Green Cab FleetThere is always something worth seeing and experiencing in Cape Town, the only problem is you often have to travel far distances to get there and those carbon emissions aren’t doing any good to the environment. Foreign tourists, in particular, have been limited to joining a tour group or hiring their own car to get around the peninsula. Never fear though, because now you can get from A to B guilt free. Thanks to The Green Cab, you can visit the V&A waterfront, the Cape Point nature reserve, Simonstown, Chapman’s Peak and several other destinations without adding as much to your carbon footprint.

The Green Cab provides Cape Town’s first responsible tourism transport and tour offering with eco-credentials. Their vehicles are fuelled with Liquefied Petroleum Gas and Biodiesel (derived from used cooking oil), which are both lower carbon fuel options. The company says they are "determined to lead the quest towards zero tail-pipe emissions and encourages travellers to join in the Green Drive towards sustainable mobility". The Green Cab company are also the provincial winners of the "Emerging Tourism enterprise of the Year Award 2010/2011."

Just NuisanceI was lucky enough to hitch a ride on one of the tours that they offer, namely the Green Rail and Ride. This tour starts off with a train ride along the coastline from Cape Town Station to the Simonstown Station. After being out of service since Dec 2009, the Fishoek - Simons Town section of the line is back on track. If you're travelling this route between July and December you may even get to spot a whale from the train!

Simonstown is a place worth visiting in its own right with its breathtaking views and historical heritage.

There is so much to do in Simonstown: You can visit the monument dedicated to Just Nuisance, the Great Dane (dog) that served in the Royal Navy for four years, you could purchase some antique’s and collectables from numerous stores or you could visit the retired navy submarine SAS Assegai which is now a museum and is hosting guided tours.

At 11:45 the Green bus will pick you up from Simonstown and you will begin your journey to Cape Point Nature reserve.Cape Point Nature Reserve Now you might expect an eco-friendly bus, with an alternate fuel source, to provide a bumpy ride but I can assure you that it runs just as smoothly as any conventional petrol or diesel car would. In fact I was pleasantly surprised to enjoy a smooth, air-conditioned, comfortable journey in the 19-seater Mercedes Sprinter otherwise known as The Green Bus. To add to the experience, a friendly "Green Ambassador" will share some interesting green facts and welcome each passengers on board at the various pick-up points (Green Bus Stops).

The end destination, Cape Point Nature Reserve, is truly magnificent and easy to see why it's part of the "big five" must-sees for Cape Town. The Two Oceans Restaurant, where we were hosted, has a spectacular view over False bay with a wide ranging menu to satisfy any appetite.

During my visit there the Green Cab had asked Kevin James from the Global Carbon Exchange to speak about the importance of environmental issues and green initiatives. Kevin explained how the pressing environmental issues we face today are the result of mainly three things namely:

1. Extreme population growth - in the 1900's there were 1,8 billion people on earth while today we have over 6,8 billion! We are running out of resources because we are consuming more than there is available.
2. Cycle vs Linear progression - Nature works in cycles i.e. plants, animals, the earth etc give and receive from eachother to sustain themselves. Man, however, has worked in a linear fashion where plants, animals, people and the earth have been taken from but not given back to. This is why our land is becoming infertile, our environment is polluted and our animals are dying: we took too much without giving anything back. Green initiatives are essentially about giving back and working with nature not against it.
3. Capitalism - our lives have been governed by thousands of big companies telling us to consume!consume!consume! while green voices were muzzled by the desire for more. It is not that you cant have things, all you need to do is think about the consequences of having those things, look at your options while taking our planet into consideration.

Essentially Kevin was saying that green initiatives like the Green Cab Company are part of "a green wave" which will hopefully result in a much needed paradigm shift.

After an inspiring talk I took a ride to visit South Africa’s brightest lighthouse via The Flying Dutchman funicular.The natural fynbos beauty at the tip of Cape Town is inescapable and unforgettable. After about 90 minutes of exploring around the point by foot the Green bus picked us up again and dropped us back at the Simonstown Railway station.

Cape Point Lighthouse
An eco-friendly journey with breathtaking destinations is a wonderful way to spend an afternoon and all of this for only R280.

The Green Cab company also offers other tour packages including:
Best of the Cape: Full Day Tour

Scenic Peninsula: Full Day Tour

On the Wild Side Safari: Full day tour

City and Table Mountain: Half day tour

Robben Island