Reply To: S Africa/Alternatives in November/December (young family)

[Norsksaint]

We’re off to SA end of next week. Bagged 241 biz class seats with Ethiopian (*A) and looking forward to tryin them out. We’re travelling with our 9 month old and has a friend similarly warn us, to at least be careful. As others have said I think its mainly aimed at CPT and walking around after dark. We have decided to do lunches and do dinners at the places we have rented.

We decided against Safari, as others note its challenging with a baby and secondly the Maleria risk, so we have stuck to cape town and the surrounds.

At the same time a friend in Cape Town recommended these places so hopefully they are helpful to you as well as you begin planning!
We’re on to Philippines next year, just waiting for Turkish to release their reward seats and will book biz class return to Manilla….

Recommendations:

Restaurants / things to do in Cape Town:

• Trip up Table Mountain
• Hike up Lions Head
• V&A Waterfront including the Watershed as well as Oranjezicht Market
• Zeitz Mocca Museum of comtempopray Art
• Robben Island
• Kirstenbosch gardens
• Two Oceans Aqaurium
• A drive around the peninsular including Chapmans Peak, Cape Point, Muzeinberg, Fishhoek, Simons Town – Boulders Beach in Simons Town you can swim with the penguins
• Cape Town beaches: Camps Bay, Clifton, Llundudno, Muizenberg, Saunders Sea Point, Queens Beach Sea Point, Noordehoek

Cape Town Restaurants:

Breakfast / brunch / lunch:

• Oranjazicht Market next door the V&A Waterfront
• Kleinskys – very chilled
• Sonny & Irene
• Naked
• Jareds
• Norfolk Deli
• Lillys
• Garderners Cottage in Claremont area
• Melkbos – out in Blouberg area
• Norval Foundation out in Tokai
• Steenberg
• Hout bay for fish and chips
• Strandloper – this is a very rustic seafood braai up the coast of the western cape

Lunch / dinner:

• La Colombe – fancy but a treat!
• Kloof Street House
• Ariels
• Visi Social House
• Villa 47
• Between Us
• Manos
• Yu
• The Lawns
• Il Leone
• The Nines
• Zest
• NV80 – steak
• Stepbrothers – very chilled / small
• Cape Point Vineyards
• The Grand Beach V&A Waterfront

Things to do in Franschoek:

• Loads of wine farms to visit! And lots of picnics which are really lovely:
• There is also a tram in Franschoek that you can hop on and off to visit different wines farms
• The main town of Franschoek is small but really lovely, you can wander down the little main road in town to visit the shops and restaurants
• There is Saturday morning market there
• From Franschoek can also visit the wine farms in Stellenbosch and Paarl – might be nice to spend a day visiting the little town of Stellenbosch too – some lovely little boutiques etc as well

Notable wine farms – all will have restaurants and winetasting:

• Boschendal – they have a deli restaurant and more formal restaurant – can also have a picnic there under the trees which is really lovely. There are trails to ride a bike, walk and horseride as well. Wine tasting and a few other activities
• Babylonstoren – beautiful gardens to walk around – they have a more chilled restaurant called the glasshouse and more fancy one called babel. They have a really lovely spa there too.
• Webersberg – nice for picnics
• Vrede en Lust Winetasting and restaurant if you want something not fancy and a lot more chilled

Restaurants – defs book for Franschoek as these get full:

o La Petite Colombe
o La Petite Ferm
o Chefs Warehouse at Maison
o Protege
o Reubens
o Leopards Leap Family Vineyards
o Orangerie
o Bistro at Grande Provence
o La Motte Artisan Bakery
o Miko
o Haute Cabriere
o Epice
o Arkeste
o Cavalli

The above are smarter / more fancy but there are loads of more chilled options on the high street – all are nice!

Things to do in Hermanus:

• Saturday morning market
• Explore the Hemel & Aarde Valley
• Black coffee / the gallery for coffee and amazing croissants
• Art walk
• Hermanus Cliff path walk
• Fishermans Cottage – lovely little restaurant
• Swim in the tidal pool
• Voelklip Beach
• Perlemoen for a drink