Blessed with sun-kissed beaches, a towering mountain in the city, friendly locals and award-winning lush green Cape Winelands – there’s no second guessing why it’s the tourism gem in South Africa’s crown.
If you’re planning a holiday to the southernmost city on the African continent, here are top 5 things to do in Cape Town in 2017.
1. Visit the African Penguin Colony at Boulder’s Beach
Located along the False Bay coastline lies Boulder’s Beach, aptly named after the giant granite boulders which are littered in its waters and along the shore. Boulder’s Beach is made famous by being the home of one of the biggest African penguin colonies on the planet. These tuxedoed critters have become accustomed to having humans around them. It costs R65 to enter Boulder’s Beach which goes towards a conservation – however – walking the boardwalk through the penguin colony is absolutely free.
2. Have a picnic at Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens
A personal favourite of many Capetonians is Kirstenbosch Gardens is often known as the most beautiful garden in Africa. Set against the eastern slopes of Cape Town’s Table Mountain, few gardens can match the sheer grandeur of the setting of Kirstenbosch. Displays a wide variety of the unique plant life of the Cape Flora, there are over 7 000 species in cultivation at Kirstenbosch, including many rare and threatened species.
3. Visit Robben Island
Known as the place where former South African president Nelson Mandela spent 18 of his 27 years in prison. However, it wasn’t just Mandela that spent prison time at Robben Island, former South African president Kgalema Motlanthe and current president Jacob Zuma also spent time there.
Robben Island plays an integral part in South Africa’s rich history and should not be missed. There are ferries leaving the from the Nelson Mandela Gateway at the V&A Waterfront at 9am, 11am and 1pm daily – so be sure to book one in advance.
4. Explore Table Mountain
There are very few places worldwide that can boast having a mountain in their city. As a local, I can say that I’m very lucky. Table Mountain is Cape Town’s most iconic attraction, with thousands of international travellers venturing up towards it peak every year. One of the best ways to explore Table Mountain is to hike to the top, which is approximately 2 hours and then head back down the mountain, using the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway, which provides you with spectacular views of the Cape Peninsula.
5. Hop on the City Sightseeing Bus
If you’re limited on time in Cape Town and want to take in as much of the sights as possible, then the City Sightseeing bus is ideal for you. The popular hop on hop off double-decker red bus is the easiest and most enjoyable ways of getting to Cape Town’s top attractions, such as Table Mountain, the townships as well as our famous Cape Winelands. They journey even comes with audio in 15 different languages for those not fluent in English.
The holidays is almost here and there’s no better time to book your holiday getaway. So book your flight to Cape Town with StudentUniverse.