The Bo-Kaap is definitely the most colorful part of Cape Town and a great place to explore. I think I wouldnt mind living in one of these brightly coloured houses either. This part of the city, situated on the slopes of Signal Hill above the city center was formerly known as the Malay Quarter. They have a lovely view over the city especially at night.
The colourful Bo-Kaap with its romantic cobble stoned streets is actually a multicultural area, very rich in history. Many of the residents are descendants of slaves from Malaysia, Indonesia and various African countries, who were imported to the Cape of Good Hope by the Dutch during the 16th and 17th centuries. The slaves were known as “Cape Malays” thus is Bo-Kaap still known today as the Cape Malay Quarter.
I followed Wale Street uphill from the Company Gardens until I got to the brightly painted Georgian terraces where wandering down the narrow cobbled streets is the best way to experience the area. I didnt realize that it was all up-hill to get there and the cobbled streets arent flat either. I learned the hard way that it would probably be a good idea to wear sneekers next time as my sandels caught in the cobbles and I tripped, nearly falling down on my face.
These steep streets are all lined with colorful traditional houses, painted in vibrant colors. Not only do they look cheerful but the people who live here are also very friendly. As I walked around with my camera people were more than willing to talk to me and to tell me a bit about the area and the history. I was surprised to find out that the owners often change the colours of their brightly painted houses and what is today a bright pink might be a pale blue house next year.
It surprised me that most of the people spoke Afrikaans until one of the ladies told me that the Afrikaans language was developed here in the Bo Kaap as a language for the slaves, as well as their masters, to be able to communicate effectively. Today Afrikaans is actually widely used in the Western Cape and the surrounding areas.
Many of the inhabitants of Bo-Kaap are descendants of the people from Indonesia (Batavia), Sri Lanka, India and Malaysia thus many were Mulims and others were converted to Islam by the Cape Muslim community. No wonder Afrikaans has so many words in common with Malaysian and other random languages. Even in Russian we have a couple of similar words which helped me a lot while living there.
As a result of Cape Town’s economic development and expansion, and after the demise of forced racial segregation under apartheid, property in the Bo-Kaap has become very sought after. This is not only because of its location but also for its picturesque cobble-streets and unique architecture. While the majority of Bo-Kaap’s residents are still of Cape Malay origin, the housing boom in the past fifteen years has seen an influx of foreigners buying up the beautiful, quaint, historical homes of Bo-Kaap.
But despite the apparent “gentrification” the residents say that they are still a very close knit community and not only help each other out but also work together to keep their neighbourhood safe. According to the residents the Bo-Kaap is one of the safest areas to live in Cape Town because they all look out for each other and they even have a neighbourhood watch to keep things orderly.
Janaline's world journey 
Those houses are the colours of an assorted pack of candies!
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They do look like they are part of an amusement park
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Loved this place! Such an amazing city.
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I am having so much fun exploring this beautiful city and all the treasures it holds.
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These are indeed very colorful and special. Thanks for sharing!
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You are welcome. It is such a beautiful part of cape Town.
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Candy land colours 🙂 quite different!
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It feels like you are walking through a playground.
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I wonder how long they will remain as homes of the Cape Malay people. It is a district that has certainly changed since I lived in CT. Then the Bo Kaap area was one to avoid unless you wanted to buy drugs!! Colourful it may have been but not like it is now 😉
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Wow, it has changed a lot then. Now it is a tourist hub and everytime I explore it I come across a tour group or other travelers taking photos.
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Every day looks a happy day down there, Janaline! How could you not smile 🙂 🙂
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You have to smile when you are here Jo! No wonder the people are so friendly.
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love it! What a brilliant suburb!
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It is such a unique neighbourhood and there are still so many side streets for me to explore.
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Wow, how about I color mine fiesta red until I get tire of it, then Aqua next, etc.
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That would be lovely!! You can change the colour every couple of years!
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We’ve just returned from Cape Town, but I only got a glimpse of this neighborhood. Thanks for posting so many pics. I feel as if I’m right there.
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Thanks Rusha! I am glad you got a glimpse as it is such a unique neighbourhood.
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That is so beautiful. I would wake up and smile every morning seeing such beauty and color.
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That was my thought as well! If more houses were painted such bright colours people would surely be more cheerful!
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This was the one fascinating place I didn’t visit when I was in Cape Town, and I regret that.
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That is such a shame, hopefully there will be a next time so that you can come and explore this cheerful neighbourhood.
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Beautiful neighborhood! Interesting place to visit indeed! Thanks for inspiring us to visit it – hopefully I will see it myself. Gorgeous photos!
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I sure hope so Indah, it is such a beautiful neighbourhood. I think more places should be painted bright colours as it looks so cheerful.
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These colorful houses are really cool. Especially because they all look pretty neat!
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Definitely, most are well looked after and the whole neighbourhood is clean and tidy.
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Wow! Love your pics, makes we wanna go there!
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Thanks Elisabeth. It is a lovely neighbourhood and believe me so far the people as as friendly as their houses are bright.
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Beautiful colors. It sure would put you in a good mood:-)
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I agree Rosh. I would paint mine a bright purple with red shutters!! How can I leave the house in a bad mood then?
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Purple and red would be awesome!! Very cheery! Maybe someday you’ll get to have it:-)
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