Harbour cruises and other Cape Town, South Africa Things to Do Tips

There are a variety of companies offering different cruises and tours. They are generally expensive by local standards, but then are primarily aimed toward tourists. I have given the name of one below.

You can do a variety of cruises:
- whale watching cruise
- sunset cruise
- Robben Island cruise
- eco cruises
- seal cruises
- cruise and dine cruises
- harbour cruises
- champagne cruises
- fishing trips

This is very worthwhile to do and is something you will never forget.

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Phone: 021 418 5806
Address: Cape Town Harbour
Directions: Waterfront Boat Company
Shop 5 Quay
Victoria & Alfred Waterfront
Cape Town Harbour
Website: http://www.robben-island.co.za/daily_cruises.html

The Castle of Good Hope is the oldest and one of the most well-known and well-visited buildings in Cape Town. It is built in the shape of a pentagon, with 5 towers. Each tower is named after the first 5 ships that arrived at the Cape when it was a colony.

It was primarily a small wood and clay fort built by Jan van Riebeeck, but was later build with proper materials by the VOC (Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie). In 1936 the Castle of Good Hope was declared a national monument. It then underwent an extensive restoration programme, and now remains one of the best kept (preserved) fortifications of its kind built by the VOC.

It is a superb castle to visit, with so much to show the visitor, child and adult alike. From exhibits, to art work, to architecture, to tours. It has it all.

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Phone: +27-21-787 1249
Address: Darling Street, Cape Town CBD
Directions: Darling Street, Cape Town CBD
Website: www.castleofgoodhope.co.za/

The Western Cape has a plentiful supply of the southern right whales in latter years. Hermanus, a coastal town along the Garden Route, is renowned for their whale sightings, but Cape Town is equally fortunate.

We would often sit on Jaegars Walk in Fish Hoek and watch the whales come into the bay, sometimes as close as 100 metres away!

A real treat!

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Address: False Bay
Directions: False Bay

For many years this was a British Royal Naval Base. It is still home to South Africa's navy, and has regained much of its historic splendour and character.

Many of the buildings here are national monuments, beautifully preserved.

I always take time to walk along the street, visiting the second hand furniture shops and the art galleries, sitting down for some coffee at the local coffee shop or having some fish and chips at the harbour.

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Address: Main Rd, Simon's Town
Directions: Main Rd, Simon's Town

The beautiful and world-renowned gardens of Kirstenbosch are situated on the eastern slopes of Table Mountain. Approximately 6 000 species of Southern Africas flora are represented, particularly that of the Cape floral kingdom, known as fynbos.

There is always something to see, whatever the time of year, and you will come across some unusual features as you stroll through the gardens. There is a huge conservatory too, which depicts different vegetations all over the world! These are living and breathing mini ecosystems under one big roof!

There are lovely eating areas and an excellent shop (I say EXCELLENT as I used to supply them with wild flower placemats, coasters, greeting cards and writing paper when I had my business in South Africa) Seriously though, it is world class, not your average memento shop.

In summer, there are a series of Sunday evening musical concerts (Josh Groban and Johnny Clegg's concerts coming up soon!!!), as well as the annual Christmas Carol week, so bring a picnic with wine, and a cosy blanket and enjoy the sunset serenades on the lawns.

One thing NOT to bring along? A watermelon.... :) My poor hubby had to carry one for an age (and as you know they are not small or light!) till we found a place in the shade that wasnt taken, and Kirstenbosch is on the one side of Table Mountain, so isnt flat.... :) Poor lad.

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Phone: 021 799 8899
Address: Rhodes Drive, Newlands
Directions: Rhodes Drive, Newlands
Cape Town
Website: http://www.nbi.ac.za/frames/kirstfram.htm

This is a thoroughly enjoyable outing (especially if you have children!) I have been to a few aquariums throughout SA and the UK and this is my favourite one.

It's the safest way to get up close and personal with some gorgeous creatures form the depths of the ocean! I love coming here :) Wear comfy shoes as you do a lot of walking.

