South Africa: Best Places to Visit in Cape Town

South Africa :

I wish I was there to see your face while you are reading this. If you are an adventure junkie then this is definitely for you.

South Africa,
The name’s good.
The weather’s better.
But Mother Nature is the best.

You can delete the pictures you capture on your camera but you can never delete the picture you capture in your heart. And this is just the place where you don’t just capture the moments on your camera but in your heart.

South Africa
Nothing’s ordinary

Open oceans, clear blue sky, ever-growing mountains, sky-piercing peaks, rugged terrain, soft music, long history to remember, different cultures to meet, people to talk, delicious food to taste, untouched wildlife to see, plants to feel… it’s just endless.

Cape Town – Have South Africa’s Raw Fun :

Cape Town is one of the most beautiful coastal cities in the world. It’s the place where Africa and the world meet culturally.

This place has every beautiful thing in its pocket to stop you from leaving it. From adventurous hiking in the morning to the adrenaline pumping funfilled nightlife, it’s the coolest place to spend your holidays.

Its the city where you can experience the fun in all 3 elements (Air, Land, and Water). The city is kissed by the beautiful Atlantic Ocean that has created some of the most iconic beaches in the world.

Accommodation :

South Africa is a destination where its beauty cannot be savored in a day or two. It’s a crafted destination for long holidays.

The accommodation comes in all ranges starting from the lowest budget to highly expensive luxurious villas. Make sure to accommodate yourself in a secure locality as there are chances of crimes in less secure areas.

Here is the list of the best and safe places for accommodation.

Best places in Cape Town for accommodation…

The exotic South African food just touches the soul with its freakingly awesome taste and delicacy, especially the seafood.

Best Places to Visit in Cape Town, South Africa…

The Iconic Table Mountain :

It is one of South Africa’s majestic landmarks standing tall with pride. 1000s of people every year visit Cape Town just to see this spectacular mountain.

Table Mountain’s biodiversity is the smallest yet one of the richest in the world. It has more than 1470 species of plants, many are exclusive only to this place. It is also home to Caracal, Rock Hyrax, Porcupines, Tortoises, Snakes, Mongooses, and the Table Mountain Ghost Frog.

It was declared as one of the New Seven Wonders of the world by UNESCO in 2011. Just the views from Table Mountain is enough to drive you to the place with its best of the best scenic view from the top.

Its the perfect panoramic view of the open ocean, clear blue sky, and the modern expense including the ‘Robben Island’. And exploring the summit is so much fun, ‘raw nature’ feel is unique to the place unlike anywhere else on the planet.

Note: It’s quite crowdy during peak times.

How to reach there…?

Taxis are available to take you to the base of the mountain (the cost is quite a descent).

And to reach the summit, there’s this supercool 5 minute Cable Cart rides in which along the way you can see the majestic Lion’s Head Mountain and the Devil’s Peak towering right next to the Table Mountain (or) people who are hiking enthusiasts can adventurously hike up the mountain all the way to the summit. There are many hiking routes (there are hiking tour organizations to guide you through the route). If you wanna have the best time, reach it early in the morning by trekking or for the sunset by Cable Car.

Camp’s Bay :

Wherever you are in Cape Town during day time, I want you to reach the Camp’s Bay by night or you are gonna miss one of the best nights in your life.

It’s a whole new world at night. In Camp’s Bay, the days are cool but the nights are cooler with its spectacular beach, cool breeze from the ocean, open bars, restaurants, delicious supper, fun pumping music, you name it…

It’s a great place for sundowners. The place is a blend of both natural and man-made beauty (it is also rumored that this place is the celebrities’ secret hangout spot).

Victoria and Alfred Waterfront :

This place is the summary of modernization in South Africa. The place just attracts tourists from all over the world as the flowers attract bees.

It’s a holy grail for shopping and purchasing with its vast retail outlets (almost 500). Shopping choice includes fashion, homeware, and curios, jewelry, leather goods, AV equipment, and lots more (it has diverse offerings of local and international brands).

These are the places you don’t wanna miss in Victoria and Alfred Waterfront…

1. The Historic Clock Tower: It’s a victorian gothic-style clock tower. It also holds what ladies love more than their fiancé – the ‘SHIMANSKY DIAMOND’ Museum. It tells you a 3.3 billion years old story of the origin of the diamonds.

2. Chavonnes Battery Museum: It’s one of the oldest European structures found in South Africa. It was approximately built in between 1714-1725. If you love to be an archaeologist for a day and explore the remains of the Dutch East India Company then Chavonnes Battery Museum is a must-visit destination.

Image source: Wikipedia

3. Noble Square: It holds the larger than life bronze sculptures that pay tribute to Noble peace prize laureates including the great Nelson Mandela. I think you too can pay tribute by visiting Noble Square.

4. Nelson Mandela Gateway to Robben Island: If you love to speak with history, this is for you as it holds the triple story glass museum of history and it is also a starting point to Robben Island.

5. Two Ocean Aquarium: This place is a fascinating close-up view of marine life. Life below the water surface. The awesome underwater transparent tunnels with the thriving sea creatures will make you feel like you are the ‘Aquaman’.

It has 8000+ sea creatures of more than 200 different species. The Two Ocean Aquarium serves to remind the co-existence of humanity along with the marine life.

Mandela’s footsteps on Robben Island :

If you are a fan of the great Nelson Mandela then don’t you dare miss to visit Robben Island. It’s one of the most historically treasured islands. It’s usually a 30-minute ferry ride from Nelson Mandela gateway [Tours are scheduled at 0900 hrs, 1100 hrs, 1300 hrs].

Image source: Flickr

Its a 3.5 hrs tour including to and from the island (or) more, depends on your budget. The great revolutionizer ‘Nelson Mandela’ had spent 18 years of his 27 years imprisonment in ‘Maximum Security prison’ which is now a museum on this very island.

Interesting Fact: To date, 3 former inmates of Robben Island prison have become the presidents of South Africa.

The island is also home to penguins and seals, you can even explore the island as its not too big.

Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden :

This is the place to savor the green beauty and tranquility of Nature. The Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden is best to visit early in the morning to spend your whole day in the most scenic serenity.

It is located just 13 km from the Cape Town city center and is nestled at the eastern foot side of the Table Mountain that looks like a huge ‘dining table’ on the green lawn.

The place pretty much looks like God’s own private garden. It has a whopping 7000 different species of plants that include fragrance garden, medicinal garden, protea garden (best viewed in spring), a braille trail, and a cycad amphitheater. You can have your peaceful and happy picnics on the lush green lawns or adventurously hike up the ‘Skeletal Gorge’.

And the most enticing activity is a walk above the trees’ canopy on the canopy walkway famously known as ‘Boomslang’ (the tree snake) to get the best view to dream about.

Image source: Flickr

This place is also one of the best wedding destinations in South Africa as it houses a beautiful party hall in the middle of the lush green. The whole place is just spectacular to visit year-round but you’ll see the Fynbos at its best from August to November. However, summer has its own bonus in its pocket. It hosts ‘Summer Sunset Concerts’ every Sunday evening.

There are many more exotic places in South Africa that will fill your heart and soul. The only way to find out is by seeing it with your very own eyes.