Cape Town

We have finally arrived and even at first glance this city is like a dream. Known as the mother city or tavern of the seas it was founded in 1652 and is the second most populous urban area in SA second only to Johannesburg. Where we stayed: we used airbnb and splurged a little bit since the duration of this final leg of our journey would be approximately 5 days. We found a beautiful penthouse at the oceana residence on 7 Victoria street. We opted for this location as it was situated in our target neighborhood of Camps Bay an affluent suburb of Cape Town with beautiful hidden coves and amazing vistas. The apartment had three bedrooms each with their own associated bathroom. Elevator code access brought your directly into the unit. There is a large kitchen, amazing living and dining room space and a patio that anyone would want as their own  bosting a head on ocean view, infinity pool and lounging and tanning areas. The Pros and Cons of Camps Bay: The neighborhood overall is wonderful, there are plenty of restaurants nearby and you can easily walk down to the main beach promenade.  The area is a cross between LA, Miami and Malibu with a wide array of modern architecture, beautiful ocean views and plenty of people watching from you balcony. The only con of this area is that it tends to get hit hard by the "Cape Doctor" also known as the dry south easterly winds that hit the coast of South Africa.  These winds are powerful and at times limit you ability to use the camps bay beach area because of their sheer force.  Luckily the winds come and go it seemed like at least once every couple of days the winds arrived and subsided with quite variability.   Overall great place to plant your roots for your vacation, far enough from the south beach vibe of the camps bay beach and high enough for amazing vistas.  You will soon forget all about your 700 square foot metropolitan abode. Dining in Cape Town: There are so many fantastic dining options for Cape Town and especially if you are arriving via the Garden Route you will suddenly feel a sense of food euphoria from the plentitude.  The one tip I would have is plan ahead.  If you are here during the summer months many of the restaurants have already filled their reservations for most of the nights.  That being said you can always try to get a table as a walk in.  Capetonians have a major problem with coordinating table availability, estimating waiting times and so there is never really a definitive answer as to whether you will be seated in time or not. Another road block is that the majority of kitchens close at 10pm and this is not flexible.  Before you read on grab your iPhone, and try and get yourself a table at Test Kitchen, the number one restaraunt in Cape Town. Unfortunately despite trying 6 months in advance we could not get the American Express concierge to secure a table.  Unfortunately they no longer do lunch. You can also try Potluck which is their sister restaraunt in the same area in the still gentrifying neighborhood of Woodstock. Kyoto Garden on Kluft: We were able to get a last minute table at this cute neighborhood sushi joint.  Sushi quality was excellent, paired with some unfiltered Sake it was the perfect low key night.  Try the white fish plated over rice the table devoured this.  Enjoy the Chefs preparations. When you are done with dinner check out the power and glory, seemed to be a happening bar just a few doors down from the restaraunt. Bungalow: Plan for a table around 8pm and make sure to catch the sunset just outside or for your table if you can get an outdoor table.  Reservations a must.  We found the food to be excellent along with stellar service which is a rarity in South Africa. Granted we were at the owners table but I still think service would be great. We highly recommend the line fish of the day, the steak, and the prawns.  Vibe is similar to the hamptons.  Overall I would add this to the must dine list for your trip.  Bocca: From the group that brought the successful Burrata restaraunt to Cape Town comes this new creation.  Before I go on I must preface that I am traveling with four Italians who have exquisite palates for Italian cuisine.  That being said its first come first serve, so we had to linger at the bar a bit before we could get a table.  The Pizza was delicious and prepared in their wood burning oven.  The pasta was solid but did not blow any of my group away.  Burrata: Sister restaraunt to Bocca we ended up here after a failed attempt at securing a table at test kitchen and potluck all of which are in the same complex at the old biscuit mill.  Loading Bay: We had lunch at the fabulous venue to meet a good friend. The food was fresh, organic and after a couple of weeks of gluttony it felt like a much needed cleanse.  The salads including seared tuna, seared salmon are a must and a side of a green, red or gold health juices will provide a nutrient burst. Chefs Warehouse and Canteen: I didn't have a chance to dine hear but our group did for lunch and they had nothing but amazing things to say. Located on Bree street in the heart of an action, stop by for lunch or dinner and explore the area. Kitima: this Thai influenced restaraunt is located in an old cape Dutch style homestead. Reservations are a must so book in advance. The Dim sun and the pad thai are to die for! La Colombe: wow wow wow! Well worth the 6 month in Advance reservation secured by the American expresss concierge. This meal was divine. This Cape Town star is perched in the silvermist area and has been awarded too many accolades to list here.  The food was delectable, service was wonderful and your palate will thank you.  We opted for the nine course tasting menu and the Restaraunt has flexibility when it comes to eating style and preference. By the end we were full but satisfied! You cannot miss this establishment so plan early! I've included just a few of the courses but photos do not do the meal justice.  