36 HOURS
36 Hours in Cape Town
Pieter Bauermeister for The New York Times
From left: Dancing at St. Yves, an upscale club in Camps Bay; the soccer stadium, built for the 2010 World Cup; at the District Six Museum, in a former meeting place for anti-apartheid activity. More Photos »
By ELAINE SCIOLINO
Published: October 27, 2011
CAPE TOWN overwhelms the senses. Its cultivated side, the bright lights and big buildings of the city center, collides with its geography — the dazzle and danger of the wind-whipped mountains and the two oceans that embrace it. The 2010 World Cup soccer tournament transformed parts of its infrastructure. A 55,000-seat stadium was built. High-end hotels, boutiques, restaurants, art galleries and B&Bs opened. But prices soared, and the tourist trade since then has disappointed. Some businesses have closed; several construction projects remain unfinished. Yet the urban revival continues in the City Bowl (the center), in the area around the University of Cape Town and in the old industrial neighborhood of Woodstock. Despite the grinding poverty in the townships on the city’s outskirts, this is one of the most naturally beautiful places in the world, where adventurers can sky-dive, kite-surf, rock-climb, hang-glide, shark-cage-dive; others can explore with less daring but just as much enthusiasm.
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Friday
2 p.m.
1) BACK IN TIME
1) BACK IN TIME
Start with the history of apartheid and a visit to District Six, once home to an ethnically and racially diverse community of freed slaves, artisans, merchants, workers and immigrants. In the 1960s, the apartheid government forcibly removed them and razed their homes in order to impose racial separation. Thirty years later, the District Six Museum (25A Buitenkant Street; 27-21-466-7200;districtsix.co.za; 20 rand, or $2.50 at 8 rand to the dollar) was opened in a restored church, the former meeting place for anti-apartheid activity. The museum pays tribute to the community’s memory by displaying the artifacts and photographs that remain. Noor Ebrahim, who wrote a memoir of his life in District Six and minds a small museum shop, is also a storyteller and will share memories of the weddings, funerals and street life of a place that was once quite different. The museum also offers guided walking tours of the neighborhood.
4 p.m.
2) MORE THAN A GARDEN
2) MORE THAN A GARDEN
Set against the eastern slopes of Table Mountain, the 1,300-acre Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden (Rhodes Drive, Newlands; 27-21-799-8783; sanbi.org; 40 rand) was created in 1913 to protect southern Africa’s indigenous plants, and now holds more than 7,000 species. The garden includes a cultivated area perfect for picnics. The natural forest is home to more than 125 species of birds, as well as mammals, reptiles, frogs and invertebrates. Don’t miss the Fragrance Garden. There are temporary art exhibitions, a summer concert series (the Southern Hemisphere’s summer has begun) featuring South African artists, and guided tours.
6 p.m.
3) TOP OF THE TABLE
3) TOP OF THE TABLE
Table Mountain (27-21-424-8181; tablemountain.net; 175 rand online, 195 at the ticket office, round trip) is to Cape Town what the Eiffel Tower is to Paris — a grand monument that both defines and dominates the cityscape. Ride the rotating cable car up the 3,560-foot granite and sandstone mountain for glorious sunset views of Cape Town. (The strenuous hike up takes about two hours.) The top of the mountain is navigated by a network of walking paths. Be prepared to change plans suddenly if clouds descend.
8 p.m.
4) SWINGING AND SWAYING
4) SWINGING AND SWAYING
Every variety of cuisine and entertainment is available in Cape Town. But why not try a local favorite? On Tuesday through Sunday evenings, Marco’s Africa Place (15 Rose Lane, Bo-Kaap; 27-21-423-5412; marcosafricanplace.co.za) is where the locals gather. They are encouraged to stand on the tables to swing and sway when the live bands and costumed dancers perform, and even to perform themselves. The food, a mix of simple African and Cape Malay, is almost beside the point. Try the grilled game platter, chicken livers, ox tongue, samp (a coarse meal) and beans. Mama’s brandy tart is a must. About 300 rand for dinner, with beer.
11:30 p.m.
5) NIGHT ON THE ATLANTIC
5) NIGHT ON THE ATLANTIC
Grab a drink with the young crowd at Café Caprice (37 Victoria Road; 27-21-438-8315;cafecaprice.co.za), an outdoor bar on the promenade in Camps Bay. Or head a few doors down to an upscale, upstairs club, St. Yves (The Promenade, Victoria Road; 27-21-438-0826; styves.co.za), for late-night dancing and beautiful-people-watching. The outdoor seating area overlooks the sandy beach and ocean beyond. Resist the impulse to follow the late-night-dip daredevils into the freezing Atlantic where there’s sometimes the chance of a close encounter with a shark.
Saturday
9 a.m.
