Cape Town & Garden Route

cooperguy · 08-02-2014 09:43PM #1

I will be in Cape town in April for 5 days and I will also be on the garden route for a few days aswell. Any suggestions for the best things to see in Cape Town? I plan on going out to Robbin Island, up Table mountain and drive down to Cape Point and Boulders beach.

I dont really have much planned beyond that so any suggestions would be appreciated!

Daisies · 08-02-2014 10:01PM

cooperguy wrote: »

I will be in Cape town in April for 5 days and I will also be on the garden route for a few days aswell. Any suggestions for the best things to see in Cape Town? I plan on going out to Robbin Island, up Table mountain and drive down to Cape Point and Boulders beach.

I dont really have much planned beyond that so any suggestions would be appreciated!

Over the next month, that is exactly what I will be doing. I can answer more specific questions.

AerynSun · 08-02-2014 10:14PM

Robben Island, Table Mountain, Cape Point and Boulders Beach are all great ideas

You might also like:
Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens
Groot Constantia

If you also include the V&A Waterfront then you will have covered Cape Town's Big Six attractions. The Big Six website has useful info for planning an itinerary for taking in those top spots.

I would suggest that you do also try and fit in the District Six Museum if you have the time - very well worth it, and will give you some useful insights into Cape Town's history and culture. It's also very close to Charly's Bakery for a nice cupcake and something to drink - you'll need the sugar hit after looking at the photos and stuff in the D6 museum.

Also, if you know people in the city, try and talk them into taking you to Mzoli's in Gugulethu.

If you like Thai food, there are some great restaurants. Cape Town's seafood and sushi restaurants are also pretty darned good.

I could go on... but I would start getting homesick!

If you're planning on getting out of the city for a visit to the Cape Winelands, then you might like to visit Spier Wine Farm (in Stellenbosch) or Diemersfontein Wine & Country Estate (in Wellington). Diemersfontein is famous for its chocolate pinotage, but I think their Malbec is the best thing on this planet.

sarkozy · 08-02-2014 10:32PM

Yep, Diemersfontein vinyard is a good one (I actually have a bottle of Pinotage which I picked up on my second trip there in 2010 which I need to drink!). I think Spier is a bit of a Disneyland - vinyards I enjoyed were Fairview (nice, affordable Pinotage and best SA cheeses I ever had, but the best Malbecs are Argentinian

) and Solms Delta (interesting, modern blends there).

Otherwise, can't add too much to AerynSun's recommendations. Waterfront is just a shopping centre, but you'll go there to get to Robben Island anyway. Long Street, Loop Street and Kloof Street have so many places to eat and drink, safe at night, too. There's a couple of arthouse cinemas on Kloof if you're bored and fancy something like that. Green Square is nice, all the streets off Long Street. Hout Bay is nice in a Howth-kinda-way. There are good tours of the Cape - actually, Cape Point wasn't mentioned. Maybe visit the seal colonies via a costal tour from Hout Bay if you're into that kind of thing.

It's also well worth walking around Bo Kaap (the far side of Buitengracht Street) neighbourhood and visiting the Bo Kaap museum to learn about the history of that fascinating neighbourhood, and there's also some colonial Dutch mansion somewhere off Long Street or in and around Wale Street or something that's interesting.

There are some very pleasant towns up the coast north of Cape Town, too.

cooperguy · 10-02-2014 10:58PM

Thanks for all the suggestions. I am staying at the V&A waterfront so will definitely be in and around there aswell. I have been told that taking a tour of a township is good. Would you recommend it? What tour companies would you suggest?

sawdoubters · 10-02-2014 11:00PM

watch out for car jackers keep your car doors locked

I would buy a guide book

http://www.getaway.co.za/travel-ideas/locals-guide-things-to-do-cape-town/

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g312659-Activities-Cape_Town_Central_Western_Cape.html

sarkozy · 10-02-2014 11:03PM

I have been told that taking a tour of a township is good. Would you recommend it? What tour companies would you suggest?

Personally, I don't like poverty tourism. You get to see sanitised townships. On the other hand, you may be bringing in real income to a community, even if you drink a beer in a 'safe' sheebeen. But it just wasn't for me. I was living in Lesotho at the time I visited and had local friends and colleagues, so it was all more organic for me (not that Lesotho has 'townships' as such, even though towns across the border do). Horrifically, there's a 'Township themed' hotel/lodge outside Bloemfontein (the city that was nearest to me). Awful stuff. Google it.

AerynSun · 10-02-2014 11:06PM

sawdoubters wrote: »

watch out for car jackers keep your car doors locked

No need to be scaring your man.

Once you're mindful / sensible about your person, your belongings and your whereabouts, you should be just fine.

