Cape Town recommendations

[boredsolicitor]

I’m planning a trip
to Cape Town for 7 nights in January. We’re planning on staying at VA waterfront but I’m wondering if it’s sensible to split our stay and do 3 days in another area - Sea point? Or are they too similar?
I wondered about Hermanus but we are not beachy and I’m not sure what else there may be to do?
we are booking a one day tour to the winelands area
any advice gratefully recieved

Anyone?

What about Stellenbosch

Food, wine , history - 30 miles from Cape Town

Or Camps Bay if want to be more in Cape Town

We did this day trip and it was fabulous. Booked it through Trip Advisor.

https://www.getyourguide.com/en-gb/cape-of-good-hope-l3859/from-cape-town-cape-point-boulders-beach-full-day-tour-t334741/?ranking_uuid=15024caf-c304-4dcc-8764-826dee1661cb

We had 4 days in Cape Town and that was enough for us, but the reason for our trip was a safari so Cape Town was an added bonus.

We also did quad biking in sand dunes and a sunset cruise - all wonderful.

Hermanus is very beautiful but not particularly 'beachy'. Will you be driving? Between Hermanus and Cape Town there are so many small towns with deserted beautiful beaches - Betty's Bay, Pringle Bay and Gordon's Bay are just a few.

I think for a 7 day trip I’d opt for a Cape Town/Simonstown split - that would allow you to get down to the Cape Peninsula, see Boulders and there’s also the naval museum.
Hermanus is a nice town with gorgeous scenery but it’s USP is whale watching from the cliffs and January isn’t the month for that really.
A stay at one of the vineyard country houses might be nice.
If you haven’t safari’d then there are several private reserves within a couple of hours - not quite Kruger but worthwhile.
if you had longer I’d suggest a couple of nights in Knysna but it’s a hefty drive from Cape Town and of course you want to be driving in daylight hours.

Franschoek or Stellenbosch - beautiful areas, wine tasting, great restaurants, horse riding if that’s your thing. Or go for a mini safari - several game reserves not far away.

Thank you so much - all great suggestions which I will look at . I’m looking at a place called Sanbona which looks quite nearby for a safari type stay for 2 nights. Just wish we could go for longer as there looks like so much to do but for various dull reasons that’s all we can manage. Thank you again !

@boredsolicitor I’d swerve a safari style place with just 1 week. They are converted farms and not really wild in the true sense but they are rewilded areas. My view is the Waterfront is over rated and looks like anywhere else in the world. There are smaller guest houses (amazing in South Africa) and these really give you a personal introduction to SA and Cape Town. As Jan is high season (schools there go back around 20 Jan) you might find the nicest places are booked up but being in a good suburb is so nice! Hire a car and then you can visit everywhere and drive around the Cape. Camps Bay is lovely and so is Clifton. In Jan, availability might be a challenge. They are beach communities.

Hermanus isn’t a beach place and the whales might have gone. There are other beach areas but I’d stay in Franschoek for the second part of the holiday. Lovely place with great guest houses and farms. Or drive into the Little Karoo - stunning scenery. A bit off the beaten track but beautiful.

@TizerorFizzthank you. That’s good to know re ‘safari’. Thanks for the pointers - all very helpful .

@boredsolicitor My DD is doing similar next year so we’ve just spent some time planning! She’s tagging time on to a wedding. As DH and me have visited these areas, we felt we had some useful info. Do go back to see the game reserves though! KZN is also fantastic!

Oh you're going to have a wonderful time!!
We've stayed at the v and a waterfront a couple of times in the Raddisson. We loved it could see dolphins every day while we had breakfast!! It's an into like Covent Garden IMO lots of shops restaurants etc feels very safe . We used sportscabs to go to restaurants in Kloof Street very easy and safe.

Sorry meant to add Hermanus really was just about the whales.we were there at the right time amazing but I wouldn't think it's worth the trek otherwise- quite a long drive -also there were the power cuts which affected everything including the traffic lights ( felt v dangerous) and the shower in the hotel.
Stellenbosch would be lovely for a night though
It's a fantastic country

Franschoek is only an hour from CT so very doable for a week. There is a wine tram and you can walk between some of the vineyards. It's more spread out in Stellenbosch. Highly recommend The Last Word in Franschoek.

Sanbona isn't a converted farm - it's a proper safari, although a reasonable drive from Cape Town so I agree you would want a couple of nights. I also agree with the suggestions of Stellenbosch.
We stayed in Camps Bay which was a nice balance of being by the beach but easy to get into the city. And a good place to drive out down to Boulder Bay etc.

Power cuts are normal in SA. It’s what it is.

Sonbona is 19 rewilded farms and a wildlife area. It’s privately owned. That isn’t to say that it’s not worth visiting or doing great conservation work, but it’s rewilded farms for over half its area. It’s in the Little Karoo which is fantastic. However with 1 week, it’s that or Franschoek really.

Aquila Private Reserve is just a couple of hours from CT and in my view is the nearest thing to a real safari. The premier lodge rooms are amazing and you just ruck up to the bus stop and hop on a safari bus to go out on the reserve. There’s a pool and a spa there too.
i usually do my final 2 nights there then drive straight to the airport for the late evening flight back, dropping the car off at the airport. I don’t do well on anti-malarials so the Western Cape suits me fine. But I do venture into the Eastern Cape as far as Addo, staying at Woodalls Country House which I cannot rate highly enough. Unfortunately not do-able for a week’s stay though.

hermanus is amazing for whale watching. We didn’t go to any beaches there so I wouldn’t worry too much about that. We didn’t Cape Town, hermanus, Franschoek then j Borg for safari. It was all absolutely incredible. In Cape Town we climbed lions head which is- well just crazy tbh!

The wine tram was really really fun

The whales are in Hermanus from around July. It’s a migration route and by January many whales will have gone but some are resident.

Aquila - another rewilded area. The area is fenced and it’s very busy. It’s an experience to see animals but it’s not an authentic safari experience. Anyone wanting a good safari has excellent options in SA but the classic safaris are better. Not safari “zoos” near Cape Town.

Thanks everyone - your suggestions are amazingly helpful . I’m so excited for this trip now!

@boredsolicitor i’d recommend The Tinswalo Atlantic nr chapman’s peak for a night (or two!) between Cape Town and The wine region. Amazing food and just breathtakingly beautiful. I’ve stayed at The Clouds Estate (great value) and The Graff Delaire (extraordinary) and I’d recommend Tokara for tasting/lunch too. Don’t forget to visit cape point and see the penguins at Boulders beach. Hermanus is lovely for the whales but if you are not going to see them, I’d suggest other places instead. Robben Island is very poignant if you haven’t been before. We took an internal flight for a safari at Kapama in Hoedspruit after Cape Town and the wine region which I’d highly recommend.

Have a fab trip!

For 7 nights I’d do a split between 4 nights Waterfront and 3 nights the Winelands. Whales leave Hermanus by early November.

From the Waterfront do the hop on hop off bus routes, table mountain, Camps Bay, Hout Bay.

Get a car. Take advice on travel to and from airport to avoid R300.

Winelands, visit wine farms, Franschoek, Paarl, Stellenbosch. Breakfast at La Paris, lunch at Le Lude, dinner at Noop or the Hussar Grill.

January will be very hot. Could be windy too, so get up table mountain at the first opportunity in case it gets closed due to high winds.

Paarl isn’t so great to be honest. The wine estates mentioned are great though!