Tag Archives: hop-on hop-off

Hermanus rides extra mile for tourists with new Bicycle Taxis!

A unique new Bicycle Taxi service will be rolled out in Hermanus from Monday, offering visitors and locals a free service to get to the different businesses in the centre of Hermanus.

Introduced as an employment project for local Hermanus unemployed residents, the tourism-friendly service to benefit Hermanus retail and tourist businesses has been launched in conjunction with the Overstrand Municipality.  It will operate on a three month trial basis, from Mondays to Saturdays between 9h00 – 17h00, three Bicycle Taxis seating two guests at a time operating on a Hop On Hop Off basis at designated stops.

The Overstrand Municipality’s Tourism Department has done the training to develop the drivers into tourism ambassadors, receiving a thorough training in the tourist attractions of the town.  They have also been trained in road safety.  Their bicycles have 18 gears, lights, indicators, and brakes to ensure their safe operation.

The joint public-private project is a commendable one, and one hopes that other tourist towns will take a leaf out of the Hermanus book to also offer such a tourist-friendly service!

Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com Twitter: @WhaleCottage

Hop on Hop off Franschhoek Wine Tram will get tourism on a roll, to become Winelands icon!

The Franschhoek Wine Tram has been built and is in Franschhoek, ready to roll in October, being the first Hop on Hop off winetasting tram service in the Winelands.  It will be a valuable tourism boost to a village that has been badly affected by the recession.

This is the second attempt at establishing this service.  Two years ago already it was announced that a steam train would be running on the existing but now unused railway line through the Franschhoek wine estates.  The steam train proved to be environmentally unfriendly, while an imported train from Australia proved to be too expensive.  The owners, father and son team David and Sean Blyth, the financiers and train and tram fanatics, were fortunate to find a local company to build a tram transporting 33 persons.

The ticket office will be at the first stop, behind the Station Pub, once the railway station building in Franschhoek.  Stops along the way are the Franschhoek Cellar, Grande Provence, and Rickety Bridge. Tickets will cost R98, for an Hop on Hop off service, but exclude the tasting fees.  Currently crossing three roads, each crossing will be manned with uniformed staff to warn drivers of the oncoming tram, safety being of utmost concern.  The tram service will be expanded to cross the R45, their biggest challenge in terms of road safety, and warning lights and a bell will warm drivers of the tram crossing.

Wine estates that have expressed interest for the extension of the tram service are Allée Bleue, Gooding Grove, and Solms Delta, and ultimately it is planned to extend the service all the way to Paarl. Exciting too for the restaurants on the tram line is that the chefs of restaurants on the participating wine estates will offer Gourmet Tours on the tram, it running in the evenings as well.  Each wine estate is planning its own special events for the tram visitors, and each will have a platform at the tram line, offering winetastings.  The trip would take about an hour if one does not get out at the wine estates at which the tram stops.

One must salute the Blyths for investing in an innovative wine tourism service, which will be of benefit to all tourism players in Franschhoek, not just the wine estates through which the tram will roll.  It will also position Franschhoek as an innovative and exciting wine destination.

POSTSCRIPT 17/11: The Franschhoek Wine Tram starts rolling today, with only two initial stops, at Grande Provence, and at Rickety Bridge, at the introductory price of R60.

Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com Twitter:@WhaleCottage

Winetasting in Franschhoek on a roll!

A novel means of allowing tourists and winelovers to taste the wines of Franschhoek and sections of the Paarl wine region, as well as the renowned restaurants of Franschhoek, is being developed by Franschhoek entrepreneur Dave Blyth and his son Sean.  They are planning to operate two historic trams on an unused railway track running between Franschhoek and Paarl, reports the Cape Argus.

The project costs R 10 million to become operational, and the 1930’s trams, costing R 2,5 million each, will be imported from Australia. They are expected to start operating from the end of the year.   The Blyths have signed a lease with Transnet for the use of the train track.

The novel tourism service is to offer an hop-on hop-off service, with 10 – 12 stops planned, giving its users a safe way to drink-and-drive their way to Franschhoek’s wine estates, to eat at some of the best restaurants in the country, to visit a lavender farm, to try their hand at trout fly-fishing, and maybe even do some shopping at a craft market.   The tram will travel at 45 km per hour, and will halt at every stop every hour.   The trams can transport 50 passengers at a time, who can enjoy an audio commentary on the highlights they are passing.

“Our aim is to create a tourism icon here in Franschhoek on a par with the Table Mountain Cableway or the Cape Point funicular.  We want the train to become synonymous with Franschhoek and winetasting” said Blyth.

Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com