The Best of South Africa
Three weeks and a million memories jam-packed into three giant blog posts.
Jarret and I spent three weeks with our best friends in South Africa!
I’ve always wanted to go and was so happy when we had the opportunity to this past fall. Britt and Alex are South African (and Alex was living there at the time) so we had a local’s guide to the best activities to do as well as a bunch of things on my bucket list that I really wanted to accomplish while there.
We were there for about 24 days and when I tell you it was MAGICAL - I mean it. I almost can’t even talk about this trip because it was just. that. special. If you’ve been wanting to go or it’s never even been on your radar, I need you to book a ticket there immediately and invite me along.
I took about 6,000 photos on my phone and 4,000 on my camera (that’s not a lie those are real numbers) and going through them is so much fun, it feels like I’m living it all over again.
We did SO MUCH and I want to tell you about everything so I’m going to be splitting this up into three parts based on the three regions we visited.
So, without further ado, here’s the best things to see and do in South Africa (Part One).
Travel
Jarret and I were gone from September - October which was the beginning of spring. We flew Lufthansa and United with an 8 hour layover in Germany on the way. It was about 8 hours to Germany and then 12 hours from there to Cape Town, SA.
I specifically chose this airline because Jarret’s always wanted to go to Germany and we were able to walk around Frankfurt a bit and have our first, real German meal.
Lost Luggage
Our only real snafu was that our luggage got lost on our way to SA so we were without much for a couple days until they arrived.
Some things to know
While I felt completely safe the entire time we were in Cape Town, it is important to be aware that there is a high rate of crime and petty theft. So keep your bags close, don’t leave valuables in the car, and always be aware of your surroundings (not my strong suit but I had 3 people to be aware for me).
There’s also a thing called load shedding. Load shedding is essentially when designated areas in Cape Town will have their power shut off for a certain amount of time. There’s a schedule and you’ll know ahead of time but it could be anywhere from a couple hours to a whole day depending on the level they’re in.
Lastly, South Africa is an amazing country with so many kind and wonderful people and experiences. However, you’re most likely going to see some really hard things while you’re there. While poverty, animal cruelty, and injustice are everywhere in the world it, was very prevalent here and is something that I am usually pretty sheltered from so seeing it firsthand was very difficult.
While we were down there, we saved baby birds from being killed by some kids who stole them. We took them to an animal rescue.
Where we went + What we did:
To have this make the most sense, I’m going to break this trip down into three sections based on locations in South Africa:
Cape Town
Thanda + Durban
Knysna + Hermanus
The rest of this blog focuses mainly on Cape Town! As I write the other parts I’ll link them here!
South Africa is FULL of some of the most amazing experiences and adventures in the world. Here’s a list of all of most of the adventures we were able to do (a few of these I did on my own).
Whale Watching
Swimming with penguins
Petting a cheetah
Feeding Ostriches
Shark Cage Diving
Learning (failing) to surf
Going on a safari
Zip lining over a gorge
Feeding elephants
Walking with elephants
Seeing the southernmost tip of Africa
Swim with Seals in Hout Bay
Part One: Cape Town
We arrived in Cape Town after a couple days of travel and I am not sure I can fully describe the deep desire to have an apartment and live there half of the year. Cape Town is an amazing city and is so diverse and rich with its array of experiences.
It’s also a huge city and is separated into sections. Just a few areas we went to are:
Downtown
Kalk Bay
Sea Point
Hout Bay
Kommetjie
Water Front
Fish Hoek
Constantia
Camps Bay
Muizenberg
Kirstenbosch
Our first night we went to Umami sushi for dinner. We were jet-lagged and luggage-less but ready to explore. I tried oysters for the first time, had incredible sushi, and we even made a friend who worked at the restaurant named Panda! I love him and he sat with us almost our entire meal.
City Centre and the Waterfront
Downtown Cape Town and the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront are next to each other but for the sake of space I’m putting them together.
We walked around and explored the area, walked through street markets, shopping malls, and admired the views. We tried tons of different restaurants, some of my favorite things were these cheesy buns at Mochi Mochi and the pizza we had at I Love The Dough.
Kalk Bay
We spent a lot of time in Kalk. It was really close to the apartment we stayed in that’s in Fish Hoek and is a short jaunt over. There was a downtown area but my favorite was the harbor. Kalk Bay was picturesque and had sweeping views of the surrounding mountains - but my favorite was there were seals!! They were everywhere. They play in the water, nap on the rocks, and beg fisherman for food when they come in with their daily catch. They are so cute and stinky and being near them made me so happy.
Just look at this little bub!!
Downtown Kalk
Downtown Kalk has cafes and restaurants, little shops with so much cute stuff (Britt and I bought way too much), and stunning views along the waterfront.
We had tons of pastries and delicious carrot cake at Olympia Cafe and pizza and sushi at Sirocco which I highly recommend - you can even eat in an old dining car!
