Hello World,
Wherever we visit a new city or town, I cannot help but imagine what it would be like to live there. I start planning my imaginary life in this new place: where I would stay, which cafe would be my regular spot… you get the gist. Despite my usual daydreaming, there was something special in Cape Town. Something more. I genuinely felt that I could stay and live here. Perhaps it was the excellent weather or the relaxed vibes, or maybe the escape from the Berlin winter in January. Whatever the reason, our trip to Cape Town was an unforgettable one.
We arrived in Cape Town late in the evening and directly went to our hotel. Our hotel was decent and very central, but nothing fancy. We stayed in the Sea Point neighborhood. Neighborhoods are quite different from one another – more about that soon.
The next day started with a great brunch at Jarryds. We then took a long stroll along the Sea Point Promenade to V&A Waterfront, a harbor area filled with many restaurants, cafes, bars, shops, and a shopping mall. This is an expansive, open-air space by the ocean, with stunning Table Mountain views, where you can easily spend a day or two.
One of my colleagues is from South Africa and he gave me some great tips before our trip. Two things stood out:
– Truth Coffee: This coffee shop appears in all of the guides and top things to do in Cape Town. It lives up to the hype. It is a very eccentric shop with a Mad Max-style, retro-futuristic-industrial decor. Coffee was excellent too.
– Belly & The Beast: This is an amazing restaurant. You must book in advance due to its limited space and high popularity. There is no a la carte menu; it is a chill fine dining experience where each course is special and delicious.
Cape Town has great beaches and sunset-watching spots. Walking along one of the beaches and feeling the ocean breeze is all you need to feel the vibe. We did this at Clifton beaches. After moving to a country in Northern Europe, I realized that climate is important for my life quality. Cape Town has a Mediterranean climate. My favorite kind.
Saunders Rock Pool was very popular at sunset. Each sunset is different in Cape Town and you cannot get bored from witnessing the sun slowly setting into the ocean. I failed to get into the natural pool, but my partner was successful at this mission. I saw it with my own eyes when he dipped into the icy waters! Very proud of him! Another sunset location we enjoyed was Signal Hill. It was magical. Pretty crowded but the crowds were sitting downhill without blocking views. We had our food and drinks with us and enjoyed a sunset picnic.
We learned how strong the sun is when we made the biggest mistake of walking on Table Mountain at noon. Despite my warnings, my partner was very excited about the views and wanted to go until the end of the mountain, which takes about 45 minutes. We were mesmerized by the city and ocean views, as well as the variety of plants. Unfortunately, it did not end well as my partner turned into a lobster in the afternoon. He does not usually need sunscreen; he learned a good lesson that day. Setting this aside, Table Mountain is a must-visit when you are in the city. Just be careful about your visiting hours and wear a hat and sunscreen 🙂
I read “Born a Crime” by Noah Trevor last year, an impressive autobiography of Noah’s upbringing in the slums in South Africa. He was born during Apartheid which ended in the early 1990s, but what he is describing in the book is still visible. We mostly stayed in the Sea Point, Green Point, V&A Waterfront, and Clifton during our visit which are considered safe areas, and did not visit the suburbs. When you look down from Top Mountain, you can see the separation between the “safe” neighborhoods and the other neighborhoods. Inequality is also visible on the streets. We never felt a danger but we followed the recommendations to not stay on the streets after sunset. During our tour of Robben Island, where political activists including Nelson Mandela were imprisoned for several years, our guide explained to us the current situation and how the country, the society, and new generations are still suffering from the Apartheid years and long-lasting exploitation. He mentioned to us that ending Apartheid is not enough, the South African people need strong and steady reforms and social policies to recover from the past.
There are many tourist attractions in Cape Town. You can easily avoid it and still have plenty to do. However, I wouldn’t skip Boulders Beach where you can swim with the South African penguins. We reached Simon’s Town before noon. The beach at the entrance was lively with families. We continued walking past a big rock and walked all the way to the end of the beach. We spotted penguins sleeping, walking, and swimming next to the visitors. The waters were cold but not icy, this was the first and only time I swam in Cape Town. You can fall asleep on the beach and woke up to the sounds of a dassie going through your bag. The size difference makes it difficult to believe but this cute animal is a distant cousin to African elephants! About 500 meters from the beach, there is a nice viewing spot where you can see the African penguins’ colony. There are billboards along the way with interesting information about different types of penguins and the characteristics of the African penguin. Although I loved seeing penguins up close, this setup might not be good for their environment. Considering that the African penguins are an endangered species, this tourist attraction might end at some point for the right cause.
After leaving Boulders Beach, we made a quick stop at Kalk Bay, a small and colorful town, and had lunch at the Brass Bell, famous with its fish and chips. One of the highlights of the day was driving on Chapman’s Peak Drive on the way back, right before sunset. A great way to end our last day before heading to Franschhoek.
I have not said a word yet about wine but it is about time that I do. Franschhoek is a small, French-felt town with a world-famous wine tram and many quality restaurants. Tuktuk, a craft beer brewery, with a garden to enjoy beer, is worth mentioning. We stayed in this town to join the Franschhoek Wine Tram. You choose one of the routes from the list and do a hop-on, hop-off tour from one vineyard to the other. There is a tram and a bus that go in a loop. Everything was very well organized. I chose the Orange line because it included a couple of vineyards I wanted to see. I spent excessive time on research but next time, I’ll be more relaxed about the line color because everything we tried was top quality. We visited Babylonstoren, Bacco, Boschendal, and Vrede en Lust and we were able to stay and enjoy our wine and surroundings in each of them. I particularly enjoyed Bacco’s architecture and modern style. Dinner at Reuben’s in Franschhoek was a blast.
The next stop was Stellenbosch, another town famous for vineyards. Our boutique hotel was overlooking a small lake. I was very ambitious at first to see several vineyards in one day. After a short research, I embraced the fact that it’s better to fully enjoy a few vineyards. We chose Tokara Wine Estate and Delaire Graff Wine Estate for wine tasting. Tokara Delicatessen has a good bistro menu with healthy and tasty options. I had wine non-stop except for breakfast. Good times.
We usually leave the last day open on our trips to surprise our corporate souls. We decide what to do later on, sometimes even during the trip. For our last night in Cape Town, we landed on a private game reserve, Aquila. It was interesting for us because our trip was not focused on safari and the private reserve was close to Cape Town. Under different circumstances, I would not join this one. We had a great time seeing wildlife in two game rides, one in the afternoon and one early in the morning. The highlight was spotting a hippo coming out of a pond in the evening hours in front of the Aquila reserve while we were chatting. They mentioned that hippos are rarely seen outside of the water during game rides. It looked like it was going back home after a long day at work.
Travel Reads: “Technofeudalism What Killed Capitalism” by Yanis Varoufakis
Cheers,
Deniz