The overnight hut on Table Mountain is perhaps the best accommodation you can experience in the city. Perhaps the world over.

Perched upon the top of an iconic masterpiece of God’s creation (aka Table Mountain), this wonderful hut was built eons ago in what is now a nature reserve (among other things) and so expansion cannot happen in any manner or form. This leads to a few wonderful things:

• One, the hut cannot be improved so the costs of maintaining it are small, therefore the price to stay there remains so, too.
• Two, there are a few other homes close by (none private), but certainly not many at all. This results in privacy and seclusion of sorts.
• Three, nature is paramount up the great Table mount’. You will see it as it was one thousand years ago. Maybe not one million, but then, who knew what it looked like back then? Not I, not you, not some hell-bent evolutionist.

This leads me all to say that I was privy to another wonderful ascent of this mountain just the other day and managed to stay in this hut, again. Truly truly I say to you: there is scarcely a better thing to do on a casual weekday than go up this mountain of ours (Capetonians) and lounge around in natural luxury. It was here that I took some marginally average photos the other day, for no reason other than because I could. I mainly wanted to overnight to enjoy some peace and quiet but figured ‘why not take the ol camera up to, hey?’

It was at this juncture that I reasoned: Life as a photographer is really pleasureable, relaxed, and easy. Seen in a certain way, it’s a life of paid leisure. In another, leisureable play. You are really just meant to see life again as a kid. Notice beauty. Pause often. Take pleasure in small things. Enjoy the whole experience around the shooting (in this case, an overnight stay on an iconic Cape Town gem) and really just ‘drink it all in’, as one Ron Burgundy would say.

So, Cape Town folk, try and attempt to find your way up here when next you can. It might alarm you how stunning and perfect a simple night in an overnight hut can be. Take a camera, if you please, but certainly take the time off to get away from the busyness of life now and then.