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In July John and I enjoyed a winter holiday in Cape Town, South Africa. We
visited the V & A Waterfront, strolled around the
city centre, stood on the top
of Table Mountain, took a boat journey to Robben Island and explored the suburbs
of Camps Bay, Mouille Point and
Hout Bay. We also toured the Cape Peninsula
and the Cape of Good Hope and enjoyed some relaxing sundowners. We also visited the nearby wine regions of
Stellenbosch and Franschhoek.
I've also listed a few restaurants which we
particularly enjoyed.
V & A (Victoria & Alfred) Waterfront
The V & A Waterfront contains many luxury hotels, shops, bars and restaurants
dotted alongside the working harbour with great views of the famous landmark,
Table Mountain.
We stayed next to the marina.
Cape Town City
The buildings reflect the country's diverse cultural heritage and colonial
past.
The business district.
The Lutheran church in Strand Street.
Table Mountain dominates Cape Town's skyline
The winding road with several hairpin bends leads to the cableway station,
where the cable cars travel to the top of the 1086 metre tall mountain.
The cable car floor completes a 360° rotation on its journey up the mountainside
giving passengers a full panoramic view.
The north face of the mountain overlooks the city centre with fantastic views
stretching over Table Bay to Robben Island.
The distinctive Lion's Head lies to the west of the city.
The high plateau offers spectacular views of the Cape Peninsula mountain chain.
The tabletop is also a popular spot for watching amazing sunsets.
Mouille Point
In the city bowl the Mouille Point lighthouse is near the stadium built for the
2010 world cup.
Camps Bay on the Atlantic coast
Camps Bay is situated on the steep mountain slope known as the Twelve Apostles,
(even though there are at least seventeen buttresses forming the mountain
range.)
The sandy beach, the promenade lined with palm trees and trendy bars and
restaurants make this a popular resort.
The beach with the Twelve Apostles in the background.
Hout Bay
At the busy harbour we walked along the pier moored with fishing boats and
found a pleasant restaurant with scenic views across the bay.
Robben Island
The boat journey from the V & A Waterfront to Robben Island takes half an
hour.
The island measures six square kilometres and served as prison over the
centuries with its most famous inmate being Nelson Mandela.
Today the island is a museum and a UNESCO world heritage site. Former
political prisoners act as tour guides giving visitors a bus tour around the
sparsely vegetated island and a tour of the prison.
The last political prisoners were released in 1991. The guides shared
their experiences and gave very moving descriptions of their lives in captivity.
Nelson Mandela's cell is the fourth window from the left.
Touring the Cape Peninsula
We travelled south from Cape Town along the Indian Ocean coastline
experiencing a mixture of sunshine and light showers.
Near Simon's Town is Boulders Beach where a colony of African penguins live.
The penguin reserve provides a rare opportunity to get a close look.
The drive is very scenic with dramatic headlands and great
ocean views.
The Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve is home to a diverse range of fauna and
flora including ostriches,
and baboons.
The Cape of Good Hope is located at the south west corner of the Cape Peninsula.
The dramatic Atlantic ocean waves pound against the rocky cliffs.
At the top of Cape Point is a lighthouse and a great lookout post. (9294 km to
Paris and 9623 km to London).
Relaxing
In the early evenings after a day of being a busy tourist in this amazing
city it was a treat to
relax with a tipple and enjoy a sundowner from the comfort of our hotel
jacuzi
.
just watching the sun as it sinks into the ocean...
Recommended restaurants
An upmarket restaurant specialising in seafood situated on the V & A
Waterfront.
On the promenade at Camps Bay this restaurant offers spectacular ocean views
whilst enjoying the delicious meals.
In Bantry Bay this contemporary restaurant has glass windows stretching from
floor to ceiling looking out to sea.
Check out my
recommendations for other restaurants I have enjoyed visiting whilst on
holiday around the world
See more photos from our trip to the wine regions of
Stellenbosch and Franschhoek and other holiday
photos.
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