine with a visit to the Boulders penguin colony in Simonstown and, time permitting, Cape Point Nature Reserve where the Indian and Atlantic Oceans meet.

Fleewinter offers more accommodation options in South Africa than any other UK tour operator; from one-bedroomed luxury apartments in Cape Town to huge villas in Camps Bay sleeping 14 people, guesthouses, safari camps and boutique hotels.

There are endless bolt-on options including Garden Route and Winelands tours, safaris (on foot, by jeep or on horseback), whale and dolphin watching and more.

A week’s stay in a one-bedroomed apartment in Cape Town costs from £255 pp (two sharing) accommodation only, or £1345 pp including flights, car hire and the township tour.

Fully bonded, Fleewinter’s concierge-style service can also provide flights, car hire, restaurant reservations, babysitting, sport event tickets and more.

For more information, visit fleewinter.com.

*Sangomas are healers of South Africa who practice traditional African medicine. They fulfil different social and political roles in the community, including divination, healing physical, emotional and spiritual illnesses, directing birth or death rituals, finding lost cattle, protecting warriors, counteracting witches, and narrating the history, cosmology, and myths of their tradition.