Travel Award Search spent 3 amazing days exploring Cape Town, South Africa after an incredible cruise there starting from Singapore (more about that later). Although this wasn’t a points or miles stay, we want to share a little about the destination and the wonderful things to see and do in and near Cape Town.
First Day – Cape Winelands Tour
We started our 3 days in Cape Town with a wine tour. You have to have your priorities! We began at 10:00, and our guide made introductions as people were picked up. It helped us get to know one another and were chatting away by the end of the tour!
We had a lovely drive to the wine region, which has three main towns – Paarl, Franschhoek, and Stellenbosch.
Paarl
Fairview winery in Paarl was our first stop for a tasting, not only of their wines, but also a pairing of their cheeses made on-site. The tasting room was beautifully laid out in 8 person circles so it was easy to chat with the group while tasting. An array of delicious breads, cheeses and meats filled an impressive shop. We bought a bag of their olive breadsticks and they were so addictive we went back for another! Wine was wonderful and pours were ample. Pricing was from $8 to $24 a bottle, so quite a bargain. We also enjoyed wandering the gardens and seeing their goats with their own goat tower!
Franschhoek
After getting properly wined-up at the start, we headed to Franschhoek for lunch at a beautiful vineyard. There was quite a variety of lunch choices and my cheese and fruit board was enormous. Of course, plenty more wine and a sparkling wine toast were included. The scenery there was just breathtaking.
Next we stopped in the very quaint center of town to wander the shops and market. We found several locally-made items at the market we couldn’t resist – a belt, small serving dish painted with animals, belt, and a creative and colorful basket made of telephone wire.
A small winery La Bri, again in Franschhoek, was next, where we tasted their wines paired with delicious chocolates. We were also able to explore their production tanks and barrel storage. Frankly, I didn’t find these wines as impressive but it was fun and I did enjoy the chocolates.
Stellenbosch
The last stop of the day was in Stellenbosch, with time to wander it’s upscale bars, restaurants, and shops. It’s a college town and we enjoyed seeing some of the students out in their finest for an event.
This was a great first day exploring Cape Town and enjoying the wine and scenery in the region. Naturally, we’d highly recommend this small-group tour limited to 12 people – Full Day Wine Tour Be aware that it really is an all-day tour, with a return to our hotel about 7pm.
Second Day – Cape of Good Hope and Penguins
We picked a tour to the Cape of Good Hope and a penguin colony for our second day. In addition to the two highlights the tour had several other interesting stops.
Bo-Kaap
First stop of the day was exploring the famous Cape Town Bo-Kaap neighborhood with it’s very colorful houses (see picture above) and creative artists studios. We particularly enjoyed the “recycle artist’s” elephant made of discarded K-cups! We were able to get some good pictures, before the crowds arrived to this popular tourist spot, with our 8:00 start time.
Our guide told us more about Cape Town as we passed several landmarks, such as Lion’s Head peak, on our way out of the city. We also enjoyed seeing the seals and fishing boats during a brief stop at Hout’s Bay. The weather was a bit drizzly, but not too bad.
We admired spectacular views along Chapman’s Peak Drive. It’s a winding, cliff-side road along the ocean. A little scary, especially since it started raining a little harder, but beautiful. It’s only open during daylight in good conditions so we were fortunate.
Cape of Good Hope
After a stop at a cute shopping village, where we all took shelter and warmed up in the coffee shop, and a quick ostrich photo stop, we arrived at the Cape of Good Hope. We fought the wind to take our pictures at the sign, but just afterward, the sky cleared and the sun came out! The Cape is not actually the southernmost point in Africa, that honor belongs to a spot called Cape Agulhas. Cape of Good Hope is the southernmost point on the west side of Africa.
We weren’t convinced the weather would hold and opted for the funicular to the lighthouse, but there’s also a hiking trail from the sign. The Old Cape Point Lighthouse has incredible 360 degree views of the water and the cliffs. We were very happy the sun stayed out for us so it was great! Interestingly, the lighthouse was built in 1860, but due to it’s high perch, it wasn’t visible in cloudy conditions. The result was numerous shipwrecks so it was decommissioned in 1900. Snacks were available at the lighthouse area, along with a nice gift shop and clean bathrooms.
