Cape Town - The Mother City
I first visited Cape Town in December 2019 and its was one of our last holidays before the dreaded lock downs and my memories helped me through. I returned in January 2023 for a flying visit, and it is now firmly my favourite city in the world.
Cape Town has something for everyone, magnificent scenery, world class beaches, weather, history, food and adventure. I flew from Heathrow on a direct flight to Cape Town with British Airways to meet my husband who was there for work. It is approximately 11-hour flight but there is very little time difference, so you don’t get jet lag. I flew in one of BA’s club suites as I was there for a short time, and I hit the ground running on arrival.
We stayed in the Victoria and Albert Waterfront Complex. There are lots of fantastic areas to stay but this made a great central location from which to explore everything. Most parts of the city are safe in daylight hours, but caution is needed after dark in certain parts. I felt safe for the duration of my stay.
We hired a car, and it is easy to get around, the following are a list of my favourite things:
- Cable car up Table Mountain. The feat of engineering is astounding, and the views are incredible and then we drove to Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens
- Do a day touring – Take in Kalk Bay, Fish Hoek, Glencairn, Simons Town and Boulder Beach, this is where the African Penguins are, and you can walk on the beach right beside them. We travelled from there down the Cape of Good Hope where the oceans met.
- Oranjezicht City Farm Market is open on Saturdays & Sunday Mornings and Wednesday nights. It is a covered market right by the sea and has a chilled vibe.
- Camps Bay is a gorgeous costal town just 10 mins out of Cape Town and a lovely place to catch the sunset and chill in one of the many bars and restaurants that line the beach front.
- Robben Island is a humbling experience. The prison is now a museum, and you will be guided by a former prisoner. It is a 7km boat ride from Cape Town.
Things to note:
- The city is suffering from an energy crisis so they do something called load shedding which means electricity can be turned off for several hours every day. Make sure you bring a charging pack. Also means that food can be compromised so be careful eating sushi etc.
- When you park, there will usually be a local person in a high vis jacket helping you whether you want it or not. We were not hassled by these people but did offer them a small tip and they will ‘mind your car.’
- Bring converter plugs, SA has a very unusual plug and is not part of the standard kit you buy.
- Download an app called DinePlan for making restaurant reservations.
- It gets chilly in the evenings, even in their summer and especially if you are higher parts like Table Mountain so pack some layers.
If South Africa is on your bucket list, please get in touch. I would love to help you make it happen!