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What to do ~ a week in Cape Town / Area ("Capetown")?

What to do ~ a week in Cape Town / Area ("Capetown")?

Old Aug 21, 2014, 7:07 am
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I wouldn't hesitate to rent a car around Cape Town, although I wouldn't drive outside the city at night. But that would be my attitude in most cities around the world! By driving yourselves you will have a lot more flexibility over where and when to stop, eat, take photos etc. Although I might be tempted to take a tour of the winelands so I could have a few tasters.

You'll have 5 full days in and around Cape Town but it will be winter. The southern right whales will be around and the proteas should be flowering, which attract sunbirds so I would suggest whale watching (from False Bay or around Hermanus / Walker Bay) and visiting the Kirstenbosch Gardens as other activities. You'll need some flexibility in your itinerary if you want to go up Table Mountain, and as soon as you have clear morning get up there, because you could easily get 4-5 days of cloud. Driving yourselves, you can visit Kirstenbosch, visit the Constantia area vineyards, Boulders Bay penguin colony, Cape Point (keep an eye out for ostrich, game and baboons) and then back along Chapman's Peak Drive for the sunset as one full day out. You could also do Walker Bay for sharks and whales and Betty's Bay penguins in a day trip. I would definately recommend Robben Island for an introduction to the contemporary history of South Africa and if you want to do a township tour, I have been recommended Laura's by an old colleague of mine who now lives in CT.

Sorry I can't answer your other questions. Enjoy the planning!
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Old Aug 21, 2014, 12:22 pm
  #32  
 
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Originally Posted by konagirl2
I wouldn't hesitate to rent a car around Cape Town, although I wouldn't drive outside the city at night. ...

Driving yourselves, you can visit Kirstenbosch, visit the Constantia area vineyards, Boulders Bay penguin colony, Cape Point (keep an eye out for ostrich, game and baboons) and then back along Chapman's Peak Drive for the sunset as one full day out. ...

Enjoy the planning!
Sounds like a one or two day rental would be a good idea.

Has anyone hiked Table Mountain? We are thinking of going up with Riaan at Hike Table Mountain. His TripAdvisor reviews are stellar, and I like the challenge.

I am a bit worried, as many of the things we want to do will be weather-dependent. In some ways, we'll just have to hope for some good luck.
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Old Aug 23, 2014, 7:10 pm
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I took my family (2 adults/3 kids) to SA in July for 3 weeks. Cape Town for 6 days.
--rent a car for sure. Very easy. We drove at night from Stellenbosch back to Camps Bay and I would do it again without hesitation.
--you do need clear day for Table Mountain. We took cable car up so I don't know about hiking. I think it is about 2-3 hours though.
--I kept hearing that Robben's Island had become rather touristy and the weather really wasn't conducive to a trip out there. If you want to see/hear about apartheid, you can visit the township in CT. We did not go there b/c we had already done a private tour of Soweto in Joburg.
--We spent 3 nights along the Western Cape before settling in Camps Bay (Cape Town), including Hermanus, and never saw a whale. I think July is the earliest you'd see one.
--Def do the Chapman's Peak drive to Cape Point with a rental car. It was great to stop at lookouts along the way.
--we did Kirstenbosch, too. There's a pretty restaurant in the garden for lunch, or you can take a picnic.
--if you have time after Kruger (and if you're driving back to JNB) you might drive through the Panorama Route to see various landmarks.
--we flew from CPT to SZK (Skukuza...inside Kruger). It was really cool to fly over the park and see animals from the plane.
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Old Aug 23, 2014, 9:20 pm
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Originally Posted by bentrmpt
Has anyone hiked Table Mountain? We are thinking of going up with Riaan at Hike Table Mountain. His TripAdvisor reviews are stellar, and I like the challenge.
I hiked Table Mountain via the Platteklip Gorge a few years back: I would think the only reason to have a guide would be as a "tour guide" rather than a "mountain guide". The walk itself was a short but relatively constant slog; anyone who does regular aerobic exercise won't have a problem with it.
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Old Aug 24, 2014, 2:08 pm
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Originally Posted by NickW
I hiked Table Mountain via the Platteklip Gorge a few years back: I would think the only reason to have a guide would be as a "tour guide" rather than a "mountain guide". The walk itself was a short but relatively constant slog; anyone who does regular aerobic exercise won't have a problem with it.
Re: Hiking...I think we are going to do the India Vestner route, which I understand requires a guide for amateurs.

Re: Panorama...We may try to take a Panorama Route drive one day between morning and evening game drives.

Sounds like most people agree about renting a car for at least a day.

