48 hours in Cape Town – Weekend Edition
Cape Town In Less Than 48 Words
Cape Town is South Africa’s second most populous city with over 3.5 million inhabitants, as well as its most popular destination for tourism. The city has a scenic natural setting, with famous landmarks such as Cape Point and Table Mountain, and is multicultural on top of that.
Table Mountain (Photo by Warren Rohner)
First 24 Hours
You can fly to the scenic city of Cape Town via the Cape Town International Airport (021/937-1200, website), which is located some 20 kilometers from the city center. From there, you can catch a shuttle bus to the heart of the city. The journey lasts anywhere from 20 to 30 minutes, and will cost you around $23. Alternatively, you can opt to take a taxi at the airport terminal to your hotel, which will cost you upwards of $32.
Cape Town may be the second-most populous city in South Africa, but it is surprisingly easy to navigate. That is mainly due to the fact that its city center is pretty compact so that you can even explore it on foot. The best way to get around the city is by bus, which is cheaper and more efficient than trains and taxis. You can collect valuable travel information at Cape Town Tourism (Pinnacle Building, cor. Burg and Castle streets, 021/426-4260, website), which is open during Mondays to Fridays from 8 am to 6 pm, from 8:30 am to 2 pm on Saturdays, and from 9 am to 1 pm on Sundays.
CHECK IN: Get your bearings back at Cape Town’s hotels
You can arrange your stay in Cape Town at one of its excellent hotels. One of the best in the city is the Derwent House Boutique Hotel (14 Derwent Road, Tamboerskloof, Cape Town 8001, +27 21 422 2763, website). It is a top-class boutique hotel at a nice location near shops and restaurants, and offers complete amenities and excellent service.
2Inn1 Kensington (Photo from Google images)
A fine alternative will be the 2Inn1 Kensington (21 Kensington Crescent, Oranjezicht, Cape Town 8001, +27 (0)21 4231707, website), which is a luxury hotel with nice views, delicious breakfast, and comfortable rooms. You can also try out An African Villa (19 Carstens St., Tamboerskloof, Cape Town 0881, +27 214232162, website). It offers African décor, luxurious rooms, and personal touches.
TABLE MOUNTAIN: Let’s take a view
Perhaps one of the most popular tourist attractions in Cape Town is the Table Mountain, a massive slab of granite, shale, and sandstone. It is believed to have been formed more than 250 million years ago, and is the city’s most recognizable landmark. At its core, you’ll find a wilderness covering roughly 6,000 hectares, which is home to a diverse collection of flora and fauna. What strike you most will be the sweeping views of the surrounding land from the summit.
You can climb to its top through one if its 350 different paths, if you have the determination and the strength. Of these, the Platteklip Gorge route is the most common. You can also ascend to the summit using a cable car ride (Tafelberg Road, 021/424-8181). It is open daily from 7:30 am to 8:30 pm, and a round trip ticket will cost you around $17.
CASTLE OF GOOD HOPE: Go to a castle
Castle of Good Hope (Photo by Xavier Varela)
Another noteworthy attraction in Cape Town is the Castle of Good Hope (corner of Buitenkant and Strand sts, 021/787-1249), which is regarded as the oldest surviving building in South Africa. It dates back to 1666, and is a Dutch-style fortress that today serves as the headquarters of the South African Defense Force. Built mostly out of slate stones, the structure has remained pretty much intact and undamaged through the centuries, and is noted for the massive bell lying by its entrance.
Inside, you can catch the Key Ceremony at around 10 am or at noon, which is sort of a changing of the guard event. You can also find there the Military Museum that contains exhibits about the colonial military, as well as the William Fehr Collection where you can see impressive art works such as the painting “The Greatest Hunt in Africa” by Thomas Baines. The complex is also home to various shops and restaurants. The site is open daily from 9 am to 3:30 pm, and admission will cost you $3.
TWO OCEANS AQUARIUM: Have a fishy experience
You can have a fishy experience at the Two Oceans Aquarium (Between New Basin and Dock Rd, 021/418-3823), which is among Cape Town’s most exciting attractions. It is home to more than 3,000 live specimens of marine life, such as great white sharks, coral reef fish, shell fish, and many more. Inside, you’ll find these kept in underwater tanks with well-simulated environments, and a “touch pool” where you can touch the sea creatures. You can also witness the feeding of the predators, as well as various puppet shows. The site is open daily from 9:30 am to 6 pm, and admission will cost you $10.
DINNER TIME: Discover Cape Town’s restaurants
La Colombe (Photo by sebeka2008)
You are guaranteed a delicious dinner at the restaurants available all over the city. One of the best in the city is Millers Thumb (10b Kloofnek Road, Cape Town 8001, 021-424-3838). It is a Cajun Creole restaurant with a lively ambience, delicious food, and excellent service. A nice alternative is The Opal Lounge (30 Kloof Street, Cape Town 8001, 021 422 4747), which offers a well-cooked and creatively-presented contemporary cuisine.
