Episode 102 Cape Town Highlights [Things to Do, Day Trips + Practical Tips]

In episode 102 of the Global Travel Planning Podcast, Tracy is joined by Doug to share the things they loved most from three weeks in Cape Town, from a Cape Malay cookery class in a purple kitchen in Bo-Kaap to a half day out at Cape Point and the penguins at Boulders Beach. It was Doug’s first time in South Africa and Tracy’s fourth visit to Cape Town, though her first in sixteen years, so this is a mix of fresh eyes and previous memories.

This is the first of two Cape Town episodes. Here we talk through what we actually did and what we would put in a three day, five day or week long trip. The next episode covers what you need to know before visiting, including the realities of going in winter. If you are weighing up how many days Cape Town deserves and which tours are worth booking ahead, start here.

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Episode 102 – What you’ll learn in this episode

• Why Table Mountain is the one thing you go up the moment the sky is clear, not the day you planned, and how the famous tablecloth of cloud can appear on a forecast blue sky day
• How the Table Mountain Cableway ticket stays valid for a week, which gives you the flexibility to wait for the right weather, and why the cable cars stop running when it is windy
• Why winter means no queue at the Cableway when summer waits can reach four hours, and what you trade for that
• What to expect at Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, including protea season in August, a genuinely close encounter with a male baboon, and why four or five hours is realistic
• How Tracy’s daughter and her partner walked to the summit of Table Mountain from Kirstenbosch, took the cable car down and Ubered back, and whether that circuit is manageable
• What the Robben Island tour is actually like, including a guide who was himself imprisoned on the island, roughly 45 minutes each way by ferry and a 10am to 3pm day
• Doug’s honest seasickness warning for the Robben Island ferry, why you should skip the onboard video, and why winter storms make the crossing a gamble
• Why a Bo-Kaap walking tour beats turning up for photos, and what Fardella of Cooking with Love shows you about the area’s history before the crowds arrive
• What you cook in the Cape Malay cookery class, including curry, samosas and roti, and why it worked even for a self confessed non cook
• What a half day tour to Cape Point, Boulders Beach and Simon’s Town covers, including ostrich and baboon sightings, the shark spotters at Muizenberg and Chapman’s Peak Drive at sunset
• Why the Winelands day tour to Stellenbosch, Paarl and Franschhoek is worth doing without a car, plus the case for staying in Franschhoek if you want the wine tram
• Why the V&A Waterfront earns its reputation, and Tracy’s honest comparison with Sea Point on how safe each felt
• Afternoon tea at the Mount Nelson, complete with a tea sommelier, and why it works even for someone who does not drink
• Doug’s three day shortlist, Tracy’s five day version, and why three weeks in Cape Town is not excessive
• Flight realities: roughly 10 to 11 hours from the UK, and under 9 hours from Perth via Johannesburg

Links

Mentioned in this episode

• Bo-Kaap walking tour and Cape Malay cookery class with Faldela, Cooking with Love – the small group walking tour and cookery class we did as a private group of four.
• Table Mountain Aerial Cableway – the rotating cable car to the summit, with tickets valid for a week.
• Robben Island Museum tour – ferry from the V&A Waterfront, bus tour of the island and a prison tour led by a former political prisoner.
• Cape Point, Boulders Beach and Simon’s Town half day tour – the small group afternoon tour that finishes with Chapman’s Peak Drive at sunset.
• Cape Winelands day tour – four wineries across Stellenbosch, Paarl and Franschhoek with cheese and chocolate pairings.
• Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden – allow most of a day, and go in August for the proteas.
• Belmond Mount Nelson Hotel afternoon tea – the iconic pink hotel, with a tea sommelier.
• Babylonstoren – the farm and gardens near Franschhoek, with an excellent produce shop.
• Wilderer Distillery – gin tasting in a beautiful setting near Paarl.
• Hugo’s Sea Point – the rooftop bar we went back to for sunset and very good food.

Podcasts

• Episode 70 Epic Africa Adventure (Part 1): South Africa with Tanya Munro – Tanya did the same Bo-Kaap tour and cookery class with Fardella, and covers Johannesburg, Kruger and the Garden Route.
• Episode 71 Epic Africa Adventure: Namibia, Botswana and beyond – the second half of Tanya’s southern Africa journey.
• Episode 103: what to know before visiting Cape Town, especially in winter – the follow up to this episode.

Articles

• Things to do in Cape Town, South Africa: an insider guide – the full guide covering Table Mountain, Kirstenbosch, the V&A, Robben Island and where to stay.
• 10 reasons to visit South Africa – if Cape Town is your first taste and you are wondering what else the country offers.
• What to wear on safari in South Africa: a packing guide – useful if you are adding a game reserve to your trip, as we did.
• Essential travel resources – the tools and companies we use to book our own trips.

Loved this episode? Have a question? Get in touch!