Cape Town South Africa is by far one of my most favorite places that I have ever visited. You’ll find yourself sitting between beautiful table mountains and the ocean sea contemplating why it ever took you so long to get there and experience this beauty. I am guessing the 26 hour plane ride might be a bit of a hurdle for a lot of you but TRUST ME once you are there, you won’t ever want to leave.
Upon arriving in to Cape Town you might notice the Shanty Town (Khayelitsha) which has a population of over 1.8 million people and is one of the largest townships in South Africa. I feel like it is important to always take note of the culture and have an understanding of each country I’m visiting. A Vast majority of Cape Town Residents live in Shanty Towns and these places are an important part of Cape Town’s history, and they’re a huge part of what makes Cape Town what it is today. If you haven’t learned about or researched Apartheid, I recommend doing so before you visit South Africa.
Things To Do
There are so many areas in Cape Town for you to explore – from wineries, to beaches to hiking you can find it all!
Boulders Beach, also known as penguin beach is where you can find all the precious little guys hanging out on the sand. I know that this is everyones first question when heading to Cape Town so let me give you some need to know info. Once arriving you can walk around the side walk where you will find amazing little vendors selling trinkets galore. Obviously this is a touristy destination so these trinkets will be prices much higher but don’t ever be afraid to bargain!
Boulders beach is just outside Simon’s Town, on the way to Cape Point. It’s about an hour’s drive by car from the CBD (central business district) Uber is extremely cheap in CT, don’t be afraid to Uber everywhere!
There’s a conservation fee of around R65 per person, so bring some cash!
You can not feed the penguins or get close to them, be respectful of their space! They are still wild animals after all!
Click here for more info on Boulders Beach
V&A Waterfront – Seriously you’ll be so shocked by how different each of the areas are in Cape Town. V&A Waterfront is the oldest working harbour in South Africa and a huge destination spot. On the Waterfront you can find over 80 restaurants from casual to fine dining, visit the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (MOCAA), Over 500 retail stores, a skate park, basketball courts and more!
I absolutely love the V&A Food Market where you can find a ton of local vendors! I’ve linked it here so you can see for yourself what is in store!
Table Mountain & Lion Mountain
You can’t miss Table mountain as you look out and see the clouds blanket over the mountain resembling a table cloth – hence table mountain. You will want to take the cable car up the mountain and back due to the fact that the clouds can get really deceiving on top of the mountain. The cable car runs every 10-15 minutes giving you incredible views of the city as you make your way to the 3,500ft summit. The ride is only a short 5 minutes but you can stay up there and take some photos or grab a drink at the cafe to enjoy the view. ** You can hike table mountain but I recommend doing a guided hike
Lions Head is a particular easy hike that offers stunning vistas of Table Mountain, Camp’s Bay and the City Bowl. It is 669 meters above sea level and the hike up Lions Head takes approximately 90 minutes. STORY TIME- so we were hiking LH and once you get to a certain point there two routes you can go, one is the easy route and one you have to boulder your way to the top. Well, we mistakenly took the hard route which led us to rope climbing and bouldering our way to the top of the mountain. Don’t get me wrong, it ended up being well worth it… but there is definitely a route that allows you to walk all the way up and I recommend taking the one.
Wineries
There is an abundance of wineries in Cape Town you really can not go wrong with your choice. From magnificent gardens to art exhibits and farm to table restaurants they all have their own unique charm.
We visited Babylonstoren, Stellenbosh & Boschendal and did wine tastings at each for under $5 USD. I can’t promise you that price now, but regardless wine tasting is wine tasting friends!
Check out this article on Condé Naste Traveler for some more suggestions on wineries.
Camps Bay
You’ll find a bunch of bars and restaurants lining the beach down in Camps Bay. Highly recommend a Sunday at Cafe Caprice where this little place turns in to a club with bottle service and a local DJ!
Codfather
The best seafood and sushi I’ve had in a long time! There is no seafood menu, only what has been caught fresh each evening and preparation style. The sushi train is by far the most fun experience, pick as much sushi as you want and get charged by the color plate! Each plate designates a certain price point but believe me, with how fresh it is you won’t even care!
B&L Cape Town
Burger & Lobster is a small little joint that has become very popular via Instagram. We enjoyed a specialty cocktail and a lobster roll for an easy dinner one night but we did have to wait for a bit to get seated!
