#TravelTuesday: here is the low down on visiting the Mother City
Image: Hoberman Collection/ Universal Images Group/Getty Images
Cape Town is one of South Africa’s most celebrated cities, drawing tourists from around the world with its natural beauty, world-class restaurants, a vibrant social scene and delicious wines from the surrounds.
First-time visitors to the Mother City may be overwhelmed with choices of what to do and where to go. While lovely to visit, Cape Town is much more than Table Mountain, Robben Island and the V&A Waterfront.
We’ve compiled a list of some of Cape Town’s most important neighbourhoods and highlights of what to do in each.
When to travel
A good time of year to visit Cape Town is between late January and April. The warmest months are between December and February and Cape Town is bustling with inland visitors travelling to the coast over the December holidays. Cape Town experiences its rainy season during winter months which can make for a cold, wet winter.
Cape Town has a few annual festivals to look forward to. If you’re planning your trip for the beginning of the year, do not miss out on the annual Kaapse Klopse parade, or the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival, when thousands of members of the Cape Coloured community march through Cape Town’s streets dressed in glittery uniforms and hats in a celebration of music and dance. The Cape Town International Jazz Festival is Cape Town’s biggest annual music festival that takes place on either the last weekend of March or the first weekend of April each year.
How to get there
As one of the main cities in South Africa, Cape Town is well connected on the travel grid. Visitors can either travel by car via the N1 from Johannesburg or the N2 from Durban. A cheaper travel option may be to use any of the major national bus companies. If you prefer the slower scenic route, you can catch a train to Cape Town station from any of the main train hubs in South Africa. Cape Town International airport has daily local and international flights and offers car rental services or shuttles from the airport.
Highlights you shouldn’t miss
1. The colourful streets of the Bo-Kaap in Cape Town are iconic. To fully immerse yourself in the flavours of the Cape Malay people, join a Bo-Kaap Cooking Tour. After a walkabout around the streets with insights into the origins and current struggles of the local people, you visit a spice shop before being invited into Zaine Misbach’s home where she shares some of her staple Cape Malay recipes with you while you cook up a storm. You end off the class sharing the food you’ve just prepared so come hungry!
Image: Majority World/ Universal Images Group/Getty Images
Image: Sanet Oberholzer
Image: Sanet Oberholzer
Image: Sanet Oberholzer