Now onto one of my favorite countries ever, the nation of South Africa. I just don’t even know where to start with this one because we packed so much into our time there and I honestly enjoyed every moment. We arrived in Cape Town almost two months exactly after had left home, so I was so very homesick. Cape Town was so beautiful in its own way and really was so wonderful in a historic, visual, and adventurous aspect, yet it also was just metropolitan enough to remind me of home. Due to our voyage change, we had two extra days here and I still could have spent eight more days here. If I got to go back right now, this is exactly what I would prioritize.

EAT:

• The Fat Cactus – At this point in the voyage, we were needing some comfort food, tacos. This restaurant was so freaking good. They had a huge menu with options for all kinds of diets and they did not skimp on portions. We had a huge group so we got two Combo Fiesta Platters for the table (wow) and I bet we tried every dish on the menu. The quesadillas and tacos were definitely the crowd favorites. This was also just such a fun atmosphere.
• Kauai – This spot is a South African chain that is starting to expand into new countries. It’s the cutest little cafe with all kinds of healthier options. They had such a large menu (I recommend the wrap) and their smoothies and juices looked great too! We went to their mall location as our cruise port was right by the mall.
• Willoughby & Co. – This was also in the mall and featured so many unique dishes inspired by places all over the world. The menu featured a wide variety of sushi, seafood, Mediterranean salads, and so many yummy dishes from literally everywhere. We ate so much here, and I absolutely loved everything! The service was great and they even had a fun selection of candy and snacks off to the side of the restaurant.
• City Grill Steakhouse – This may have been one of the best steaks I’ve ever had in my life. I got steak and fries and I honestly ate beyond being full because it was so good. Our server was wonderful and we were able to sit outside for a view of the bay. Just a great experience!
• Trenchtown – This is a silly one but if you are wanting a fun night out, this is a dive bar right by Cape Town University that offers unlimited drinks and pizza for $5 USD. We had so much fun here, maybe too much…
• New York Bagels – This was such a good bagel sandwich! After climbing Lion’s Head and paragliding all in the same day, I NEEDED some breakfast. We found this cute spot and it was so good. They had lots of fun pastries and of course, homemade bagels with all kinds of sandwich options. Perfect for an on-the-go breakfast or even a sit and chat breakfast!

STAY:

We found the most gorgeous (and reasonably priced) AirBnB (linked here). This stay was absolutely perfect. We had the most stunning view, plenty of space for everyone, and a really nice pool/outdoor space. We were in a very nice area with groceries and lots of activities a short Uber away. We felt super safe in this neighborhood and I would 100% recommend.

As for where we stayed in Stellenbosch (the wine area), I would recommend finding an AirBnB or hotel in town. Ours was outside of town in the vineyards themselves and while beautiful, it was so hard to find and far away from any food options.

DO:

• Victoria Wharf Shopping Center – This mall was HUGE! It had so many shops we recognized and some we didn’t. I definitely spent way too much time in the CottonOn because we don’t have one in Kentucky. If you are a reader, the bookstore in the mall is definitely worth a look as South Africa gets all the Australian editions of books – so cool!

• Climb Lion’s Head Mountain – Wow. This was something I never thought I’d do, but I climbed a freaking mountain. As someone who has never climbed anything before and is afraid of heights, this was HARD AF, but if I can do it, you can definitely do it.

• Wine Tour – I loved this day! We took the “Big Red Bus” as our tour guide kept calling it. This was just a double-decker bus that took us all around the wine region with a super fun tour guide – also was not that expensive for all we got. We went to three different wineries and each one had fun snacks or some kind of food accompaniment. We also had some time in town, so I stopped by a grocery to grab a little sandwich. One thing to note is that you will be drinking so much. We had five tastings at each winery, and we started at 8:30 am. Of course these were not full glasses, but I was SLEEPY by lunchtime. This was so worth it though just for the views and beautiful history of the region. 100% recommend!

• Paragliding – Again, something I never thought I’d do. This was so worth it. The experience and view were so cool, and I was so proud of myself for following through.

• Cablecar to Table Mountain – You can certainly hike this beautiful mountain but it is an all day commitment that you need to really prepare for. We took the cablecar up for about $20 USD roundtrip. We went at sunset which was so beautiful and I would definitely recommend. Once up there, you can walk around and there are several bars to grab a drink and just absorb your surroundings!

• Ziplining – This was one of my 2024 goals, and I knew that South Africa would be a great place to complete it. We booked through a wonderful company and the guides were so sweet, guiding us through nerves and the beautiful scenery. Such a fun adventure!

This country really impacted me differently than any other. Throughout our entire experience, racism was still heavily prevalent and class divisions were incredibly evident. I do feel a level of privilege here in the United States as a white person, but this was at such a higher level in South Africa. I highly recommend reading up on Apartheid and visiting a museum that covers this part of history while you are in South Africa. Cape Town is definitely European-ized, and I would love to return one day to the more northern areas of the country to experience the different cultures there. With that being said, let me know what you’d like to see next!

Thanks for reading! See you soon!