Day Trips in Cape Town area

[strudelface]

We have 5 nights staying in Hout Bay at the start of the Easter holidays and are looking for things to do.

On our list already is Cape of Good Hope, the penguins at Boulder Bay and the Winelands/Stellenbosch.

We will be doing Cape Town centre sightseeing at the end of our trip so just need ideas out of Cape Town itself.

Thanks very much.

How about Robben Island (where Mandela was) and going up Table Mountain?

If you are going to Boulders Beach - get there early also don't just go to the National PArks sanctuary bit get to the the actual beach too - there is a charge to get onto the beach but the chance to swim with the penguins and watch them from the beach is amazing. We tend to take friends to the beach first (just after breakfast and then onto the sanctuary later in the day) as the beach gets quite busy especially during the holidays.

How old are your kids? (assuming there are kids going?)

Robben Isalnd is great if you understand the significance when we took a friend and her 2 LOs (5 and 9) they got bored quite quickly once we were on the island. They did enjoy the ferry ride though.

Hout Bay harbour is quite lively and has a great place for locally caught fish and chips, you can get a boat to Seal Island from there too where you can watch the seals and sometimes see sharks.

When driving from Hout Bay to Cape Point you go over the very scenic Chapmans Peak drive and through some lovely villages when you closer to the Point there are lots of wild baboons which are great to watch. and from there you can drive around into False Bay and through Simonstown, Fish Hoek and back through Constantia into Hout bay. It is a good day trip.

HTH

would recommend trip up Table Mountain, fantastic to hike up (but hard work) and come back down on cable car. Wonderful views of Cape Town from the top.

Agree with Robben Island too.

Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens are beautiful, other side of Table Mountain to the city. Groot Constantia is not too far. One of the oldest vineyards/estates but I guess if you already plan to visit the winelands then may not be a priority.

I love Cape Town, very jealous

Thanks for all the suggestions. Like the idea of Seal Island and the Chapman Peak Drive.

Robben Island and Table Mountain tickets are already booked for our last 2 days in Ct before flying home.

Oops... - thanks for your tips do you live in CT?

Yes should have mentioned it is me, dh and 2 dds (11 and 7) going.

Unfortunately not anymore Strudel - I have married an Englishman and now live in Wiltshire. Cape Town is now an annual visit for us!

If its only 5 days aren't those 3 things plenty? We did Table Mountain, the Aquarium, Cape of Good Hope, Stellenbosch and V&A shopping center in 8 days and that was plenty. (We stayed in Camps Bay so obviously ate out there a couple nights also)

Oops - Wiltshire's okay too (my MIL lives there!)

Kiwinyc - Yes those 3 things probably are enough - but I just wondered if there was anything that was different/better/or I had left out by tapping in on the knowledge of MNers. Did you go recently and did your dcs enjoy it?

If you are going to Stellenbosh then eat here [[http://www.moyo.co.za/], and book ahead for a treehouse. It is amazing!

Not sure what sort of activities you and your dcs are into (my dc is a bit younger) but here are some ideas to consider:

On a Saturday morning there are two farmers' markets the old biscuit mill is trendy (but lovely) near the city center, and toaki market (over Constantia Nek from Hout Bay) is a bit more low key/family friendly (eg pony rides and jungle gym).

The barnyard has a play area and restaurant as does dunes in Hout Bay.

Kirstenbosch is lovely for walks and you can picnic on the lawns if it's nice weather or splash in the pools if its too hot.

The botanical gardens in town near the museum and planetarium (good for rainy days) have lots of squirrels to feed. There's also an aquarium at the Waterfront or the scratch patch for rainy days.

Sea kayaking (off Hout Bay) or sandboarding if you're more adventurous and the World of Birds (in Hout Bay) if you're not.

The beach at Hout Bay is lovely but (I think) one of the few that allows dogs so watch your step iyswim.

Agree that Boulders and Cape Point are easily do-able in the same day and to try to fit in Chapman's Peak (check first if it's open) and the Constantia wine estates on the way back (if you have time!). Kalk Bay is lovely too (The Brass Bell for a drink/food - right on the water overlooking the harbour).

Stellenbosch: The Joostenberg Deli has a play area and is near to Butterfly World (the name says it all, popular with the younger girls). Second Spier - it's quite commercial but good for cheetas, has horse riding in the vineyards and Moyo is great fun.

If you do want to go further afield past the Winelands, you could try Hermanus (about an hour and a half's drive away) for easy walks in Fernkloof nature reserve and a lovely tidal pool at the Marine Hotel (though it's out of season for the whales there is shark cage diving nearby...).

Sorry if that's a bit long - hope that helps. I'm sure you'll have a great holiday. Enjoy!

Oooh some more replies.

Thanks for that recommendation Thatsnotmy...

Lukeluke - thank you so much for taking time to reply and do links and everything - will definately check your ideas out.

We are all getting v. excited and are crossing our fingers that the BA possible strike won't happen or doesn't affect us.

We went 2 years ago with my then six year old daughter, Boulder beach was fantastic. My daughter still talks about swimming with the penguins. If you are going to visit more national parks then it is worth joining rather than paying the non-members rate. We also went whale watching, again a top trip although we were the only people not to be seasick on our trip. We recently went whale watching in California where again lots of people were sick so I think it just happens to some people. The aquarium is well worth a trip, they had plenty of kids activities as well as the exhibits.

Its a very child friendly city, as is all of South Africa so if you have the chance I would recommend seeing as much of the country as possible. The national parks are fantastic. We went to Joburg, Kruger and Crystal Springs with our daughter and she loved the whole trip. I couldn't recommend the place more as a fantastic family holiday.

Thanks ohdeary - wow you did a big trip. We are just doing Garden Route, Addo Elephant park, PE and Cape Town.

I confess that dh and I went to CT, Hermanus and the winelands on our own last year(ducks things being thrown at her by MNers who don't believe this kind of thing should happen once you've procreated) Anyway we spent the whole holiday saying the kids would love it here. So hence our trip this year.

Oh I went to Cape Town a few months ago. I would go up Table Mountain and have a stroll round the V&A waterfront.

Enjoy, it's fabulous.

2nd stopping off at Kalk Bay, it's one of my favourite places. Also if you want a nice beach cafe/bar we liked a the Blue Peter at Blouberg beach. Had lunch and a few drinks there then spent the afternoon on the beach across the road.

Thanks abouteve

"The World of Birds www.worldofbirds.org.za" which is close to Hout Bay is excellent. This is the sort of thing that I had assumed would be tacky and I wouldn't like, but I've had two holidays to S.A. and ended up going twice! They have a squirrel monkey enclosure and the most amazing selection of Owls you have ever seen.

For a rainy day, the Aquarium in the Waterfront is brilliant and Boulders Beach is fantastic for the Penguins. The beach cafe there does fantastic lunches.