We flew into J'berg twice, once from Germany and once from Zambia, but only saw the airport. We spent three days in and around Cape Town. Here are my travel notes -- I didn't keep a full diary as I usually do -- the Botswana part of the trip just blew me away -- other worldly -- and I didn't want to let my usual practices intrude on the experience.
These notes were drafted on the way home -- we spent 14 hours laying over in Germany and I had plenty of time -- weather was lousy in early December.
Cape Town.
Dominated by Table Mountain. Several hiking trails up, all of them at least challenging for all but the very fit. Driving and taking the cable car up and back down takes one to two hours depending on crowds which can be very large. High winds closed the cable car on the day we drove up, but the views were worth the drive. We didn't have time to hike, but hiking would be very rewarding. ***
The Kirstenbosch gardens are superb -- only indigenous South African plants. Beautifully designed, really excellent sculptures, placed well. Excellent restaurant with some interesting SA wines. Varied topography, superb views from upper gardens. Lots of birds. ***
Cape Point is within the Cape Peninsula National Park. Well worth climbing to the lighthouse, and of course to go to the point where the two oceans meet. Baboons, Mountain Zebra, 250 species of animals and plants. Tidal ponds, beaches, restaurant a disappointment with good views but iffy food when we were there. Take a picnic. ***
Boulders Penguin Colony. Wooden walkways with a good museum. One hour -- spend some time at a little town -- Simon's Town -- and combine with a trip to or from Cape Point. Boulders Beach is excellent depending on season. ***
Victoria and Albert Waterfront. Dozens of shops, pubs and restaurants. We were very disappointed in the shopping -- didn't see anything in the shops of real interest. There's an above average aquarium and a couple of other museums, none of which are outstanding. ***
The best restaurant we tried in Cape Town was Balducci's on V&A Waterfront.
http://www.restaurants.co.za/details.asp?resId=3296 Extensive wine list. They serve four or five different South African prawns which were excellent. Frankly, we were a bit disappointed with the food in South Africa, but we were spoiled by outstanding meals in the camps in Botswana and by the lunch I mentioned above in the wine country. **
Rhodes Memorial -- near Devil's Peak. Worthwhile for the views, otherwise a Victorian pile. Some interesting streets with beautiful houses, and can be tied to a trip to the gardens. Driving by from the highway is good enough for my money. *
Robben Island -- tremendous history and views. World Heritage Site. Excellent to understand the apartheid era. Need four hours including the ferry trip. ***
Township tour -- we toured Langa. One to two hours -- don't visit them alone, but hire one of the many tour companies. Essential to understand South Africa in my mind. ***+
World of Birds. 3000 birds in an excellent sanctuary. Breeding colonies. If you like birds, a must see. ***
Castle of Good Hope. Oldest building in South Africa, well preserved. Some excellent historical exhibits. **
Beaches. They look beautiful, but none of our group were beach folks. Lots of top flight choices. NA
Greenmarket Square. Craft market. Lots of junk, but the people are wonderful. There are a number of marekt -- Waterfront Market, Greenpoint at the Greenpoint Stadium parking lot -- a flea market. For us, go for local color -- and inexpensive souvenirs. *
There is an upscale government sponsored shop with crafts from all over South Africa. Interesting as a sort of modern day museum, but prices were out of sight. Can't remember the name, sorry. *
The Tygervalley Shopping Mall attracts thousands of people and is great for people watching. Very ornate structure. Worth stopping by to get a sense of middle class folks. **
David and Robin did a bit of bar and club hopping -- David reccos Po Na Na Bar on Heritage Square. Also there are some trendy bars on the Camps Bay strip they liked. Opium is a pretty good club in the Greenpoint area -- cigar bar attracted David. City center is a good starting point. NA.
We stayed at a hotel in V&A Waterfront -- ok, but modern and non-distinguished for our money. There is a very wide range -- I'd stay in the wine country, especially at the farm recommended above. We saw one of the rooms and the food was excellent. It appears that one can stay almost anywhere in Cape Town -- it was easy to get from one place to another. NA.
If we went back, we would take the Garden Route between Mossel Bay and Nature's Valley -- greenery and the Tsitsikamma Forest. The coastal route includes the towns of Mossel Bay, George, Wilderness, Sedgefield, Knysna and Plettenberg Bay and Nature's Valley. Other tourists reccoed it highly. NA.
We used the Eyewitness Travel Guide for South Africa -- excellent. We like this series very much because of the extensive photographs. Authors: Michael Brett, Brian Johnson-Barker, Marielle Renssen, Dorling-Kindersley. Features: Cape Town, Cape Winelands, Western Coastal Terrace, Southern Cape, Garden Route to Grahamstown, Wild Coast, Drakensberg, Midlands, Durban, Zululand, Gauteng, Sun City, Blyde River Canyon, Kruger, as well as South and North of the Orange.
Overall, we spent three days in and around Cape Town. I liked it much more than Janet did -- the scenery and history blew me away -- she thought it was a cultural desert. We have a good friend who has recently moved to Cape Town, and I am sure he would be happy to suggest things of local interest if you are interested in meeting/corresponding with him. Fair Warning: he's an artist, extremely self sufficient, and agrees completely with Janet.
Regards, Bob
