Cape Town
With its beautiful beaches, winding mountain roads and Table Mountain overlooking, Cape Town is one of the most picturesque cities in the world. Coupled with a much safer feeling than most other places in South Africa, Cape Town is a must visit destination for everyone who finds themselves in this part of the world.
Camps Bay
Arguably the best beach area in Cape Town, Camps Bay is the perfect place to relax by the ocean, sit on the beach, and admire the views of Lions Head and Table Mountain.
It is also ideally located to get the perfect sunset every evening.
The beach at Camps Bay is very nice, and also well worth a visit. With the ocean in front of you and Table Mountain + Lion's Head behind you, it's a great place to relax, and also a great place to take pictures.
Camps Bay
Camps Bay
Table Mountain
As easily one of the most distinctive mountains in the world, Table Mountain dominates the Cape Town skyline. Getting to the top is easy by cable car, and a bit more difficult on foot (but very doable in a few hours), and by either method it is definitely worth the trip.
The queue for the cable car can get very busy, as can the parking near the cable car, so get there early to avoid a very long wait. The cable car to the top doesn't take very long, and offers you spectacular views of Cape Town on the way up.
Once you reach the top the area on which you can walk around is very large, and it will take you a couple of hours to admire the view from all 4 main sides of the mountains. The views are incredible, and I highly recommend that you make the trip to the top.
The top also has ample shopping opportunities, as well as a cafe that serves soft drinks, alcoholic drinks, and food.
Table Mountain
View from Table Mountain
Me at the top of Table Mountain
Boulders Beach
Boulders Beach is famous for one thing: penguins! Go along there any time during the day and you will see them in ample supply.
They are a very photogenic bird and visiting Boulders Beach will give you lots of great photo opportunities as they play in the water, walk along the beach, sit on their eggs and look after their young.
Boulders Beach
Boulders Beach
Boulders Beach
Cape of Good Hope
The Cape of Good Hope is the most South Western point of Africa (not the most Southern point like most people believe), and it is also not the point where the Indian and Atlantic Oceans meet. But myths aside, it is in a gorgeous national park (Table Mountain National Park) and the drive to the Cape from the park entrance is well worth the trip.
Chapman's Peak Drive
Home to many car adverts over the years, the drive from Noordhoek and Hout Bay on the Atlantic Coast along Chapman's Peak is one of the the most stunning drives you will ever take.
With cliffs on one side and the ocean on the other, be careful when driving not to get distracted by the view! There are several areas to stop along the way, so you will get ample opportunity to stop and take photos safely.
Spier Wine Farm
Drive out of Cape Town and not too far away is an area called Stellenbosch, which is famous for its wine farms. Out here in the beautiful countryside you will find many wineries to visit, with Spier Wine Farm for me being the pick of the bunch.
Most of the wine farms out here will have wine tasting and lunch facilities.
Spier Wine Farm also has a couple animal-related attractions, one of them being a Cheetah sanctuary. Here you can pay to spend time with Cheetahs or Cheetah cubs, where you will get the chance to take very up close and personal photos, and also touch them.
This is an incredible experience, and there aren't too many places in the world where you can do it, so I highly recommend this if you get the chance.
As well as the Cheetah sanctuary, Spier also has a Bird of Prey centre.
Here you can see many types of birds of prey, touch some of them and even hold some of them.
Victoria Wharf
Victoria Wharf is perfect during the day for shopping, and perfect in the evening for visiting bars and restaurants. It's always lively, especially in the evening.
The food prices around here are little more expensive than else where, but are definitely worth it.
Victoria Wharf
Victoria Wharf
Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens
Kirstenbosch
Set at the foot of the mountains, Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens are a beautiful set of gardens on the outskirts of the city. As well as offering beautiful walks, the gardens host events throughout the year.
Me at Kirstenbosch
Concert at Kirstenbosch
The Lumineers at Kirstenbosch
Robben Island
The boat to Robben Island
Robben Island holds a lot of significance in South African history. It was a prison for political prisoners from the 1960's to the 1990's, and it is where Nelson Mandela was hold for the longest period (18yrs) of his incarceration.
You can catch the boat from Victoria Wharf. The tour will include a bus tour of the island, and a walking tour of the prison area - the walking tour will be conducted by an actual former inmate of the prison, which makes it a fascinating tour.
Robben Island
Quarry on Robben Island
Table Mountain from Robben Island
Prison area on Robben Island
Nelson Mandela's cell - fourth window on the right
You get approximately 5 seconds to look at Nelson Mandela's cell. Your large group will be asked to walk past it in almost single file, and asked not to stop. You will have time for one or two photos only, and you don't get chance to look at it in any detail.
However, all the cells are similar, and you will get chance to spend time looking in many other cells.
Robben Island
Robben Island
Vrede En Lust Wine Farm
Entrance to Vrede En Lust Wine Farm
There is never a shortage of wine farms in the Cape Town area and Vrede En Lust Wine Farm is another beautiful place to drink good wine and eat good food in gorgeous surroundings.
Vrede En Lust Wine Farm
Vrede En Lust Wine Farm
Seaforth
Seaforth
This little beach area of Cape Town is right next to the world famous Boulders Beach. Here you will find a beautiful beach, amazing views, a great sea food restaurant, and more parking than you will at Boulders. The beach walk from here to Boulders is a walk worth taking - although you won't see any penguins without paying to get on to Boulders Beach still.
Me at Seaforth
Seaforth
Me at Seaforth
Anthony Carlile