Boulders Beach, Simon’s Town
You do not come to South Africa without going to Boulders Beach. It’s required because you cannot miss out on seeing these adorable little African penguins. There’s roughly 3,000 of them and we got to see babies!!! I will warn you it’s a li’l stinky but that’s the price you pay for that many birds in one place. There’s two places you can view the penguins, there’s Boulders National Park where you can stroll along walkways and take in the sweeping views and see the colony. Then you can head over to Boulders Beach where, if you’re lucky, you can go swimming with penguins!
I am checking “swim with penguins” off my list because even though I only went in about waist deep because the water was freezing and technically there were no penguins in my direct vicinity. There was one laying on a rock nearby and they were close to me just not next to me so we’re counting it.
Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope
Cape Point is on the cape peninsula that boasts sweeping landscapes of mountains on one side and deep ocean waters with jagged rocks on the other. It’s a wonderful natural area where you can see wild ostriches, whales, baboons, elands, and zebras.
We spent an entire afternoon seeing as much as we could. We watched whales from the cliffs and stopped to watch the ostriches, and enjoyed the brisk wind at the Cape of Good Hope.
Okay, whatever you do, don’t roll down your windows when you see baboons.
I kid you not, Alex had to engage the child lock on the car because I was trying my hardest to roll my windows down so I could get pictures of baboons which is a big no no because not only could they grab my camera and break it, they’re also really dangerous. But I needed to get my picture because there were babies! And I feel like this photo is worth the possible bodily harm I put myself through.
Cage Diving with Sharks in False Bay, Western Cape
Something that has been on my bucket list forever is cage diving with sharks. I specifically wanted to see Great Whites but, in the wild, you can’t guarantee anything so we were lucky enough to see Bronzed Whalers. I did this excursion by myself as no one wanted to hang out with the sea puppies like I did.
Our boat took us around seal island where we got to see the adorable little bubs resting on their rock and playing the ocean before we headed out to deeper waters for shark sightings. We only had to wait about half an hour before we had our first sighting and I was lucky enough to be in the first group to go down. We saw between 4-5 different Bronzed Whaler sharks, with the largest being about 12 feet. My favorite (and slightly scary) moment was when one hit our cage right in front of me and I literally had to back up to the back of the cage because if I hadn’t, I would’ve had a bit too close of an encounter with these majestic animals.
The waterway about 60 or so degrees.
The only downside to this was the company gave me a wetsuit that was a size too big and so the cold water was coming into my wetsuit the entire time I was down in the cage and I wasn’t able to have any insulation and so I was absolutely freezing and even when I changed out of my wetsuit it took me the entire ride back to shore to warm up.
While this was an INCREDIBLE, once in a lifetime, bucket list experience that I am so happy I was able to do, I would probably not elect to do an experience like this again because of the ethics of it. It’s my mistake but I didn’t realize they use chum to alter to lure the sharks. This changes the sharks’ behavior and disrupts their hunting patterns. We, along with many, many other boats, were out there for hours with workers using chum to get the sharks to come close. The alteration of their behavior along with the increased exposure to humans and aggression that can lead to a decrease in fear and natural behaviors can be detrimental. So while I loved this, I didn’t realize any of this beforehand so I won’t be doing it again but I do have some cool memories.
Swimming with Seals at Duiker Island
A less dangerous option than sharks is swimming with seals at Duiker Island! These waters are too shallow for sharks and is a great place to swim with, observe, and enjoy these little guys playing in the water and sun bathing on their rocks.
Duiker Island is home to a seal colony of 7,000 Cape Fur Seals! Plus there’s one elephant seal that has been there for many years that they believe does not know how to get home so he just lives here with cape fur seals and calls this rock his home. (Insert crying emoji here because that is so heartbreaking)
We took a small boat of about 8 of us out to the island and were able to learn about these adorable creatures, observe them, and then it was into the water we went. We snorkeled around at our own pace and the way these animals swims so incredibly graceful. I felt so blessed to be able to see such amazing animals and be in their habitat with them.
Kirstenbosch Flower Gardens
Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden is a world-renowned gardens that spans 1,300 acres and goes up basically an entire mountain. They have stunning gardens, greenhouses, fields, and even bridges that take you into the trees. It’s a beautiful and peaceful oasis that you could easily spend the entire day at. A definite pro tip is to bring a blanket and have a picnic!
We came here for an afternoon and wished we could’ve stayed longer. The insanity of this place, how large it is, how beautiful and diverse the gardens are with many species of birds makes this a must-go place.
Kommetijie
On my bucket list was “learn to surf” and Alex, registered surfer bro, taught me as best he could considering my swimming skills are basically non-existent. I also technically ended up boogie boarding because the surf board was too big and I am just a wee babe and couldn’t handle it.
