Cape Town is the most laid-back of places and, for most Europeans, a kind of Africa-lite – an easy entry point into a fascinating country, writes SHEILA KILLIAN
SOUTH AFRICANS call it the Mother City, and joke that’s because it takes nine months for anything to get done here. Certainly Cape Town is the most laid-back of places and, for most Europeans, a kind of Africa-lite – an easy entry point into a fascinating country. No matter how you spend your time you’ll enjoy sunshine and good food, fine wine and uplifting music, and a relaxed, post-apartheid glow between the mountain and the sea. And there’s so much to experience, it’s hard to pack it in to a few days.
Starting off with the obvious, you can’t spend any time in the city without your eye being drawn up to Table Mountain with its white tablecloth of cloud shawling over the flat top. If you look closely on the right hand side, you’ll see the spinning jamjar cablecars winding up and down from the base.
Up on top it’s peaceful and cool. There’s a coffee shop for light lunches and curios. You can spend hours here, watching the city nestling below you and the dark dab on the sea that is Robben Island. It’s not a guaranteed trip – if it’s too windy or too cloudy the cars don’t run – so do it as soon as conditions allow. The cars run until a few hours after sunset, €20 return, but cheaper after 6pm.
The most touristy area is the waterfront, visited by some 20 million people a year since it was privatised and developed in the 1990s. It’s styled like Copenhagen or San Francisco, but with upmarket shopping, scores of restaurants and bars, and a small army of discreet security keeping it all peaceful. It’s a tourist bubble, but a pleasant enough one.
At night the place is loud with drums and marimbas, and uplit gulls swoop over the dark water. Dining options range from fine dining at Sevruga to rough and ready fried calimari and chips from Fisherman’s Choice under the red tin roof by the waterside. The brand new stadium just down the road at Green Point was built for the World Cup, and if there is a premier league game on, the atmosphere justifies a visit even if you’re not the greatest of soccer fans.
Booths along the water offer half-day shark dives (sharkzone.co.za), helicopter tours from about €70 per person (nacmak ana.com) and whale watching in season. There’s the inevitable big wheel (€9 per person, no need to book), along the style of the London Eye which runs until late though the best time is dusk as the white lights come on the slopes of Table Mountain, and the sun sets spectacularly into the sea. Better value comes with a harbour cruise to see the seals, which run from €5 up to €35 depending on duration and theme.
A better way to get out on the water is to visit Robben Island. It’s perfect for your first day to blow away the airport cobwebs and get an understanding of the history on which modern South Africa pivots. Tickets for €21 per person gives you return ferry and a guided bus trip around the island, including the most stunning view back to Cape Town.
The main draw is the former prison with that famous exercise yard and single cell which was home to Nelson Mandela for so many years. The island is bright and calm, with penguins and springbok running free, so it can be surreal to listen to the guides, mostly former political prisoners, quietly set out the cruel details of the system which operated here so recently.
Allow two hours on the island, and bring a rain jacket for the return trip when the evening wind whips up the waves, and the spray drenches travellers sitting on the wrong side of the boat. The older vessels such as the blue-painted Susan Kruger were used to transport political prisoners and their visitors, so you could be experiencing a bit of history. Book in advance at robben-island.org.za.
A VISIT TO a township is a must, but avoid the zoo-like, voyeuristic tours that keep you in your air-conditioned bus. They limit your own experience, and don’t really benefit the township residents. Instead, choose one that stops for a meal in one of the excellent township restaurants, or spend a night in a township BB.
In Khayelitsha, visit Philani, an oasis of green hope among the shacks, part-funded by Irish charity Soweto Connection. Here you can buy handwoven wall-hangings or silk screen prints from the women who made them, and listen to their pre-school children sing.
