I had the privilege of being Jerod's first guest. He greeted me at the airport, and took me to the super market near his home where I got all the food and beverages that I'd need. His mom had already thought to stock a carton of milk in the frig for my morning coffee, keeps the place very clean, with fresh towels and soap, and she has created a lovely garden. The bed arrangement was fine for me. It would be a bit cramped for two, but Jerod is open to feedback, and plans to rearrange a bit to improve comfort for more than one guest. Otherwise things are nicely furnished with homey aesthetic touches. Jerod has a great collection of books on cars, planes, and animals. There's a sheltered picnic table that's handy for eating outdoors, watching and listening to different birds chirping at the bird feeder; and, when my laptop died from my having forgotten a component to the charger, Jerod's dad Andre brought his laptop and printer out to help me reserve a flight and shuttle for my next destination,. and even printed my boarding pass. When Jerod was at work Andre showed me where bridges are to an island that's a protected habitat for native flora and fauna. It's an easy hike around the island, with views of surrounding homes and apartments where people pay a pretty penny to have the same view of the water swarming with flocks of birds, or to go sailing, kayaking, etc. Andre also took me to the seaside a short drive away, where I enjoyed a long walk on a promenade along tide pools and a beach. You can take a train from a station there to a community at Fish Hook Point a short distance away or go all the way to Cape Town. The train is slow but cheap. Jerod met me there in Cape Town after work, showed me around and drove me back.
You can pay extra if you want to rent someplace in the middle of Cape Town and for transportation to explore outside of the city, or you can pay less to rent Jerod's quiet safe cottage, and pay extra to go to the city. Of the options of renting a car, hiring an impersonal Uber, or hiring Jerod to take you around, I recommend the latter. Jerod is a professional in the hotel/restaurant industry, and he and his dad have a wealth of knowledge about the area, its history and cultures, and a myriad of activities in the area. The double decker tour buses make a loop around Cape Town, a truly beautiful city, and you can get on and off at different locations. You can even invite Jerod to accompany you as your personal tour guide, which I did, going to the top of Table Mountain - a must with it's panoramic views - and strolling around the harbor area with shops and restaurants. In the plazas you can enjoy musicians from around southern Africa in colorful garments dancing and singing traditional and contemporary songs in beautiful harmony. Jerod knows the best places for fresh pastries, awesome hamburgers and fries, scrumptious tacos, cold SA beer, or most any cuisine ur craving, or having a cappuccino with a view.
So, what makes this place a special alternative to just checking in and out of a room is how welcoming Jerod and his family are. With their guidance and service I saw and learned so much more of the area with ease in just 3 days than I would have just on my own. Wish I'd had more time to visit the botanical gardens, go out on a glass bottomed boat, and more that they had described. They made my visit most interesting and fun. Thank you family!
Dale (from California)