Cape Town, South Africa

For my dad’s 50th birthday, the whole family met up in Cape Town. It was the first time my brothers and I had been to Africa, and it did not disappoint. The animals there are magnificent, the wine is splendid, the people are so kind, and the culture is rich. The sunsets were the best I have seen in my life. I cannot wait to explore this continent more!

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Accommodation:

• We stayed at The Table Bay Hotel at the V&A Waterfront. At the time, the hotel was run by LHW, though it has changed hands since my visit in 2014. Our rooms overlooked Table Mountain – perhaps one of the best in room views I have ever experienced. The breakfast was one of the top two buffet spreads I have ever encountered. I highly, highly recommend staying here.

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Activities:

• My brothers, my dad and I decided to go cage diving with Great White Sharks. We used White Shark Ventures. The guides picked us up at our hotel and drove us to Gansbaai, where we boarded a boat that took us to Shark Alley. After hours of waiting around in freezing cold water, a Great White launched at our cage trying to eat the bait! Luckily, none of us were hurt and the shark didn’t snap the cage, but it was the most adrenaline pumping experience you could ever imagine. I am petrified of sharks (spiders, snakes and scorpions), but I am so proud to have done this.

• On a less intense note, we took a helicopter tour of the city, spotting a few sharks and whales from above. It was my first time in a helicopter. Very enjoyable until my younger brother, Marcus, started flying…

• My mum and I love animals, particularly cats, so it is no surprise that we ended up at Cheetah Outreach. This sanctuary rehabilitates jaguars and cheetahs before re-releasing them into the wild.

• We did not have time to venture far from Cape Town, so we went to Aquila Private Game Reserve to see “the big five” – lion, leopard, rhinoceros, elephant, and Cape buffalo. We also encountered an array of birds, zebra, and giraffe on the little safari.

• Another great day trip we took was to Boulders Beach, home to a large colony of African penguins!

• I wish we had time to hike Lion’s Head. Next time!

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Food:

• The Bungalow near Camp’s Bay was my favourite restaurant. My brother Max ordered enough langoustine to feed a village. He seemed pleased with the order, my dad, not so much.

• Everybody tried Springbok at Seelan Bistro on the V&A Waterfront.

• We spent an afternoon at Groot Constantia vineyard. There, we tried a sample of South African dishes and wine pairings. Bobotie was everyone’s favourite.

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Nightlife:

• ​Ask my brothers where the Virgin air hostesses took them...

• Caprice, Camps Bay

• The Duchess

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Tourist Attractions:

• Hike (in the early morning) or take the cable car to the top of Table Mountain. 

• Hike Lions Head

• Drive to Cape Point, the most southwestern corner of the continent.

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