Enjoy Mother City like a local

If crowds aren't your thing while on holiday

- JIM FREEMAN

Far be it from we mere inwoners of the Western Cape to tell holidaymakers from the northern provinces how to enjoy their end-of-year vacation around the Mother City, but here are a few suggestions on how to get the best of it without being swamped by your year-round neighbours.

SILVERMINE DAM

A mere R42 gets you access for a whole day to the most exclusive and spectacular family as well as pet-friendly swimming hideaway in Cape Town, if not all of South Africa. The water is fresh and clean (albeit discoloured by fynbos tannins) and warm compared to the Atlantic Ocean.

There is plenty of shade, so pack for a picnic. Braais are allowed only at those times of the year when the risk of veld fires is reduced. There's not a lot of parking - which means the place is rarely over-crowded - so it pays to get there early.

Silvermine falls within the Table Mountain National Park (www.sanparks.org) and is located at the top of Ou Kaapse Weg between Westlake and Noordhoek in Cape Town's "deep south". There are plenty of good hikes requiring varying degrees of fitness.

ADMIRAL'S WATERFALL AND SIMON'S TOWN

So secret that even many longtime Simon's Town residents are unaware of it, the 3km walk to Admiral's Waterfall requires little exertion and offers magnificent views over False Bay, including the naval base and yacht basin.