If You
Have 2 Days
On your first day take an early morning city walk to see the sights
or take a half-day city tour. Take in the Company's Gardens, Castle of
Good Hope, District Six Museum, the Bo-Kaap, and other historical
highlights. For lunch, eat at one of the outside restaurants at the
V&A Waterfront if the weather's good, inside if it's not. Visit the
various waterfront attractions, including the Two Oceans Aquarium,
especially if you have children. Then you can dine either at the Green
Dolphin, where you can listen to terrific jazz, or go uptown to one of
the city's many excellent restaurants, followed by the theater,
ballet, or opera at the Artscape or Baxter theater complexes. For a
real taste of contemporary African music, head for pulsing marimba
music at Mama Africa.
The next morning take a Robben Island tour, which takes 3˝ hours.
On your return go straight to the Lower Cable Station, and ride to the
summit of Table Mountain (if you didn't do this first thing). Take
some sandwiches with you, and hike one of the trails -- for a few
minutes or a few hours -- until you find a glorious spot to sit and
enjoy the view. When you come down from the mountain, drive to Camps
Bay and kick off your shoes to stroll along the beach. To round out
the evening, find a sophisticated sea-facing bar for a drink before
going on to dinner.
If You
Have 5 or More Days
Spend the first day or two exploring Cape Town. Pop in to museums
and galleries, and wander around the Bo-Kaap, an old Cape Malay area
with cobblestone streets and quaint buildings. One of the best ways to
understand the city is to take a walking tour with Footsteps to
Freedom. On the afternoon of the second day head for Table Mountain.
On the morning of Day 3 explore Robben Island, and, on your return,
lunch at the Waterfront. In the afternoon you might visit the castle
or have high tea at the Mount Nelson Hotel. In the evening head out to
the vibey suburb of Observatory for dinner, and then wander down Lower
Main Road, perhaps popping in for a drink or late-night coffee at a
café. If you want something closer to the city, try de Waterkant,
another exciting area for a drink and dinner. Party animals will find
plenty of clubs as well.
On Day 4 drive out to the Constantia winelands. Visit the estates,
enjoy the countryside, do a little wine tasting, have lunch, and then
in the afternoon drive over Constantia Nek to Hout Bay. From the
harbor, take an early afternoon cruise to Seal Island. For a more
adventurous activity, admire the sunset from the back of a horse at
Noordhoek or from a kayak out at sea. If the conditions are right, you
can do a tandem paraglider flight off Lion's Head, landing just in
time for cocktails overlooking the beach. Even if you don't paraglide
here, have dinner on this side of the mountain, at Green Point, Sea
Point, or Camps Bay.
Day 5 is penguin day. Wend your way along the False Bay coast to
Boulders Beach, in the Table Mountain National Park, where you'll find
African penguins in profusion. This is one of the few mainland sites
where these comical little creatures live and breed. Then grab your
map and follow the road to the Cape of Good Hope and Cape Point. You
can take the steep walk to the point or take the funicular. It looks
as if this is where the Indian and Atlantic oceans meet -- sometimes
there is even a line of foam stretching out to sea -- but of course
it's not. No matter, it's a dramatic spot. For a late lunch make your
way back to the pretty fishing village of Kalk Bay, where the streets
are lined with antiques shops and there are plenty of excellent
restaurants to relax in. Back in Cape Town for the last night, you can
have a drink at the Bascule bar at the Cape Grace (at the Waterfront)
and watch the gulls wheel overhead against a backdrop of Table
Mountain. Chances are, you won't ever want to leave.