Boulder Penguin Colony
The next stop was extremely fun and impressive – the Boulder Penguin Colony! These adorable African penguins are protected here to increase their numbers. There are thousands of penguins, some just newborn when we were there. And they are absolutely SO sweet.
Viewing is from a boardwalk so visitors aren’t disturbing them. We watched these cuties for a long time and took tons of pictures, even when we had to dodge more rain. It was definitely a real highlight of the day!
We were all pretty quiet on the scenic ride back to the hotel after an enjoyable second day exploring Cape Town and the region.
Again, we’d highly recommend this tour – Cape of Good Hope & Boulder Penguins There are several tours to choose from, some including Table Mountain. However, the lines for Table Mountain can be long, so this can really crunch the time for the rest of the tour. The cable car also closes if it’s too windy. We were happy with choosing to go to Table Mountain on our own on the third day.
Third Day – Kirstenbosch Garden and Table Mountain
We chose to go it alone our third and last full day exploring Cape Town. The weather was beautiful and it was a perfect day for exploring the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden and Table Mountain!
Uber is prevalent in Cape Town and was our mode of transportation for the day. Pick-ups are usually within 5 minutes and it’s pretty inexpensive. It was a 20 minute ride to the gardens from the hotel.
Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden
We’ve seen many botanical gardens, but this is one of, if not THE very best! The grounds are incredibly extensive and well laid-out. Flowers bloom in a myriad of colors and the various gardens are grouped by variety, location, or theme. Naturally, the flowers also attracted several colorful birds although it was tough to catch them for a photo. We spent several hours here and got in a lot of steps! Several restaurants/cafeterias and food carts are available to keep up your energy. The restaurants were pretty crowded so we opted for a quaint food cart and enjoyed it! The gardens are definitely worth a visit and the pictures say more than any words can describe.
Table Mountain
We were fortunate to ask about getting to Table Mountain from the gardens, as our map was very misleading. The map indicated it was nearby, but the cable car station was a 20 minute drive. Easy enough in an Uber.
We arrived just before 1:00. The tickets actually drop in price right at that time, so we waited a few extra minutes to purchase them. There wasn’t much of a line for the cable car so we were at the top in no time. The mountaintop is huge and there’s a lot to explore along with amazing views of Cape Town and the surroundings. It was crowded as we first stepped off the cable car but as we ventured farther away, we had more “mountaintop” to ourselves. There are several pathways through the stony surface and full 360 degree open views to get some great pictures. The day was so clear we had a fabulous view all the way to the Cape of Good Hope and the lighthouse!
To celebrate fully exploring Cape Town, we enjoyed a few beers and some pizza at Ten67 Eatery. 1067 is the elevation of the top of the mountain in meters, 3500 feet. It is part of the Cape Floral Region UNESCO World Heritage Site, along with the Cape of Good Hope.
We we got back in the afternoon this time, so we ventured into the Central Business District (CBD) for dinner. The Cousins Trattoria served delicious homemade pasta and was a wonderful, cozy Italian restaurant.
Other Cape Town Tips/Recommendations
We stayed at Home Suite Hotels Sea Point, selecting it because of very good reviews and reasonable prices. The room was huge, with an expansive view of the ocean, and breakfast was fantastic. There is a small rooftop pool and the breakfast room becomes a restaurant for lunch or dinner. We had dinner there the first two nights and it was good, basic fare. Staff was very friendly and accommodating and the hotel is well-secured (as are most in Cape Town). The one small downside is that there are no other restaurants within a short walk, so you have to Uber elsewhere for dinner.
We had hoped to go to Reverie Social Table while in Cape Town but the timing didn’t work. Reverie offers a 5 course meal with wine pairings at a communal table. In their words, “5 courses, 1 table and a bunch of guests which make for a fabulous dinner party!” It only costs approximately $75, and that includes the wine pairings. Give it a try if you’re in Cape Town and let us know how it is!
Uber is a popular and inexpensive way to get around Cape Town. As mentioned above, rides usually arrive in under 5 minutes. At night the driver will flash his lights when he arrives so you can stay inside the hotel or restaurant until then. It’s common to take an Uber even just a few blocks, especially at night.
We had a great time in our 3 days in Cape Town and hope this helps you enjoy it too! If you want to see how we got home after a few days in Victoria Falls, check out our Qatar Business Class Qsuite Review.