Most people associate South Africa with safari, but the best game viewing is far away on the Eastern Cape or around Kruger Park. If you won’t get a chance to travel that far, then the family-run Fairyglen (fairyglensafaris.co.za) is a good way of sampling the experience. It’s an hour’s drive from the city through rugged mountains, but if you prefer, Piet or Johann will pick you up in Cape Town. Best to arrive early and have breakfast before an early game drive on an open viewer.
The guides are witty and informative, and you’re bound to learn something you didn’t know about how to react to a threatening rhino, or why you don’t want to be the shortest person in the group around the young lionesses. After a dusty, three-hour drive you’ll want to stay for the buffet lunch – a traditional feast.
Any of the wine estates offer a great way to spend half a day. There are many in the city itself, but Vergelegen (vergelegen.co.za) makes an interesting day trip if you want to get out of town for a morning. Located in Somerset West less than an hour from the city, it’s the second-oldest winery in South Africa at 310 years old. Mining giant Anglo American has pumped in money and expertise to produce a gleaming gravity cellar of stainless steel vats over a darkened lower level holding millions of rands worth of American and French oak barrels.
The estate has been meticulously restored with redbrick paths winding between lavender hedges while ibis stalk the manicured paddocks. The winery produces a million bottles a year of Bordeaux-style reds and whites, with tastings from about €3 for six wines. If you can, stay for a fresh picnic lunch served under the cool, tall trees at the back of the estate.
In the city centre, the District Six museum (districtsix.co.za) is a low-key and moving place that demonstrates the impact apartheid had on one lively neighbourhood which was totally wiped out in the 1960s and 1970s, with 60,000 people forcibly removed and segregated. The small building on Buitenkant Street draws together memories of the previous residents, many of whom are still waiting for compensation for the move.
Nearby, Long Street is the main shopping and nightlife area, while the adjoining Kloof Sr is full of quirky little shops selling local designs. Police patrol the place at night, but it makes sense to take care here especially in the evenings.
OTHER EASY WAYS to pass the time are the beaches on the east side of Cape Peninsula. Although it’s not technically the Indian Ocean, the current here comes down from Mozambique and so the water is far warmer than on the Atlantic side. Summerstrand is a busy spot, and makes a good stop-off if returning from a wine tour. Boulders is a more beautiful, small, safe beach of white sand scattered with pretty sea glass close to Cape Point. Children love this one, as sometimes you might be joined in the water by a penguin or two.
Although the city is laid back, there is far more to do than you can fit in in a few days. You can eat well in Fish Hoek, or have fish and chips in the famous Kalkies at Kalk Bay. There are hiking and horse-riding trails all along Signal Hill, and within a few minutes under the cool trees you’ll feel as though you’re miles from the city.
You can drop into the Mount Nelson for afternoon tea for a full-on colonial experience, or picnic in the beautiful Kirstenbosch gardens. You can scuba dive near one of the 400 shipwrecks around the peninsula. There are fishing charters (hookedonafrica.co.za), wine buses (adventurewinetours.co.za), bike hire (capetowncycle hire.co.za) and open-top bus tours (citysightseeing.co.za).
After all these activities, an evening meal in one of the wine estates will allow you to get out from under the city lights, and see the Southern Cross low on the horizon. You can sit with a glass of good local red wine, listening to the incessant electric sound of cicadas or sonbesies that define the African night. It won’t take long to feel the magic of the place, and by the time you leave, you’ll already be thinking of your next visit to the Mother City.
Where to stay, eat and go in the Cape
5 places to stay
1. The Cape Grace. West Quay Road, VA Waterfront, 00-27-21-410-7100, capegrace.com. This top-of-the-range boutique hotel on the Waterfront offers luxury and service at rates that vary from €450 per person.
2. The PortsWood Hotel. PortsWood Road, VA Waterfront, 00-27-21-418-3281, portswood.co.za. A more affordable option in the same area as the Cape Grace with great buffet breakfasts, friendly staff and a patio pool area within an easy walk of the waterfront and stadium. Doubles from €420.