Any thoughts on Gabsbaai vs. Simon's Town for sharks?

Any personal experience/recommendations on the Cape Town dining scene?

Thanks!
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Old Aug 25, 2014, 9:14 pm
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Originally Posted by bentrmpt

Any personal experience/recommendations on the Cape Town dining scene?

Thanks!
Also interested in responses to this..
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Old Aug 26, 2014, 6:43 am
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Have a look at www.eatout.co.za.
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Old Aug 26, 2014, 7:47 am
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If you are interested in apartheid, I'd also suggest the District 6 museum. I haven't been there in years, but I found it interesting. I'd also second Robben Island. When I went there, our guide was a former prisoner.

I've rented a car in Cape Town and drove a circular route to Cape Point and back by Chapman's Peak. It's great.
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Old Sep 1, 2014, 10:42 pm
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Originally Posted by Cheetah_SA
Have a look at www.eatout.co.za.
I checked that site out a few times but I don't see a way to sort them or view by rating (like Yelp here in the US). Any review based sites you know of for Cape Town restaurants?
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Old Sep 2, 2014, 6:16 am
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Eat Out has pretty good information, but the site is quite disorganised. The info is all there, just a bit difficult to extract.

Meat: Carne SA - this place is compulsory.

Fish / seafood: The Codfather, Camps Bay (unprepossessing location, awesome food, impressive prices...). Willoughby & Co. at the Waterfront is a victim of its own success; the place is a complete circus (and it's in a mall) - not recommended.

General ambience / experience: head out to the Winelands, so many superb dining options there, especially in and around Franschhoek. Reubens, Le Quartier Francais, Tokara, Delaire Graff are just a couple of names that spring to mind; there are many others. Constantia wine region also has some good options.

Last edited by ThudAndBlunder; Sep 2, 2014 at 6:54 am
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Old Sep 2, 2014, 8:25 am
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Originally Posted by ThudAndBlunder
Eat Out has pretty good information, but the site is quite disorganised. The info is all there, just a bit difficult to extract.

Meat: Carne SA - this place is compulsory.

Fish / seafood: The Codfather, Camps Bay (unprepossessing location, awesome food, impressive prices...). Willoughby & Co. at the Waterfront is a victim of its own success; the place is a complete circus (and it's in a mall) - not recommended.

General ambience / experience: head out to the Winelands, so many superb dining options there, especially in and around Franschhoek. Reubens, Le Quartier Francais, Tokara, Delaire Graff are just a couple of names that spring to mind; there are many others. Constantia wine region also has some good options.
I agree that the Eat Out site is a bit hard to navigate.

Thanks for those suggestions. I look forward to trying them!
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Old Sep 3, 2014, 2:56 am
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Originally Posted by ThudAndBlunder
Eat Out has pretty good information, but the site is quite disorganised. The info is all there, just a bit difficult to extract.
Very true.

The "Awards" page is very useful in identifying the top restaurants - the top ten are ranked, but the list of nominees is just as indicative of excellent quality.

Elsewhere on the site there are loads of "Best" lists too if you are looking for a certain style of food.
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Old Sep 4, 2014, 7:07 pm
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Originally Posted by bentrmpt
Should I be thinking more seriously about Gansbaai?
I think both Simon's Town and Gansbaai will serve you well. We went all the way out to Gansbaai in April/May 2010 and LOVED it--saw about 30-40 white sharks including about 6 that breached! It was a very early drive out (the outfits will pick you up), but it was totally worth it. Since we were jetlagged, the early wake up wasn't so bad.

I'm trying to decide if we should do Robbens Island, because I've heard some mixed reviews. I've also heard that, with Cape Town winter weather, the ferry often gets cancelled. I'm very interested in learning more about the history of apartheid while in Cape Town. Is Robben Island the place to do it? Are there other things that I should be considering, like a township tour?
We didn't go to Robbens Island on our first visit in 2003 and regretted it...so we went on our second visit in May 2007. We had no issues with the ferry at all. We very much enjoyed Robbens, but things like this are always subjective. I normally hate museums and cultural things like this, but I really enjoyed it.

There is also the District Six museum about apartheid and the removal/history of that apartheid relic. It was interesting--if you have time, do it, but I wouldn't worry if you don't.

I'd definitely recommend a township tour if you want to see how the majority of real South Africans live.

