There's Something About Cape Town

I’m rarely taken aback with cities. I find nothing overly beautiful about a sea of high rise unnatural buildings trapped within a layer of smog. 
Cape Town is different. Caught between the mountains and the sea, Cape Town couldn’t be a better located city. It takes advantage of its stunning natural beauty, making it certainly the most picturesque city I have ever seen. It’s also a city accustom to providing for tourists and is so easy to navigate for newcomers. 
After living in Joburg it was a refreshing change to safely walk down pristine streets with breathtaking views every day. It’s another world compared to other parts of Africa. I instantly could feel right at home.

The view from Lions Head shows Cape Town glow at night

There’s so much to do in Cape Town. I could have spent weeks longer there and still had more things to do. Shark cage diving, Nelson Mandela's former prison at Robben Island and of course the iconic Table Mountain are some of the major attractions. 
Paragliding off Signal Hill shows the best of the city, sea and mountains through a clean blue sky and skydiving is also popular for thrill seekers. For those with less time constraints, Cape Town is a gateway to the Garden Route- the cluster of charming beachside towns like Kynsna and Mossel Bay, posing remarkable similarities to Australia’s Great Ocean Road. 
Not far from Cape Town lies many wine regions home to some of the best wine in the world. I spent a day in Stellenbosch and stayed overnight at a winery in the Klawer region. South Africa's premium wine can be easily enjoyed by dropping into one of the many open wineries without emptying your entire wallet. 
Cape Town is more expensive than other areas in Africa but it certainly doesn’t have to be explored on a high budget. Public beaches are plentiful, the mountains are free to hike and there’s endless entertainment around the CBD from museums, to a relaxing afternoon walk through the Botanical gardens or Waterfront markets.

Paragliding above where the city meets the sea

Cape Town is undeniably gorgeous. Unfortunately, everyone knows it. Huge crowds of tourists are something I hadn’t seen much of in Africa and it wasn’t exactly a refreshing change. I had to learn quickly how to navigate around tourists racing in circles to find the prime selfie spot at every site. This is something I find painfully frustrating, but accessibility for tourists is something that others may find more comforting when in Africa. 

Strolling through the clean and decorated streets of Cape Town, I forgot for a moment all the troubles pressing South Africa that I had studied and seen in Joburg. South Africa has a staggering 25% unemployment rate, compared to Australia’s 6%, leaving a lot of people on the streets. While the country has come a long way since apartheid collapsed in 1994, the high levels of violent crime and uncomfortable history of racism still plagues the country.
It didn’t take too long until I was remained of these things again. Like when yet another struggling homeless person followed me for blocks relentlessly begging for change. Or when I drove out of the city past kilometres of people living in the densely clustered shacks of informal settlements.

It is easy to pass through Cape Town completely oblivious to the complexities of South Africa, especially without seeing other areas of the country.  
The adventure activites and beautiful sites are fantastic, but it's worth trying to learn a little more the area. Museums like District Six, township tours and Robben Island show a clearer picture of the whole of South Africa’s social political landscape. Even just renting a car and exploring the greater Cape Town area gives a broader perspective beyond the barriers of tourism.

The high presence of barbed wire fencing shows the tight security against crime right across South Africa

When it comes to staying in Cape Town, the more time the better. Cape Town’s weather at certain times of the year can mean missing out on some of the highlights. More like Melbourne’s ‘four seasons in one day’ weather, Cape Town can go from sunny and clear one minute, to grey skies and pouring rain the next. Good timing and plenty of flexibility are important when travelling Cape Town. Windy conditions cancelled my skydiving, and paragliding was postponed twice due to poor weather. 
If I could offer one piece of advice to potential Cape Town travellers- it would be to make sure your trip up Table Mountain or Lions Head is on a clear day. It’s really not worth getting all the way to the top to see nothing but clouds. 
Weather’s too rainy? No worries. Head down to the markets, V&A Waterfront Mall or the famous Long Street. Find a quirky café, put your feet up and watch the world go by. 

There’s just something special about Cape Town. This is a place I could visit time and time again.

The Cape Wheel is one of the big attractions at the vibrant V&A Waterfront

I travelled to Cape Town twice in October/November and December via plane and an overland tour.
In Cape Town I stayed at Cape Town Backpackers, Never@Home and Ashanti Backpackers Greenpoint.
On the Garden Route I stated at Fairy Knowe Backpackers Lodge in Wilderness and I camped at Highlanders campsite in Klawer wine region.

This is my fourth post during my 5-month stay in Southern Africa. I have also written about hiking Drakensburg, power outages and a weekend in Lesotho.

Follow me as I try to convince you to pack your bags and get on a plane to Africa, before I make my way to South East Asia (for a third time) in 2016.

When I'm not writing, photographing, exploring and studying overseas, I keep myself busy posting about Melbourne life @ ditchedinmelbourne