I’ve been fortunate that my line of work has afforded me the opportunity to see a bit of Cape Town (CT). Being a person that loves to experience new things, I always make time to explore and visit different parts of this beautiful city.
CT runs pretty well and is geared for tourism, however there are often those uncomfortable dynamics that one becomes privy to – the lack of exposure for the ‘People’ of CT and the apparent gap between the haves & the have not’s. Granted these problems are Universal in other Countries/Cities, it still does make one feel somewhat uneasy when you speak or interact with the locals.
Having said that, CT is always a splendid experience and has what I call indescribable natural beauty. My last trip was extra special, spent time with family and got to revisit some of the tourist attractions.
What we did
Like most people who visit CT for the 1st time, we started at Robben Island – A World Heritage Site, described “as a unique symbol of the triumph of the human spirit, of freedom, and of democracy over oppression.”
We were fortunate to meet Christo Brand, a former prison guard who was one of several that were responsible for guarding Nelson Mandela and he is the author of ‘Doing life with Mandela: My prisoner, my friend.’ He spoke briefly on his relationship with Nelson Mandela and focused more on promoting his book.
The tours on the island are run by former political prisoners whom have extensive knowledge and history of the island – a great history lesson.
Our next stop was Table Mountain – the iconic symbol of CT and recently named as one of the 7wonders of Nature. Our timing was perfect – late afternoon, no queues.
When you get to the top of the mountain, you can actually view the splendor that is Cape Town.
We took a sunset drive up Signal Hill, a fantastic place to enjoy the view of the sun setting over the Atlantic, perfect sundowner location.
The kids got to visit the Aquarium and took a ride on the Cape Wheel at the Waterfront.
Where we ate
What I LOVE about CT is an abundance of places one can grab a bite to eat, you really are spoilt for choice.
1. The Grand Café & Beach
- The restaurant is part of Cape Town’s V&A Waterfront and is located on a private beach in Grander Bay. I battled to find something to eat as some of the Vegetarian sides were not available. I opted for their margarita Pizza, which was very LARGE with a thin base and tasted really good, I thoroughly enjoyed it.
- The restaurant has a great atmosphere and vibe.
2. The Bungalow Restaurant
- Located of the Glen Beach Country Club in Clifton, the outside area of Bungalow reminds me of some of the restaurant in Santorini (Greece) – endless sea views, soft colour tones in a classy yet relaxing setting. I opted for the Tricolore, a perfect light meal.
- Overall the restaurant has a great vibe and fantastic views of the sea that stretched from horizon to horizon and not forgetting the mountain.
3. Tokara Restaurant
- Three words best describeTokara ‘Memorable Dinning Experience.’ The restaurant is situated on the wine estate with views over Stellenbosch and False Bay.From the outside one might think that the restaurant is a bit ‘STUFFY’ however the overall ambience is relaxed.The menu is substantial, I had all three courses and all three were a splendid experience. The drive from CT was worth it,Tokara is a must and I highly recommend it.
Where we had dessert
1. Charly’s Bakery
- Charly’s Bakery!! The kids were indessert heaven with all the designer cup-cakes and cookies available to buy. I have been a fan of this bakery for years and I don’t leave CT without a visit toCharly’s.
2. Tashas Waffle House – Constantia
- This place is dessert heaven…it has an array of sweet treats, frozen yogurt, shakes, waffles and ice-cream. I don’t usually like taking pictures of food but I could not resist when I saw the size of our waffles.
- I had the Red velvet cheese cake waffle which I did not enjoy as much as the Choc Chip Waffle.
Where we stayed
- We stayed atLawhill Estate, a lovely clean serviced apartment at the Waterfront with easy access to the V& A Waterfront.
Verdict:-
Awesome trip, a perfect combination of places we went, ate and chilled.
TS
**Images of the Bungalow are from http://www.thebungalow.co.za
Splendid Experiences 