Travel Guide: Cape Town, South Africa

Tips for planning your trip to Cape Town

I spent one of the most memorable New Year’s in Cape Town…We danced under fireworks at Shimmy Beach. South Africa is such an adventure. It has the Beaches, Vineyards, Mountains and even Safari’s. Be prepared for breath taking views.

Here is a video we captured with our trip highlights!

Getting There

NY to SA it took me 17 Hrs. But I promise, it’s worth it!

I flew from NY to London, London to Johannesburg, Johannesburg to Cape Town. Sounds like a lot, I know. However, I did have to pick up a cute guy in London.

I had a layover Johannesburg for a few days, but wouldn’t really recommend staying there. I was constantly warned by the hotel, and took an Uber from one place to the next. However, if you are going on a Safari, chances are you will drive from Joburg to that camp and should be just fine.

Once you arrive in Cape Town, it’s about an hour ride from the airport to the main city. We took an Uber everywhere, which was ideal because they were inexpensive.

Accommodations

I experienced two hotels. In central Cape Town, we stayed at a hotel that’s no longer open! It was close to Long Street where you can find many unique bars and restaurants, a bit more local. There are so many options, especially near V & A Waterfront where it’s a bit busier.

After a few days we moved away from central Cape Town, to the beautiful Vineyard hotel, situated behind table mountain. The hotel had everything from award winning restaurants to friendly and attentive staff ready to assist your every need.

This was actually my first eco-friendly hotel, and it was done with class. They cooked what they grew and conserved water. Prior to our stay, we were sent a questionnaire to ensure our comfort (noted for SG Hotels!)

During our next visit, I would switch it up and stay on a vineyard in Stellenbosch for a few, then in Camps bay. In my opinion, Camps Bay was stunning; with sweeping views of the beach and table mountain. Given Camps Bay’s location, I would stay there for the majority of the visit because you can easily do day trips to other areas. Stellenbosch felt a bit further away from everything else.

What to do:

V& A Waterfront

This vibrant area has a back drop of Table Mountain, and located on the oldest running harbor in the Southern hemisphere. With hotels, restaurants, and shopping, and even an aquarium, you can easily stay occupied.

Many boat tours leave from this harbor, so you see all sorts coming in and out (including seals!) There are over 80 restaurants situated here, so we enjoyed a few meals while there. I really enjoyed the Harbour House I found that the food was inexpensive, and very fresh. I believe SA is known for their steaks.

Cape Wine land

South Africa is known for its wines; thanks to Stellenbosch and Franschhoek. Both are located in the Western Cape Provence. Driving from one vineyard to the next you’ll see small charming towns with shops and restaurants.

If you only end up doing a day tour make sure it includes the Delaire Graff Estate vineyard, its beautiful! We enjoyed a delicious outdoor lunch there, then walked around the grounds. They have a pool area overlooking the vineyards too!

There are many tours available to experience the many wineries. We had a great private tour guide through Jarat Tours. Our guide shared the history of the surrounding areas as we passed along; I enjoyed learning about it. It cost approx $285, and was well worth it.

Table mountain

One of the 7 natural wonders of the world! You may either take a gondola or hike up if you dare. Once there, you can see above the clouds, and what feels like, everything! Truly spectacular. You can walk around the many pathways and visit the restaurant. We went during the sunset and it was indescribable. I suggest brining wine up!

Camps Bay

I’ve already boasted about Camps Bay, but here I go again 🙂 When driving to Camps Bay, it reminds me of driving down the Pacific Coat Highway in California. Table Mountain sets the tone & landscape homes are built on cliff tops. The icing on the cake is the beach. They are lined with large boulders along the cold Atlantic Ocean. We were able to rent inexpensive chairs for the day there. I could easily do it again.

There are many great hotels & restaurants nearby. I don’t think it’s the cheapest but food is still less expensive in SA. One sunset dinner I’ll never forget was at The Bungalow. It was chic with great music… just the amount of boujee I like.

Cage Diving with Shark & Whale Watching

South Africa is well known for its abundance of marine life, especially Sharks & Whales. So naturally, I wanted to go cage diving with Great White Sharks. When in Rome right!? Unfortunately, it’s best to go between April- September… and I was there in January. Bummer.

From June – November, whales migrate from the cold waters of Antartica to warmer waters of Mozambique. So you may see Whales while on land or on boats! I’ve heard you can see a lot at False Bay near Cape Town

Cape of Good Hope

Take a day trip to the most southern point of South Africa, better known as Cape of Good Hope. It’s only a 1.5 hr drive from Cape Town, and is very scenic via Chapman’s Peak and Nordhoek. Cape of Good Hope is a peninsula with dramatic views and wild life. If you’re up for a little hike you can get the best views from the light house.

Ironically, some people actually mistaken this as the most southern point of Africa, but that’s near by at Cape. Also nearby, is boulder beach, which is well known as Penguin beach.

Bo-Kaap

This is a historic area in Cape Town known for its colorful painted houses and a unique local culture. It’s very instagramable 🙂 Most easily accessed on foot, follow Wale Street in the direction of Signal Hill, to the narrow cobbled streets and brightly painted Cape Dutch-infused Edwardian style houses.

Aquila Private Game Reserve- About a 2 hour drive from Cape town we did a day trip. The excursion included lunch, safari tour (both private and group available), ATV throughout the preserve (Don’t worry the lions are in a separate area) and relaxation by their pool. It is also a hotel so I’d want to stay next time. It’s a private game reserve so you’re more likely to see the Big 5 and only an hour ride from central CT.

If you are looking for a more traditional Safari, not a reserve, you need to head to Kruger park, which is closer to Johannesburg. In that case, I would break up your layover when flying in, to experience that for a few days before getting to Cape Town. That being said, Safari’s are very expensive so a day trip to Aquila may be better for those that are cost conscious.

Night Life

As mentioned we were in South Africa for NYE, so got a semi good sense of the night life. Here are a few areas to check out.

Long Street is a very fun area to go out out! It’s similar looking to Bourbon Street.
Shimmy Beach is where we spent out New Years Eve. They had a great outdoor party, DJ and firework show.
V & A Waterfront was very lively are night. They had plenty of bars, street shows, and even a merry-go-round!

Additional Tips

Food and transportation were inexpensive.
I used an Uber 90% of our trip
I’ve been told to load up on bug spray, but didn’t have any issues.
Viator had a lot of great excursions, if you want to have a look ahead of time.
There is a large social gap in SA. The divide is noticeable so keep your wits about you for pick pockets, you’ll be fine.
When going from Cape Town to the airport, you will pass what they call the Shacks. These poor individuals had to flee their homes for a better life in Cape Town. Many are awaiting new homes of which are mainly recycled or unique resources. It’s eye opening
We ventured out to Fish Hoek (via uber) to check out some other close beaches. They had a beautiful beach and a fish market nearby with very friendly seals!