Nothing But Cape Town
CAPE TOWN - ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL PLACES I'VE BEEN IN THE WORLD!!! From the views from our bungalow to the views from Table Mountain, every where you went you catch a glimpse of this city's beauty. Cape Town brought us serenity, relaxation, and great fulfillment! It was hard to leave our second stop in South Africa to head back to the States. To understand the glory of what we saw on our holiday in Cape Town, here is the run down guide of our visit...
Stay Accommodations
We stayed in Cape Town at someone's bungalow (or pool house) a little ways away from the "happening" area but very close to Boulders Beach. The pool house had a nice balcony looking over the shore. The place also spacious providing a kitchen, bathroom, sitting area and a bedroom. Since it was someone's bungalow, we were within their gated home which has access to of course a pool. But if you don't like dogs, you may not want to stay there. They had two cute older dogs that was our "security" or more like friends that wanted to party with us lol! The house is also walking distance to Simon's Town which is filled with restaurants and cute local shops. There is also a restaurant right at the bottom of the hill from the house if you want somewhere extremely close to eat. But everything else, we just hopped in an Uber! I found this house on Airbnb.
Related: The Light House on Airbnb
You may also see the home in my arrival video into Cape Town below!
Things to Do
After settling into our Airbnb and eating, we went down to the V&A Waterfront. You can spend hours there shopping for things you don't need, wining and dining. You may catch live entertainment outside on the main stage, ride a Ferris wheel, or just catch a nice sea breeze.
See a picture from the Waterfront below (taken by Keiwana with my direction lol):
On our second day there, we ventured back to the V&A Waterfront to take a ferry over to Robben Island. Robben Island is famously known for the prison which held Nelson Mandela for his political views and is definitely worth the visit. You may buy ferry tickets there or online but I highly suggest buying them online. We ended up buying them when we arrived and was unable to catch the ferry we wanted due to it being sold out. I also suggest looking at the wind speeds before reserving. (Oh and maybe take pills to prevent seasickness.) On our way back from the island, the knots were so extreme that I was convinced the boat was going to capsize. But the experience at the island was heavy yet humbling. You hear stories from a former prisoner while touring the grounds. It is a must see!
See a picture from Robben Island here (taken by me):
After our tragic return from the Island, we recollected ourselves by having a snack and resting at the V&A Waterfront before heading to an extravagant dinner at Gold Restaurant. Gold Restaurant is quite the cultural experience and definitely a must visit! We started off the evening with a drum lesson and ended it with foods from various countries throughout Africa. I recommend you make reservations in advance in order to have a table upon arrival.
You may see my experience at Robben Island and Gold Restaurant in the video below!
Our third day in Cape Town was a more chauffeured excursion by having our own tour with Hotspots2c! This tour was magnificent! Our main purpose was to try some of the incredible wines South Africa has to offer! But the tour included so much more! We started off our day with our guide Andrew at Boulders Beach. The beach is home to penguins! Yes, penguins living on the beach! But please be careful, don't touch and don't harm! After being in awe over the penguins, we headed to the Cape of Good Hope.
See a picture from Boulders Beach here (taken by me):
The Cape of Good Hope is known to be the southern most tip of Africa but unfortunately that is not true. It was originally named by explorers "for the optimism resulting from a sea route from Europe to India and destinations further east" (USA Today). I suggest stopping here and taking pictures at this beautiful rocky place but please be careful when the winds are high. Afterwards, we stopped the car as baboons were crossing the street to head to Cape Point. But before continuing I grabbed this picture:
At Cape Point, it took us about 30 minutes to make a continuous climb up to a lighthouse. The lighthouse was cool as it had directional points telling you how far it was to cities around the world. But please be responsible with your pictures instead of the people who jumped on the other side of the barrier. YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN A WIND GUST MAY COME BY!!!
See a picture from Cape Point here (taken by me):
After seeing Cape Point, we journeyed around the coast which contained amazing views and then headed up to Groot Constantia. Groot Constantia is the oldest winery in the country! Be sure to learn its history, process and get your taste on! And don't worry, you get more than enough!
Day 3 was incredible! Relive our third day in Cape Town by viewing this video:
Unfortunately, it is now the last day in Cape Town and South Africa. Sad day! But on our last day we had to visit Table Mountain!! Be sure to buy your tickets online and get there early!!!! The queue for the cable car up can be quite the wait. You could also hike up but be prepared and go in a group. Oh and if you plan on taking the cable car up, be sure to check the weather as high winds will shut down its operations. But Table Mountain is another must visit especially since its one of the seven new wonders of the world! The views up there are SPEECHLESS! Check out this picture for an example....
After coming down from Table Mountain, we headed over to catch a FREE walking tour of Bo Kaap! Bo Kaap is known for its colorful buildings but it holds so much culture despite the city's gentrification efforts. The tour guide provides so much knowledge of this area which holds South Africa's first mosque. Check it out, respect the people, and take some pictures like this one!
See Cape Town from up high and down low in the video below:
South Africa was almost two months ago but it was such an amazing experience! If you ever have the chance, check out South Africa (both Cape Town and Johannesburg)!
Related: Learn more about Johannesburg in the blog Only In JoBurg
Do you plan to visit South Africa one day? Comment below and save this blog for future reference!
Have you visited South Africa? What else would you recommend doing or staying while in Cape Town? Comment below!
Thank you for stopping by!
~ Kita the Explorer
Follow me around the Interwebs:
- Instagram: @kitatheexplorer
- YouTube: Kita the Explorer
- Pinterest: @kitatheexplorer
- Twitter: @kitatheexplorer
- Facebook: @kitatheexplorer
- Shutterstock: @kitatheexplorer