Discover Cape Town

We are so excited fot you to discover this amazing city if you've not been before! This is Shaun's hometown and there are endless activities and beautiful places to stay and experience. We hope this blog will be of some help when making your plans.

#Things to do in Cape Town

1. Table Mountain

You can't come to Cape Town and not head up the mountain! Whether you fancy hiking up or taking a more scenic route up in the cable car, there's a way to the top for everyone. Starting points for hiking include: The cable car itself (Platterklip route), this is the most direct way up with steps but is very steep, not for the faint hearted. Skeleton Gorge, which starts at Kirstenbosch Gardens is a gentler climb but still quite the hike. While Constantia Neck is more of a ' gentle ramp route' with some dams along the way but will take the longest.

2. Lion's Head Hike and Sundowners

Hike Lion's head for 360 views of Cape Town! This hike is relatively short and easy but still shouldn't be under estimated as there are sections that involve some rock clambering and pulling yourself up via chain holds and ladders. Really though, anyone with a basic level of fitness and some trainers/takkies should be able to accomplish this hike and it's a great alternative to the longer more taxing hike up table mountain.

3. Hop-On Hop-Off bus tour

A great way to get the lay of the land The Hop-On Hop-Off buses (HOHO) of City Sightseeing take you to key attractions around Cape Town – Such as Table Mountain, The V&A Waterfront, the Constantia Winelands, Cape Town Museum and much more (prices range depending on the tour from £10-£20). Some of these buses are open top and stop at a number of restaurants, bars and beaches and so offer a great day out in the sun.

4. Boulders Beach

About an hours’ drive south of Cape Town is Boulders beach, home to a 2000+ colony of endangered African penguins! There are two ‘viewing’ options at Boulders (R176); you can walk along the walkway and from there you have a view down onto the beach and penguins. Otherwise you can actually go down onto the beach and spend some time relaxing on the sand alongside the penguins and even take a swim with them.

Boulders is a good trip to tie in with a longer trip down the coast to Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope (the most southern point in Africa). This area is ultimately a good spot for views and seeing wild ostrich, if you are really lucky you may even see a whale in season. The costs for Cape Point are (Adults R376/ children R188).

5. Chapman's Peak Drive

This is one of the most scenic drives in Cape Town, if not the entire world.

The Chapman’s Peak Drive (or Chappies, to the locals!) is a narrow, windy road between Hout Bay and Noordhoek that hugs the coastline on one side, with incredible views out over the Atlantic on the other. Plenty of places to stop for a picnic or combine it with a longer drive down to the Cape Peninsula. For the cyclists coming there are a number of cycling ‘trips/tours’ along Chapmans Peak that can be booked. The Chapmans peak tariff is (R57).

6. The Beaches!

The four Clifton’s beaches are the beaches to both see and 'be seen' at during the Cape Town summer. Every Sunday evening, there are free yoga classes on Clifton’s third beach.

Palm-fringed Camps Bay is equally busy, and also has a tonne of trendy boutiques, cafes, and bars just across the road.

Then there’s Muizenberg with its iconic colourful beach boxes and pumping surf, as well as Bloubergstrand and its views back to Cape Town and Table Mountain if you have time for the drive.

Llundudno is another great locals beach, although it is very cold it does have some good surf and wonderful sunsets.

7. Kirstenbosch Gardens

One of the greatest botanical gardens in the world, a great day out and our personal favourite picnic spot in Cape Town. As mentioned earlier Kirstenbosch is also one of the starting points for the Skeleton Gorge hiking route. Approximately R75 (£4) entry fee.

8. Visit Robben Island

To delve into the history of South Africa a trip to Robben Island is a must. The island is home to the prison in which Nelson Mandela and other apartheid fighters were held captive for 18 years. The tour is sometimes led by a former political prisoner. You will need to buy a ticket in advance for the tour which will include a 45 minute ferry ride. Approximate costs are R600 per adult and R310 per child. Tickets can be bought from https://www.robben-island.org.za/tours.

9. An Organised Tour of Cape Town's Townships

As a traveller to Cape Town, it is possible to take an organised tour through some of the city's townships, to understand what life is really like for more than half of the city’s citizens.

These ramshackle towns are the most visible scars of the apartheid era when non-whites were forced out of their homes and placed into informal camps without the simplest of amenities. If done sustainably and ethically a township visit is a way to develop your own understanding, discover rich communities, and remove some of the stigma that surrounds townships and the people who call them home.

If undertaking a township tour you must only take an organised tour and make sure it is sustainable, ethical, and promotes growth and development from within the community you visit.

10. Visit the V & A Waterfront

Set in South Africa's oldest Harbour you can find many shops, bars and restaurants to amuse yourself.

