We started our Africa adventure in Cape Town and stayed eight days at an Airbnb at Sunset Beach.
We landed on a Friday around 2 pm after a long flight from Singapore so that evening we just relaxed.
Sightseeing in Cape Town
The next morning, we went right away to the Oranjezicht Farmers Market. It seemed to be an alternative place for hippies with money but we really liked it, especially because they had some vegan food for us. We especially enjoyed the mushroom kebab with the “chicken from the woods”.
After leaving the market we walked past the impressive football stadium, through the Green Point Park, and along the coast. We also paid a short visit to the posh Waterfront before heading to our special vegan dinner we had booked on Airbnb experience. The lovely hosts served incredible plant-based dishes, we were very impressed by the cheese platter and the desserts.
On Sunday we just took it easy before going back to the Waterfront on Monday to take a tour to Robben Island – Nelson Mandela’s prison for so many years. The tour was very well organized and we liked that all the guides are ex-inmates, or relatives who can tell from personal experience.
Road Trip around the Cape Peninsula
To see a bit more of the surroundings we rented a car for the next three days. On the first day, we had very good weather and took the cable car up Table Mountain. Most people have seen the view several times in their lives but it’s still impressive seeing it with your own eyes.
After the descent, we took the car South along the beautiful coastline. This is a drive you have to do when visiting Cape Town. On the way, there are various beaches to have a stop, a coffee or a quick splash. Once we reached Kommetjie we crossed the peninsula and had a stop at the cute town of Muizenberg before heading back to our accommodation.
Shark Cage Diving in Gansbaai
The next day I had one of the best experiences in my life. We drove all the way down to Gansbaai so I could go on a cage dive with Great White Sharks. We chose Marine Dynamics as the operator because of the good recommendations and their conservation and educational efforts. My high expectations were met basically the moment we dropped anchor in the shark habitat. Even before the cage was let into the water the first Great White swam up to the boat. I was in the first group that got into the cage in ice cold water. We were the luckiest group because we had a big mama swimming around us basically the whole time. Unfortunately, the visibility underwater was not great but we saw the shark breach from only two meters away. The rest of the afternoon, I spent on the deck from where you had a really good view of sharks as well. Back at shore, I was reunited with Ale.
More road tripping and sightseeing
On the last day with our rented car, we first drove to Simon’s Town to have a look at the penguin colony. The next stop was supposed to be the Cape of Good Hope but after we learned at the entrance that we had to pay extra we skipped this one and drove up along the coast to Cape Town. For the sunset that evening we drove up Signal Hill where we also had a great view of the common “table cloth” covering Table Mountain.
On our last day of sightseeing, we went back to the Waterfront and checked out the local markets.