We took a once in a lifetime vacation and Cape Town was the first destination. Cape Town is a coastal city in South Africa. It is the second largest populated area in South Africa, after Johannesburgs, of course. It is the provincial capital and primateity of the Western Cape. It is one of the most multicultural cities in the world. Cape Town was named the best place in the world to visit in 2014 by American and Brittish alike. Cape Town has breathtaking views and was everything I dreamed it would be and so much more!
We stayed at The Commodore Waterfront Hotel, located at the Victoria & Alfred’s (V & A) Waterfront in Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa. The balcony in our room overlooked Table Bay and Table Mountain. This hotel offered an excellent breakfast brunch that included seafood and wine selections. This facility was a beautiful and conveniently located at V &A Waterfront.
V & A Waterfront is situated in the heart of Cape Town’s working harbor with the dramatic backdrop of Table Mountain. This is South Africa’s most popular shopping destinations with over 450 retail stores and markets. We shopped in the Watershed, a facility with 365 brands of products. There are also lots of exhibits on display in this facility. The Watershed is a world of African innovation, craft, design, and discovery. The Watershed also offered treatments and services for the mind, body and soul at “Wellness at the Watershed. We shopped in the V&A Food Market, located in the historic Pumphouse building off Nobel Square. There was live music, beer and food. We had a terrific time.
Table Mountain is a flat topped mountain forming a prominent landmark overlooking the city of Cape Town in South Africa. The mountain forms a part of the Table Mountain National Park. The plateau, flanked by Devil’s Peak to the east and bylion’s Head to the west, creates a dramatic backdrop to Capetown. It is at the northern end of a Sandstone mountain range that is on the spine of the Cape Peninsula. To the south of the main plateau is a lower part of the peninsula, the range is known as the Twelve Apostles. The range continues southward to Cape Point.
We took at 2 1/2 hour ride to spend the day whale watching in the famous town of Hermanus. Hermanus is a town on the southern coast of the Western Cape province of South Africa.we had lunch and drinks at the Burgundy Restaurant. It is located on the edge of the Hermanus’s historical old harbor. Although we saw more sea lions than whales, we enjoyed the outstanding drinks, food and views of the Hermanus Harbour. It was an euphoric experience.
We toured and tasted wines from the Anura Vineyards, located in Klapmuts, Western Cape: At The base of the Simonsberg Mountains. It is located between towering mountains in the beautiful Cape Winelands We tasted the various wines and cheese produced from Anura Wineyards and Farms. We sat on the softer than butter deep-seated leather sofa around the lit fireplace. The private tour of the Wineyards was interesting and informative. Sitting around the fireplace eating cheese and drinking wine was very romantic and everything that I dreamed it would be, simply superb!
We also toured the Franschhoek Windelands. It lies in the magnificent Franschhoek Valley. This is where splendid wines are grown and the country’s top chefs create international crusine. It is the most beautiful wine valley in the world. It is the food and wine capital of the country. We had a wonderful time as we created lifelong memories!
We toured The Two Oceans Aquarium, located in Cape Town. This aquarium showcases the diverse marine life from the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. They have interactive displays and over 30 marine animals. They had turtles from the Sappi River Meander and Kelp Forest Exhibits. On display were: shark, penguins, seahorses, jelly fish and so may other types of wildlife.
We visited Grand West-Sun International Casion, located in Cape Town. It is the largest entertainment destination of its kind in South Afric and Sun International’s most successful casino. It is located in the suburb of Goodwood in the Western Cape. It is the biggest gaming complex, in the entire Western Cape, with 2,563 slot achieves and 79 premium table games. We dined at the Capetown Fish Market Restaurant located in the Sun International Casino. We ordered a $30 grilled seafood platter to share between the two of us. The platter was huge. We were expected grilled fish, shrimp and salad. We were presented with a platter that contained lobsters, prawns, fish and vegetables all rolled to perfection. It could have served 4 people easily and everything was great!
We went on a safari in Capetown in Kruger National Park. The Kruger National Park is one of the largest game reserves in Africa. It is the same size as the country of Israel. This Park became South Africa’s first National Park in 1926. We watched the magnificent variety of wildlife. They have 517 species of birds. They have 114 species of reptiles and 3,000 crodiles.
We had a magnificent time in South Africa! It was everything I dreamed of, and so much more!