Let’s begin by saying that South Africa was not the very top of our travel bucket list……but now, after spending 6 amazing weeks there, it’s on our “must return to” list! We were honoured to attend our niece’s wedding and, in turn, we found a country we loved exploring. Given the diversity, this first post is focused on our enjoyment of beautiful Cape Town. Let’s discover!
Cape Town, the city
It’s no surprise that Cape Town has been voted the best city in the world year over year! This stunningly beautiful coastal capital city located at the southern tip of Africa reminded us of cities such as Vancouver, Canada and Sydney, Australia, although it clearly has a vibe of its own. With a population of close to 4 million souls and a lovely warm Mediterranean climate, the city is welcoming in many ways!
Sea Point Promenade
Approximately 6 km long, the Sea Point Promenade provides a popular place for walkers, cyclists, joggers and families to stroll into or out of the downtown area. We stayed in trendy Sea Point, just west of downtown, and loved the option to walk along the seafront each day. Our mid-range hotel, the Protea Hotel Cape Town Sea Point, by Marriott, provided us the perfect location to hop on the promenade, frequent great nearby restaurants or catch the Hop on-Hop off bus.
Camps Bay
Further west of Sea Point is the exclusive Camps Bay area which also has plenty of popular restaurants, nightclubs and great coffee shops and massive beaches. The vibe in both of these areas felt very Australia-like to us. Picture barefoot surfer dudes wandering into coffee shops on the main street, children and families hanging out along the waterfront and rollerbladers whizzing by, it’s a very relaxed lifestyle.
Robben Island
The famous site of Nelson Mandela’s imprisonment for 18 years is a must-see for any visitor to Cape Town. The 4 hour round trip tour includes 30 minute ferry rides to and from the island. Tours are conducted mostly by previous prisoners and, as such, the reality of the political persecution is shocking. Anyone wanting to better understand the true impact of apartheid will have an eye-opening experience during this tour.
Table Mountain
The iconic symbol of South Africa and Cape Town, Table Mountain is one of the 7 wonders of the Natural World. This flat-topped mountain serves as a stunning back drop to the city and provides gorgeous views over the city and the harbour.
A cable car travels to the top, this is a popular attraction! Beware, if you select to travel to the top on a cloudy day, your views may be quite obstructed. Views from the base are amazing too!
Walking Tours
Our advice – do some! We chose to use City SightSeeing. They are the company that offers the Hop on-Hop off buses and their walks are FREE (tips for the guides). We loved our Historic city tour, very knowledgeable guide, great information. Definitely gave us further insight to the human impact of this city’s recent and distant history. We also heard the Vibrant Bo-Kaap tour is fantastic. If you have time, try to do both of them!
Hop on-Hop off Bus tours
Through City Sightseeing we purchased tickets for the Red Bus and thoroughly enjoyed it. We aren’t always fans of these tours and, as you may have experienced in other cities, these bus tours are not all created equal. This one, in our opinion, was excellent!
Cape Town is a very large city and the bus really covers alot of it! Be sure to purchase the add-on portion that takes you out to the wine region. Get there early enough in the day to hop off and explore! Be prepared for some walking at many vineyards and leave lots of time for tasting and wandering. They are beautiful!
We also utilized the City Sightseeing bus as a means of transportation. On days we just didn’t want to walk the distance across the Sea Point Promenade to or from downtown, we hopped on the bus and enjoyed the ride, sometimes even taking the long way back to our hotel. Some highlights we enjoyed were lingering through luxurious Camp’s Bay; driving past the Groote Schuur Hospital where, over 50 years ago, Dr. Christiaan Barnard performed the first human heart transplant; and routes around Table Mountain and surrounding areas.
V & A Waterfront
A most unexpected and lovely area of Cape Town is the V&A Waterfront. The area is located around the oldest working harbour in the Southern Hemisphere. The “neighbourhood” covers 123 hectares with Table Mountain as its backdrop. Comprised of shops, restaurants, condos, artisans, cultural displays and even an amphitheater with an enormous TV screen. At the time of our visit, the World Cup of Soccer was on. What an exciting location to take in a game!
Safety
A common concern in South Africa is safety. We will be transparent, we’d been warned and we were careful. No flashy jewellery was worn, bags and personal belongings were always very secured, etc. We didn’t stay out late in the evenings and we really stuck to busy areas. Always ask the hotel staff about the areas you’re going to. With all of that said, at no time did we feel threatened or uncomfortable. Be smart and stay safe!
Final Tips:
Plan to spend as much time as possible in Cape Town. We spent 4 days but definitely underestimated how much we’d enjoy this city and the surrounding area. It’s a “relaxed” kind of city, allow yourself to settle in and experience it. We can’t wait to return!
Next up– more amazing parts of South Africa which we haven’t even touched on here! Imagine……Stunning coastal drives to Africa’s most southern tip; travelling to the Kingdom of Lesotho; and, dare we forget- the majestic SAFARIS!
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