The Beaches: There are enough beaches to suit every emotion and mood.  In camps bay check out Beta beach hidden in a small cove this beach is small but welcoming with a small area of grass and a great place to lay on a boulder and watch the waves break.  If you like the south beach scene with a mix of both local and international patrons check out the camps bay beach.  This nice long stretch sits in front of cafes, restaraunt and bars.  My preferred beach was Clifton beach.  Separated into 4 distinct beaches  walking distance from each other and numbered 1-4.  The simple breakdown of the Clifton beaches is as follows 1-Good mix (preferred beach of one of our local friends) 2- The models, 3-The gays ( I liked this one not because it was the gay beach but because it was just the right size albeit a bit far from the bathroom, 4- quite crowded and more family oriented.  There are plenty of other beaches including boulder beach if you want to enjoy the sun and the penguins. While we only made a pitstop there because of the heavy winds Muizenberg beach is great for learning how to surf, and believe it or not SHARK watching. Apparently the water is a bit warmer there.  Generally the beaches are well maintained and vary in popularity, the weekends bringing the heaviest of crowds.  We found the water to be extremely cold good for a quick splash but not a swim ( think polar bear).  There are plenty of beach chairs and umbrellas to be rented for the day at reasonable rates. I would highly recommend the umbrella and trying to avoid the sun before 3pm. You will still get golden between the hours of 3-7 without the second degree burn. We When you want to be a Tourist: Tourist attractions are abundant. We used trip advisor and some other simple searches to narrow down the must see attractions.  Renting a car we were able to drive to the cape of good hope with a pitstop at a really quaint coffee shop known as the daily grind which falls along the route ( they even had almond milk).  You can spend several hours in the area of the cape of good hope so allocate time accordingly. When you have had enough of meandering along the southwestern most tip of the continent get back on the road and head towards boulder beach where you can choose to make it a lay out and tan with the penguins moment, or walk down a small wooden ramp that takes you into penguin territory. Be prepared for tourists, cameras and selfie sticks.  It's great for a photo moment and to see the penguins in their natural habitat.  Make you way back to the road and head towards Muizenberg beach be sure to drive slow so you don't miss the shark watch post which will be along the decent into the beach area.  Grab lunch at Tigers milk, the burgers and pizza are highly recommended. You can watch the surf break while you dine, then head down to the beach to photograph the lovely colorful houses that are scattered on the beach. Table top mountain: Rule of thumb, if you wake up and its clear outside go go go.  Tickets are available online and highly recommended. There is an early bird special and then a tiered pricing depending on your time of interest.  Tickets are valid for one entry for 10 days.  Do not wait to purchase your tickets on site as there is an even longer line for that.  Ticket holders will still wait in line but at about 12pm we waited 45 minutes to an hour to get on board the cable car.  Transit time of the cable car is 2 minutes and 30 seconds and don't hold on because it will spin to allow everyone to get a 360 degree view.  Once you reach the top you will find walking paths, beautiful outlooks. There is a cafe and wifi zone at the top.  For there more adventurous we also witnessed people climbing down the edge of the mountain with guides and cable systems. Shopping: You will need to find that balance of finding just the right amount of African merchandise before you and your home start looking like a long lost tribe.  Shopping ranges from simple crafts to high end stores that you would find in the largest of cities.  The majority of trendy home and fashion design with interspersed African craftwork can be found scattered along the following streets Bree, Long, Kluft, Shortmarket Street, and along Waterkrant street.  Pop into any of the trendy design stores and they will be more than happy to provide you to the most current fashion, art and restaraunt map.  We loved the smaller shops along Bree, the trendy Waterkrant street where you will find the cape quarter lifestyle village (new) just adjacent to the old.  The loading bay is the perfect place to grab a refreshing bite to eat when you need a break from swiping your cards.  For a one stop shop check out the  V&A mall where you will find high end local African brands along with the likes of Louis Vuitton, Gucci, and the like.  Despite the tax back benefit of shopping overseas luxury items are priced high and there were no bargains to be had. For the dudes who need a haircut: Since I always like to get a little trim every 7 days or so my research brought me to Barnet Fair located  at 98 Bree street. One of the top 5 in capetown the service was great, nice local capetonians with a hipster feel.  It is old school so no appointments taken, sign in and have a seat.   Getting around:  We used Uber strictly during out time in Cape Town. Since we were a group of 5 the Uber XL service came in handy was reliable and the Uber market is still growing lending to drivers who were very appreciative of the business. If you do not want to drive to some of the tourist attractions and find a driver you like, they are more than happy to negotiate rates to rent them for the day.  Overall Uber is cheap, with an average price of 5 USD for a 20 minute ride to most places in town. Download the app and do not hesitate.  Remember UBER Apple Pay is not active so ensure that you have a credit card available within the app.  For the high rollers Uber black offers Mercedes service.