[South Africa] Getting Down in Cape Town

I always hear myself say that Cape Town has something for everyone. First of all, it is beautiful. Whether you are clinking glasses on a rooftop balcony, surfing a white-crested wave, or walking through rich mahogany museum doors, Cape Town is always dressed to impress, wearing jewelry, and smiling. Nearly everywhere you go in the city, for instance, the sloping curves of Table Mountain and its peaks can be seen, glistening like a shiny layer of Shea butter. Other times, it is silhouetted by a “tablecloth” of small rolling clouds (when locals jokingly refer to the lore of “the devil is smoking a pipe”). Just below Cape Town’s neckline is Cape Flats and the adjacent neighbourhoods, worn like a beaded necklace. This is also where the warm Indian Ocean and the cool Atlantic meet. There are also old British buildings, vineyards, and historic Dutch estates.

With all of that waxing poetic, Cape Town’s appearances are not only compared to feminine features. Its beauty is deeper than a runway model’s makeup. The city is particularly beautiful when you look at its rich history and blend of unique peoples, languages, and cuisines. You can visit for the same reason that tourists flock to Paris or Amsterdam.

That said, Cape Town, like Mexico City or Bangkok, has a “dumb-tax” on those who ignore common sense. Despite its charm, Cape Town bears the world’s largest economic gap between the rich and poor. For every visibly-drunk tourist walking alone at night, there is an equal amount of “tax collectors” (teenage street-thugs) who would be happy to give a free lesson on “personal accounting” (getting mugged).

Of course, unfortunate things also happen to intelligent people —even in relatively “safe” countries. However, if you take some simple precautions, you can ensure the likelihood of safety. See our Travel Fear article to learn about psychological preparation. In my opinion, there are many other cities that are far more dangerous than Cape Town, regularly visited by tourists (including those in the USA!).

 

Tip #1: Be safe and mindful at all times,

especially if you are not with a partner or group. In public, use headphones with caution and always be aware of everyone around you. Keep your smart-phone out of plain view. Never look lost —and avoid looking nervous or afraid. If possible, conceal your foreign accent (meaning, don’t shout to your friends!). Also, be careful when using ATM machines. I use the ones located inside malls. You should also divide your cash between different bags, clothing pockets, and keep some emergency money at your hostel, etc. Most of all, be respectful to everyone —especially the guards who patrol the street. I always give them a tip, the worth of a Canadian nickel, which I regard as preventative life-insurance. Lastly, always remember that the goal of these precautions is a piece of mind. Take safety seriously, but don’t dwell on it. Enjoy yourself.

With that out of the way, let’s return to the beauty that Cape Town is renowned for.

 

NO.1 – Climb Table Mountain and/or Lion’s Head

• Time of Year: Oct-March is ideal (though Feb can be hot!)
• Price of cable car: approx. $151 Rand (each way)
• Time investment: 2 hours (Table Mountain), 2 hours (Lion’s Head)

Looking down at Cape Town from Table Mountain is a must. Perspective is everything. For instance, when locals look at the mountain range surrounding Cape Town, they don’t see random peaks, but the sprawled body of a lion. Lion’s Head, aptly named, is just that. Moving on, however, the next set of mountains are its rump, whereas Table Mountain is the lion’s “flat” back. To continue, the lion’s “tail” naturally presents itself, extending into the water, if you regard Robben Island the “tuff” at the end of the tail (see #7 about Robben Island). I have failed to find this panoramic image anywhere on the web, so you just have to be there to see it. And photograph it!

With regards to getting to the top, there is a Gondola that takes visitors up and/or down Table Mountain, which is advisable on particularly hot days.

NO.2 – Drinking the City’s Best Coffee (Origin Coffee Roasting)

For many, finding the best coffee-joint should be ranked as the first priority —and this cafe is worth it. The quality of coffee was so pristine in its natural oils that my cream, when poured into my Americano, actually fizzled a little. The experience made me ask myself: why doesn’t cream always fizzle in coffee? Afterward, the taste went down so smooth I could barely believe it. I died and went to coffee heaven.

