Most people choose to visit either on the tourist bus (The Cape Point Explorer) which takes you via Muizenberg, Fish Hoek, Boulder’s Beach and on to Cape Point. We chose to do a full day tour with a private tour company so that we could see not just Cape Point but also a few of the bays on the way on a scenic coastal route. Of course the main reason I wanted to do this trip is the penguins, and they really are the best.

There are a lot of companies that run these private tours – some reputable ones include Cape Point Route and Rhino Africa Safaris. If you’re feeling particularly adventurous, Day Trippers do part of the route hiking and cycling so you spend more time outdoors then in a car.

We chose a tour which took us to three locations around the Cape Peninsula. All were beautifully stunning.

1. Hout Bay

The first stop on the journey from Cape Town, around 30 minutes out, is Hout Bay is a beautiful beach area with nice restaurants (mainly sea food) and lovely local shops. It’s also home to a market, a large bird park and is a hub for peninsula boat tours. You can even do trips out to visit the many seals in and around the bay.

The cliff views are stunning and definitely worth the visit. You might even spot a friendly ostrich or two!

2. Boulder’s Beach

Penguins. Penguins. Penguins. The best penguins ever. One of the only places in the world you can get close to African penguins, this beach has to be the highlight of the day. They. are. the. best. You can also swim here if the sea is warm enough and the beach itself is beautiful with lots of little rock pools. But stuff the swimming, look at the penguins….!

3. Cape of Good Hope and Cape Point

The Cape of Good hope is another picturesque bay, to the West of the Cape Point. Around the area are lots of beautiful walks, including down to Dias beach or to walk the Cape Peninsula wooden walkway all the way to the Funicular which then takes you on to Cape Point. This walk takes about an hour and is definitely worth it if you have the time.

At Cape Point, there is a lighthouse, and it’s a beautiful location to ponder life, looking out to the ocean – preferably timed for sunset for spectacular views of the Atlantic.

Thank you for reading! The Cape Peninsula exploration makes an amazing day trip from Cape Town. If you’re in the city for a while, you might also be interested in my post on a day visiting the winelands. Stay safe and happy travelling everyone.

South African wine country lies around an hour from Cape Town. If you have enough time, I really recommend an overnight stay to make the most of it (and not feel awful on the journey back!). This area has some of the most beautiful hotels in the country, with stunning views out to lush rolling vineyards. Delaire Graff estate is beautiful, as is Lanzerac but you can’t really go wrong. They’re all stunning.

Unfortunately for us, we only had enough time to visit as a day trip. It goes without saying that I don’t recommend driving for this excursion – unless you’re the tee-total one of the group!

The main towns that tours to the wine region visit are Paarl, Stellenbosch and Franschhoek. This region of the Cape winelands is home to some of the world’s most prestigious wineries, so knowing a bit about your wines before you go is also good. South Africa produces Methode Cap Classique which is a sparkling wine made like Champagne but far less expensive as you’re not paying for the brand. My favourite of the ones I tried was Babylonstoren. South Africa also makes Pinotage which is completely unique to South Africa. I didn’t love it, but it was good to try something new.

Here are a few of the places I visited which I would thoroughly recommend if you’re planning a winelands trip.

1. Ernie Els Wine

Ernie Els is a famous South African golfer, and his vineyards unsurprisingly are also home to a golf course. You can play some golf on the chipping greens and finish it with food in the top class restaurant and a bottle of amazing wine. Or, if golf isn’t your thing, you can do a wine tasting with stunning views out over the Stellenbosch region rolling vineyards.

It’s also worth mentioning that this winery is currently being refurbished with a state of the art new tasting room. It’s set to re-open in winter 2020 so get your bookings in!

2. Lanzerac

Lanzerac is a Stellenbosch historical icon, established in 1692. It’s the epitome of old world charm and idyllic rolling vineyards. There are beautiful mountain views and stunning gardens. Lanzerac also offers not just wine tasting, but is also hotel and spa which makes for a great choice of overnight venue. There is also a cellar which you can visit which made for a unique experience I definitely recommend. It’s also close to the town of Stellenbosch, so is perfect to combine with a visit there.

3. Chamonix

Chamonix is another wine estate that comes complete with restaurant and accommodation. You can also pay extra to do a cellar tour here, too.

It also offers a unique experience in its ‘Wine & Game Drive’ experience which combines a tasting and then a drive through the winelands region to discover its wildlife, including zebra and other animals. This experience also allows you to get on the Franschhoek wine tram (I feel like we all need more wine trams in our lives!)

Also when in Franschhoek you can visit the lovely little town hall, and the picturesque Huguenot Monument Memorial and Museum, which tells the story of the cultural influences brought to the region by the French and Belgian protestants who settled in the area after fleeing Europe’s religious persecution of the time. Franschhoek also makes a great stop for lunch if you don’t want to spend as much money as you would eating in one of the wineries.

4. Fairview

Fairview is another winelands icon, founded in 1693. This vineyard is slightly different to others as it’s actually a working farm and known as the Fairview Wine Farm. On site is a deli selling the produce, plus a bakery.

You can do wine tastings here, but also with an extra amazing twist and add cheese. Honestly, it just doesn’t get any better than wine from the vineyards and cheese from the farm!

