South Africa – Cape Town – Getting Settled

Africa has long been on my list of places to visit.  And so it was with much anticipation & excitement that my daughter & I had the pleasure of exploring a tiny piece of this massive continent, the southwestern tip of South Africa.

Our first stop – Cape Town.  Arriving late in the evening after a 12 hour flight from Amsterdam, we were incredibly grateful that our gracious host from the property we were renting, had offered to pick us up at the airport.  The combination of jet lag, not knowing where we were going & the fact that they drive on the opposite side of the road, all seemed like very good reasons to take Michael (our host) up on his generous offer!

Before heading to our rental, Michael suggested if we weren’t too tired, we take a drive up to Signal Hill, given that it was such a beautiful night.  The view at night is spectacular, the coastline lit up like a million twinkling little stars.  A definite must to see, if you are visiting & have the chance to go.  Regrettably, I neglected to pull out my camera to take a night shot so you will have to google it or just trust me on this one!

The Western coast of South Africa is dotted with a number of beautiful communities all along the coastline.

Upon recommendation from a friend familiar with the area, we opted to stay in Camp’s Bay.

Sitting just below majestic Table Mountain, Camp’s Bay is a beautiful suburb of Cape Town, easily accessible to the city center.

Booking through airbnb, we chose a lovely 2 bedroom apartment with a fantastic location. Our balcony faced the ocean, with only a half a block walk to the water.

View from our balcony

If you are heading to this area for a visit, I would highly recommend this property or any other property Michael manages.  He is a fantastic host, very quick to respond to any questions or concerns that might arise & goes above & beyond in ensuring his guests are happy.

As an added bonus, having lived in this area for the better part of his life, Michael is only too happy to share his wealth of knowledge of the beautiful area he calls home, often referring to himself as a frustrated tour guide!

View behind our apartment.

There is no shortage of things to do and see in Cape Town & the surrounding area.

Having only 5 nights & 4 days to explore this area, we had a packed itinerary, making our best attempt at covering off our list of things we hoped to cover during our stay.

After so much travel, we decided to have a bit of quiet day our first day, spending time getting a few groceries & exploring the waterfront at Camp’s Bay.

Waves crashing in at beach in Camp’s Bay

Can you spot the surfer?

Although the water was a bit cold for swimming this time of year, it didn’t stop us from taking a lovely walk along the beach & dipping our toes in the ocean.

K, testing how cold the water is.

All smiles before swept away by a wave.

As we were taking this shot to the right, a massive wave came crashing in, soaking us to the knees.

Sending us into loud squeals & fits of laughter, with sand stuck like glue to our feet, we decided to made a quick dash back to the apartment for a rinse before continuing on our walk.

Walking from Camp’s Bay to Clifton, your eye is met with beautiful vistas in every direction you turn.

From Clifton, looking back towards Camp’s Bay. The darker colour building on the left is where our apartment was.

After returning from our walk, we thought we would pop in to one of the lovely establishments along the waterfront in Camp’s Bay, for a wee snack.

Mmmmm!

There are a number of dining options along this strip.  Any of the ones we visited, the food was delicious & very reasonably priced.  Our favourite meal was at Col’Cacchio.  Check it out if happen to be in the area.

Next up on our itinerary, a city cycle tour & a visit to Robben Island….or maybe not.

Hugs,

L♥