About Tokai

Tokai, Constantia Valley

Named after the Tokai forest, on to which it borders, indulge in an overnight stay in one of the Tokai accommodation options which include lovely guest houses or self-catering apartments, for the perfect combination of creature comforts and a few indulgences, only 20 minutes from the heart of Cape Town.

Homes here are large and set in beautifully established gardens and tree-lined avenues. There's a wonderfully comfortable feeling here, which could have something to do with the fact that the suburb's other boundaries are the Constantiaberg and the vineyards of Uitsig, which forms part of the Constantia Wine Route.

Tokai originated, as did much of this part of Cape Town, as a farm, and the initial homestead still stands in the suburb - a fine example of Cape Dutch architecture. The forest, originally planted by Simon van der Stel in 1694, was filled with oaks. Today it is a pine plantation, which extends up the slopes of the Constantiaberg Mountain range and provides wonderful routes for mountain bikers and is a haunt for locals and their dogs.

There are still some fine examples of indigenous and exotic trees and tea at the arboretum, although not reputed for prompt service, is a haven, encircled by trees that enchant by their very presence. Day outings include the Silvermine Nature Reserve, the Constantia Wine Route and the beaches of False Bay such as the family beach of Fish Hoek and the quaint beaches of St James and Danger Bay.