The mother city is definitely one of my favorite destinations in The world. Not only because of its variety in Things To do, but also due To The kindness of its inhabitants. South Africans are in general very friendly for little kids, but Capetonians are Without any doubt The best. As I spend more Than Two months exploring Cape Town and surroundings, I think it is worth To share my Top Ten experiences.
1. Two oceans aquarium at The waterfront
When The weather is Too hot or when it rains The Two oceans aquarium is a good activity To keep Toddlers like me satisfied. Wether you want To see small fishies or big Turtles, This magic underwater kingdom will be an unforgettable experience. As viewing platforms are well positioned I had The chance to be face to face with more Than 3000 swimming creatures. I could even touch a sea star in The Touch pool, very creepy I must say. Without a scuba dive certification I visited my good friend Nemo, but gosh There were so many of Them, so I called Them Nemo 1, Nemo 2, Nemo 3 and so on.
Another interesting exhibitions was the jelly fish gallery, where I could go for a real deep sea experience as jellyfish are being displayed with a glow in the dark effect. Don’t forget To join some of The feeding moments, it is a True educational experience, from which I learned a lot.
2. Swim with the penguins
My stay in Cape Town became unforgettable The moment I saw The african penguin colony at Boulders Beach. At Boulders Beach you can go for a swim, with just a few feet in between you and The penguins, but be aware do not Try To Touch or feed Them. Although The penguins seem quite friendly, They are wild animals and They can bite you! On summer days it can get very crowded on Boulders Beach so I went early To find The perfect picnic spot To relax and build some sandcastles. While I was There I visited Simons Town, an historical gem with a great naval base. Visit The submarine museum or discover The magic of minerals at The Scratch Path and Mineral World. A great option if The weather is Too miserable for The beach.
Away from The Tourists There is a second penguin location in Cape Town, stony point, near betty’s bay. Stony point is one of The largest breading colonies in The world. Less touristic Than Boulders beach but definitely worth a visit.
3. Go rrrrroar in Drakenstein national park in Paarl
You need to adopt a lion! If you ever visit The drakenstein national park you will know what I mean. All The lions I saw in The park were born in captivity and rescued from all over The world. Most of Them were in a very bad condition when They arrived at The sanctuary, misused for several years, sometimes caged in very small containers. For them There is no chance of rehabilitation. The main reason I found The park fantastic was That it created a safe haven for The kings of The wild, close To Their natural habitat, while giving Them a second chance at life. Ok its not The real wilderness, as They are still kept in fenced areas, but it is not a zoo either.
At The end of my visit I adopted Leonidas, a male lion born in 2012 and rescued from Lebanon by animals Lebanon. Now I save every year a part of my pocket money so my little big friend can have his steak from Time To Time…and he likes To have it rare.
4. Kirstenbosch botanical gardens
Kids love parks and I am no exception. Often dubbed as the most beautiful garden in africa, Kirstenbosch gardens is perfect for introducing The beauty of nature To The little ones. As I wanted to see the treetops from up close, we Took The Tree canopy walk, nicknamed Boomslng’, which offers a 130 m long walk in The sky. The walkway had been designed in The shape of a snake skeleton and offers The best panoramic views over The garden and its surroundings. This surreal and magical experience is a must do if you enjoy running around while discovering interesting trees, birds and incects.
After This incredible walk, lunch was served at the african inspired Moyo restaurant, which has a great jungle gym area for kids.
In case you want something more adventurous, you can have a pic nic on one of the magnificent lawns while some birds will try To steal your food. Don’t forget to bring a ball, much fun ensure and watch out for The amazing dinosaur sculptures. They seemed very much alive To me.
5. Go hiking on table mountain
My visit To cape Town would have been incomplete without Taking The cable car to The Top of The iconic Table mountain. The cable car has a revolving platform and Took me in 5 min all The way To The Top. Once arrived I spotted many child friendly walkways, which guided me Towards breathtaking panoramic views of Cape Town. Look out for The cute dassies.
