Africa Wish List: Capetown

Mbote Mes Amis,

For this travel series we are going to explore Cape Town, South Africa. My family and I were suppose to be there for spring break in March but we all know how that story goes. This was going to be our first time in Cape Town. I asked friends, family members, colleagues and our network for recommendations.

The hotel options in Cape Town are amazing. By the time we got to booking our hotel room (six months before our trip) the seven places that were recommended were almost sold out. We couldn’t decide between two hotels so we decided to book rooms at The Twelve Apostles Hotel and Spa and Belmond Mount Nelson Hotel. We made a note of the cancellation due date on our calendar. A few weeks before our trip we decided to go with Belmond; pink is my favorite color and we wanted a really cozy place.

During our visit, we planned on visiting Heartworks which is located in the Woodstock area of Cape Town. G was really excited to make a pillow with them. Heartworks is a Cape Town-based company that works with underprivileged craftswomen. From what I hear, they have fantastic kids’ items.

Since we didn’t get to go on this trip I’m going to share my itinerary. Our top four things to do were to visit table mountain, Robben Island, do a wine tour ( I love Pinotage), and do a small safari.

1) Table Mountain:    (www.tablemountain.net)

Table Mountain was at the top of our list. The tricky thing is that the cable car usage is dependent on weather conditions on top of the mountain. The weather can change a few times a day so it isn’t uncommon for the cableway to open and close a few times a day. Due to the weather factor, it is really difficult to pre-plan a trip up Table Mountain. The hotel concierge recommended that we remain flexible and take the cable up the first nice day of our trip. He also recommended that we book our tickets online so we can avoid the lines. He warned us about slow lines. Sometimes it is an hour and a half just to buy your tickets.

 2) Robben Island: (www.webtickets.co.za)

Robben Island is where Nelson Mandela served 18 out of his 27 years prison sentence. In order to get to Robben Island, you must take a ferry. Tickets to Robben Island can also be reserved online in order to avoid long lines. Just like Table Mountain, the ferry to Robben Island is dependent on weather conditions; specifically sea conditions. The ferries can only accommodate a set number of passengers so tickets are limited and they sell out quickly. The standard tour to Robben Island is approximately 3.5 hours long, including the two half-hour ferry rides (to and from the island). Ferries depart at 9 am, 11 am, 1 pm and 3 pm, from the V & A Waterfront.

 The Robben Island Tour includes:

 A return boat trip across Table Bay

A visit to the infamous Maximum Security Prison

Interaction with an ex-political prisoner

A 45-minute bus ride with a guide providing commentary

The opportunity to explore the Murray's Bay Harbour precinct attractions, such as the Muslim shrine, or kramat, and the Museum Shop.

3) The Cape Point and Cape of Good Hope Tour:

I was really looking forward to this tour. I even had my outfit planned out so I can take cool pics by the directional arrows with the distances on them. I was sooooo ready!! The plan was to explore the beauty of the Cape Peninsula with a driving tour of Cape Point from Cape Town. I was finally going to see where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans meet off the South African coast. Admire the rugged Twelve Apostles mountains. Travel along Chapman's Peak, one of the world's most beautiful drives. Visit Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens and a penguin colony at Boulder's Beach (optional). Cape Point Visit Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens What You Can Expect CapePoint is located about 1.2km east of Cape of Good Hope and is the most South Westerly corner of the African continent and the mythical meeting point of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans.

Below is the description of the tour from the hotel. Re-reading this makes me so sad. Damn you coronavirus!!

The interactive Cape Peninsula tour takes you along the Atlantic Seaboard feasting your eyes on rugged coastlines and other untainted geographic landmarks such as the Twelve apostles and the magnificent slopes of Lion's head. The Atlantic Seaboard, also known as Cape Town’s ‘Riviera’, stretches from the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront on the north shore of Table Mountain all the way down the west side of the Cape Peninsula to Hout Bay.

The tour continues through the town of Hout Bay with its rural atmosphere where you will visit a fishing harbor where an optional boat trip to Seal Island is offered. Thereafter the tour continues through the world-famous Chapman's Peak Drive, a 9 km route with 114 curves making it one of the most spectacular marine drives in the world, with its seemingly endless twists and turns this is truly a photographer’s dream.

Cape of Good Hope Nature reserve is home to an entire floral kingdom and many populations of animals. Look out for ostrich and pelagic birds of which there are a large variety, view zebra, eland, and the many species of reptiles and small mammals. Chacma baboons are common here, especially at the point itself.

You have the option of either walking or taking a funicular ride to the upper lighthouse right at the tip of Cape Point where you are able to look back in awe at the beauty of the Cape peninsula and the surrounding areas. After visiting the lighthouse at Cape Point the tour will head onto False Bay and stop at Boulders beach to view the endangered African Penguin (entry not included).

