T H E 🧡 ❤️ N E I G H B O R H O O D 💙 💚 O F 💛 🤎 B O - K A A P 🖤 🤍 🇿🇦 Located between Cape Town city center and the Signal Hill district, the neighborhood of Bo-Kaap is known as one of the oldest and most historic residential areas in Cape Town. • Named after the Afrikaans phrase for “above the Cape," it was first developed in the 1760s by the Dutch to provide housing quarters for the city’s Cape Malay slaves. • The Malay people originated from the Dutch East Indies (including Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia), and were exiled by the Dutch to the Cape as slaves towards the end of the 17th century. • During this time the houses were required to be kept white; however when slavery was abolished in 1834, the Malay slaves were able to purchase their homes. It's said many of them chose to paint their houses in bright colors as an expression of their freedom. • Today, it’s known as one of the most Instagrammable places in the country. • Islamic traditions from those former slaves are still an important part of the neighborhood’s heritage as many of the current residents are their decendants • Unlike some of Cape Town’s poorer areas, Bo-Kaap is relatively safe to visit independently. It’s a five-minute walk from the city center, and a 10-minute drive from the V&A Waterfront • Besides having a photoshoot in the neighborhood, we also took a walking tour with a local guide to learn the history of the area, and also tried some local malay cuisine from the surrounding shops. • If you're in Cape Town, it's definitely worth a visit, as COVID has significantly reduced the amount of tourism in this area, making it less crowded and easier to take pics. • • #TravelIsTheNewClub #AmazingTravelCrush #SA #BlackPeopleTravel #BoKaapCapetown #CocoaTravelersIntl #SoulTravel #Melanin #BlackTravelGram #Colors #TheBlackTravelClub #TravelCoterie #Photoshoot #BlackTravelJourney #BlackFamily #BlackGuysTravelToo #Malay #BlackTravelHackers #NoMadness #TravelBreak #TravelLushes #Family #RoadTo100Countries #MyTravelCrush #BlackTravelista #African #TravelingWithMelanin #BlackTravel #SouthAfrican #History