If you are looking for a perfect combination between a big city and nature, this city will make you fall in love. After my last tour with Bazbus I managed to get to Cape Town. I’ve been wanting to visit this city for years and I could not believe I made it here. I arrived completely exhausted and the bed that was waiting for me was perfect.
I decided to stay at 91Loop this is a boutique hostel located in the entire tourist center of the city and a perfect place to meet travelers. It has rooms with capsule beds where you can have your space and relax as you like.
When I arrived to Cape Town, there was some paperwork I needed to do urgently for the Australian VISA so I took my first day to do this errands and then I could dedicate my time to know and visit the city. At the end of my errands, I couldn’t resist and decided it was time to go out and do an excursion in one of its mountains to see the sunset.
At 91Loop there are constantly events that allow you to meet people so I made friends easily and I was able to always go around the city with people and enjoy the good party in the city. In addition to the events, they constantly take group hikes to Table Mountain and Lions Head.
What to do in Cape Town
Table Mountain
This mountain is incredible for hiking and getting out of the busy city. One of my favorite plans was to go up one of its paths. It is a perfect mountain for both beginners and professionals as it has all kinds of trails. You climb almost 1,000 meters from sea level and from here you can have spectacular views of the entire city and the other mountains that surround it such as, Lions Head, Devils Peak and 12 Apostholes.
IF walking is not your thing, you can go up or down with the cable car. An entertaining ride where you will see the city all your way.
- Each way costs approximately 10 USD
If you decide to hike, you will be able to appreciate the fauna and if you are lucky, you will find some animals along the way. Remember to wear a wind-break jacket because the weather changes very easily and if you get clouds at the top it might rain and I assure you will get quite cold.
If you are a beginner, I recommend that you go up Platteklip Gorge, it is the main and easiest way up, on the way you’ll come across several people as it is the busiest one. If you want to make a more experienced one, I recommend doing India Venster. This one requires more experience and much more care. It is very difficult to cross people on the trail so I recommend you go with a group just in case.
Lion's Head
Lion’s Head, is very close to Table Mountain and it is very easy to get there by taxi or by bus (106 & 107 MyCity) This hiking trail is quite easy and relaxed. It is great to see the sunrise or sunset over the mountain.
Unlike Table Mountain, the only way to get to the top is by walking. It will not take you more than an hour with a good pace so program yourself well. Although it is a simple route, there is a point where the path divides into two ways and you can decide to take a more direct path (You’ll have to climb some stones) or a simpler path by going around the mountain.
Bo-Kaap
Bo-Kaap is one of the oldest neighborhoods in the city. It was created in the 18th century just below Signal Hill Mountain and was created for the slaves of the time. The colors of the neighborhood are due to the history of slavery representing the freedom they where able to obtain. In that time the houses had to be white but when they were released, they could do whatever they wanted with the houses so they painted them in bright colors to show there freedom.
It is a neighborhood with a lot of history so you can find museums and several unique food restaurants. Slaves were mainly from Malaysia, Indonesia and other parts of Africa, so the cultures here were mixed and it is still a multicultural neighborhood.
Cape of Good Hope
To the south of the cape, is this national park where you can enjoy hiking, see animals and understand the power of the wind. Very close to Cape Town, it is one of the most visited places by people when visiting the city. You can easily go by car or hire one of the thousand tours that leave daily from the city.
This place was very confusing to understand because everywhere I heard different versions. While I was going to Cape Town, many people told me that this was the southernmost place in Africa (it is not, it is Cape Aghullas) and others told me that this is where the Atlantic Ocean and the Indian Ocean meet (this data It is still confusing for me because it is still debated if it is at this point or in Cape Agullas)
Boulders Beach
If you dream to see penguins this is the perfect place. Boulders beach is 40 minutes away from the city center and is on the way to Cape of Good Hope. When you arrive to Simon’s Town, you must search the beach with the penguins. There is a penguin center where you can see them on the beach and walk with them but here they will charge you to enter. If you do not want to pay, there is a beach a little further north where you can see them in their freedom, although you will not see the amount you will see in Boulders Beach. If you look on my travel map, you will find marked the beach that I’m telling you: My Map.
City Tour
Cape Town was a very important trading city for both the English and the Dutch so you will find pieces of history on every corner. In addition to this, it shares the same history as all of South Africa with Apartheid so you have a lot to visit.
I would recommend you to take one of the Free Walking Tours that you find in the city. For me its one of the best ways to go around a big city and understand the history a little bit more. Within these tours, I recommend you visit:
- Castle of Good Hope
- The Company’s Garden
- V&A Waterfront
- Greenmarket Square
- Robben Island
If you can move easily around the city or have a car, I recommend you visit the different beaches that are in the outskirt of the city. Each beach is different and in some you can try to do different sports. Remember that South Africa is a great place to see sharks so always be careful. These are the beaches I recommend you go:
- Muizenberg
- Cliffton
- Camps
