The Many Colors Of Capetown, South Africa
Leaving behind the wild beauty and adrenaline-filled safari drives, I hopped on a plane and headed west to the charismatic and colorful city of Capetown. Known for its picturesque beauty, sweeping seaside vistas, and world-renown wine regions like Stellenbosch and Franschhoek, I couldn’t wait to explore it for myself. As soon as I was settled, I began wandering throughout the city, My first stop, Bo-Kaap.
Bo-Kaap
Bo-Kaap is an area occupied by many families for generations. It’s an area rich with history, culture and a lot of vibrant hues.
You might be asking yourself: “ Why are the houses so bright and colorful?” It is said that once residents could purchase these places that they were each painted differently as an expression of individuality and freedom.
While visitors are able to explore the multicolored neighborhood on foot, there are also walking tours available for those who are interested.
Our timing was impeccable as we had a chance to experience the Kaapse Klopse, a festival that takes place in Bo-Kaap to celebrate the second new year. Families take to the streets dressed in festive, bright colors celebrating the community’s survival.
Table Mountain
After the morning’s festivities, we took a break and had tea at the Cape Grace Hotel before we explored Table Mountain. Known as one of the most iconic landmarks in Capetown, Table Mountain is one of the oldest mountains in the world and is also recognized as one of the new seven wonders of the world.
There are many ways to enjoy this breathtaking experience, but here are a few things you need to know before you go.
If you are a fitness enthusiast, there are many trails that you can hike to explore the area. However, given our compressed time table, we opted to take the cable car up the mountain.
We were fortunate enough to have a guide obtain tickets ahead of time so our wait in line was minimal. Once we made it through the sea of people, we popped right up in the cable car.
In the event that you aren’t hiking, I’d recommend wearing sneakers or some sort of footwear that allows you to gain traction. Even though there are paved walkways, curiosity will inevitably get the best of you and you will deviate from the main course.
I brought my Golden Goose sneaks and felt completely fine wandering. We had about an hour to wander through the rocky paths and I’d say this was more than enough time. While we were busy exploring, our guide kindly waited in line for our trip down. ( Thank goodness!)
Once you reach the top of the mountain, there are shops, restaurants, bathrooms, and bars available for guest use.
As you can imagine, the line can get extremely long, especially during the sunset. Even though he had waited over an hour, we waited approximately 30 additional minutes before we could get in the cable car to go down.
This magnificent landmark is a can’t miss when you are in Capetown. Make sure that you and your camera are fully charged as you will want to memorialize every moment of this stunning view.
Until Next Time!