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For other destinations and types of holiday, visit Kuoni
For other destinations and types of holiday, visit Kuoni 

Things to do in South Africa

My Cape Town: explore with a local

Experience everything from Table Mountain to Bo-Kaap street food and the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens with a Cape Town local…

By Angelo Forbes
Cape Town tour guide

You’ll be amazed how many of the key sights of Cape Town you can see in just one day, when you are accompanied by a local, like myself. On this full-on private day tour, you’ll experience everything from Table Mountain to Bo-Kaap street food and the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens. The day starts with a cable car ride up Table Mountain. This is a highlight – from the top, you get views over the city to the coastline and Robben Island. On the mountain, I’ll point out the exotic fynbos, including our national plant the King Protea. We might even see a rock hyrax, a little creature that looks like a rabbit but is actually the closest relative of the African elephant!

After taking the cable car back down, we head to Bo-Kaap, which was originally home to slaves from Malaysia and Indonesia, brought here by the Dutch in the 1760s. The area is famous for its colourful houses and offers a mix of history, culture, music and flavour. You’ll get to taste some samosas and vetkoek, which is a type of doughy bread cooked in oil that you can fill with jam, cheese or curry. From here, we visit the nearby Company Gardens, where many of the Cape Malay people worked, supplying Dutch ships with fresh fruit and vegetables.

Next, we drive to the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens which has thousands of species of plants and trees set over 528 hectares. There are themed areas such as a fragrance garden and greenhouses, canopy walkways and lawns where summer concerts are held while people picnic on the grass. You need at least two hours here to explore, there’s also a lovely tea garden. Then you have a choice of two options – either visiting the Groot Constantia winelands or Kalk Bay.

If you love wine, then I’d recommend visiting Groot Constantia, the oldest wine region in South Africa. You’ll enjoy a three-course lunch here at Simon’s, a stunning vineyard, followed by a wine tasting session. Alternatively, you can go to Kalk Bay for lunch at Harbour House, which overlooks the ocean and is known for its fish – my favourite is the juicy kingklip. Just 20 minutes from Kalk Bay is Boulders Beach, where you’ll get to see a colony of cute African penguins frolic on the sand – there’s even a spot where you can swim with them.

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Alfred & Angelo Forbes

Angelo Forbes is a Cape Town local and professional tour guide specialising in the Western Cape, Garden Route and Cape Town. With over 22 years’ experience in the tourism industry, he has expert knowledge of the city’s history and culture. Angelo loves meeting visitors from all corners of the globe, seeing South Africa through their eyes and showing off his home nation.  
Angelo Forbes, Cape Town tour guide

Plan your holiday withAlfred&

Your journey will start with one of our UK team – someone like Laura, who's travelled extensively in South Africa. They’ll shape your ideas into the trip of a lifetime. But they won't do it alone. They'll draw on the expertise of our contacts on the ground, connecting you to the people who'll make your holiday one you'll always remember - ex banker who can show you the hottest foodie spots in Cape Town, the award-winning young sommelier who can introduce you to Stellenbosch's finest wines and the walking safari ranger who can guide you to the best game.

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