Cape Town
What to do in Eric Landlard’s Dream Destination of Cape Town…
Eat
Cape Town is a foodie’s paradise and some of the world’s best chefs have been lured by a combination of incredibly fresh produce, a simpler approach to food and of course, a great climate.
For fine dining, head to Tokara. Located at the top of Helshoogte Pass just outside Stellenbosch and surrounded by the Tokara Wine Estate, the restaurant is headed by award-winning chef Richard Carstens, whose food is a fusion of South African and French flavours merged with Japanese influences. Those seeking seafood should visit Harbour House at Kalk Bay, a restaurant almost as famous for its food as it is for its panoramic sea views. Built on the breakwater of False Bay, enjoy the ambience of the cocktail lounge as the waves crash against the rocks below. Book early for a window seat and time your visit to savour the sunset.
Drink
Eric Lanlard isn’t the only one with a taste for South African wines. Grapes have been cultivated in Cape Town since the 17th century and the city now sits at the heart of South African winemaking.
Wine tours are big business here and Constantia Valley is home to both the well-established and the newer wine farms, with their amazing Sauvignon Blanc being the region’s most popular export by far. Elsewhere, the Stellenbosch Wine Route incorporates almost 200 wine producers and was the first wine network of its kind in South Africa. Quaint surroundings make the Franschhoek Wine Route appealing too, with a host of pretty boutiques, antique shops and art galleries to be discovered between vineyards.
Do
Table Mountain dominates the landscape and a cable car to the top is a must. Its rotating floor provides 360° views of the city, Table Bay and Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela spent 18 of his 27 years imprisonment for fighting apartheid. Tours to this low-lying oval island just off Cape Town’s coast will take you across Table Bay, where you will be greeted with the same sight Mr Mandela himself encountered upon stepping off the boat. Guided tours led by a former inmate provide an enthralling insight into ‘The Island’ of years gone by.
A visit to the Aquila Game Reserve, just a short drive from Cape Town, is also recommended. Let experienced rangers guide you on a safari through mountains, rivers and valleys and keep your eyes peeled for free-roaming elephants, buffalo, rhinos, giraffes, hippos, wildebeest and zebra.
Sail
Cape Town features on world cruise and world cruise sector itineraries from operators including P&O Cruises and Cunard. It is also a destination on Fred Olsen’s Longer Voyages itineraries, many of which depart from the UK.
