Cape Town, the mother city of Africa, lies on the Atlantic Ocean; a beautiful city with a great deal to offer, even on a longer visit.
A few suggestions for things to do from the city:
- Victoria and Alfred Waterfront
- A boat trip to Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela spent many years. People were held prisoner here for 400 years, and it gives an interesting view of the history. Book this in advance, because there are only a few sailings a day, and they are sometimes cancelled when the swell is high.
- Walk through the colourful Bo-Kaap.
- Book a guided bike tour and you will hear a great deal about daily life among the various communities.
- Table Mountain is a must, though whether you see anything depends on the cloud. You can take the cable car up, but the sporty can also walk; it is quite a climb.
- Kirstenbosch Gardens, a botanical garden on the eastern slope of Table Mountain
- A tour of the Cape Peninsula. Allow a whole day for this, because there are many stops along the way, starting at Boulders Beach with the penguins on the sand. If you stop along the peninsula, keep a close eye on the baboons; they are lightning quick at taking something out of your car and are gone before you notice. Despite paying attention, we were caught out by their antics several times.
You can also visit the wine regions from Cape Town, but personally I would advise staying the night there; I write more about that in another blog.
