Five days in Cape Town

WHEN – February 2024 10th – 16th @ 7.30pm  

TRANSPORT

Flight 1 –  from Johannesburg to Cape Town with SAA Airlines @ 7 pm – 1 piece 23kg – 2 hrs

Flight 2 –  From Cape Town to Johannesburg with SAA @ 7 am – 1 piece 23kg – 2hrs

Flight 3 – From Johannesburg to Hong Kong with Cathay (airmiles) @11am – 2 pieces 23kg -12 hrs 

ACCOMMODATION -We stayed in an Air BnB on the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town. It was perfect, https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/697610741897059908?check_in=2024-02-09&check_out=2024-02-16&guests=1&adults=3&s=67&unique_share_id=4e04976a-549e-4209-97f8-8d27bf75eaa9  8,751.53 HKD for the week between the three of us.

Day 1 – February Sat 10th – Arrival in Cape Town

I arrived in Cape Town from Johannesburg @ 10 pm. I got an Uber from the airport straight to the accommodation. It was handy and safe. You need to go to a designated area in the airport where the Uber can pick you up. I arrived at the apartment around 11 pm. Oh my God, it was so good to see Rachel and Josh, we sat up chatting for a while and had a wine. I told them about my strange encounter with the man beside me on the plane, wanting my battery pack while playing Candy Crush with the other guy’s phone, so random! Bed around midnight. The bed was so comfy.

** The LOADSHEDDING was something to get used to. It is a way for the city to save energy. There are certain times of the day when the electricity won’t work but each district has a schedule and you can see it in advance and plan for it. I downloaded the app for it called ESP.

Day 2 – February Sun 11th – Table Mountain -Robin Island

We woke up around 7. I went to get some coffee with Josh in Bootlegger (a coffee chain, nice coffee) and went back to the apartment. We got ready and got an Uber to the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens (https://www.sanbi.org/gardens/kirstenbosch/ ) to start the hike up Table Mountain. The gardens were beautiful, they do concerts there and it is nice to stroll around, bring a picnic, or sit and read your book. It is worth visiting. There are also cafes with food, pastries, coffees, smoothies, and much more.

We took the Skeleton Gorge hike up Table Mountain which took us 3 hours and then the cable car down. Poor Rachel was sick up the top, not sure if it was heatstroke, a hangover, or a bug lol but it was really hot and it was a steep climb. There are many different routes you can take up Table Mountain. See below some of the different hikes you can do. 

ROUTE 1 – The Skeleton Gorge – This hike takes you from one side of Table Mountain to the other. Starting in the the serene Kirstenbosch Gardens, you will arrive at the steep ascent of Skeleton Gorge where indigenous trees provide shade. Along the way, you’ll encounter a stream, typical mountain fynbos, and some interesting rock formations before arriving at Maclear’s Beacon – the highest point on Table Mountain. Take a rest and enjoy panoramic views of the city and Robben Island.

Starting point Kirstenbosch Gardens End point Maclear’s Beacon

Duration 2 – 4 hours (depending on your level of fitness)

Good to know Nursery Ravine provides an easier alternative route that also joins up with the Skeleton Gorge trail at certain points. This makes them a popular pairing, with one trail being used for ascent and the other (preferably Nursery Ravine) being used for descent.

Need to know This is a long hike with ladders to assist climbers to the top, and a rockfall to overcome, meaning you have to be relatively fit. Parts of the gorge can be quite slippery, even during summer. It’s recommended to avoid this route during and immediately after heavy rainfall.

ROUTE 2 – Platteklip Gorge – Probably the second most well-known hiking trail in Cape Town (after Lion’s Head), Platteklip is not so easygoing, despite its popularity. There’s a lot of upward walking, which probably makes it the ideal route for a workout. It provides a direct route to the summit of Table Mountain.

Starting point Tafelberg Road End point Upper Cableway Station

Duration 3 hours, though some ridiculously fit people have been known to run up the trail in an hour.

Need to know Platteklip is best avoided on a hot day, as there is little shade to be found along the trail. Kasteelport Hiking Trail – We love the Kasteelspoort Hiking Trail for its easy access to the mountain, and suitability to all fitness levels. Not to mention the stunning views of the Atlantic Ocean, Twelve Apostles, and Camps Bay. There are several paths leading to different points – such as the old Cableway Station and the two reservoirs – making each trek a different adventure.

ROUTE 3 – India Venster trail

Starting point Lower Cable Car Station End point Finishing point (on the top) – 700 m away from the Upper Cable Car station.

Duration 2-3 hours from the start to the cable car, one way – 4,3 km to Upper Cable Car station, one way – Total elevation gain – 722 m

Need to know Difficulty – 5 out of 5, it’s the most challenging and dangerous route up Table Mountain, not suitable for children or elderly people. The terrain – rocks, boulders, occasional chains and ladders, footpath at the very end of the trail. Parking – along Tafelberg Road before or after Lowe Cable Car station.