Other Notable Mention: Truth Coffee Roasting (especially if you dig Steampunk culture)

 

NO.3 – Stroll Down Long Street

• Time of Year: all-year around (look out for monthly street parties!)
• Time investment: 1 hour-3 days

Long Street is not only my favorite street in South Africa but one of my favorite hang-out spots on the globe. I can only compare it to the organized hippy-chaos that is Vancouver’s Commercial Drive. In short, it is an endless avenue of restaurants, pubs, clubs, hostels, and funky stores. Most assuringly, there are security guards stationed at many corners, so it quite safe —until approximately 2 am when their shift ends. Nevertheless, it is not safe in a boring, “sterile” way. Interesting things tend to happen. Long Street often has the most interesting locals, who interact with tourists for sheer fun (and also, financial handouts). Long Street is where Cape Town’s out-of-the-box entertainment lives.

To illustrate, Long Street is a kilometre stretch, northeast to southwest, between Wale Street (where the security begins to dwindle and things looks visibly less “touristy”) and the McDonald’s on the corner of Kloof Street—another interesting place. Make sure to visit Mama Africa, a legendary venue with “interesting” foods, live music, and dancing. During the day, make time to visit Greenmarket Square, near the northeast “end” of Long Street, one of Cape Town’s oldest markets. Its cobbled streets are proof of its historicity. It was built in 1696!

If you like the nightlife, and especially if this is your first time in Cape Town, we recommend you book a room at one of the Long Street hostels. This way, you will stay close to the action. Just remember: when the security guards clock-out for the night, you should stay inside your hostel. If you’re a night-owl, therefore, make sure your hostel has a place to socialize.

 

NO.4 – Plan a Photo Session at a Malaysian Neighbourhood (Bo-Kaap)

• Time of Year: all-year around (especially Aug-Jan)
• Price: free (you can also pay for guided tours)
• Time investment: 1-2 hours

This little neighbourhood, locally referred to as Bo-Kaap (formerly known as Malay Quarter), is guaranteed to provide your best photos! It is perched at the top of Signal Hill, literally a five-minute walk from Long Street or a 1-minute walk from Origin Coffee Roasting. Bo-Kaap provides an impressive display of “pastel-coloured” houses —from the brightest blues, yellows, oranges, etc, characteristic of Malay culture. If, for some reason, you somehow take a bad picture, just throw your camera into the garbage. You suck. Visuals aside, Bo-Kaap also testifies to the rich history of Cape Muslims. Check out the old Mosque. There is also a museum that was furnished from an old house, dating back to the 1760s. To conclude, if you have never owned a selfie-stick, now is your time to invest!

 

NO.5 – Eat Snooke

Eat it baked or deep-fried. However, you choose to do so, make sure you eat snooke. There is a reason why it is so widely loved, despite the enormous amount of small bones.

NO.6 – Surf in Muizenberg (and/or drink more Amarula)

• Time of Year:
• Price: $18 CAD (for private lessons)
• Time investment: 1-2 hours

As many people know, South Africa is one of the world’s best spots to surf. If I wasn’t so lazy, I would have booked one of the numerous lessons at Muizenberg and had an amazing first-hand story to tell. Instead, all I have ever done at Muizenberg is make a sand castle, get sand up in my pants, and enjoy the view. This is also where those brightly-coloured, iconic “change-room huts” are located. Of course, there are other surfing spots, but I find that this is where the locals prefer. It’s also easily accessible from the local train line —if you have time to spare.

There is also no better time, than a lazy beach day, to drink Amarula —on ice. This pink milky liqueur is named from the fruit, from which it derives, and it goes down as smooth as Bailey’s Surprisingly, though Amarula is quite popular in South Africa, it seems relatively unknown to outside countries. Even South African animals get drunk on Amarula, that is when the fruit falls into puddles and gradually ferments. There are a variety of videos on Youtube, depicting alcoholic monkeys, and drunk baby elephants falling over themselves. Monkey hangovers look particularly cute. To that end, those videos prove that Amarula is not just a “chick drink”. I like it.

