So you’ve just arrived in Cape Town, armed with your city-guide and in awe of the famous Table Mountain. It is unsurprising that you may be feeling slightly overwhelmed by the array of activities available to you. However, never fear. Cape Town’s own one-stop tourism shop, the ambient Victoria and Alfred Waterfront is the perfect spot to get you started.
The V&A, as it is known to locals, is situated on the fringe of the Cape Town CBD, next to Cape Town Harbour and overlooking the magnificent Table Bay. It hosts an array of restaurants, from swanky seafood and sushi spots with a view of the harbour to mid-range burger joints and cheapie take-out places. This might be where you want to begin – pull out a chair, order a beer and take a deep breath. Being seated at one of the many eateries or just perched on a bench outside will distract you from your excitable psyche for a moment as you take in the sights of boats, sea birds and people (fashionistas and strangely-dressed tourists exist in harmony here – it’s awesome!). Now that you are calmer, you can revisit the task at hand, namely, what to do while you’re in Cape Town!
There are plenty of Waterfront attractions in the immediate vicinity to choose from. For a particularly sophisticated kind of escape, you can do a flit around the peninsula in a helicopter, followed by a sunset cruise around the harbour on a catamaran, both expensive options, but ones which are well worth the cost. Apart from the sheer indulgence of this kind of tour, a view from the sky or a little removed from the main land offers a new perspective on the city, enhancing its beauty and perhaps your memory of it too. If you’re travelling with children, or are the kind of person who embraces ‘the child inside’, you will be enthralled by the Two Oceans Aquarium. Apart from exposing the magic of the deep blue, the aquarium is a lovely place to just sit and breathe, and can provide a welcome respite from the heat or rain (depending on the season) outside. The Scratch Patch, an artificial cave filled with gem stones for the picking is another child-friendly V&A waterfront attraction.
Apart from the attractions based at the Waterfront, the V&A has numerous tourist kiosks which offer all manner of tours, from wine-tasting tours and Cape Malay cooking courses to paragliding off Lion’s Head and bicycle township tours in Masiphumelele (a small township outside Kommetjie, south of Cape Town).
Furthermore, the V&A waterfront accommodation is more than comfortable, so if you’re looking forward to resting your weary body after a long day of soaking up the sights and sounds of Cape Town, look no further. See, one-stop shop, like I said.
Related Pages:
Victoria and Alfred Waterfront Apartments / Flats
Victoria and Alfred Waterfront Bed & Breakfasts
Victoria and Alfred Waterfront Guest Houses
Victoria and Alfred Waterfront Homes & Villas
Victoria and Alfred Waterfront Hotels
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