The studio was nice and had great views. We could have been very happy there, but we had not realised that one of the views took in a major building site, literally 10 metres away across the road, where the sound of excavation and drilling and moving of earth would be banging and clattering and revving and whining all day long at massive volumes from 8am..... Not really what we traveled half way around the world to enjoy.
We were very disappointed that Hannes had not mentioned this fact before we got there. It might not have put us off, or we might have accepted that the cost of the apartment is somehow lower to offset the inconvenience and disturbance, but to have gone there in search of peace and quiet in the amazing backdrops of Cape Town and then put up with that the whole week was incredibly disappointing.
However, we trained ourselves to cope with the noise and in the end it did not really destroy the holiday. But we had to work at it. And felt really that it is beholden upon Hannes to point something pretty major like that out to his guests well in advance of their trip.
Not wanting to work ourselves up into a state of distress we didn't bother raging at Hannes when we were first disturbed by the howl of generators and JCBs in full flight, as he had already made us aware he doesn't have many properties and could offer us little alternative. We supposed that if we did, he might at best give us our money back, but then we'd have nowhere to stay. Although he comes across as a nice guy so it might not have come to that!!
So, as I said, we internalised the disappointment and pushed away our annoyance and just got on with the holiday. And it worked. And amazingly I found we were, in the end, sleeping through the din and not letting it get in the way.
As we left I did - of course - have to make my feelings known to Hannes in what I hope was a civilised manner, and he did accept that he was in the wrong to not have advised us beforehand. But as we had still enjoyed ourselves, there was no major issue, so other than an apology we got no compensation for it. But, you know, you get by!

Our hearts went out to the following guests though, as it became apparent during our stay that all the water, hot, cold, everything, would not be working between 8am and 5pm the whole of the following week.... So not only would they have the building site racket, they would also have to be up and done with everything by 8 if they wanted to simply brush their teeth!! No water all day. What a nightmare. And had Hannes warned the incoming tenants about these rather major inconveniencies......?
Well, what do you think?