48 Hours in Cape Town, South Africa
So you want to visit Cape Town, but don't know where to begin. Where to stay, where to eat, where to hire a car! Well luckily my man in the field Pete Brooker has spent the past couple of weeks in Cape Town and has some recommendations for you all.
WHAT IS THE EXCHANGE RATE LIKE?
Everything is very well priced out here. Expect to pay half out here for things you expect to pay for in London. Currently, roughly 20 Rand will equal £1 . How I work out everything is thus.
ONE UBER RIDE FROM CITY CENTRE TO TABLE MOUNTAIN: 150 RAND
Take off the last digit from the total. 150 = 15.
Then divide that by 2. = 7.5. There you have it. It's actually £7.80 but if you need to quickly do the conversion in your head follow that simple rule.
Remove last digit off total in RAND
Divide by two.
Equals roughly price in Pounds.
Take a hike up Table Mountain
This is the most popular thing to do in Cape Town. On the weekend we (girlfriend and I) experienced a 3-4 hour to get the cable car to the top. So we just hiked it. The most popular trail is the Platteklip Gorge, which on average will take two hours.
Be prepared. Take a minimum of 3 bottles of water and sun cream. We experienced 4 seasons in two hours going up the mountain and you need to be prepared for all of them. We started off in the heat and ended up in the clouds.
We got the cable car down because there was no queue. From memory this cost 200.00 RAND for two people. (Remember how to work out the conversion to pound?)
There is a cafe at the top where you can get some refreshments and, weather permitting, some awesome shots of the city below.
Where to stay in Cape Town?
I stayed in the Westin Hotel resort for one week. It's very functional, devoid of character but that's mainly because it's right next to the Convention Centre, so it's very corporate.
It has a nice smell throughout of White Tea (they have that in all the infusers) and the bed sheets are so good we have asked if we can buy them from the hotel.
It's very central and the views are terrific with all the amenities and facilities you'd expect. Gym, Spa, free breakfast AND access to all the sports channels. They have a channel out here that plays 380 league premier league games. It's nuts. I want to live out here.
There is also The Silo on the Waterfront which is the most expensive resort in town. The building is just stunning and so unique. It really distinguishes itself with the retro fitted Heatherwick windows. (Yes the same design team that constructed the kissing buildings at Coal Drops Yard).
If you can't quite scale those prices then the Radisson Red on the Waterfront is right next door and in a prime location. I paid 5,370.30 RAND for two nights.
Lastly, if you want to know where all the stars stay when they're in town then hang around The One and Only Club. Apparently Vin Diesel stayed there for a month whilst filming something recently. Expect to pay £3.5k for the best room with a view of Table Mountain.
Take the City Sight Seeing Bus Tour
I know I'm pointing out the obvious here, but these open top buses are the best way to get to know a city. This one took the best part of the afternoon. You'll go all the way up to the Cableway Station on Table Mountain, then round the back of the mountain along the coastline.
The sea is so raw, wild. The water is cold as nails so you'll see few people swimming. All the surfers will be wearing wet suits.
However, the best place to go surfing if that's your thing is down at Muizenberg. The water is slightly warmer there, but you have an increased risk of sharks. However, the locals don't seem to bothered, even with the 'shark spotted' flag aloft over the beach.
Where to eat in Cape Town?
Sorry Carl, I know you're going on a Vegan streak until Christmas, but the meat out here is unbelievable. The cuisine is fantastic and consistently good. If you get the City Sight Seeing bus tours then you'll be able to get discounts at certain restaurants on the Waterfront.
The best restaurant we visited whilst there undoubtedly was the Cape Point Vineyards. You'll need to get a cab or plan a day tour to get to that side of the Cape, but it's worth it. You can do some wine tasting whilst you're there.
Recommended dishes:
Starters: Roast baby beetroot and carrots with smoked dukkha spiced aubergine puree and Ostrich shimeji.
Mains: Grilled Sirloin Beef twice fried hand cut parmesan chips and the North African spiced Springbok.
Dessert: Silvermine Forest
Finally
I think I've covered many bases here. I thoroughly recommend checking out all the shopping malls on the Waterfront. I've done a lot of Christmas shopping whilst here because of how unique the gifts will be.
Do tip 10% for all your services. Even the cops like their palms crossed with silver so make sure you have some spare change on you if you get a special service from someone.
Check out the Foreshore Bridge. It's weird, just an unfinished bridge in the heart of the city. I have written more extensively about my stay on my personal blog. If you have any questions or need recommended tour guides then please feel free to drop me a line.