6. View the sunset from signal hill
I am very much into a good picnic as I like The idea of amazing food without sitting in a restaurant for an indefinite period of Time. If you are of The same opinion convince your parents To visit one of the delicious foodstores of Cape Town before making your way To Signal hill. Enjoy The magnificent views of Capt Town and Table mountain, while waiting for The perfect sunset. If your are as lucky as me, you will see lots of paragliders running towards Their freedom. An excellent moment to visit The hill is on a bright sunny day when it is not Too windy.
7. Visit one of the famous neighborhood markets
Most tourist don’t know Them, but Cape Town has some amazing markets, where you can buy lots of Tasty food and where you can enjoy great afterwork parties.
A must do is The Saturday market in The old biscuit mill. While my parents were astonished by the building architecture of The old mill I enjoyed some fresh coconut water and other yummie Treats. My mom and dad showed me all The different exotic fruits and vegetables, which I could Taste on The spot.
Ever been to an after work party. Well I never worked one day in my entire life so far, however I have been to some amazing after work parties. The Trick is going To Cape Town. Every Thursday it is party time at The neighborhoods market at Cape Town vignards. The scenery is amazing and The food even more.
The next day, on Friday, I went to The Hout Bay Harbour market. Another community market where you can eat, eat, eat…and swing!
8. Visit the Peninsula
A fascinating place To explore is Cape Point. There is a mythical charm which tells The tales of hidden Treasures under The salty white sand and The unusual legend of The Flying Dutchman ghost who haunts The shores surrounding The Point. I am always into a good adventurous story so it didn’t scare me. Instead I absolutely loved The Flying Dutchman funicular, The little Train That Took me To The iconic red and white old lighthouse.
I learned That The Two main purposes of a lighthouse are To serve as a navigational aid and To warn boats of dangerous areas. Even more exiting were all The baboons, That were also visiting The point. Unfortunately it is not allowed To feed The little cuties so I just waved so say hello.
Although very touristic I enjoyed another great place: ‘The Kaap of good hope’. Unfortunately I had To wait a long Time for some Tourist busses To move on, before starting my photoshoot at The sign. But hey I am proud of The result.
9. Go kiting on one of Cape Towns amazing beaches
Beaches as far as The eye can see. Although in my opinion The ocean water in the Cape Town region is much To cold To go for a swim, The cape town beach life is an exceptional experience. Build sandcastles at Llandudno, play hide and seek in between The rocks on camps bay beach, visit The colored famous houses at Muizenberg or spot The kites and The Table mountain at Blauwbergstrand. Every beach has its own unique characteristics.
But please show your car driver, in my case it was my dad, how To deal with The 4×4 gear before making any moves in The sand. Luckily capetonians are very friendly people so we weren’t stuck That long.
10. Visit the colorful houses at The Bo Kaap
If you say Cape Town, The first Thing That crosses my mind is color, lot’s of color. During my visit of The mother city I noticed color is much more present in The daily life of The Capetonians Than it is in The society of Western Europe. A good example is The Malay Quater or Bo-Kaap with its brightly painted houses. While looking at The beautiful houses, I leaned much about The history of slavery. The Bo-Kaap lifted a little part of the vail of another side of life in Cape Town. If you want To dive further into local life, you could visit one of The townships by Taking a Township Tour.
Apart from my Top 10 There is much more To do in Cape Town for kids. Maybe one day I will write a top 20 article of amazing Cape Town experiences. It would defenitely include one of the following activities:
- Blue Train park in Mouille point
- Cape Town science centre
- Imhoff Farm
- Horse riding on Noordhoek beach
- Ratanga junction
- Iziko Planetarium
- Robben Island
Tired from all your adventures in Cape Town? Go for a high tea by The sea, a luxery pic nic at one of wineries or for a Traditional South African braai and your batteries will be recharged.
Cheerio
Little T