NO.7 – Fetch Some Natural Spring Water

• Time of Year: all-year round
• Price: free
• Time investment: 1-2 hours

Even if you are not a health-nut, fetching spring water will provide an insight into what it is like to live local, in Cape Town. If you are a health-nerd like me, however, you will be eager to try some water that does not come from the tap of the “government-teat”. Basically, there is no comparison between municipal water and fresh-from-the-ground natural spring water. Plus, there are enormous health benefits.

That aside, since the government placed restrictions on household water consumption, there are numerous places where locals line-up, with empty bottles in hand, and fill up. Incidentally, it was the first time I saw “normal” people doing this activity—rather than the “hippie” types I have typically seen in other places. The easiest place to fill up is literally a stone’s throw from Newlands Brewery.

Besides, “living locally”, adding some life-experience to your trip, and receiving the health benefits of spring water, the act of fetching water provides a clue of what it will be like living in the future, even in a “developed” nation. Refer to our Getting Jacked on Water article for more context.

What you need to know: Cape Town (even more so in than other areas in South Africa) has been experiencing a water-crisis for some time. It may be the first modern municipality, in history, to experience a permanent water shortage. The term “Day Zero” was coined to refer to the day when the government taps will run dry. Fortunately, its official date has been continually postponed. Still, make sure to implement some water-conserving practices, such as short showers, etc. Nevertheless, there are always opportunities in adversity. To that end, Cape Town is becoming the global leader in terms of water awareness, citizen expertise, and water-saving techniques.

 

NO.8 – Stand Inside Nelson Mandela’s Prison Cell (Robben Island)

• Time of Year:
• Price: $18 CAD
• Time investment: 1-2 hours

Similar to the way that South Africa has been spearheading the issue of water-usage, it is also an exemplary nation towards addressing racism. This, of course, is best epitomized by the icon of Nelson Mandela, “the Father of the nation”, who was South Africa’s first post-Apartheid president. Though racism in South Africa is far from solved —and one can easily criticize the ANC (the dominant political party since Mandela), Mandela’s life continues to be a fascinating tale. He was, after all, a lawyer turned political fugitive who lived on the run for decades and eventually served a prison sentence of 27 years. Then, from jail, he immediately became South Africa’s first native president and rather than avenging the ruling class, as commonly suspected, he took a moral stance. One of his first acts as president was to establish the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, where Apartheid victims could publicly share their stories and confront their aggressors. The commission was also a rare opportunity for some of those “aggressors” to explain themselves, and even apologize. In my opinion, no other country has taken such a step towards collective healing, in regards to institutional racism.

To that end, you can peer through the prison bars into Mandela’s prison cell, which he had occupied for a staggering 27 years!

What you need to know: The issue of race is obviously a sensitive topic, especially when discussing politics. The stubborn policies of Apartheid still linger in the memory of many South Africans and continue to affect the everyday life of many citizens. That said, referring to someone as “Coloured” is not necessarily derogatory as it is in the USA and Canada. “Coloured” does not, however, mean someone who is not “white” or someone who is “black” (whether Xhosa, Zulu, etc.). Rather, it refers to the peculiarly South African people of a racially-mixed heritage, who have a distinct culture from their fellow Xhosa, Zulu, British, and Dutch-descent counterparts. You cannot always physically identify someone as Coloured, due to the wide variety of appearances, yet they comprise the most populated ethnic group in the Western Cape province, especially Cape Town. Google “Cape Coloured” for more context.

 

Other Notable Mentions…

In addition to these 7 activities, here is a smaller list of more random activities. Also, make sure to check out our other article Tracing a Smile Around South Africa for additional destinations, including day-trips just outside Cape Town.

• Visit the Observatory Neighbourhood (for daytime markets and nighttime clubbing)
• Vera’s Point
• Eat Biltong
• Attend a Christmas Choir Band Competition
• See a Cricket Game