For the first two nights, we stayed at a guesthouse in Green Point, which is an area just outside of the city center. We didn’t spend much time in the city center, as there are not that many tourist sites, and the city center also tends to have more crime. We spent a few hours on a first day, and it was clear that most people reside in the other areas of the city, and not in the city center itself. In that way, I guess it is similar to cities like Pittsburgh. We did tour the District Six museum, which chronicles the events involving residents of this inner-city district being forcibly removed from their homes under the apartheid regime. It was an important reminder of the city’s (and country’s) complicated and often ugly past. I think it is always important to learn about the history of the places that we visit, both the good and the bad.
We also spent some time at the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront, which was very close to our hotel. This is a shopping and dining complex, with hundreds of stores and a ton of restaurants, cafes, and bars. It has a huge shopping mall and also a world-famous aquarium. We enjoyed walking around and window shopping, and we even had dinner here one night. We also walked by the famous soccer stadium that was built when South Africa hosted the World Cup in 2010. It was also very close to our hotel and on the way to the V&A Waterfront.
On our second day, we decided to make the drive to the Cape of Good Hope. The Cape of Good Hope is the second-most-southern tip in Africa. It is located in a national park. While there isn’t that much there, the views are absolutely breathtaking. You feel like you are at the end of the world. We had beautiful weather and we were able to get there before most of the crowds. It was an incredible morning.
On our way back to Cape Town, we stopped at Boulders Beach to see some penguins. Boulders Beach is a sheltered beach that is home to a small colony of African penguins. While it was admittedly very touristy, it was fun to see wild penguins in their natural habitat. We also enjoyed a nice lunch at a cute café in Simon’s Town, the neighboring town near Boulders Beach. The main street of the town was very charming for such a small place.
While the drive to the Cape of Good Hope was a little long, the views along the way were worth it. We drove along Chapman’s Peak Drive, which is a narrow route built into the cliffs of Chapman’s Peak. It connects the suburbs of Cape Town to further towns, such as Hout Bay. Our entire drive looked like a postcard!
Speaking of stunning scenery, we also used one morning to drive up to Signal Hill, where we had a panoramic view of the entire city of Cape Town, as well as the famous Table Mountain. The views were spectacular.
For our final two days in South Africa, we moved out to Camps Bay, another suburb of the city. Camps Bay is a wealthy beach town, just outside of the city. It’s very popular for summer tourists because of the large, white sand beaches. Outside of some major wind that kicked up each day around 2 PM, we enjoyed two really perfect beach days. In the evenings, we enjoyed wine while the sun set over the beach. Like any popular beach town, there are lots of great restaurants and bars in Camps Bay. On the first night, we had an incredible dinner at a steakhouse. It was like Ruth’s Chris, but for only $50! On our final night, we enjoyed a delicious meal at a Mediterranean tapas restaurant. We love Greek food, so we really enjoyed getting to order lots of different, smaller dishes. It was the perfect end to an amazing trip.
South Africa is a beautiful country with a lot to offer. The people are warm and welcoming, the weather is mild, and there are so many different things to see and do. I know that this is a country with a very difficult past, and the effects are still seen today. While we had an unbelievable vacation, there were a lot of times when we were saddened by the disparity we saw. We tried to be as generous as we could in terms of tipping everywhere we went, but it’s still not enough. It also reminded me of a lot of the problems we have back home in the U.S. Hopefully, we can find a way to make a meaningful difference once we are again residing in the States. Gaining new perspectives through new experiences if what traveling is all about.
That being said, I think we both agree that this trip was our favorite over the past 2 ½ years. Everyone should go to South Africa!!
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