Then pass through the naval town, Simonstown, the tour will then drive through the towns of Fishhoek, Kalkbay, and Muizenberg en-route to Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens which are part of the Cape Floral Kingdom (declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site). After a wonderful and relaxing day, the tour will make its way back into Cape Town where the tour ends.

4) The Winelands Tour

The piece de resistance for the grown-ups was the wine trip. Like I stated earlier, I love South African Pinotage. Wine from SA was first decanted 350 years ago. South Africa one of the top 10 wine-producing countries in the world.

Below is the description in detail of the tour that never was. I had the perfect accessories planned for this tour.

With fertile valleys lined with neatly ordered vineyards, European-style whitewashed gabled farmhouses, and rugged mountains framing the horizon, touring Cape Town’s Winelands is a stellar way to combine sightseeing and relaxing in this picturesque region. The West Cape’s Mediterranean climate, with cold winters and sunny summers, is well suited to winegrowing, and the best-known wine regions are at Stellenbosch, Franschhoek, Wellington, and Paarl. The signature red wine grape is pinotage, blending pinot noir and cinsault to produce an earthy, fruity drop. South African sparkling wines are also celebrated and are known as Cap Classique. The classic pinotage wines come from Stellenbosch, which is also the most convenient wine region as it’s less than an hour from Cape Town. The region also produces well-regarded cabernet sauvignon, merlot, and shiraz reds, and chardonnay and oaked Chenin blanc whites.

The Stellenbosch wine route passes the scenic wonders of Hout Bay, Chapman’s Peak, and beachside Muizenberg. It’s well worth spending time in the town of Stellenbosch itself, known for its university swagger, galleries, museums, and restaurants. Vineyards to look out for around Stellenbosch include Neethlingshof, Delheim, Spier, Charmony, Merelust, Saxenburg, Welmoed, and Delaire. Franschhoek and Paarl can be combined with Stellenbosch for a scenic wine route, passing the Franschhoek and Drakenstein mountains. Paarl is known for its fortified wines and Shiraz and is the historic home of South Africa’s wine industry association, KWV. Francophile Franschhoek is another historic town on the wine route, known for its Cap Classique bubbles, Semillon wines, and superb French restaurants. Vineyards to look for include Graham Beck, Akkerdal, Grande Provence, and Lynx.

 5) Shark Cage Diving:

SOOOOOO this was recommended and no way on God’s green earth was I going to partake in this. I list it here for the adrenaline junkies. I will meet you at the wine tour after you are done diving for sharks.

Shark Cage Diving involves a trip to a coastal town called Gansbaai, located approximately 2 hours outside CapeTown. You will be collected from the hotel in the early hours of the morning (usually between 05h00 and 06h00) and will return at approximately 17h00 – 18h00. Upon arrival at the shark centre you will enjoy a light breakfast and will watch an informative video about sharks. Thereafter you will be taken out to sea. It is not necessary to get inside the shark cage in order to be able to view the sharks. This is an incredible adrenaline rush and certainly not for the faint-hearted! Whale watching takes place in much the same sequence, except that there is no cage for you to get into for viewing.

6) Safari:

The last thing on my to-do list was a day safari. Georgette was only eight at the time and a small, easy intro to safari made more sense. I heard such amazing things about Aquila and Inverdoorn that the two-hour trip each was worth it. We never made it but we still talk about the possibilities.

AQUILA GAME SAFARI

The reserve is a 10,000-hectare conservancy in the southern Karoo, and home to the big 5 legends of the wilderness - elephant, lion, buffalo, leopard, and rhino with it being only 2-hour drive and closest private game reserve to CapeTown, being a short drive from the city. 

It also offers a wide variety of safaris - day trip safaris, horseback safaris, quad bike safari, overnight, and fly-in safaris. There are other activities on offer like 4 x 4 trails, fishing, and themed weekend breakaways.

INVERDOORN GAME RESERVE

Inverdoorn game reserve is filled with various natural life, within the Klein Karoo. The reserve has made a significant contribution to sustaining the biodiversity of the region. Inverdoorn’s 10 000 hectares are also home to the successful cheetah conservation centre. In 2012 Inverdoorn became a luxury Big five safari destination, after the introduction of elephants onto the reserve, accompanying the lion, rhino, African buffalo, and the elusive leopard. Cape Cheetah, the rescue and rehabilitation centre was founded in 2001 and is home to a great number of cheetah. Together with a profusion of wildlife which includes zebras, hippos, giraffes, wildebeest and springbok, guests are sure to have an unforgettable safari experience. The Game Reserve is about a 2 and a half-hour drive from Cape Town.

One of these days we will be able to travel, learn about different cultures, try new foods, enjoy amazing pinotage, and learn things that connect us more than what separates us. Until that day, let’s all plan our dream trips to help us survive these difficult periods. I can’t wait to actually take this trip. I will definitely have a newfound appreciation.

I hope you are all well & healthy!

Adolophine