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.