11. Greenpoint Kayak

See Cape Town from the ocean - an absolutely stunning trip! We've been with Kaskazi Kayaks who are great (~R500 for 2hr trip).

12. Surf Muzienberg

Hire a board from any of the many surf shops along Muzienberg beach and head out to enjoy the waves or take a group surf lesson. Obviously pay attention to the flags on the beach for appropriate water conditions.

13. Constantia Winelands

A favourite of Bill's (father of the bride). Head to Groot Constantia for an afternoon/evening of wine tasting or even some wine and chocolate pairing. Prices range from R105 - R165 (personally we think it's extremely good value for the experience).

14. Long Street

Where the 'Joll's' at! The place to be for nightlife and a slightly less civilized way of enjoying a few bevvies.

15. Putt Putt at Green Point

A lovely little spot of Putt Putt on the coast. This is almost directly opposite Kaskazi Kayaks so could be a good joint adventure. The current Shaun vs Nadia score here is 2 all.

16. Scuba Diving

If you didn't know, scuba diving is how we met and a passion that we still share together. Cape Town has some fantastic dive spots - our personal favourite being the kelp forests! Contrary to what you might think, the Western Cape waters are pretty chilly due to arctic currents but this does create nutrient rich waters that bring with them a whole host of amazing wildlife including dolphins, whales, sunfish, seals and multiple shark species!

17. Seal Island

Hop of a boat tour from Hout Bay harbour to see Seal Island - home to a large colony of Cape fur seals.

#Places to stay

We'd highly recommend Air BnB for some stunning homes and villas to stay in. We personally haven' stayed in any hotels in Cape Town but there are MANY! The main areas we would recommend would be:

Green Point - On the beach, close to the waterfront and close to many of the activities mentioned, also a very touristy orientated area.

Sea Point - Slightly further down the coast to Green Point, near Mojo Market and Sea Point Swimming pools. The Promenade walk (~2.5km) links Green Point and Sea Point.

Clifton - Beautiful beach area, luxury accommodation, one of the main touristy areas.

Camps Bay - Beautiful beach area, good food and bars.

Constantia/Tokai - The Winelands area on the suburb side of Table Mountain. Beautiful and slightly quieter than the coastal side. You would probably want to have your own car if staying this side.

#Getting around/ Transport

Cape Town is very much doable by Uber but a better way for family units and groups would be to just hire a car from the airport. If you’re not able to and need to get to and from Elgin from the wedding we recommend Chistine Hugo, a contact of the family. Let us know if this is the case and we can pass on her details, if interest is big enough a block booking may be a possibility. Please make sure this is done way in advance.

If in groups we would recommend renting a car, driving around Cape Town is safe and quite easy to navigate by using the mountain. During December and January there may be quite a heavy traffic police presences, with drunk driving road blocks, so if going out for beers please Uber.

#Good Eats

1. Mojo Market (Sea Point - food market)

2. V & A Food Market (V & A Waterfront - food market)

3. Sevruga (V & A Waterfront - Sushi)

4. Active Sushi (City Centre - sushi)

5. Hassars (Camps Bay, Rondebosch, Stellenbosch - meat lovers)

6. The Neighbourgoods Market (The Old Biscuit Mill, Observatory - Food market)

7. Orangezicht City Farm Market (V & A Waterfront - Food Market)

8. Osumo - (Claremont Cavandish Centre and Sea Point - Nadia's favourite stop for salads and wraps)

9. The Creamery (THE BEST ICE CREAM & WAFFLES - Waterfront, Constantia, Newlands, Salt River, Moullie Point)

10. Steers (Fast food - Shaun's absolute favourite, dotted all over CT)

11. Pick & Pay Supermarket - Here you can find the one and only worshiped pepper steak pie that Bill raves about - other pies and supermarkets are also available.

#Top Tips

1. For general safety, undertake any hiking in groups or get a guided tour.

2. Paying for parking is done slightly differently in South Africa. They have 'car guards', locals who will help you park your car up on the street and keep an eye on the area. It is commonplace to tip these guys when returning to your car (anything from R1-5 although you are by no means obligated to pay). In the town centre an official parking attendant will give you an hourly rate ticket from the machine.

3. Similarly, petrol attendants will fill your car with fuel at the pump (tip R1-5).

4. In restaurants the general tip is 10%

5. Although 99% of the time you will be perfectly fine, for general safety just remember South Africa is not England, we would advise not walking around the streets at night or leaving items on display in your car when parked.

6. It's illegal to drink alcohol in public and on the beaches.

7. Be aware of loadshedding - times when electricity is switched off in certain areas, this changes daily. Just google the loadshedding schedule.

8. Weather can change rapidly so be prepared with a light jacket.