If you’re looking for an all-day activity to make sure you incorporate every aspect of the Cape Town experience into your holiday, look no further than the following best things to see in Cape Town. They are the most beautiful, historical, calming, and invigorating attractions you won’t want to miss out on.
Table Mountain from Robben Island
With a myriad of different activities, a tantalizing view of the Cape coast with Table Mountain as its focal point and an historical context that rivals some of the World’s most famous sites, Robben Island is one place you don’t want to miss.
Robben Island was the former prison where Nelson Mandela, South Africa’s first democratic president was once incarcerated. This is only a very small portion of the great history that lies within the island; you are able to experience all of its history first hand, if you take the small half an hour luxury ferry trip, a tour of the island, and a tour of the prison by a former political prisoner of the apartheid era. You will need to leave about 4 hours free for the trip itself and booking in advance is advisable (it is so popular!). The ferry leaves daily from the Clock Tower precinct at the V&A Waterfront.
A trip to Cape Town would also not be complete if a visit to the V&A Waterfront is not made. The Waterfront is THE center of activity in Cape Town; it is home to shops ranging from the small African craft stalls of the Red Shed to the global brands of modern society.
It is renowned for exquisite food served in one of the World’s most beautiful settings where you can choose to sit in the warm sunshine under a sun umbrella taking in the ambiance or gazing up at iconic Table Mountain or watching the boats glide in and out of the harbour. There is always something going on to catch your eye.
If you still find yourself with time to spare, you may like to take one of the many boat tours that are offered around the bay or going to see one of the shows or various musical performances. Going to the Waterfront and experiencing everything it has to offer is an all-day event, maybe even more, so go prepared to stay awhile!
If you are planning a more peaceful, more romantic kind of day, you might be interested in a Stellenbosch wine tour. You can spend the day tasting great wine, food and atmosphere in award winning vineyards. The Stellenbosch wine tour incorporates great scenery with a vast array of wineries to choose from – small, boutique wineries to large co-operatives; all with wines known to be some of the best in South Africa and all with their own distinctions, beautiful manor houses, great gardens.
Talking of gardens, to finish off, the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens provide a perfect escape from the world for a day of tranquil pleasure. The gardens are filled with indigenous flowers of South Africa, great lawns with over hanging trees – perfect for picnics, and beautiful ponds, filled with wildlife. There are many paths you can take to walk through the gardens and explore everything it has to offer; this can take up to a full day or just a few hours, it is totally up to you. Having spent a full day in the gardens you can then choose to wind down whilst watching the many concerts that are on throughout the summer months, in one of the glorious late evenings under the mountain. A little piece of paradise on Earth … just waiting for discovery!
Just a few of the more unusual things to do on a Cape Town holiday that we know you will love as much as we do. For more great ideas on what to do and see on your South Africa vacation, simply contact us now. Gorgeous luxury villas, guest houses and hotels await you to ensure your vacation in Cape Town is a memory to treasure.
