The world is full of stories that echo across the centuries to shape our thoughts and experiences. With the help of modern technology and companies like VoiceMap, we’re able to tap into these stories and immerse ourselves in an area’s history, armed with an invisible storyteller to entertain you with secret spots and historic moments.
Why should we leave the fun side of sightseeing in Cape Town to the tourists? With World Tourism Day coming up, there’s no better time to delve deeper into our rich heritage!
I was spoiled for choice as to the numerous VoiceMap tours available in Cape Town. Would I visit the colourful Cape Malay district, or head to Kalk Bay or Kirstenbosch? Should I explore the Company Gardens, or do a tour along the coast?
I settled on the Maritime Meander which starts just outside of the V&A Waterfront opposite Fort Wynyard and traverses 3.3km, ending at the field in Sea Point with five striking white horse sculptures.
After borrowing an iPhone and downloading the tour, I happily plugged in the earphones and set off on my walk as Justin Fox, former editor at large of Getaway Magazine, started narrating.
Notable stops along this tour include:
– a visit to the Radisson Blu hotel school to see the old Mouille Point lighthouse base
– viewing the shipwreck of the RMS Athens, seen just before the Sea Point promenade
– taking a jaunt past the candy-striped Green point Lighthouse, dubbed Moaning Minnie
– stopping for a tour through the lush Greenpoint Urban Park
Why Choose VoiceMap
From past experiences I’ve learned that most walking tours consist of a monotonous voice which drones on about the history of an area ad nauseam. Until any kind of enthusiasm that was present in you dies a slow, miserable death.
With VoiceMap, however, there are no robotic voices. Instead, all their walking tours are done by locals who are passionate about the routes they’re narrating, and you’ll be completely drawn into the story they’re bringing to life around you.
Unlike most walking tours which fill silences between checkpoints with lounge music or desperate information overloads, VoiceMap conveniently stops and starts up again at various GPS precise check-points, which you can keep track of on your phone if you’re worried about going off course.
At present, if you don’t have an iPhone or iPad, you’ll need to beg, borrow, or steal one to go on a VoiceMap tour. However, an Android-friendly version of their product will launch within the next few months.
Going on a VoiceMap Tour is a fun way to get some exercise in the beautiful outdoors, gain better insight into your local area at a very reasonable rate of $1.99, and become part of a living, changing story. Best of all, it allow you to skip the awkward social interactions on organised tours!
VoiceMap city tours available include Bangkok, Cairo, Newburgh, Cape Town, and London, with more to launch in cities around the world. Follow them on Twitter and Facebook to stay up to date with audio walk releases and to be among the first to know when their Android App launches!
Let us know if you’ve used VoiceMap before, and if you haven’t, let us know if you’ll be trying it in the future!
