While finalizing our itinerary, I started reading up on what Cape Town had to offer. I’d known of Cape Town as a beautiful city perched on the cusp of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. I quickly learnt that Cape Town isn’t where the two oceans technically meet, but that was just that, a minor technicality. The history of this port city is fascinating, and the waves of Portuguese, Dutch, British and Asian settlements have made this city and it’s cuisine a beautiful amalgam of various cultures. I believe one can easily spend up to two weeks exploring the city and its surrounding attractions like the wine country, Cape Point, Robben Island, etc. We only had four days, but we tried to make the most of it. 
The biggest (literally!) draw in Cape Town is the Table Mountain. It’s huge, smack in the middle of the city and cannot be missed. The view from top is BREATHTAKING. The V&A Waterfront is another fun place to spend part of or the entire day. This where the ferries to Robben Island depart and arrive. There are many nice restaurants right on the water, a beautiful craft market and many souvenir stores in addition to high-end stores. We had lunch at Karibu, which offers a great variety of South African cuisine. It is heavy on meat dishes, but they also have vegetarian options. We also visited Mama Africa on Long Street, which at first seemed like a tourist trap, but we ended having a great time with the live music and delicious food and drinks. Cape Town has lots to offer in terms of dining, so bring your appetite! Fans of Indonesian cuisine may especially enjoy trying out the Cape Malay dishes. Note to vegetarians, South Africa is quite vegetarian friendly overall.
We stayed near De Waal Park, which was not far from Kloof Street and the Cape Town City Center with its fun restaurants and bars. I wouldn’t call Cape Town a very walkable city, especially at night. The ubiquitous Hop On and Hop Off buses are quite popular here as well, and they probably make sense for a large group. We like to explore at our own pace, so we aren’t the biggest advocates. However, in order to visit places like the Cape of Good Hope, the wine country, etc. you will need to either rent a car or taxi, or end up taking a tour. Many visitors also prefer the perceived safety of these group tours as the crime rate is high overall. We bar-hopped one night on Kloof and Long Street, and were told by the locals that fights erupt pretty much every night after 1 am. We’d made out in time before experiencing any brawls. The nightlife is buzzing, which makes me think that you can have a good time relatively safely. The recommended mode of transport is Uber, especially at night. Local taxi drivers can literally take you for a ride once they realize you’re a tourist.
There are many gorgeous places that are easy day trips from Cape Town. Cape of Good Hope/ Cape Point and Buffels Bay, Boulder Beach, Camps Bay are all doable in a day. Wine enthusiasts must definitely visit the beautiful towns of Stellenbosch and Franschhoek. Paarl is another lovely town with some neat wineries. We visited Stellenbosch and drove through Franschhoek.
Here are some tips –
- South Africa has a long way to go in terms of internet connectivity. Wi-fi is not very widely available once you leave the main city centers. The Wi-fi at our both our Airbnb homes was very slow. Be prepared to use more data than you intended to.
- Use Uber or pre-booked taxis as much as possible. For our day trips and the drive to Knysna, we had engaged a driver/ guide through africanwelcome.com.
- Pay heed to all security protocols provided by your hotel or host. We had an incident free trip, but the very high crime rate requires that everyone be cautious. Do not accept offers of “help” from strangers.
- If you’re traveling with a minor child, you will be required to provide their birth certificate while checking in for your flight to and back from South Africa, as well as for clearing immigration.
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