Friendly and rustic guesthouse with great views by G. Pitcher

 Perched on the side of the mountain, this rambling, wooden-floored guesthouse exudes friendliness and rustic charm. There's a wide variety of rooms here, each with simple white bed linen, old-fashioned wooden furniture and private bathroom.

The views from the bedrooms at the front and the airy, glass-walled breakfast room are panoramic, looking across False Bay towards Simons Town. A charming touch are the handwritten poems that are framed and hung on the walls of the bedrooms and corridors - written by a former guest, they celebrate everything that makes Kalk Bay special, from the cries of the seagulls to the pattering of the rain on the windows.

Kalk Bay is one of Cape Town's quirkiest and most bohemian neighbourhoods, a warren of cobbled streets that clamber up the sides of the mountain. There's a working harbour here, still frequented by the coloured fishermen who managed to avoid the forced removals of the apartheid-era and have lived here for generations. Hours and even days can be happily spent wandering among the antique shops and arty cafes.