So the route we did was straight up through the forest for about an hour, then a bit of scrambling rock, and some ladders (great fun). We met a man Pietro, so lovely, an Italian / SA retired mountain guide. He was giving us tips and telling us which way to go. In fairness, it was not well signposted, and his advice was well appreciated. We took a quick break under the 5 finger rock. Then it was up again and leveled out for an hour. There were beautiful views over the city, wow. The elevation of the hike was 1200m. We took lots of pictures and got a beer at the cable car station. We didn’t hang around for long as we had to catch the ferry to Robin Island.

Cable Car down – 40 Uber back to the apartment – 60

We got to the apartment and had a 10-minute turnaround. Myself and Josh did Robin Island as Rachel wasn’t feeling up to it. We got a taxi to the terminal at the V&A Waterfront. Now it says on the ticket to arrive 45 minutes before the ferry departs but there is absolutely no need to do that. Like 10 / 15 minutes before is grand. The ferry was about 45 mins and there was a little documentary about the Island and some of the prisoners on it. It was like the Fest Ferry in HK, also loads of seats on it.

We arrived around 4 pm. Got some bits in the shop and we were escorted to the bus where we had a tour of the island. The tour lady was hilarious! She asked us to put on our seatbelts but they were all locked. She asked where everyone was from and then slagged their countries. Then when we went to the Robin Island signpost and toilet break stop, she said the last person onto the bus would have to sing a song from their own country, and rightly so, she made this sweet, shy, South African guy sing a song. We clapped along haha! 

Then we got dropped off at the main prison where Mandela was imprisoned. The guy that did the tour was an ex-prisoner. He was sentenced to 12 years because he went with a whole lot of other students to pay respects to the massacre that happened the previous year on March 16th. He was interesting and some of the things he said were sad, like the way they were treated. The prison itself didn’t feel eerie as it was all empty cells and nothing on the walls etc so it was hard to imagine what really went on there. The story about the monthly visits and the monthly letters which were not sent was very interesting and sad. We had a quick 5 minutes in the shop and then back on the ferry at 6 pm.

We walked around the Waterfront, popped into TimeOut Market, and listened to the choir outside that was singing Killing Me Softly…so nice. Then we got an Uber to meet Rachel at Kloof Street House on Kloof Street at 7.30. We were bloody starving haha so I was ready for all the food and some drinks. Omg, also only models work there, I am not even joking, even our South African friends were like yeah, they just hire models haha. The interior and food were fab. We got cocktails, AMAZING squid, fish, lamb, and sharing plates. It was all so reasonable too. Got an Uber home at 10.30ish. No electricity and pretty much bed straight away. It was a great, action-packed day.

Day 3 – February Mon 12th – Camps Bay, Coastal Run and Coastal Bike Ride

I got up about 7 am. I went for a 10km run along our road and then down to Sea Point along the coast by Clifton and ended in Camp’s Bay. Wow, it is stunning there. I was a little nervous running on my own at the start but once you reach the Sea Point Promenade loads of people are running and it’s spaced out and safe. I was taking pictures along the way too. Clifton is stunning. It was a little hilly and I kept going to Camps Bay, it’s beautiful there. A cute, fancy, coastal seaside town. Like an expensive place to live, I reckon. I went into the Woolworths, got goodies, got a large coffee, and got an Uber back to the apartment for 10 am. Rach and Josh were in no rush so that was nice.

I showered and got ready and we made our way to Up Cycles near the V&A Waterfront to rent bikes for the day. I got this beautiful smooth road bike for 600 rand for 24 hours. We made our way to Camps Bay – 11km. It was a busy enough road to cycle on but still beautiful. We parked our bikes by the rock pool and went in for an ice-cold swim. Delightful. Josh was shocked by the coldness of it haha! It was so lovely and chilled to relax there for a bit and then we had our lunch in Paranga at 1.30 pm. We were hungry and it was great. I got a chicken salad, we shared some plates and had a lovely lunch there. Just sitting looking out to the waterfront was so nice.

I wanted to do more cycling, so after lunch, around 3 pm I continued to cycle on with Josh to Haut Bay. It was quite hilly though so he turned back round (also because he had a mountain bike and it was really heavy). I continued by myself and took a million pictures and then a steep hill into Haut Bay and down by a dead end by the fish and chip shop. It was a bit rough and ready down there and I didn’t feel super safe. So back up the hill I went and when I passed a group of people on the side of the road, I didn’t look them in the eye as I was a bit cautious. I noticed that groups of people hung out on the main roads but far from the towns. I took beautiful pictures on the way back and stopped at Clifton for five minutes to take it all in. It was 50km in total. On the way back to the cycle shop I think I went on the motorway for a few mins by accident. Got to the shop at 6 pm and gave the bike back. Omg, I wish I had it for a few days, all the cycling you can do here is fab! You can go all the way over Chapman’s Peak which is a popular drive and popular with cyclists.