The entire time I got absolutely demolished by every wave but I’m proud that I didn’t quit until my fingers were so red and numb I had to get out of the water. The wetsuit kept me super warm though and if you can get past your feet, hands, and face in the freezing water then you’ll be fine. The water is roughly 55-60 degrees so it’s jolting but once your body goes numb it’s much easier to handle.
We were here a few times, having dinner with Alex’s lovely family, surfing, and taking sunset walks along the beach. It’s such a beautiful place and the sunset we got to witness is still one of my favorites to this day.
Fun fact: it’s also located near where “My Octopus Teacher” was filmed which is really cool!
Feeding Ostriches at Cape Point
If you don’t absolutely love ostriches then I don’t know what you’re doing with your life because look at these weird dinosaur chickens! They are so cute and weird and I love them. They are also feisty as all get out so do be aware.
We had lunch at Southern Smoked Barbecue which is near Cape Point and I highly recommend. Then, after lunch we made a stop at the Cape Point Ostrich Farm. You can pay a few dollars to get some plates and feed their ostriches plus you can walk around their farm and see the li’l baby goats and even see ostrich eggs which are ginormous and crazy strong. It’s a really fun experience that everyone enjoyed and got a lot of good laughs out of it.
Caution: feed ostriches at your own risk. You have to hold your hand out flat but that absolutely does not guarantee they won’t nip your fingers. I was just trying to get some cute photos feeding ostriches when this guy absolutely CHOMPED on my thumb like he’s never been fed in his life. The good news is, we caught a photo of it and now it’s a treasured memory.
Constantia
One of my favorite meals was had at Sushi Box in Constantia. It’s a beautiful area known best for its vineyards. But they also have this area that has a bunch of restaurants, flowers, wine, sushi, and ice cream. We had a lovely lunch here and I’m still dreaming about my sushi and katsu chicken. There were also baboons!! And you know how I love my baboons. I followed one (at a safe distance) around while workers were shooing him away.
Markets
Biscuit Mill
There are so many amazing markets in Cape Town with everything you could ever imagine! We made it to five of them but there are tons more. Everything from delicious food to clothes, jewelry, art, toys, antiques, wood and stone carvings, and literally anything else you could want.
I think my favorite market is the Biscuit Mill Market which we were lucky enough to go to twice. Biscuit Mill has sections with high end clothing, jewelry and art plus a whole separate section with tons of food vendors. We wanted to try a bunch of different things so we ended up gettin like 5 different things from different stalls. One of my favorites was the churro bites and the lemonade we got.
The other incredible thing about Biscuit Mill, is it’s the only place you can purchase a Wanida dress. Wanida dresses are these stunning tiered dresses from a Thai designer who is based in SA. She was also featured in Vogue Portugal?! Which is awesome! Britt and I bought like 5 dresses and I’ve worn them to all sorts of events.
Oranjezicht Market
This market was so special because of the atmosphere. It’s an outdoor market with hanging lights and plants, flowers, and produce everywhere. There’s something so beautiful about this market. It’s smaller but has such an otherworldly vibe with the colors.
Blue Bird Food Market
We were only in for a hot second but I did buy some delicious almonds from this market! It’s smaller but still has cool vendors and lots of delicious food.
Hout Bay Market
I really liked Hout Bay Market! I don’t have a ton of photos from here because I was exhausted. We went here after I went swimming with seals so I was so tired and just wanted a giant bowl of teriyaki chicken at this cute little stall.
This was at the end of our trip and was our last market and Alex literally had to drag Britt out of there to stop her from spending any more money lol.
Mojo Market at Sea Point
We spent an afternoon in Sea Point and visited Mojo Market which exclusively has food. We had dinner here and listened to the live music while watching a beautiful sunset.
It’s insane and there’s so many good stalls of food I wish I could try them all. Somehow (I know exactly how) I always end up leaving every market with like 5 different bags of food.
There’s also a really good bakery called My Sugar right down the road which I also highly recommend!
Table Mountain
Table Mountain is one of Cape Town’s biggest attractions with it looking just as the name states, like a table. It’s a flat top mountain that has an aerial cableway that runs to the top. Now, in full honesty we didn’t go all the way to the top of the mountain but we did go on the mountain itself so I’m counting it. We were at the start of the cableway but then there were busloads of children in front of us and we were not about to wait in line behind all of that so it’s one of those things we didn’t do but we’re just gonna say we did.
But even driving up the mountain is worth it for the beautiful views of Cape Town and just get there early to avoid ~children~.
The People
Part of what made this trip so amazing and unforgettable were the people (and animals) we got to meet. From Britt’s long time friends and Alex’s family to fluffy cats and sweet dogs to the random meetings, I loved getting to know some of the people here.
The Homies
A very very special thanks to Britt and Alex for taking us around to see their beautiful home. We were so incredibly blessed to be able to do this with them, make so many memories and laugh almost the entire time, and get to experience South Africa together. We could not have done this trip without them.