Wow. Never have I so quickly fallen in love with a country almost instantly after landing!
I’d never really thought much about visiting South Africa – and having never actually run into anyone that had holidayed there, I was never even tempted to do a quick Google search to see what a holiday there could look like. (Boy, was I wrong).
Along comes my *new* husband – super keen to do a safari for our (Covid-delayed) honeymoon and hoping to see The Big 5. My initial suggestion of Sri Lanka just wasn’t going to cut it, ticking off just three of the five. I won’t lie, the vineyards were a BIG factor in me starting to consider South Africa for our honeymoon – and as I started to look at various itineraries and locations, it was quickly obvious that South Africa (plus a week in Mauritius tagged on the end) offered everything we were looking for for our special trip. Our full two-week (honeymoon) itinerary for South Africa and Mauritius is here.
After lots of research, many chats with several travel agents and emails back and forth, I was won over – and we booked to go with Timbuktu!
In mid-October 2022, we set off on our first leg of the trip – London to Johannesburg, plus a subsequent couple of hours flight to Cape Town (almost £1,000 cheaper than flying direct to Jo’burg and fairly quick / easy). We arrived at Cape Town Airport, to be greeted by a delightful representative of Personal Africa (Timbuktu’s on-the-ground partner) and were whisked off to meet our private taxi transfer to our hotel.
Our initial plan had been to stay near the popular Kloof Street, but an issue with our first choice of hotel led us to instead staying at The Marly in Camps Bay (another benefit to booking through an agent) – and what an accidental turn out for the books this was! Whilst pulling into the hotel, I was struck by just how close we were to Table Mountain AND the beach! Literally, smack bang in between the two! The staff were so friendly and we instantly felt at home as we were handed a glass of bubbles on arrival. Checked in, we were lead to the receptionist’s *favourite room* – which we both thought was a ruse and surely something she said to everyone…
This might be the first time I have ever actually been speechless! Totally lost for words.
As we walked into the room, my heart was in my mouth. It was STUNNING! Not only had we been upgraded to the best room in the hotel, it had a huge terrace overlooking the beach, complete with a hot tub! Coupled with rose petals strewn on the bed and a bottle of South Africa’s finest MCC (read: champagne-style fizz), I was in heaven! I don’t like to be over-dramatic, but I have honestly never been so taken aback by a hotel room. Kudos definitely goes to Timbuktu for requesting this special upgrade – and The Marly for delivering on it!
The hotel pool was simply incredible – backdropped by Table Mountain and Lion’s Head and looking out to see. The water was a little too chilly for our liking, but I’m sure it’s the perfect temperature, at the right time of year!
After a short time trying to take it all in, we hot-footed out of the hotel and into an Uber – keen to make it up Table Mountain whilst it was still sunny and before the cloud cover (‘Table Cloth’) appeared! As a general rule of thumb (and as advised by locals and hotel staff) wherever you go in Cape Town, just jump in an Uber. We never felt unsafe while we were there, but for a 10 minute walk it was only c.£2-£3 fare, so easy enough to do.
On our arrival at Table Mountain (with pre-booked tickets, which are handily valid for 7 days) we hopped in the cable car. It is possible to walk up Table Mountain but it’s generally considered a bit unsafe, unless you’re particularly proficient at hiking / climbing and /or fancy a challenge! The cable car takes around 60 people and is just a short 5 minute ride to the top. Smooth and with some epic scenery en-route, it was only the two open windows in the cable car that we found just a little unsettling (especially for my vertigo-suffering husband!).
Once at the top, the views were just breath-taking – looking out across the Atlantic and down over Camps Bay and the rest of Cape Town. Make sure to take a few layers of clothing with you – whilst it’s lovely and warm at the bottom of the mountain, it’s deceptively cold (and windy) at the top! First hotspot ticked off, we were whisked down in the cable car, back in an Uber to our hotel – to polish off the complimentary bottle of Graham Beck, whilst watching the sunset from our hot tub!
Our first restaurant was the fantastically named Codfather – just a few minutes’ stroll from the hotel. Several blogs (and our driver) had recommended the restaurant, so despite our slight reservations (and comparisons with British chip shops!) we went for it. The premise is that you select your fish from the counter, with any sort of combination of the huge variety on show – and it’s served beautifully cooked, with rice, potatoes, vegetables etc. We had prawns, lobster and butter fish, amongst a few others – and would’ve happily chosen more, if our stomachs had allowed! It’s not super cheap – but definitely worth it – especially with the sunset views!
Breakfast the next morning was in The Marly’s bistro – overlooking the beach – and pinching ourselves at the luck of our hotel change! ‘Jammy’ eggs on avocado toast were exactly that – and have raised the bar on avo-toast forever more!
Heading out for the day, we hopped in an Uber and into the centre of the city. With only two full days, we wanted to squeeze in as much as possible (and instantly regretted not having longer!)
Our research before arriving had led us to Free Walking Tours, so we joined a tour and learnt from a very experience guide about apartheid in South Africa. The tour was extremely insightful, yet humbling, experience – and definitely worth joining.
After working up an appetite, we headed to the Mojo Market for a few snacks – definitely worth trying out a few different stalls and it had a vibrant, fun atmosphere!
Back at The Marly, having watched a beautiful sunset from our terrace, we headed out for dinner at Kloof Street House. From when we first walked through the garden at the entrance, everything was en-pointe. Cosy, stylish and bustling, without being pretentious. Cocktails were strong and tasty and the food was delectable. The ostrich steak, in particular, was incredible and a favourite dish from the whole trip.
The following day, we headed to the V&A Waterfront – a harbour area, full of shops and restaurants. It was nice for a mooch around and we grabbed a quick snack but we only stayed for an hour or so, as there wasn’t a huge amount to see.
Hopping in an Uber, we headed into the centre and met our tour guide, Khofhi, for an African food tour. He was a brilliant guide – taking us to several different cafes, for us to sample delicacies and dishes from across Africa, all the while explaining the history of the city. We learnt so much and saw areas of Cape Town that we would never had explored alone. A definite must-do!
Our time in Cape Town came to an end much sooner than we would have liked – we felt there was so much more to explore – and so many restaurants to try! But, we were content in the fact that we would absolutely return again!
Speed Tourism Travel 