Top Five Things To Do in Cape Town, South Africa
Presenting things to do in Cape Town, South Africa according to Rafiqua of Rafiqua Israel Express.
Welcome to Cape, the sun is shining, put on your dancing shoes, Cape Town welcomes you!”
Kaapse Klopse (local song)
If you ask anyone that has ever visited Cape Town to tell you their thoughts about the city, the chances are that they will probably respond with it’s “lekker bru”. Literally translating to ‘it’s nice/ sweet brother’, Cape Town is a city where ‘local is lekker!’. Cape Town is one of those cities where fond memories will linger in your mind long after you’ve departed. It’s the warm summer nights on one of the many beaches, the breath-taking views on the coastal roads around the peninsula, the charming and friendly locals, the great food and beautiful scenery that keep visitors coming back, and locals staying. It’s the braais (barbecues), the sunsets, and Table Mountain that will make you wish you never left.
1. Ride a Cable Car to the Top of Table Mountain
No vacation to Cape Town would ever be completed without a visit to the iconic Table Mountain , one of the new 7 wonders of the world. Table Mountain is a significant landmark in the city because of the sheer size of it, masking it visible from most areas within the city. If you feel like a challenge, hike up to the top of the mountain to get some of the best, uninterrupted views of the city. If you enjoy cable car rides, a quick ten minute ride will get you to the top and offer equally beautiful views.
Bonus: When on top of Table Mountain, keep your eyes open for dassies, an African rat related to the elephant family, which calls Table Mountain home and lives between the rocks and the fynbos (plants).
Take a cable car to the top of Table Mountain
Just enjoying the view from such great heights
2. Visit One of the Gorgeous Beaches
Of all the cities in South Africa, Cape Town is infamous for it’s lengthy list of stunning beaches, which surround the entire city from West to East. While tourists tend to flock towards Camps Bay or Clifton, my personal spot is Llandudno or Boulders Beach. A visit to Llandudno during the week gives you not only panoramic views of the beach from the drive out there, but also a beach barely touched by people. While it does get busy during peak season, weekdays are usually peaceful and only visited by surfers. A trip to Boulders Beach during the right season will allow you to swim with free-roaming African penguins! Boulders Beach just so happens to be home to a breeding colony of over 2000 endangered African Penguins.
Me and my new penguin buddies
Llundadno Beach is one of the city’s best escapes!
3. Visit a Wine Farm
South Africa is very well known for its wine farms, which surround Cape Town by the dozen. Apart from sipping on extremely affordable wine, straight from the cellar, most wine farms offer stunning scenery and restaurants. Two of my favorite wine farms include De Grendal for its stunning view of Table Mountain and Babylonstoren for its glass house restaurant.
Where? De Grendal is at De Grendel Wine Estate and Restaurant, Plattekloof Rd, Panorama and Babylonstoren is at Klapmuts Simondium Road, Simondium, 7670, South Africa
Wine is practically a way of life here
4. Discover Natural Beauty at Kirstenbosch
Summer days should be spent outside, and one local favorite weekend hangout spot is at Kirstenbosch Gardens. Set against the eastern slope of Table Mountain, this botanical gardens is home to thousands of different specifies of plants and fauna, including the very beautiful fynbos. Apart from strolling around the beautiful nature, visitors to Kirstenbsoch can also take in their own home-packed picnic, as well as walk through the top of the trees on the recently built boomslang (tree top bridge).
Where? Rhodes Dr, Newlands, Cape Town, 7735, South Africa
The beautiful ‘fynbos’ that decorate the city
5. Eat good, slow food at the Biscuit Mill Saturday food market
A city is only as good as it’s food and my favorite thing to do on a Saturday is visit one of the many weekend markets in and around the city. While the markets are plentiful in Cape Town, my favorite market of all time is found at the Biscuit Mill every Saturday. While the food is not ‘typically South African’, the vibe is awesome and the food delicious. Some of my best meals have come from here, and some of the best macaroons I have ever eaten can be found at a stall inside this Saturday market.
Where? 375 Albert Rd, Woodstock, Cape Town, 7915, South Africa
Biscuit Mill has some of the best food I’ve ever eaten!
Honorable Mentions
- Take a walk through history by meandering through the beautiful cobble streets of Bo-Kaap, situated on the slopes of Signal Hill. Once referred to as the Malay Quarter, Bo-Kaap is an area in the city centre famous for both it’s history as a former township as well as it’s colourful houses.
- The best places to go out at night are definitely in and around the city center, with well known streets for locals and foreigners to hang out at, including Kloof Street, Bree Street, and Long Street.
- For some of the best hand made Beef Burgers and monstrous milkshakes, pop into Hudsons at 69A Kloof St. The vibe is always pumping for happy hour, when you can pick a healthy sized cocktail on happy hour from 16:30 – 18:30.
- No visit to Cape Town is complete without a scenic drive along the peninsula. My personal favorite drive is to Simons Town or even Cape Point, via the high level Boyes Drive Road, as it offers dramatic views of the sea and cliffs below.
- If you want to do as the locals do, warm Sunday afternoons should be spent walking along the peaceful Seapoint Promenade. One of my favorite highlights along this walk is a pit-stop at an ice-cream parlor, either The Creamery or Crumbs and Cream.
- If you would love to see some of the old European architecture influences, a walk through Cape Town city center is a must. Do make sure to check out the Cape Castle as well as the area surrounding St. Georges Mall.
Where To Stay
Some of the best food can be found between Seapoint and Greenpoint. If possible, try and find location between these two areas. They also happen to be in the heart of the city center, and therefore would be centrally located for sightseeing purposes. AccommoDirect.com is one of South Africa’s top travel accommodation portals, with over 20,000 reviews and 10,000 places to stay in South Africa, there are no booking fee’s and they offer a best price guarantee and properties are instantly bookable online.
The Cape Allure Property in Cape Town
Travel tips
- Cape Town is a reasonably safe city to travel to, but as always when traveling to a new country, beware of pickpockets. Personally I would avoid flashing your camera or smartphone in the city center.
- While the nightlife in Cape Town is fun and plentiful, it is advisable to not go out by yourself an night and try to use a reputable taxi service when doing so.
Rafiqua Israel is a twenty-something South African who found her passion for traveling and photography while teaching English in South Korea in 2013. She loves to be on the go and exploring new cities around the world. Some of her favurite memories to date are scuba diving with turtles in the Philippines, paragliding in South Korea and tobogganing down the Great Wall of China. To join Rafiqua on her wanderlust for adventure, follow along on her blog or social channels. Follow her on Instagram.
👉 Special thanks to Rafiqua for revealing her favorite things to do in Capetown. Have you ever visited South Africa? Share your recommendations in the comments below!
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