6) OSTRICH BURGERS
6) OSTRICH BURGERS
Start the day with a kaleidoscope of flavors at the Old Biscuit Mill in a renovated Victorian mill complex in the Woodstock area. A meeting place as well as a dining spot, it sells freshly made food from all over the world (French pastries, Greek falafel, Asian noodles, Spanish paella, Dutch pancakes, a wine-tasting bar, the zingiest of bloody marys, the freshest mozzarella). Not to miss, no matter what the hour, is an ostrich burger hot off the grill (50 rand). There are clothing and crafts stalls and stores nearby (373-375 Albert Road; 27-21-447-8194; theoldbiscuitmill.co.za); lots of free samples. A hearty brunch is 100 to 150 rand.
11:30 a.m.
7) OLD AND NEW TREASURES
7) OLD AND NEW TREASURES
Cobblestoned Greenmarket Square, one of South Africa’s oldest public squares, offers dozens of densely packed stalls selling reasonably priced local crafts, including beaded jewelry, African masks and carved-bone household goods. Merchants are eager to talk about their wares and negotiate prices (Shortmarket and Burg Streets; 27-21-426-1052). From there, head to Long Street, where young designers have opened boutiques and wrought-iron balconies lend a New Orleans feel to the street. Swaziland-born Thulare Monareng, who studied at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, recently opened Fashion Collage Deli (219-223 Long Street; 27-21422- 2774), where her displays are set out in deli fridges, Coca-Cola crates and shopping carts. Clarke’s Bookshop (211 Long Street; 27-21-423-5739; clarkesbooks.co.za) has maps, prints and books on southern Africa and excellent recommendations on South African litera-ture. The African Music Store (134 Long Street; 27-21-426-0857; africanmusicstore.co.za) offers a superb selection of music from all over the continent as well as working radios made almost entirely from recycled wire, plastic and beer bottle caps.
3 p.m.
8) WINE SIPPING
8) WINE SIPPING
No visit to Cape Town is complete without a stop in at least one of the region’s sun-kissed vineyards. Less than 30 minutes away, in the upscale suburb of Constantia on Cape Town’s historic wine route, the hospitality is warm at Groot Constantia (27-21-794-5128;grootconstantia.co.za). Dating back to 1685, it is one of the country’s oldest wine estates, elegant and inviting with its manor house, rows of oaks and vast selection of wines.
8:30 p.m.
9) SUSHI ADDICTS
9) SUSHI ADDICTS
There is only one reason to go to the V&A Waterfront, which is overpriced and has the feel of a giant globalized shopping mall: Sevruga (Shop 4, Quay 5, V&A Waterfront; 27-21-421-5134; www.sevruga.co.za). Sevruga offers local fish, fusion salads and an excellent wine cellar of the best South African wines. To really savor the fresh catch of the day, order the sushi — a great deal, always half-price (a platter of 26 pieces costs 120 rand). Book a table by the window with a view of the waterfront through the portholes.
10:30 p.m.
10) COCKTAILS AND MUSIC
10) COCKTAILS AND MUSIC
Head to Asoka (68 Kloof Street; 27-21- 422- 0909; asokabar.co.za), a stylish, intimate bar, for its music and yummy cocktails, from a classic mai tai with pineapple (45 rand) to the risqué Porn Star Martini with passion fruit (48 rand), in a restored Victorian house. With a comfortable, feng shui design, Asoka attracts a racially diverse crowd of 20- and 30-somethings. Depending on the night, the music and dancing might be even better at Fiction DJ Bar & Lounge (226 Long Street; 27-21-424-5709; fictionbar.com) or Zula Sound Bar (98 Long Street; 27-21-424-2442; zulabar.co.za) on nearby Long Street.
Sunday
8 a.m.
11) HEADING SOUTH
11) HEADING SOUTH
Who can visit Cape Town without seeing the Cape of Good Hope? Rent a car and drive south. Beware of baboons on the mountain passes! Stop in Simon’s Town for breakfast and then an encounter with waddling, braying African penguins (an endangered species) at Boulders Beach. Continue on to the Cape of Good Hope, the symbolic meeting point of two oceans even though the geographical point is farther south at Cape Agulhas. Wind your way down the steep wooden staircases to Diaz Beach, a partly hidden cove on the sea. Return to the city via the 114 curves of Chapman’s Peak Drive, one of the most spectacular coastal drives in the world.
IF YOU GO
Camps Bay Retreat (7 Chilworth Road, Camps Bay; 27-21-437-8300;campsbayretreat.com), on a four-acre sanctuary, offers ocean views, a tennis court, swimming pools, a spa and excellent service. Double rooms, with breakfast, start at 2,750 (about $350) rand in high season.
The Protea Hotel North Wharf is walking distance to the V&A Waterfront and has a rooftop pool and 67 rooms and suites (1 Lower Bree Street; 27-21-443-4600;proteahotels.com). A two-bedroom suite starts at about 1,920 rand.