Lots more info on their website with tips!

ps: Parking at the Waterfront is nothing short of a nightmare at the best of times. Parking is available behind the Two Oceans Aquarium. The cost for parking is R10 for the whole day. Dont forget to ask for your parking voucher which is refundable at the Aquarium's ticket office!

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Phone: +27 21 418 3823
Address: Dock Road, V&A Waterfront, Cape Town South Africa
Directions: Go into one of the main entrances into the Cape Town Watrefront and you will see big signs directing you to the aquarium
Website: www.aquarium.co.za
Other Contact: Aquarium@aquarium.co.za

This is one activity that everyone wants to do when they visit Cape Town - understandably! It is an experience you will remember forever. The travel up and down the mountain is so enjoyable and the view from the top magnificent!

A good idea, if you are planning on going up the mountain, is to check their website, which they update daily.

Here they mention whether they will be operating that day, as high winds and other conditions make this quite dangerous.

Cape Town is renowned for her strong South Easter, and she makes herself well known often! The Cableway does not take bookings due to the unpredictability of the weather.

On the site it mentions: Visibility, Wind, Temperature and when it was last updated

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Phone: (021) 424 8181
Address: Lower Cable Station, Tafelberg Road, CT 8001
Directions: The Lower Cable Station is on Tafelberg Road, which is located on the mountainside, overlooking the city centre.
Website: http://www.tablemountain.net
Other Contact: fax: (021) 424-3792

"The tragedy of Africa, in racial and political terms [has been] concentrated in the southern tip of the continent - in South Africa, Namibia, and, in a special sense, Robben Island."
- Oliver Tambo

Robben Island tells us a story: about victory over Apartheid and other human rights abuses. Many future South African leaders were prisoners at some point on the island. So it has an image today of past oppression which became triumph.

Robben Island has had other uses besides that of a prison.

It was a training & defence station in World War II (1939-1945) and a hospital for leprosy patients, and the mentally and chronically ill (1846-1931). In the 1840s, Robben Island was chosen for a hospital because it was secure (isolating dangerous cases) and healthy (providing a good environment for cure).

Since 1997 it has been a museum, which acts as a focal point of South African heritage. It runs educational programmes for schools, youths and adults and has a large tourism-focused agenda now.

Some ex-political prisoners act as tour guides on the island, one of Cape Town's World Heritage Sites.

This cell was the cell of renowned and much-loved freedom icon, Nelson Mandela. He was imprisoned here for 17 of the 27 years he was imprisoned in South Africa during the apartheid era.

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Address: Robben Island - off Cape Town Peninsula
Directions: Go to Cape Town harbour and take a ship out to the island
Website: www.robben-island.org.za

This is an enjoyable boat trip. I have done this one, plus one form Simon's Town, and another from Hout Bay. All are lovely.

This is a more cultural one.

If you are in luck you might see whales, dolphins and a glorious mixture of seabirds and mammals' seals are a must of course! You will definitely see these here!

This specific cruise is about 2 hours long and various boating companies offer it at Cape Town Harbour.

Best to price around and see who gives you the best deal.

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Address: Robben Island - off Cape Town Peninsula
Directions: Go to Cape Town harbour and take a ship out to the island
Website: www.robben-island.org.za

Between the naval town of Simon's Town, and on the way to Cape Point Nature Reserve, you will find Boulder's Beach. A conservation area, it is primarily used for the preservation of it's unique and world-renowned penguin colony.

The jackass penguin (Spheniscus demersus) can be seen here at close range, in its natural habitat. Yes!

These penguins enjoy the heat and the sand, not the ice cold. They are comical to watch and a pleasure to visit :)

We usually take a picnic and clamber onto one of the big rocks overlooking the beach where they are (Boulders Beach), and don't pay for this.

You can pay a fee and get up and close and personal with them too, but we find the view from our rock just as good and enjoyable.

A must-see for the kids and adults alike!

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Address: Boulder's Beach, Main Rd
Directions: Boulder's Beach, Main Rd, on the way to Cape Point