I don’t think you can go too wrong visiting the winelands. If I had to pick a favourite I would actually choose the Fairview wine farm because it really feels like a family. The cheese was amazing and the wine so good – it had a huge focus on ethics and integrity and felt like a community. It was also a bit more laid back than some of the other venues so I felt more at home there than in the super swanky tasting rooms.

Wherever you choose to visit on your winelands trips, I’m sure you will have an amazing time! Thanks for reading and let me know your thoughts in the comments below. Stay safe and happy travelling!

A lot of people’s biggest concern in visiting is whether or not it’s safe. So there’s no sugar coating it – crime rates in Cape Town are high. However, this crime is concentrated in the Cape Flats area – not in the city centre or suburbs.

However, like in all places you should still be vigilant. Don’t walk alone at night, don’t have lots of valuables with you on show, don’t park in a non-manned car park and keep your windows and doors locked. If you are driving, do it during the day not at night, and make sure you have enough fuel to cover your journey so you don’t risk breaking down anywhere.

I remember visiting South Africa as a child and being really aware of moments where I didn’t feel safe. My parents drove from Pretoria to Rorke’s Drift to the Drakensberg right by the Lesotho border. Our car was chased, we were pulled over and questioned (and I think nearly robbed and shot), we stayed in accommodation with rape gates. I remember thinking what an incredible experience I was so lucky to have, but also that it wasn’t safe.

Cape Town doesn’t feel anything like that, and in the last 20 years (I’m showing my age) there has been so much investment and development in this now truly global city. It felt safer here than I have in some UK cities, and certainly in places in the US such as Atlanta.

So, what is there to do in Cape Town? Most people’s first answer is Robben Island – the site of the prison where Nelson Mandela spent 18 of his 27 years behind bars. He was later awarded with the Nobel Peace Prize and became President of South Africa. The island is now a museum. Unfortunately for us, it was closed during our visit!! So I can’t provide any more detail, but would have done this in place of the Lion Head mountain visit below had it been open.

We covered everything below at a decent pace across 2 days in the city.

1. Table Mountain

Table Mountain is a mountain that is literally flat like a table – and it overlooks the whole of Cape Town, plus Robben Island, offering wonderful views. It forms part of Table Mountain National Park. You can choose to hike up it, or indeed get the cable car to the top, which runs from Tafelberg Road to the Mountain top!

We chose to hike up the mountain, and then because the weather was so bad – take the cable car down. Unfortunately due to the weather we didn’t get the epic views as it was too misty. However, the hike up the mountain still tops the list of things to do in Cape Town! You can choose from a variety of routes which range from 2 to 5 hours, one way – so allocate at least half a day for this trip.

2. The Waterfront

The Victoria and Albert Waterfront is a vibrant area of town, consisting of lots of restaurants and shops. It is also home to the Two Oceans Aquarium which is a world class aquarium full of the diversity of both the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. It includes Insta perfect water tunnels and lots of sharks!

Statue of the 4 South African Nobel Prize winners (L) and clock tower (R)

3. Lion’s Head Mountain

Lion’s Head mountain was a late addition to the itinerary . The trail going up is really windy like a corkscrew. This is a good alternative to the Table Mountain hike if you don’t have a full half a day to dedicate to it. This trail takes a couple of hours maximum and offers lovely views (when it’s not too misty) across Cape Town and to Table Mountain.

4. Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens

You can reach the Botanical Gardens using the hop on-hop off bus. They lie just to the South of Table Mountain and are home to some beautiful plant life and walkways. We particularly liked the bridges overlooking lush, green hills.

5. Bo-Kaap

The Bo-Kaap (meaning ‘above the Cape’ in Afrikaans) is an area of town formerly known as the Malay Quarter. It’s within walking distance to the Waterfront and is a former township, situated on the slopes of Signal Hill. Bo-Kaap is known for the bright coloured houses and cobble streets. The area is 60% Muslim and is the oldest surviving residential area in Cape Town. Whilst there, you can also visit the Bo-Kaap Museum which highlights the history of the area and showcases local Islamic traditions and history.

There are also multiple other things you can do if you’re in Cape Town for more than 2 days.

Museums – by now you all know I love a good museum, and Cape Town has some amazing ones. My personal favourites (both worthy of at least a couple of hours) are The Iziko Slave Lodge and District Six Museum. The first tells the story of slavery in South Africa and the diabolical conditions slaves lived in. It also talks about human rights and there’s a very interesting audio guide. It was a very sobering museum and the suffering endured beyond comprehension. The District Six Museum documents the forcible removal of over 60,000 inhabitants from District Six during apartheid South Africa. Again it is utterly horrifying and shocking that this happened only in the 1970s.

The Company’s Garden – right near The Iziko Slave Lodge is the oldest garden in Cape Town, founded by European settlers during the times of the Dutch East India Company. It’s a lovely spot for a stroll and some lunch.

St George’s Cathedral – A stunning church which is the seat of the Archbishop of Cape Town. Well worth a visit.

Local Markets – There are lots of local farmer’s markets in Cape Town which make for a nice spot of shopping (and eating!). Oranjezicht City Farm Market near the waterfront was my favourite.

Day trips – to either the Cape of Good Hope to see the world famous penguins, or to the equally famous Winelands.

Thank you for reading and I hope you found this guide helpful! Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. Stay safe and happy travelling everyone!