Discover the Mother City’s Hidden Gems
Cape Town, South Africa’s capital, is a port city located on the country’s southwest coast. The city nestles below the towering Table Mountain where cable cars transport visitors to the mountain’s flat top to see the city views and busy harbour below. From the top, one can also see Robben Island, now a living museum which once held Nelson Mandela.
Robben Island
When you book cheap domestic flights to Cape Town, top tourist attractions such as Table Mountain, the various beaches, Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, Robben Island, Two Oceans Aquarium and V&A Waterfront are probably the first places that you will consider spending your time, but there’s a great deal more to Cape Town.
If you’re looking to escape the norm and discover some of Cape Town’s lesser-known or hidden gems, we have a list of things to do and see for you to consider. Check them out below and then book your cheap flights to Cape Town with Domestic Flights-SA.
For the love of cheese & wine! Visit Fairview Estate
Fairview Wine Estate offers a whole-day experience for those who love cheese and wine. The ever-popular goat tower with resident goat mascots has been providing great arrival entertainment to both children and adults since 1981. Inside the shed you can purchase your cheese and wine tasting ticket and get pairing!
Wine masters and cheese experts are available at tasting stations to help you discover Fairview products that delight your particular pallet. There’s also a restaurant to enjoy meals, a shop to buy products and a bakery and deli too.
Enjoy the artistic quirkiness of Kalk Bay
Kalk Bay is a fishing village with a retro bohemian atmosphere. It’s one of the trendiest villages in Cape Town and features art galleries, antique stores, quirky shops and a variety of great restaurants and bars serving superb local wines and beers. Surfers take to the shores, locals and visitors stroll the wharf and those who are around during the season will get to spot Southern Right Whales near the shoreline.
Activities include visiting the theatre for a show, fishing/angling, surfing, visits to the Kalk Bay Caves and taking a water taxi to Simon’s town.
Take some time out to relax in the Company Gardens
Originally created in 1652 by the area’s first European settlers as Jan van Riebeeck’s vegetable garden, the Company Gardens are one of Cape Town’s lesser mentioned gems. The Gardens now serve as an expansive public park and botanical garden.
Within the garden is a rose garden, Japanese garden, aviary, fish pond, benches, resident squirrels and various important buildings including the South African Museum, South African Art Gallery and the Planetarium. Take a stroll through the gardens, enjoy a picnic and the beautiful views of Table Mountain or sit down for a meal at the garden restaurant. The Company Gardens also plays host to a permanent craft market and regular concerts and shows.
While you are there, you might want to check out the Houses of Parliament which back onto the gardens.
Take a step into another time at Alexander Bar, Cafe and Theatre
This one’s not so much a tourist attraction as it is a worthy evening outing venue. The Alexander Bar is located in Strand Street in central Cape Town. It’s a stylish old world venue that serves traditional bar snacks, plays upbeat jazz music and includes an intimate theatre upstairs for local shows and productions. On each table in the bar and restaurant, you will find an antique telephone which, yes, you can place a call on to the bar for your next drink!
Enjoy a meal and a show at Alexander Bar – it’s bound to be an unusual and unforgettable experience.
Take a peek at the Penguins at Boulders Beach
Boulders Beach is a sight to behold and that’s even before you’ve considered the resident penguins. The beach lies just around the corner from Simon’s Town and features large granite boulders and inlets in between. Boulders Beach is the only place in the world where visitors can get up close to African Penguins.
The beach forms part of the Table Mountain National Park Marine Protected Area to ensure that the penguins (which are an endangered species) and stretch of beach are protected. While you won’t be able to actually touch the penguins, there are contained walkways and viewing decks so that visitors can watch them waddling across the shore and nesting in the vegetation. Once you’ve spent some time with the penguins, you might want to do a spot of swimming, climb the boulders and explore the rock pools or enjoy a relaxed picnic on the sand.
There is a conservation fee to pay to enter Boulders Beach which means that it’s very rarely jam packed.
Discover Cape Town’s secret underground tunnels
Snaking beneath Cape Town are the long forgotten tunnels that used to serve as canals to provide fresh water to the Company Gardens and ships in 1652. There are various historical tours available to show the path of the tunnels and the interesting architecture which now transports the water of Table Mountain and some spring water into the ocean.
‘Sip’ back & explore the valley and vineyards onboard the Franschhoek Wine Tram
Franschhoek might be a little out the way, but it offers an exceptional experience, especially for wine lovers. The Franschhoek Wine Tram offers hop-on-hop-off tours to allow visitors to enjoy breath-taking scenery, picturesque vineyards, fine wines and world-class cuisine. The valley is steeped in 300 years of rich history which is something visitors can learn about along the way. The tram visits some of the country’s oldest and most respected wine estates.
These are just a few of our top pick of attractions in Cape Town that aren’t necessarily the norm. There’s a whole other side to Cape Town and it’s time you got to see it.
Book cheap domestic flights with Domestic Flights-SA and get ready to explore Cape Town and all of its hidden gems.