Cape Town – The Jewel of Africa

After three nights on safari, we drove back to Joburg to catch our flight to Cape Town.  If you are contemplating this drive, I would recommend that you’re certain your rental car is in tip-top shape.  The only time I felt unsafe while in South Africa was driving back to Joburg.  You’ll pass multiple “shanty towns” with signage reading “Do Not Stop Vehicle – High Hijacking Area.”  Unfortunately for us, we were getting a flat tire in one of these areas… despite the flat, we chose to keep driving until we found a gas station.  Luckily, we made it to the airport safely and landed in gorgeous Cape Town a few hours later.

Since Cape Town is known for it’s nightlife, we chose to save some money on this leg of the trip and booked a moderately priced boutique hotel.  (We figured that Cape Town would not be the relaxing and romantic part of our trip).  We settled on Daddy Long Legs Hotel right smack in the middle of Long Street.  As you could guess by the name, the hotel was “hip” and artsy and was as central to the “action” as you could get.  The rooms themselves were modern, but small and minimal (and quite honestly, reminded me of some of the nicer hostels I’ve stayed in), but they were unique in the fact that each room was designed by a different artist.

DAY ONE

Our first full day in Cape Town we decided to drive Cape Point, which was a wise decision because it’s a spectacularly gorgeous drive!

Our first stop was the famed Boulder Beach to see the penguins!

Not only were there cute penguins…

But, the beach itself was gorgeous too!

After we got our penguin fill, we headed to Groot Constania for lunch.  Groot Constania is the oldest and most historic wine farm in South Africa.  Although Groot Constania is more commercialized than many of the smaller farms in the South African Winelands (which I preferred), it was an extremely pleasant luncheon experience and the grounds were lovely.

Following our delicious lunch at Groot Constania, we headed to Cape Point.  I was crabby with a belly full of wine and almost didn’t partake in the hike to the point, but I am glad I did…  I had no idea how breathtaking it would be!

After spending some time exploring Cape Point and the lighthouse, we got back in our rental car and began the drive back to Cape Town.  En route, we happened to drive by an ostrich farm – a tourist trap I couldn’t resist!

After a snacking on a delicious ostrich burger in the farm’s cafe, we decided to try our luck at feeding the strange looking birds.  (Ironic after eating them, I know…).

I’m not certain I would call the ostriches friendly, but luckily they have no teeth so our hands remained in tact after the feeding session.

DAY TWO

On our second day in Cape Town, we decided to see what the city itself had to offer.  We walked around the Long Street area exploring bohemian shops and indulging in delightful snacks as we went.  (On a side-note, all the food that we experienced in Cape Town was phenomenal).  After we had our fill of shopping, we decided to culture ourselves and walked up to Bo-Kaap to take a gander at the colorful homes in what was once the Malay Quarter.

Next, we walked across town to the District Six Museum.   The museum details the history of apartheid in Cape Town, and in particular, one racially mixed neighborhood.  The most interesting part of the museum experience is that a former resident of District Six is your tour guide who openly shares his or her personal experience with you.

Later that evening, we decided to grab some drinks and check out Cape Town’s nightlife, which I can assure you did not disappoint!  Walking along Long Street offers a wide array of bar and restaurant choices.

DAY THREE

On our third day we decided to explore the V&A Waterfront.  This area is a very touristy part of Cape Town, where personally, I wouldn’t recommend spending more than an afternoon.

There is a large shopping mall and many overpriced touristy restaurants serving average food.  However, there is a great view of famous Table Mountain from the waterfront.   You can take the cable car up to the top of Table Mountain for great views of the city.

We spent some time wandering around the Holistic and Wellness center where you can find practitioners who will attempt to heal your every ailment.  Afterwards, we decided to relax, take in the scenery and enjoy some adult beverages on the waterfront terraces.

DAY FOUR

On our last day in Cape Town we decided to drive the coastal route and Chapman’s Peak.

At some points during this drive I had to close my eyes (luckily, I wasn’t the one driving), because the road twisted and turned while rising high above the sea with only a small guardrail protecting your vehicle from the steep drop and crashing waves below.  Lots of luxury car commercials are filmed on this road because of the dramatic turns and drops.

The drive was worth the anxiety it caused because the views were unlike any other – we stopped our vehicle several times to get out and take pictures.  Every turn afforded us scenery more beautiful than the last.

We continued to follow the coastal highway until we arrived in Camps Bay, which is famed for their dramatic sunsets.   After walking the beach, we decided on one of the boardwalk restaurants where we ate dinner and watched the sunset.

After dinner we drove up to Signal Hill, which offers fantastic panoramic views of the entire Cape Town city bowl.  We almost decided to skip the look-out point since it was quite a bit out of our way, but I’m glad we didn’t or we would have missed this view:

I enjoyed my time in Cape Town more than I anticipated that I would!  It’s a modern and vibrant city with a myriad of activities for tourists to partake in.   The people are friendly and the scenery is picturesque, which made our trip unforgettable.

 Have you been to Cape Town?  What would you add to this itinerary?

This post is part of a series on South Africa.  Click here to read more about my time on safari, what to do in Cape Town, my time in the Winelands and to find out whether I enjoyed whale watching and diving with great white sharks!

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