Country 33/196: South Africa
Destination: Cape Town
Fresh from Cape Town and totally in awe of the city. 🙂 It has everything – beautiful beaches, spectacular mountains, amazing wildlife, a laid-back atmosphere, impressive architecture, and many other breathtaking sights. 😉 ♥
Things to see and things to do
Boulders Beach
Boulders Beach is one of the most gorgeous beaches we have ever been to. Turquoise sea, spectacular rocks, white sand, AND a colony of African penguins. ♥ These beautiful but endangered animals migrated to this beach in 1982 and since then their number has grown to 3000 birds. They sure found a stunning home. 😉
Cape Point
The place where the Atlantic meets the Indian ocean. The cliffs above the sea are pretty awesome, but the entrance fee is a bit high. Take a look at the views Cape Point offers and decide for yourself. 🙂
The Table Mountain hike
What a hike and what a view! ♥ Table Mountain is the city’s number one attraction, therefore a hike to the top of the mountain is a must! 😉 If you are an adventurer, we suggest you take the Kasteelspoort trail. At the top, you will reach the famous ‘diving board’ rock and there you can take some awesome shots. Just be careful! On a very windy day or in case you are afraid of heights you should skip this part of the hike.
After that, you can continue through the Valley of the Red Gods and after an hour or two, you should reach the cableway, which is the most visited part of the mountain. There you can enjoy a tasty lunch with a spectacular view overlooking the entire city.
Afterward, we took the Platteklip Gorge trail, which is the easiest and most direct route to the summit. If you have had enough for one day you can simply take the cableway. 🙂
The hike was adventurous and thanks to the beautiful flora and the stunning views insanely romantic.
Signal Hill and Lion’s Head for sunset
For a beautiful sunset, you should go to the top of Signal Hill or Lion’s Head. We did both. 😉
Signal Hill is a more comfortable option. You can reach the top with a car and after the ‘show’ is over you can simply drive back to the city.
The top of Lion’s Head, on the other hand, can only be reached on foot. The hike is not too long (it takes somewhere between one and two hours), but in the end, it gets pretty steep and adventurous. After the beautiful sunset with a great view of the city, you have to hike back to the foot of the mountain – in the dark, which makes it even more exciting.
From the two, the hike to Lion’s Head is way more adventurous, but Signal Hill offers the most romantic sunset, mainly because it sets right beside the iconic Lion’s Head. 😉 We loved it! ♥
Victoria & Alfred Waterfront
V&A Waterfront is probably one of the most romantic places in Cape Town. A historic port, the Cape Wheel, countless shops and restaurants, live music, entertainment venues, and a beautiful view of the unique Table Mountain in the background. The perfect place for an evening stroll.
The colors of Bo-Kaap
Visiting the most colorful neighborhood in the city is a must. We fell in love with the charming architecture. You should definitely check it out! 🙂
Camps Bay Beach or Clifton Beach?
Camps Bay Beach is the longer, more spectacular beach, while Clifton Beach is smaller but it is closer to Lion’s Head. We suggest you take a walk on both and decide for yourself. 😉
The laid-back city center
Interesting architecture, hundreds of cool restaurants, friendly people, and a view of the surrounding mountains. A city center worth visiting! 😉
Kitesurfing in Bloubergstrand
Bloubergstrand is a lovely suburb of Cape Town. The beach at Bloubergstrand offers one of the most iconic views of Table Mountain across the bay. Since it’s also one of the world’s top kitesurfing destinations, we decided to take our first kitesurfing lessons. It was pretty awesome! 😉
Kayaking along the beautiful Atlantic Sea Board
As true ‘adventureholics’, we decided to take a kayak tour from the V&A Waterfront. As if the view of the beautiful Table Mountain and Lion’s Head from the sea isn’t enough, we were also lucky enough to encounter dolphins and a seal. It was an unforgettable experience! ♥
South Africa, thank you for being so awesome. It was our biggest pleasure! 😉
Where to stay
Cape Town is a very big and very modern city that offers countless different accommodation options for all kinds of travelers. We were staying in two Airbnbs and we loved both of them.
Are you planning a trip to Cape Town? Here you can get a room with a 10% discount! 🙂
Budget
Cape Town is not among the cheapest destinations in Africa. Nonetheless, it is possible to get around with 35 USD (30 EUR) a day or less, if you are willing to stay in cheap Airbnbs, cook your meals, and travel by foot as much as possible. Make sure to travel by day, as traveling by night can be pretty dangerous, especially on public transportation.
Best time to visit
The best time to visit Cape Town is from March to May or from September to November. The weather tends to be nice this time of year. Besides, there tend to be fewer crowds and lower prices.
Environmental issues
Water scarcity is definitely the most alarming environmental concern in South Africa. The natural lack of important arterial rivers or lakes requires extensive water conservation and control measures, and the recent prolonged droughts caused by climate change are worsening the situation. The remaining water is being polluted by agricultural runoff and urban sewage water. Severe droughts are causing desertification and soil degradation.
Air pollution is also a major problem, as it is resulting in acid rain, which causes forest damage.
Poaching is a major threat to the country’s wildlife, mostly to the population of rhinos. South Africa holds nearly 80% of the world’s rhinos and has been the country hit hardest by poaching criminals. Even though they have recently implemented a new technology that has dramatically reduced rhino poaching in South Africa, rhinos and other endangered species are still threatened. Help them stop the South African trade in rhino horns by signing the petition.
Romance and adventure
South Africa has everything – majestic mountains, stunning beaches, large biodiversity, great food, romantic sights, and epic adventures. It is one of the best destinations for an adventurous honeymoon.
196xLOVE
Found lots of LOVE in South Africa. 😉 ♥
Honeymoon rating of the visited destinations: ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♡
Picturesque cities, beautiful beaches, romantic vineyards, amazing wildlife, iconic mountains, and millions of adventures. Up for an adventurous honeymoon? South Africa is an awesome choice! 😉
* Note: This is NOT a general rating of the country, it is merely our personal opinion of the mentioned site(s) as honeymoon destinations, based on the level of tourism development, the number and quality of romantic and adventurous activities and sites it offers, and safety. We strongly believe that every country is beautiful in its own way, they may simply be more or less honeymoon oriented/friendly.
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