We'd love to do the Chapman's peak drive, and we'd love to spend time driving around the wine country. Should we rent a car, or should we do this through private guides/small tour groups? I have heard mixed advice on the wisdom of renting a car in Cape Town, so I'd love to hear advice from this forum.
Chapman's Peak drive is cool...but Table Mountain is cooler. Up to you! We've driven in SA on numerous trips and never had a single issue, including most recently in 2010. We are going back in January 2015 and are driving around then, too. In Cape Town you won't really need a car since taxis are readily available...but if you venture outside (which I recommend) you'll need a rental car or to hire a car/guide or travel with a group.

I definitely recommend visiting wine country...in fact, I recommend staying in wine country if you can. Our first trip, we day tripped out and regretted it--between traffic and the long day and not enough time to really see it all. (For us, who have been to wine regions all over the world, the SA wine country is the most dramatic and beautiful--unquestionably.) Our last 2 trips we stayed in Franschhoek for at least a few nights (including getting married there in 2010!), and we'll be back again for 3 nights in Franschhoek in January 2015.

We never do wine touring with groups. We're too particular and we know far more than most groups--which often simply visit the prettiest wineries and not the ones with the most exciting wines. Depends on what you prefer...and how comfortable you are using a GPS and driving on your own (and spitting if you are wine tasting so you don't get drunk!).

Is the Test Kitchen worth it? What other restaurants in the Cape Town region should I be considering?
We are going in January 2010 during our next trip. There are TONS of amazing restaurants in/around Cape Town--there are many lists you can refer to by a simple Google search. Since the Test Kitchen's chef used to be at La Colombe which we dined at in 2003, we know he's amazing. The Test Kitchen is rated by most as even better than The Tasting Room at Le Quartier Francais (where we will stay in Jan), and we dined at the The Tasting Room the night before our wedding in April 2010--amazing. (We dine at top restaurants the world over, and I can assure you that the dining in Cape Town and in the Cape wine country is world class--and much cheaper than in Europe or the US!)

One of the other benefits of staying in wine country rather than just daytripping it is the chance for dining at some of the most incredible restaurants there. Again, the lists are easily found. (We're going to Vergelegan's Camphor and Le Petite Ferm and the Tasting Room again in Jan in wine country, and the Test Kitchen in Cape Town...skipping La Colombe this time.)

What am I missing from my itinerary that I need to include?
You MUST spend at least a day driving down the Cape peninsula to the Cape of Good Hope, Boulders Beach with the penguins, and the cute little towns along the Bay and Atlantic (both sides--drive down one way and back the other). It's amazing.

If you do go to Gansbaai for sharks instead of Simon's Town, our driver managed to take us back a longer way that stopped along some of the top wineries in the southern Hermanus region--Hamilton Russell and Bouchard Finlayson. What a nice surprise and highlight.

Trust me--you will love it. It's my favorite place in the world (the whole Cape and Cape Town), and I can't get enough.

Last edited by bhrubin; Sep 4, 2014 at 7:23 pm
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Old Sep 4, 2014, 7:22 pm
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Do remember that winter in Cape Town is like winter in Los Angeles--very mild. Temps will be cooler but pleasant--50s-60s for the most part, with some chance for rain...but not as much as you'd think.
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Old Jun 27, 2015, 7:16 pm
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Cool Cape Town and Surroundings Advice?

I will be arriving in Cape Town the evening of 28Aug15 and leaving mid afternoon 12Sep15, so have a fair amount of time to travel around that part of SA. I'm considering taking a tour or driving the following places while there, and I'm interested in opinions from others who have been there, as I've heard the Garden Route may be a bit overrated, but would like some input.

Leg 1: Cape Town – Hermanus – Cape Agulhas

Leg 2: Cape Agulhas – Oudtshoorn. Stopping at Cango Caves and for some wine tasting

Leg 3: Oudtshoorn – Knysna – Sedgefield Stopping at Wilderness National Park for canoeing/hiking

Leg 4: Sedgefield – Tsitsikamma - Addo Elephant Park. Stopping at Tsitsikamma National Park for hiking

Leg 5: Addo Park – Wilderness Beach. Starting the day with a game drive at Addo Park.

Leg 6: Wilderness Beach – Mossel Bay – Stellenbosch -Cape Town. Stopping in Mossel Bay, hike along Cape St. Blaize

I'd obviously still have time for other things if I did this; what do people think about this itinerary or about other things I should see?

How easy is it to drive around this part of SA?

I'm trying to get my planning in for the trip squeezed in while being really busy with work, sorry not to be more specific yet. I'm definitely not a luxury traveler, I just like seeing as many interesting places and things as I can and am satisfied with a basic clean hotel or B&B to sleep at.

Thanks for any critiques and suggestions. I know the collective wisdom of FT will help immensely!

Cheers,

Doc

Last edited by Doc Savage; Jun 28, 2015 at 1:12 am
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