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| Our group, December 2017, Cape Town, South Africa |
Almost any itinerary to South Africa includes Cape Town, and
it should. Cape Town is among the finest
cities in the world, blessed by spectacular natural beauty, sunny skies, and
year-round temperate climate. On top of
it all, there is so much to see and do here.
In this post, I’ll focus on a few of the logistics in planning a visit
to Cape Town and some of the must-do’s in and around Cape Town.
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| The V&A Waterfront, Cape Town, South Africa |
You’ll likely arrive into Cape Town via air. The airport is a relatively short 15 or 20
minute ride into the Victoria & Alfred (V&A) Waterfront section of the city,
where many of the city’s nicest hotels are located. Uber is ubiquitous in Cape Town and an easy
and inexpensive way to make the short trip.
Cabs are also available, and they too will be relatively inexpensive (estimate
the equivalent of between $20 and $30).
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| Southern Sun The Cullinan Hotel, Cape Town, South Africa. |
On my visit to Cape Town, I stayed at Southern Sun The
Cullinan. It’s a nice option if you want
to be near the V&A Waterfront, offering 394 comfortably-appointed guest
rooms, a lovely pool area, buffet breakfast, and a complimentary shuttle
service to the V&A Waterfront. Other
options to consider include the fabulous One-and-Only and the Silo, both luxury
hotels situated adjacent to and a very easy walk from the V&A Waterfront. Both the One-and-Only and the Silo are part
of our preferred hotel network. This means
that in addition to competitive rates, if you book one of these hotels with us,
you’ll enjoy some spectacular amenities including daily complimentary
breakfast, complimentary room upgrades on check-in when they are available, and
early check-in and late check-out when available. I’ll write more about these properties, and
other acclaimed hotels in Cape Town that are part of our exclusive network, in
separate posts.
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| The stunning One & Only Hotel, Cape Town, South Africa |
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| The intriguing Silo Hotel, an ultra luxury option in Cape Town. |
Now, for what you need to put on your must-see/do list in Cape Town. If you know even a little bit about this charmed city, then much of this list will come as no surprise to you. How much time you have in Cape Town will largely dictate how much you can do here, but I recommend at a minimum checking off these three sites, which you can do even if you have just 2 days in the city.
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| The Cable Car at Table Mountain, Cape Town, South Africa |
1)
Table Mountain.
A visit to this defining landmark of Cape Town is an absolute must. Table Mountain is about a 15-minute cab ride
from the V&A Waterfront. It also is
a stop on Cape Town’s Hop On/Hop Off red double-decker buses. A quick cable car ride takes you to the top,
which stands at 3,558 feet above sea level providing commanding views of the city,
the sea, and surrounding landscape. But Table
Mountain is much more than an overlook.
It has a stunning array of indigenous flora and fauna, some of which are
found nowhere else. In fact, the mountain
is home to nearly 1,500 plant species, and is part of the single largest
floristic region in the world. It also
is home to unique birds, reptiles, and mammals endemic to the area, including
the Dassie, a mammal that some confuse for a rat but whose closest relative,
surprisingly, is the elephant! Here are
a few things to consider as you plan your visit to Table Mountain:
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| Overlooking Cape Town from atop Table Mountain |
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| Dassies are common on Table Mountain. Closest relative: the Elephant! |
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| Table Mountain is home to nearly 1,500 plant species |
a.
The cable car closes frequently due to
weather. Before heading to the mountain,
therefore, make sure to check the cable car’s operating status by visiting
tablemountain.net.
b.
The cable cars begin operating at 8 a.m. year
round, but the time the last car moves up the mountain varies by season. During peak times, the lines can be very long
to board the cable cars. The best time
to visit to minimize wait times tends to be in the afternoon, from 3 p.m.
onwards. The website, www.tabletop.net, will
provide you current wait times.
c.
Consider purchasing your tickets online to avoid
the ticket line. Morning peak rates
currently are 290 Rand (approximately $24 as of this writing), and afternoon
rates (from 1 p.m.) are 275 Rand (approximately $22 as of this writing). You
can purchase your tickets at www.tablemountain.net.
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| The base of Table Mountain Cable Car, Cape Town, South Africa |
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| Robben Island Museum entrance near the V&A Waterfront, Cape Town, South Africa |
2)
Robben Island.
Beginning with the early Dutch settlers in the 17th Century
until the fall of South Africa’s apartheid government in the early 1990s,
Robben Island had been used as a prison.
It also had been used for a time in the late 1800s as a leper colony. The reason Robben Island today is a major
tourist attraction is of course because of the prominence it played during the
apartheid years. During those years, the
South African government used Robben Island as a political prison for black
males, including the island’s most famous prisoner, Nelson Mandela. Mandela spent 18 years imprisoned here, and
later became South Africa’s first post-apartheid elected President. The island is located approximately 4 miles
from the mainland, and is accessible by two ferry boats operated by the Robben
Island Museum. Tours are scheduled to
depart from the V&A Waterfront, t 9 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m., and 3 p.m. Once you arrive on the island, you’ll board
buses for a drive around the island with a professional guide. Afterwards, you’ll disembark you bus and be
guided on a short walking tour typically by a former Robben Island prisoner. These former prisoners are not professional
guides but their inside perspectives and personal experiences are what makes
the tour so fascinating. Important
information when planning your visit to Robben Island:
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| Walking off the ferry on Robben Island, Cape Town, South Africa |
a.
Buy your tickets online and well in advance of
your visit. Tickets are limited and sell
out. You can buy your tickets at www.robben-island.org.za.
b.
If possible, take the earliest tour available
(i.e., 9 a.m.). The ferries tend to run
late, and that has a cascading effect on later tours.
c.
Adult ticket prices currently are 340 Rand
(approximately $27).
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| Guides on Robben Island, Cape Town, are former prisoners on the island during apartheid. |
3)
Camp’s Bay.
This is one of Cape Town’s most exclusive neighborhoods. Located approximately 20 to 25 minutes by cab
from the V&A Waterfront, Camp’s Bay offers visitors a gorgeous white sandy beach,
wonderful seafood restaurants, cocktail bars, and fashionable boutiques. If you’re pressed for time, plan to have
dinner here. There are a number of
excellent choices. Based on my own
experience, I highly recommend dining at Codfather Seafood & Sushi, where
you choose your fresh seafood dinner from a wide selection, and pay by
weight.
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| Stunning White Sandy Beach at Camp's Bay, Cape Town, South Africa. |
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| At Codfather, you select your dinner from this fresh seafood selection and pay by weight. |
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| Our party enjoyed dining in the wine cellar at the Codfather. |
With more time in Cape Town, you will definitely want to plan some day trips to even more incredible sites, including the winelands area, the Cape of Good Hope, Hout Bay, and Boulder’s Beach. These will be the subject of a future post.
For help planning your custom experience in Cape Town, email
me today.
Bob Miller
Seven Lands and Seas Travel
2161 Jamieson Avenue
Alexandria, Virginia 22314
(703) 706-0011
www.SevenLandsandSeasTravel.com
Seven Lands and Seas Travel
2161 Jamieson Avenue
Alexandria, Virginia 22314
(703) 706-0011
www.SevenLandsandSeasTravel.com
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