South Africa / Cape Town and Garden Route, where to go please??

[WhiteArmedHera]

Off to South Africa soon

Current restaurants / things to do / places to go please in Cape Town and along Garden Route to PE (with teenagers and 11 y.o.)... thanks!

[Envy] I was going to say Stellenbosch but dc s might not appreciate the wine tasting! I really enjoyed Knysna and the Featherbed nature reserve and Addo Elephant Park. In Cape Town we loved the City Grill, Lolas for breakfast (looks scruffy, great food) and Africa Cafe for a fun, touristy night out. Pancake House on the waterfront great for a snack too.

even

Thank you! Think they will tolerate a day of winelands (as long as there's enough food!). Thanks for restaurants, are they all fairly central or spread out round the bays? (I will google them later but am off out in 5 mins.)

In Cape Town I love a day in Kalk Bay ... You can drive or get the train there. Two fabulous restauants that look out onto the sea, a fabulous cafe that does breakfasts, some vintage shops, a few dress shops ...... You can then if you want carry on and drive through to Simonstown to see the Penquins. If want to make a trip of it, carry on driving, through national park where to oceans meet, spectacular scenery on the way.

Camps Bay always good for a cocktail and sunset.

I agree Africa Cafe can be fun, or any of the bars on Long Street,

I also love Kloof Street , lots of lovely little shops and great food places.

Enjoy, one of my favourite cities in the world.

That's all wonderful, thank you so much! All noted. Any more advice en route to PE?

I went to Cape Town when my DS's were 9 and 11. We visited Simons Town, boulders beach (twice), Stellenbosch, Spiers Cheetah Center, cape of good hope, table mountain, v and a waterfront (about 5 times), botAnical garden, Chapman peak drive a few times, planetarium, Cape town castle, two oceans aquarium, camps Bay ( great for people watching). It was my joint best holiday to the bestest place in the world.

The Cheetah centre place was the most family friendly way of having a day at the Winelands we could find. There's a posh deli and you choose what you want and picnic in the grounds. It made a lovely change from all the restaurant meals. We also really enjoyed a meal in the restaurant overlooking Boulders beach and actually drove back a few days later.

yy to Boulders beach. I haven't been but df always has a few days in George where I go straight on to Knysna but he loves it there. One if the vineyards we went to had a dairy and loads of food tasting but I can't remember what its called. Does a wine called goats du rhone if that helps?!

Please go to Lolas on long street. It was recommended to us but we almost didn't go as its looks so run down but the Eggs Lola breakfast and the French Toast were amazing and we ended up going every day.

Planetarium
Aquarium
Tea at Mount Nelson Hotel

Fantastic thanks so much everyone! Will definitely visit Lola's and look up the cheetah place, Mount Nelson Hotel and Kloof street amongst others. Can't wait!

Second a lot of the ideas already given.
In Cape Town we liked: Boulder's Beach, Table Mountain, waterfront, Camps Bay, Cape Point (whatever it's called where the oceans meet).
On the garden route we liked: Knysna, Stellenbosch for a couple of days with vineyard tasting tours (we also called in at Spier another day and did the cheetah experience which was fun), Addo Elephant Park and Storms River National Park. Have a look at Storms River as it is a stop off on the way which your kids might really like. We stayed in a little cabin in the National Park itself though there is also accommodation outside of the park. It is an area with a lot of outdoor pursuit type activities such as zip lining, white water tubing etc all amongst great scenery.

Thanks Mango, sounds good. Haven't heard of Storms River, off to have a google.

Storms river is always a good day. I enjoyed mosselbay and stillbay along the garden route...lovely beaches and nice little cafes to sit and enjoy the view (still bay is a nice place to see the whales in the bay).
Hermanus and Gansbay for great white shark tours....not necessarily to cage dive but to be out in the bay watching them breach and catch seals - magical!
If you detour off the N2 and up the Outeniqua pass to Oudtshoorn there are a few activities to do there which would be suitable for a family

• the cango caves - there is a simple tour or a more adventurous tour which would suit the children more.
• ostrich farms - the chance to learn about the history of the feather palaces and see them race, ride and feed them etc.
• swartburg pass and meiringspoort - amazing feat of engineering with interesting features to stop and take in but you need to be a confident driver!

• the meerkat tour...you can have breakfast with the meerkats and learn all about them in the wild (though it does start very, very early).
• 4x4 routes available in the area.
• buffelsdrift game lodge and cango wildlife park are across the road from each other and easily done in one day.