Have a taste of France in Cape Town at La Colombe (Constantia Uitsig Wine Estate, Cape Town, +2702179442390). It specializes in an authentic French cuisine, plus a superb wine selection at reasonable prices. You can also try out Beleza (Kloofnek Road, Cape Town 8000, 021 4260795, website), which serves excellent steaks and prawns.
Next 24 Hours
You can discover Cape Town’s other tourist attractions during your next 24 hours in the city. One of the first in that list is the South African Museum and Planetarium (Between Government Ave. and Queen Victoria St, 021/481-3800). It is considered as the oldest museum in South Africa, having been established in 1825. Inside, you’ll find impressive ethnographic exhibits, such as 500AD Lydenburg heads, African art, fossil galleries, whale skeletons, and stuffed kwagga foal, to name a few. You can also watch various planetarium shows at the site. Admission will cost you $1.
SOUTH AFRICAN NATIONAL GALLERY: Appreciate art
South African National Gallery (Photo by Danie van der Merwe)
Art lovers will definitely enjoy a visit to the South African National Gallery (Government Ave, Cape Town, 021/467-4660). It is regarded as the country’s foremost museum of art, and features a collection of over 8,000 pieces of art works. Inside, you’ll find various exhibits such as Ndebele beadwork, knobkierries, and collections by Pablo Picasso. The site is open during Tuesdays to Sundays from 10 am to 5 pm, and admission will cost you $1.
CAPE POINT: Have a wildlife adventure
You can have a wildlife adventure at one of Cape Town’s most popular tourist attractions, the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve (off M4 and M65, Cape Town, 021/780-9204). More popularly known as Cape Point, it is a wildlife park occupying the farthest tip of the Cape peninsula. Inside the complex, you’ll find various species of fauna, such as baboons, hartebeests, elands, ostriches, bontebok, and zebras. You can also go off on a picnic at its picnic sites, go swimming at its protected tidal pools at Buffelsbaai Beach, as well as see the remains of numerous ships that have crashed near its coasts. The site is open daily during October to March from 6 am to 6 pm, and between 7 am to 5 pm from April to September.
Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve (Photo by Philip Rickerby)
ROBBEN ISLAND: A sojourn at the Island of Tears
Another noteworthy tourist attraction in Cape Town is the Robben Island, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is a scenic island with a history reaching back more than 400 years, and it has served as a fishing port, post office, military base, hospital, whaling station, and a mental asylum.
However, it is best known for being a penal colony during its later years, and was dubbed “South Africa’s Alcatraz”, where numerous West African slaves, French POWs, and others had been imprisoned – the most famous of whom being Nelson Mandela. In fact, its most visited attraction is the cell where he had been kept for 18 years. You can also see on the island a small village, as well as great sunset views of Table Mountain.
Robben Island (Photo from Google images)
You can reach the island as part of a tour group organized by the Department of Arts (Clock Tower terminal on Quay 5, Jetty 1, 021/419-1300), via a 25-minute catamaran boat ride. The tickets will cost you around $21.
BOTANICAL GARDEN: Have a flowery experience
You can enjoy a flowery experience at the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens (Rhodes Ave., Newlands, Cape Town, 021/799-8899). It is considered as one of the most beautiful gardens in South Africa, and is home to over 8,000 different South African plant species. Inside, you’ll find indigenous flora such as a giant baobab tree and wild almond hedges. The site also hosts various summer sunset concerts during Sundays from December to March at 5:30 pm, where you can watch some of the country’s top performances. It is also home to a few restaurants. The garden is open daily during September to March from 8 am to 7 pm, and during April to August from 8 am to 6 pm. Admission will cost you $4.
NIGHTLIFE: Enjoy Cape Town’s vibrant nightlife scene
Green Dolphin (Photo from Google images)
At night you may proceed to Cape Town’s bars and clubs to have a taste of the city’s exciting nightlife. One of the most popular is Baraza (The Promenade, Victoria Road Camps Bay, Cape Town 8001, +27 21 438 17580, website). It is a Zanzibar-themed bar with fruity cocktails, DJs playing African music, and nice balcony views of a nearby beach.
You can also try out Green Dolphin (Victoria and Albert Arcade Victoria and Alfred Waterfront, Cape Town 8002, (00 27 21) 421 7471), which is a club known for its jazz shows, creative drinks, and tasty delights. A nice alternative is the Rhodes House Bar (60 Queen Victoria Street, Cape Town, 00 27 21 424 8844, website). It is a bar with a swanky lounge, great cocktails, an active dance floor, and a spacious courtyard that is ideal for flirting and drinking the night away.
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