The township tour: is a good idea as long as you go with a guide.
Footsteps to Freedom is a good option, as their Langa tour involves a visit to Mzoli's.

sarkozy · 10-02-2014 11:07PM

I would also say: best burgers/hip eating is Royale Eatery on Long Street. Best fast food is Kauai (lovely ostrich burgers). And best coffee is Vida e Caffe chain.

I guess you've got to be streetsmart, too, lock your doors, stay frosty if driving at night but, honestly, it's not as bad as people tell you (on average).

AerynSun · 10-02-2014 11:11PM

sarkozy wrote: »

Personally, I don't like poverty tourism. You get to see sanitised townships.

I've worked in some of the communities that receive foreign visitors who come to 'look and see' - and while some visitors can be less than respectful about where they are, on the whole it's a good opportunity to see how people live in those communities. And sure, if your tour guide is worth their money you're only going to see the 'sanitised' version of the township in broad daylight...but I wouldn't recommend anything else. Unless you're a local yourself and you know people who live there, you'd be well advised to stick with a tour group - but be mindful about how that can feel to the locals, and be friendly and respectful, and all will be well.

If you feel moved to make some kind of financial contribution to the community once you've seen it, I'd suggest you do so through an established organisation that does work in the community, rather than handing out notes or coins to individuals on the street.

cooperguy · 10-02-2014 11:39PM

sarkozy wrote: »

I would also say: best burgers/hip eating is Royale Eatery on Long Street. Best fast food is Kauai (lovely ostrich burgers). And best coffee is Vida e Caffe chain.

I guess you've got to be streetsmart, too, lock your doors, stay frosty if driving at night but, honestly, it's not as bad as people tell you (on average).

Thanks for that, I am interested in any tips for interesting food and drink of all sorts!

sarkozy · 10-02-2014 11:45PM

Do also eat boerewors, and grilled game like ostrich, kudu and zebra. Mama Africa on Long might do it, but I never ate the latter in SA, I think.

My SA wine tips is to stick with Pinotage and Chenin Blanc, the local varietals. I rarely found good blends, but the single varietals can be excellent, and even Cabernet on its own.

cooperguy · 12-02-2014 10:24PM

I am staying at Amakhala game reserve (about an hour from Port Elizabeth) for a couple of days before flying from Port Elizabeth to Victoria Falls. An oversight when booking my flight from Port Elizabeth was just how early it was going at!

The flight is scheduled for 6am, which would mean I would have to leave Amakhala around 3:30 or 4am. I have always been warned against driving at night and Im just wondering how safe it would be to do this in this area?

AerynSun · 12-02-2014 10:34PM

cooperguy wrote: »

I have always been warned against driving at night and Im just wondering how safe it would be to do this in this area?

If it was me, I wouldn't be overly worried about driving the early hours of the morning in that part of the Eastern Cape - I would keep my eyes open and on the road, because the province is cash-strapped and might not be doing the best job of maintaining the roads (so potential for pot-holes and the like), but that would be my main worry (more than fear of human predators).

Then again, as always: keep your eyes open and pay attention to your surroundings, and have a Plan B in place: emergency numbers on speed dial and so forth, because you honestly never know what the day might hold (but that's true of pretty much anywhere in the world).

sarkozy · 13-02-2014 11:20PM

Yeah, no worries out of cities, just be smart in cities. Less so for potholes, more for aquaplaning in rainshowers and dodgy drivers.

ScottSF · 14-02-2014 10:21AM

For a less touristy spot to see live/wild penguins (jackass penguins) than the famous Boulders Beach on the Cape Peninsula, check out Betty's Bay which is close to Capetown (on the way to the whale watching town of Hermanus).

The penguins are so fun to watch in action on the beach. Here is a great travel blog post showing photos of the scene.
http://www.sidewalksafari.com/2013/10/south-africa-whale-coast-and-penguins.html

I highly recommend the tour company DayTrippers who offer biking tours of the Cape Peninsula. For Cape Town I advise against driving and use walking, taxis, and the hop on/off bus to get around the city sites. Then take a day tour of the peninsula if you like. Save the driving for the Stellenbosch wine region (stunning and great value + amazing food and wine) and the Garden Route as you mentioned.

Hope the advice helps. Happy traveling...

huskerdu · 14-02-2014 04:12PM

Another vote for the District Six museum. Very moving. It was one of the highlights of our trip to CapeTown.

The traditional Cape Malay restaurants are interesting, Probably a bit touristy, but worth a visit,

WE also did a tour of the parliament building which was interesting, This was in 2000, so the old flags and portraits had not all been removed, which made it a bit surreal and the tour guide was very good.

Try travelling by Rikki - tiny vans that act as shared taxis. You will get where you want to be
cheaply and see a bit more of the city and meet all sorted of people.

Cape Town & Garden Route

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