I got an Uber back to the flat but was so stuck for time to get ready. Josh and Rachel went on ahead and I followed them 15 mins later. The restaurant was called Galjeon and it was like a fine dining seafood experience in a warehouse-type place. We had like 8 courses and I enjoyed them all. Delish small plates of seafood, palette cleansers, and fab-sparkling wine. We went home after dinner as we were up early for the WINE TRAM in FRANSCHEOK woop! I packed my bags and we had electricity….winning! I went to bed about 10.30 pm and cocked out! Another fab day being out and about.

Day 4 – February Tue 13th – Franschhoek Wine Tram – Orange Line Schedule 2

Road triiiiiiiiiiiiip time. We had to get up early and get ready. I got up at 6.30 and got ready. We got dressed up for it and hit the road at about 7.30 am. We were delayed and I mean we made the train with a minute to spare haha. The stress haha. We had to leave in the car at the Airbnb place. We missed the shuttle bus to the Groot Tram Station, and couldn’t get an Uber and then a lovely guy who let us into the apartment organized a driver for us and we made it by the skin of our teeth.

We hopped on the tram at 9.35 and relaxed! The guides were all lovely and we got a wine tasting straight away! So we went to 6 wineries, an hour at each. A mix of wee buses, trams, and shuttle buses. The schedule was so well organized and they tell you when and where you need to be to get to the next stop.

The Wineries we visited were …

• Nobel Hill – a beautiful setting, quite small, and peaceful. We did the wine tasting and got a mezze platter. Cap Classique | Wine & Cheese Tasting | Restaurant (Wed-Sun)
• Babylonstoren – A must-visit, beautiful and so big. We got another platter here, insane! You can stay here for longer. Garden | Farm Shop | Deli | Cheese Room | Lekker Kamer | Geur Kamer | Spa | Story of Wine Experience
• Bacco – Another lovely place, we sat out the back where there were beautiful views of the mountains! Cicchetti (Italian-inspired small plates of food)
• Anura – This was the last one on the tram, hmm you could maybe skip this although the red wines were really nice here. I think they offer cheese platters too.
• Vrede en Lust – STUNNING surroundings, garden walk, (often a wedding venue. Wine & Lindt Chocolate Pairing | Cheese & Wine Pairing | Horse-Drawn Carriage Rides
• Plasir – Another favorite, just beautiful, a wedding venue too. They had a shop there with chocolate and billtong and more! Artisinal Confectionary Pairing | Artisinal Gin Tasting | Gin Bar | Local Food Market | Trail Centre

We arrived back at Groot Station at 5.30 and got a transfer back to Fransheok Tram Stop and then a wee shuttle to the middle of town. We popped into the Woolworths and headed up to our Air BnB quite tipsy. So much wine today haha. We were going to go out for dinner but ended up having salads, snacks, and wine in the apartment. The apartment was so beautiful we didn’t want to leave. The aircon was well needed too! We watched about 4 episodes of Derry Girls and I went to bed at 9.30ish.

Day 5 – February Wed 14th – Franschhoek – Oldenburg – Stellenbosch – Signal Hill Sunset

I woke up at about 7 am and went out for a run. Not ideal to run hungover but it was nice to explore the area a bit. Although parts were a little hilly, I just went with it and took some breaks. I did 11km and ran through the town too. It’s Valentine’s Day! I browsed around a few shops and got goodies and coffee in Woolworths. Omg, the lady there gave me a free lip balm for Valentine’s Day, how sweet. I met Josh and Rachel at a cafe and browsed around a few more shops. I bought a handmade case for your glasses and a leather belt. I went back up to the apartment at 10.30, showered (amazing shower btw), and we checked out at 1.30 pm.

The next stop was Oldenburg Wine Estate (recommended by a friend), which was in between Franschhoek and Stellenbosch. Oh, my, word, the drive there and the mountains in the background were just fab.  One thing I didn’t realize, was that it didn’t do lunch and we were all starving, whoops haha. But honestly, it was absolutely stunning there. Our waitress was Freda and she was so cool and explained all about the different wines. She was really funny and down to earth too. I think we had 8 tastings and there were crackers, cheese, and olives that I dug right into. We took pictures outside and sat on the bench facing the sun and the stunning surroundings…pure bliss. We stayed there for three hours haha!

