Cape Town is a glorious collage of mountains, city, and ocean – a dream destination of mine for the past few years. While I primarily came for the hiking I will remember this nine-day trip for the warm social interactions that filled my days. I happily struggled to find alone time, and I welcomed every interaction following what has been a particularly lonely time amidst the covid pandemic. FYI: I recommend following this post with a Google map of Cape Town.
On my first morning in the city, New Years Eve – I walked from my hostel in the city center (CBD) to the V&A waterfront. There I looked out at the ocean and I saw a cargo ship with the name EVERGREEN. I stopped for a minute, and asked myself – could this be the same ship that got stuck in the Suez Canal earlier in the year? I noticed a girl taking a photo in front of me, I approached her and asked if she knew anything about the ship.
Less than five minutes later Madlene and I were getting to know one another as we walked towards the town of Sea Point – with it’s touristy beaches and the picturesque 12 Apostles mountains. We both arrived the previous day – from Germany and the USA, respectively. (BTW: she wasn’t familiar with the ship, or whether it was the ship. No-one in Cape Town seemed to know about it).
I owe it to that cargo ship – whether it was the OG Evergreen or not – because that day I formed an instant friendship that stuck through the remainder of my trip. We spent the rest of the day chaotically navigating the sidewalks of Sea Point on rental bikes, hiking up the famous Lion’s Head mountain for sunset, and then devouring take out fish n’ chips alongside thousands of Capetonians for a fireworks show at the waterfront that turned out to be a fluke. But hey, the city lifted its nearly two-year-long midnight curfew just in time for our arrival!
In regard to its sights, Cape Town has something for everyone. Those who are interested in discovering the local flora will love the Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden. On the second day of the trip Madlene and I took a short Uber from the CBD to visit the garden. Interestingly, the Cape Peninsula area is the smallest of the six floral kingdoms of the world – and so you will see plants here that don’t grow naturally anywhere else.
There are unlimited things to do on the Cape Peninsula, but I recommend getting out into the rest of the country at least once. On our third day Madlene and I visited the southernmost point of Africa – L’Agulhas. We rented a car from the airport and drove nearly three hours to the town. For me it had an almost ‘New England meets South Africa’ kind of feel, and it wasn’t particularly touristy. There are only so many southernmost points in the world – such as Cape Horn in South America, which can only be visited by ship. For me a visit to L’Agulhas was a once in a lifetime opportunity.
Boardwalks along the ocean lead to a photo spot marking where the Indian Ocean and Atlantic Ocean meet. Nearby there are restaurants, some of which claim to be the southernmost on the continent. If you enjoy shelling, there are some unique shells to be found on the beaches. BTW: the sun is very harsh this far south in the world, so be sure to wear sunscreen. I opted to wear long sleeves and/or pants on numerous occasions despite the summer heat.
That evening we drove to the town of Hout Bay, located south of Cape Town on the peninsula. There we stopped for dinner at the Mariner’s Wharf Harbour Front Emporium, located near the beach with views of the pier and mountains. The Cape area is full of amazing seafood at reasonable prices. During the trip I had ample portions of sushi or poke for less than $7 USD per meal, and on this night I enjoyed a more upscale seafood pasta with a gorgeous view for around $14 USD.
I won’t lie – the Cape Town CBD isn’t the most exciting place to be. It did feel bland at times, though there certain streets teeming with cafes and restaurants. I stayed at Loop 91 Hostel, located near the busy and sometimes chaotic Long Street. For backpackers I highly recommend this hostel as the staff were wonderful, the prices hover around $13-$15 USD/night, and the booking includes free breakfast.
Cape Town has a reputation of being unsafe, though I found this to be more myth than reality. At one point in the trip Madlene and I were out with a couple of locals who typically don’t stay out late in the CBD, and they were surprised at how safe it felt at night in their own city! On at least a few occasions I was out past midnight and I felt perfectly safe as there were security guards/police stationed outside of businesses.
On our fourth day Madlene and I stayed primarily within the CBD. In the morning we explored the Bo-Kaap neighborhood, which is full of bright colorful houses. From there we hiked up to nearby Signal Hill. On the way we came upon a former military base called the “Lion’s Battery”. We couldn’t figure out if it was abandoned or just closed for tours, but we explored the eerie corridors anyway.
The summit of Signal Hill is a popular spot to watch the sunset because it is easily accessed by car (though I recommend hiking to nearby Lion’s Head for sunset as it is taller and has better views). Signal Hill is the place to be for those wanting to paraglide over Sea Point. Having previously paraglided over the Blue Lagoon in Turkey (*shameless flex*) I chose not to paraglide here, but we spent time relaxing and people watching.
For those who do not have a rental car there are plentiful options for you to explore this wonderful city by public transportation. There is a cable car up Table Mountain, Uber is ridiculously cheap, and there are hop on/hop off buses. If you’re looking to visit the Cape of Good Hope, located at the bottom of the Cape Peninsula you will need to have your own car or take the Cape Explorer tour.
Madlene and I took the Cape Explorer tour on our fifth day in Cape Town, which took eight hours and cost $50 USD. The tour brought us to Kalk Bay, Boulder’s Beach (where you can see one of South Africa’s largest penguin colonies), and lastly the Cape of Good Hope. I am not always a fan of organized tours, but this one was worth it for the convenience. Hiking along the bottom of the cape was the highlight of the tour and the scenery was breathtaking. Sea foam appeared to be painted in swirling designs along the shore and distant mountains could be seen across the bay.
I couldn’t believe that five days had gone by and I still hadn’t hiked the iconic Table Mountain. So on my sixth day I went out alone to hike the India Venster trail. This starts from the cable car station and ascends vertically with portions that require some light rock climbing with occasional handles screwed into the mountain for support. One of the things I absolutely love about Cape Town is how an 8-10 minute Uber for less than $3 can bring you to any number of mesmerizing hiking spots.
The summit of Table Mountain can quickly become shrouded in clouds, which Capetonians refer to as the Table Cloth. As I reached the summit I became engulfed in the cloth, with the temperature decreasing and condensation building over my clothes. It wasn’t necessarily cold, but it was wet. The unique and colorful flora together with the mysterious atmosphere inside the Table Cloth created an otherworldly sensation.
I got up the next morning to hike Lion’s Head mountain for sunrise – which wasn’t nearly as beautiful as it was for sunset. Madlene still wanted to hike one of the Table Mountain trails, and so that same afternoon we met up with a new friend named Kabelo to hike the 12 Apostles to the summit of Table Mountain and then descend on the cable car. This alone was a six + hour hike.
South Africa is the only country I’ve visited where I didn’t even have to try to make new friends. Madlene and I made friends staying in my hostel, on the Cape Explorer tour, and in restaurants. I believe the shared English language and the natural kindness of the South African people is ultimately what led to this trip being so sociable.
I could see myself living in Cape Town possibly more so than anywhere else on earth. If it weren’t for all the other places I have yet to see I probably would look to move here permanently. There’s something about the big city with easy access to gorgeous mountains and beaches that fits a wide scope of interests.
Rounding things out full circle I wound up flying out on standby the same night as Madlene. I left South Africa feeling so grateful for the experience to visit such a magical and remote part of the world with some of the warmest people I’ve met. Oh, and all these activities for nine days (excluding flights) cost just over $500 USD.
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