3. The Backpack. 74 New Church Street, 00-27-21-423-4530, backpackers.co.za. A five-star hostel with many of the features you’d associate with a decent hotel such as a lively bar and free Wi-Fi, the Backpack has received numerous awards and is also fair trade accredited. Private rooms from €34.
4. An African Villa. 19 Carstens Street, Tamboerskloof, 00-27-21-423-2162, capetowncity.co.za. An upmarket guesthouse decorated in contemporary local style, serving a great breakfast, 15 minutes from the city centre in a peaceful residential area. Rooms from €117 including breakfast.
5. Vicky’s BB. C-685A Kiyane Street, Khayelitsha township, vickysbandb@yahoo.com. A township stay is special and Vicky provides a warm welcome, well-appointed rooms and there’s a safe and friendly shebeen, The Waterfront, across the road. Rooms from €35.
5 places to eat
1. Jonkershuis Restaurant. Groot Constantia winery, 00-27-21-794-6255, jonkershuisconstantia.co.za. For reasonably-priced Cape Malay cuisine, fine wines, creamy mussels and fantastic steaks with stunning views of the city.
2. Lelapa. Langa township, 00-27-21-694-2681, lelapa@xsinet.co.za. Monica and Sheila serve up fabulous Xhosa food with a traditional marimba band providing the entertainment. Booking essential.
3. Africa Café. 108 Shortmarket Street, 00-27-21-422-0221 africacafe.co.za. Offers reasonable lunches and spectacular evening feasts in pretty, bright-painted rooms.
4. La Colombe. Constantia Uitsig wine estate, Spaanschemat River Road, 00-27-21-794-2390, constantia-uitsig.com. Serves stunning food thoughtfully paired with wonderful wine in relaxed surroundings. Rated in the top 20 restaurants worldwide, book the tasting menu at €90 for a special treat.
5. A Touch of Madness.12 Nuttall Road, Observatory, 00-27-21-448 2266, touchofmadness.co.za. A quirky Victorian bar offering a wide range of fish, falafels and even Guinness stew, all for under €10. There’s an Irish trad night on Thursdays, and if you show up then with an instrument, the friendly owners will pay you in Jameson and Guinness.
5 places to go
1. Visit a township, choosing a tour that allows you to stop and meet the locals, and that benefits those whose homes you will see. Locals in Khayelitsha recommend Ezizwe Travel and Tours (00-27-82-697-0068) or Roots Africa Tours (00-27-82-913-9553).
2. Two Oceans Aquarium. Dock Road, VA Waterfront, 00-27-21-418-3823, aquarium.co.za. A great rainy day option, featuring sharks, sea turtles, penguins and a huge kelp forest. Admission €9.70 for adults, €4.60 for children. Closes at 6pm.
3. Drive out to Cape Point (capepoint.co.za) to have lunch at Two Oceans restaurant, and see the two ocean currents mingling below the lighthouse. The stunning Chapman’s Peak road over the mountain through blue gum trees is well worth the €3 toll. Watch out for baboons at the park entrance.
4. Visit a winery, and taste the fantastic local reds in beautiful surroundings. Stay for lunch or dinner, as most have excellent restaurants.
5. Drop in to Boulders Beach to see the colony of African penguins that live there on the rocks. €3 per person, no need to book. They say these birds may be gone in 40 years, so see them while you can.
Hot spot
Fez (fez.co.za), not too far from the VA Waterfront at Mechau Street, jumps with a mix of young locals and tourists. Admission of €5 gets you an endless mix of local music and techno and a Moulin Rouge-style trapeze show over the heads of the dancers.
Shop spot
The best craft market is at Greenmarket Square in the city centre, while Canal Walk is a short taxi ride from the centre and ideal for discount designer gear.
Go there
In summer, Etihad Airways (etihadairways.com) operate direct flights from Dublin to Cape Town. British Airways (ba.com) flies from London Heathrow to Cape Town.