South Africa

I had the chance to visit CapeTown as a member of a three-week social project. However, still I was able to explore quite a bit. Upon our arrival we visited the very famous Two Oceans aquarium at the Waterfront. Over there one can witness a wide variety of ocean species such as green sea turtles, musselcrackers, ragged-toothed sharks and even penguins. I would suggest devoting at least 3 hours to that. Next we explored the Waterfront which is a cosmopolitan area full of nice restaurants and cosy shops. The view is amazing since on one end Cape Town is surrounded by the Table Mountains while on the other one can see the Robben island where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 27 years surrounded by the beautiful ocean. Since the city is quite big and there is a lot to see, we took a Hop on Hop off sightseeing bus. Few highlights included the botanic garden, Bo-Kaap, renowned for its rows of flat roofed houses in bright colors and the very lavish Camps bay neighborhood with million-dollar mansions overlooking the Atlantic. I would highly recommend doing that as well!

V & A Waterfront

On a different day we hiked the marvellous trail of Lion's Head. What is special about this hike is that it incorporates much of the views of Cape Town on both ends on the most accessible course for beginners. We made sure we are awake very early so we can see the sunrise from the top of the peak. The trail itself is not very demanding in the beginning while the surroundings are exceptional. The last part of the trail becomes a bit more challenging and one should be careful not to slip. Lion's Head takes not more than 1 hour at a reasonable speed so waking up at 5 am is going to be enough to catch the beautiful sunrise. On top of that I recommend combining a visit to the Top of the neighboring hill of the Table's Mountain which is one the most famous attractions in Cape Town. To get there one needs to return back to the city and catch a cable car lift. The ride itself is magnificent and worthwhile on its own. At the top we were able to enjoy overlooking Cape Town from around 1000 m in combination with a glass of South African wine.

Lion's Head Hiking Trail

Destination number three was the well-renowned Cape of Good Hope. It is a rocky headland on the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula.  To be able to get there we needed to rent a car. In South Africa this is very affordable. The ride allowed us to enjoy beautiful views and the ocean, mountains and wildlife. Interestingly, we were able to see baboons and from the car that didn't seem scared at all from the cars or human contact. Despite being mesmerized by the magnificent view, at one point of time the hunger was prevailing so we stopped at a food market. South Africa is famous for its one-stop-shop food markets where you could benefit from a diverse cuisine for a cheap price. I strongly recommend trying their beef and springbok jerky which is called biltong. Next stop of the trip was the Boulder's beach penguin tour. Before that I had no idea that there are penguins in South Africa. In fact, there were hundreds of them at this particular spot. They were freely swimming in the ocean water and sunbathing on the sand. We enjoyed the place so much that we couldn't go to the Cape of Good Hope due to lack of time. However, one of the main purposes of the trip was to enjoy the enchanting view on the way there. Therefore, we were still more than satisfied. Naturally, the day was closed with a glass of South African wine and food.

What about... Cape Town, South Africa!

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