Liziwe's Guest House — Hotel in Western Cape

As part of a family trip to Cape Town I was keen to visit a township, for my own benefit but also for my children. This fulfilled my desire for the kids to see another side of the world but gave us all so much more.||Having looked at a few options I really didn't want a tour that was going to visit several places - that would have felt like a show - so I ensured I contact tours that had just one township and included a local. I was lucky enough to find Liziwe's in that search and called. I spoke with Andrew, one of only 3 white people in the 300,000 inhabitants, and the description sounded good.||We made our own way to Gugulethu where Andrew met us. We went inside the house, which is also a Guesthouse, and we met Donald, a local, who has an amazing story. I won't describe that, you can find out for yourself, but it's truly inspirational.||After a great history of Donald and some highly informative details of townships from Andrew, we were taken on a tour. We visited the formal settlement and the rather more harrowing informal settlement. Throughout, whenever we encountered locals we were welcomed and the kids we came across were all so very smiley.||We were then taken to see the local community centre and other facilities and then drove to 2 memorial sites that have some major significance. Again, I will leave that for you to find out for yourself. ||Donald has not finished with his aims in life and it was sad to hear of a setback to that. We also did not have the pleasure of Liziwe as she had been taken ill, however what we were given was so valuable to us as a family and individually. We did so much on our holiday to Cape Town and when I ask the kids what the highlight was this tour is on all of their lists. I cannot recommend this tour highly enough. We did not experience the over night experience or extra hospitality that comes with that - other reviews praise that. The "simple" tour we had was brilliant and my only criticism is that it is woefully under priced. I wish Andrew, Donald, Liziwe and the community all the best as they grow and develop their own...

We stayed at Liziwes for a night during our travels in South Africa based on a recommendation in the lonely planet, and what an incredible experience!||We have to admit, being British and driving through the townships and shanty towns to get to the guesthouse made us more than a little apprehensive! But we received a wonderful welcome from Liziwe and Donald, and especially Andrew who was a fantastic host.||Firstly staying here is 100% safe and we did not encounter ANY problems whatsoever. The guesthouse is in the township and not in a shanty town. The rooms are decorated to a good standard and cater for every need, with a lovely balcony and ensuite shower room. Sadly the guesthouse is currently being renovated and the kitchen was closed, so we cannot comment on the food here (much to our disappointment based on previous reviews!) ||Andrew took us on a 2-3 hour walking tour of the township, which includes a visit into the adjoining shanty town and to various memorials. There is another staff member who walks behind during the tour to ensure you are not hassled, but all of the people we met and passed were very friendly and greeted us politely. The children would come running up to us for high 5's and we never once felt uneasy. Andrew was a fantastic tour guide, made us feel very welcome and gladly answered any questions we had. The walking tour was a great experience and we felt we learnt so much about this towns important history. Andrew then took us to eat at Mzolis Place which was fantastic and we loved the food and vibe there.||It is so easy to form preconceived ideas about the townships, but you cannot judge a book by its cover and we definitely learnt this. Staying at Liziwes was a very real and humbling experience but one we throughly enjoyed and felt that we came away with much greater understanding and respect for these South African people. We would highly recommend this...

We were a group of 24 students from Copenhagen, who were in South Africa on a 2,5 week study trip both Johannesburg and Cape Town. As organizeres of the trip we wanted to give the group the experiences of staying in a township. Safety was a big concern for us organizeres but we took the chance beside what people told us about the township and we would do it all over again. It was a chance that was truely worth taking. No regrets||||So the first night in Cape Town, included a stay at this amazing guest house. We were welcomed by the friendly family and was easy to find. The rooms were very nicely equiped with good blankets as it does get a bit chilli. The beds were also very good. Modern, well designed and def exceeded our expectations. ||||After setteling in, Andrew took us to a local spot for eating Mzolis. Which was great. The group also went on a 2 hours tour of the township with Andrew and Donald (Who has an amazing story, ask for his book if you go there). They both had a lot to share and gave a good understanding of the township and the histroy. The tour is special because it is locals who take you around not the paid tour guides who learnt the history from the books. ||||The family and staff have a lot to share, you honestly feel as if you are at your grand parents house. Many stories to hear from locals who have experienced a lot and are beautiful souls. They accommodated all our needs for example going out of their way to making sure all 24 of us could stay there (They have room for 19 people). Anytime the group needed something, the staff was always there to help. From the moment we arrived to the moment we left we felt safe, at home, welcomed and comfortable. ||||We all loved the stay that and can highly recommend it many travelers. It can give a important experiance to truly understand a large population of...