Some short-cuts taken by the captain during the night mean that we arrive in Cape Town later than originally planned, but not as late as was being forecast yesterday. We pick up the pilot around 8.30am and are dockside by 9.30am, waiting on customs and immigration clearance. The view of Cape Town as we navigate the harbour is spectacular – Table Mountain is clear of cloud, and the weather in Cape Town is clear and sunny – a stark contrast to what we have sailed through in the last two days.
Lunch in Camps Bay is on offer, as is a potential bus trip to the top of Table Mountain, and Kirstenbosch Botanic Gardens before checking into the hotel, so around half the passengers elect to do this.
Camps Bay is on the western side of the coastline, and is a very scenic and affluent area. Maiden Cove, a stop along the way, is a surf beach, and there are dolphins swimming close to the surfers waiting for a large enough wave to carry them into the beach.
Lunch in Camps Bay at a local restaurant provides a clear view over the white sands of the beach, red beach umbrellas providing a lovely contrast.
The Table Mountain cable car has been closed all morning due to strong winds, but we learn shortly after lunch that the winds have dropped and the service is now open, so we head off to the lower cable car station. After a 15 minute wait in the queue, we are on the cable car on route to the top of the mountain, recently nominated as one of the new 7 Wonders of the World. It is warm and clear at the top, and the view over Cape Town is spectacular.
Then it’s on to Kirstenbosch, Cape Town’s botanic gardens. Kirstenbosch is hosting an evening jazz concert as part of the International Jazz Festival, so it is a busy place with families and concert goers arriving with picnic baskets and blankets to get a good view of the concert. The botanic gardens themselves are extensive, and feature a wide range of the plant species endemic to the region.
After a busy day, we finally check in to the Table Bay Hotel at the V&A Waterfront around 6pm. The Table Bay is a large, opulent hotel connected to the shopping centre at the Waterfront, and is in easy walking distance from the restaurants that line the area. It’s a nice hotel, and it’s a shame that I only have one night there before heading off to Hermanus tomorrow.
