Cape Town was the last stop on our Southern Africa adventure, and we really enjoyed taking in its breathtakingly natural beauty, learning more about its rich culture (and troubled history), and savoring the amazing melting pot of culinary flavors on offer. From our base at the Protea Hotel in Victoria & Alfred Waterfront we enjoyed exploring the main sights and attractions that Cape Town had to offer. It was also great to catch up with my cousin Santosh, who flew down from Johannesburg for a couple of days to join us on our sightseeing adventures. Below is a summary of our top 7 suggestions for a short yet supremely memorable Cape Town visit.

1. Head up to the summit of Table Mountain

We started our first day in Cape Town by heading up to Table Mountain, which is named after its distinctive 3km wide flat table-like peak. Table Mountain overlooks the city of Cape Town, and is one of the best places from which to gaze over the many harbors and beaches that surround the area. The fastest way to get to the top is via cable cars that run frequently, or for the more adventurous even by hiking up through various steep trails. We opted for the faster and less strenuous cable car option.

Given the high altitude, it was definitely many degrees cooler up at the top, and the strong gusty winds only made it even chillier. Besides the amazing views of Cape Town, Signal Hill and Lion’s Head peaks – we were also treated to the distinctive rocky terrain, flora and fauna that’s only found up the mountain. The famed ‘Dassie’ – small animal which looks like a cross between a squirrel and mongoose, also made an appearance for us.

2. Stroll through the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront

With more that 20M visitors each year, the Victoria & Alfred (V&A) Waterfront is one of the most popular locations in South Africa – if not all of Africa. V&A sits in Table Bay Harbour and is considered the epicenter of Cape Town as its commercial hub. This mixed use waterfront property boast a wide array of top notch restaurants and watering holes, and also serves as a great location to people watch or to gaze on the multiple ships, ferries and boats plying their way through the harbor. This is also where we boarded our ferry for the Robben Island tour.

3. Take a ferry to Robben Island for a moving visit

Hard to believe, but just a little over 20 years ago, South Africa was still under the Apartheid regime – a system built on systemic racial discrimination against non-whites. The most obvious reminder of the Apartheid era is Robben Island, home to the prison where Nelson Mandela spent 18 of his 27 years of incarceration along with countless other political prisoners. A must do activity in Cape Town is to take a ferry to Robben island, and to explore this island prison firsthand to get an understanding of its historical significance.

During our tour of the island, a former political activist who had been incarcerated in the prison for 7 years showed us through the facilities, and even showed us Nelson Mandela’s old cell. One of my distinct memories while growing up in Kenya was the constant stream of news reports we would watch on TV about the protests against Apartheid in South Africa, so to be at the epicenter of it all, where those who dared to resist that unjust system were incarcerated for so many years, was truly a surreal and moving experience.

4. Get up close to a Penguin Colony at Boulders Beach

Another highlight of our Cape Town trip was visiting the African Penguin colony at Boulders Beach near Simon’s Town. This white sand beach surrounded by granite boulders (hence the name) and clear blue waters is home to roughly 3000 of the endangered Africa Penguins. Also known as ‘Jackass Penguins’ due to the distinctive donkey like braying sound that they make, these cute creatures are the main attraction at Boulder’s beach. The boardwalk paths along the beach allowed us to get really up close and personal to the colony, from where we enjoyed the sight of the Penguins frolicking in the water, wandering around aimlessly, and generally being silly with each other.

5. Take a tour of the stunning Cape Peninsula

During our Cape Town stay, we took an excursion down south along the Western shoreline of the Cape Peninsula, to visit Cape Point Lighthouse and the Cape of Good Hope. The views along the drive were breathtaking, along roads hugging steep hills on one side, and flanked by gorgeous beaches and bays on the other side.

Originally named the ‘Cape of Storms’ by Portuguese explorer Bartholomeu Dias in 1488, the Cape was given its new monicker once the promise of a viable ocean route to India was established by subsequent explorers. The Cape was most famously one of the stops for Vasco Da Gama, as he circumnavigated past the southern most tip of the African continent during his maiden voyage to India in 1497.

6. Experience a dining occasion extraordinaire at The Test Kitchen

Lunch at The Test Kitchen was the best meal we had on the trip, and would rank highly among the best dining experiences we have ever had. The Test Kitchen is extremely popular – with reservations required months in advance to secure a spot at one of their selective seatings. We were lucky to snag a table fortuitously due to a cancellation.

The Test Kitchen boasts a scrumptious 7 course prix fixe tasting menu with even more impressive wine pairings accompanying each dish. The menu featured the best of seasonal local produce, and equally impressive was the impeccable service – with super attentive hosts checking in often, and even changing out our cutlery multiple times if we so much as looked at a fork with displeasure. Definitely our best meal of the trip and one highly recommend to book asap if visiting Cape Town!

7. Sip your way through the Cape Winelands

We spent the last few days of our African adventure exploring vineyards in the Winelands close to Cape Town, primarily in the Franschhoek & Stellenbosch areas.

Franschhoek, or ‘French Corner’, was first settled by French Huguenots who were fleeing religious persecution from Europe and brought their knowledge of viticulture and winemaking to the Cape. In order to get our bearings straight, we decided to hop on the wine tram on our first day in Franschhoek. We visited 3 wineries, of which Rickety Ridge was the standout – with a great selection of white wines, and great views of the vineyards against the backdrop of the mountains to accompany the wine tasting experience. At our last stop for the day at Dieu Donne winery, we stayed on longer to enjoy the beautiful sunset views across the valley while enjoying a rustic dinner.

On the second day we signed up for a private tour of the Stellenbosch area, and our wine expert/guide Ludwig showed us around 5 of his favorite wineries. The Methode Cap Classique selection of sparking wines at Simonsig, which are made in the style of French Champagne, were among our favorites for the day. The dessert wines at Muratie were also very enjoyable.

Over both days of our wine tasting adventures, we were surprised by how great the South African wines were (specifically the whites), and how affordable they were too – which also meant we ended up buying way too many bottles to take back home! The 2 days drinking our way through the Cape Winelands was truly the perfect way to end our 2 week journey through Southern Africa.