We hit the road at about 4.30 and made our way into Stellenbosch for a late lunch. We had to walk around a few places as most places were fully booked as it was Valentine’s Day. But we found a nice food place. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it but it had salads, meats, fish the usual and the staff were nice. I can’t remember the name! We made our way back to Cape Town, dropped Rachel off at the apartment, and then myself and Josh went to Signal Hill to try and catch the sunset. We kind of missed it and couldn’t find a good spot to watch it, but the views were still lovely. There were many cars there and people seemed to be having picnics in random spots on the mountain, cute. Drove back at 8ish. We all chilled in the apartment for the night. LOAD SHEDDING was from 10 pm, and I sat in the kitchen till 10.30 writing in my diary with my phone torch and into bed by 11 pm.

Day 6 – February Thur 15th – Lion’s Head – Chapmans Peak Drive – Simon’s Town – Boulders Beach – Penguins – Elgar with Pete and Inge

I got up at 6 am. Woke Josh and we made our way to Lion’s Head hiking point at 6.30 am. Started at 7 am. It was quite chilly at that time so I had all my layers on. It was also not busy at all just a few people doing their morning routine I suppose. Defo some tourists too and a few guides bringing couples up. I LOVED this hike. I mean it was really, really stunning THE WHOLE WAY UP AND DOWN!!! It takes an hour up and the same down. There were loads of ladders and plenty of scrambling towards the end. In fairness though if you were scared of heights it might be a bit much. I’d probably wear trail runners too if you had them. My runners were a bit slippy. Back down and home by 9.30.

Quick shower and got ready for our coastal trip!! We went to Bo-Kaap first and spent about 20 minutes just walking around and we got takeaway coffee and browsed around a few shops and galleries. OMG, Josh gave a lift to an old lady who had just finished church. I was caught off guard and was so surprised that he was giving a lift, to a stranger. In Bo Kaap! haha! Anyone could’ve been hiding around the place lol. She ended up being the sweetest old lady though. It was weird that there was no one else to give her a lift.

Anyway, we get on the road to Simons Town around 11.30, and wow the coastal drive is just absolutely stunning. We drove over Chapman’s Peak (people cycle up and over this too and it looks fantastic – coastal views all the way). We stopped along the way and took loads of pictures! The beaches look so long and stunning, the Noordhoek one looks amazing when you are on the descent after Chapmans Peak. We stopped in Simon’s Town for lunch in a place called Savour. It was lovely, the food was great, it’s a little fishing village. We were a little stuck for time as we had to get the car back to Cape Town. So we went on to Boulders Beach (5 mins drive) to see the PENGUINS!!! Omg, so, so cute! My word, they were everywhere. They were adorable, doing their own thing and just strolling around. I went in for a swim and then on the other side, there were more penguins. You can bring a wee picnic and chill out in the sun for a bit but we went on after about an hour to head back to Cape Town for 6 pm. 

*If you have time and are not in a rush, I recommend going to the Cape of Good Hope, it is the Southernmost tip, and you can walk and wander around the area for a bit. The coastline is meant to be fab there!

We dropped the car off on time and went back to the apartment. I packed up and we all got ready for dinner with Inge and Pete (a South African couple that lived in Hong Kong for ten years and then moved to London). It was amazing to see them. We both arrived at the same time. We went to Elgr for dinner, a lovely place, that suits everyone, nice wine and cocktails too. We shared dishes and had all the chats, such a lovely evening. We got an Uber back home at 11.30 and bed at 12.30! My last night… I am not ready to leave yet, I love this place!! 

Day 7 – February Fri 16th – Home Time 🙁

I woke up at 4 am! Packed up and got an Uber to the airport at 5 am. 250 rand and 30 mins drive. All check-in went smoothly and the SaFair flight was on schedule at 7 am. Isle seat, free one beside me. Had a little nap and arrived in Johannesburg at 9 am. Got my bags, about a 15-minute wait, and went out to check in again. Terminal B for international. The lady at the counter was so friendly. I went through security and passport control super quick and met Eadaoin and Liam, woohoo!! We caught up about our holiday and I got water and coffee. The flight was at 11.20 and I had a Premium Economy seat!!!! I didn’t expect that unless I got it on my miles and didn’t realize it, but it was great. A recliner seat and all, and the food was nice, with snacks throughout the flight. I watched Belfast (really enjoyed it, the kid was so cute) and What’s Is It About Love. I arrived in Hong Kong at 5.30 am and we shared a taxi back home! What a trip. I defo want to go back to Cape Town. I feel like I only got a taster.

Until next time Cape Town …💗

Hikes in Cape Town

• Lion’s Head
• Table Mountain – many options.
• Signal Hill

Bike Rides in Cape Town 

• You can rent bikes @ Up Cycles (there are a few dotted around the city). 
• All along the coast.
• Cape Town to Haut Bay.
• Cape Town to Camps Bay.
• Can cycle Chapmans Peak Drive too – STUNNING VIEWS

Run

• Sea Point to Camps Bay – 9km
• All the different waterfronts.
• Plenty of trail running if you are into that.