South Africa Blog Part I
This September, my family and I went to the beautiful country of South Africa, and as cliché as it sounds, it was a trip of a lifetime! We planned this very last minute, so we were not sure what to expect, but we had the most amazing two week and went on so many adventures literally everyday!
First stop was Cape Town, we stayed near the V&A Waterfront which is a stunning harbour with great restaurants and shops. We thoroughly enjoyed the vibe of Cape Town, everyone was so friendly and had a very care-free aura. Our only problem was that were so much to do that fitting it all in became a mission, but, I guess this is a perfect excuse to come back again!! The food was also fantastic, we didn’t have one bad meal and I think we were all guilty of putting on quite a bit of holiday weight!!
We arrived around lunch time, after a 13 hour flight to Johannesburg, then a 2 hour connecting flight to Cape Town. We stayed in a modern AirBnb, which was in a perfect location to walk to the waterfront, and also drive to the main sights. That day we were all tired from the journey, so we unpacked and got ready to walk around the local area and grab some dinner. Walking from the apartment to the Waterfront felt like being in Canary Wharf, but much much less corporate. The restaurants all had beautiful aesthetics and even though it was a Monday evening, every restaurant was busy with locals enjoying the food and drinks.
This night I wore this floral blazer, with a white shirt with frill details on the collar and sleeves and my white jeans.
Blazer – Zara
Shirt –
Jeans - Zara
Sunglasses – Zara
Trainers – H&M
The second day, we wanted to make most of the weather because we were aware that it was going to get cooler the following days. We hired a car, so this made it so much easier to get around and move from one place to the next, at our own pace.
Bo-Kaap was the first place we went, which is the Muslim area of Cape Town, and the houses here were literally out of Balamory! They were so bright and colourful, I loved it, was perfect to take Instagram photos!
We then went to Table Mountain, which is the flat top mountain that overlooks the City of Cape Town. You could either hike up the mountain, or take a cable car, we of course decided to take the cable car! Whatever way you decide to get to the peak, you will not be disappointed by the views, you can see the whole of the city up in the clouds! We decided to stay till sunset and we didn’t think the view could get any better until the sun started to go down! The golden hour made the city look so beautiful.
This day I wore a blue and white check button through linen dress with some white trainers.
Dress – Mango
Sunglasses – Zara
Trainers – Vince Camuto
Leopard Print Jumper - H&M
The following day we just wanted to take it easy, so we went to the daily market - Green Square Market. This was full of stalls holding all things South African from traditional clothing, handicrafts, jewellery, furniture, local food… Here I bought a gorgeous bright orange printed traditional skirt and a beaded necklace to match – you will see me wearing these in my next Blog post during our time in the Safari! I loved exploring the local area and looking at all the different stalls and vintage shops!
I wanted to wear something that would fit in with the vintage feeliof the market, so I wore a snake print shirt over a black culotte jumpsuit.
Shirt – Zara
Jumpsuit – Miss Selfridge
Sunglasses – Mango
That evening we were recommend an Asian fusion tapas style restaurant called The Pot Luck Club, and so we decided to check it out! We were lucky to get a table as we hadn’t booked, and the waitress was telling us that the waiting list is usually over 2 weeks! The food was excellent and such a great dining experience! The restaurant looked quite industrial, a bit like Shoreditch, and was on the top floor with panoramic views, so we could see the incredible views of the city. Definitely a must if you ever go to Cape Town!
I wore a white sequin 90s neck top with white trousers and some multi-coloured statement earrings. This top is actually part of a matching sequin skirt but I decided to wear the top with some trousers as it was quite called that night.
Top – Zara
Earrings – Spitalfields Market
The next day was our last night in Cape Town, so we tried to pack in as much as possible! Firstly, we went to the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens which was part of the Table Mountain National Park. The area around Table Mountain is known for its wonderful gardens, and the Botanical Gardens proved just that! There was even a canopy walkway where we could see the views of the mountain looking over the gardens.
We then went for a drive all around the coast from Chapman’s Peak to Cape Point which is the southernmost point of Africa. The views of the coast were extraordinary, nothing like I had ever seen before! We were lucky the weather brightened up, which made the scenery look even better, the water was so blue and clear! If only it was 30 degrees and we could actually go swimming!!
After absorbing the brilliant view, we then stopped for lunch in a cute restaurant called The Foodbarn, which they describe as a delicious, decadent ‘fine-dining’ style food in a relaxed setting, which I couldn’t agree with more!
My brother and I were super excited about the next part of our drive… We were going to see penguins on a beach! As you arrive to Boulder’s Beach you get a rush to find the penguins, we first saw a few in the plants, but then as you go around the corner there are literally hundreds!! We found it so fun to just watch them waddling and swimming in the sea, and there were even little babies!
We then went to Cape Point, but in order to see the point where the Atlantic Ocean and the Indian Ocean meet is within a Nature Reserve, but unfortunately when we got there it was closed!!
This day I wore a colourful dress from Zara, with my white jeans underneath and wore my tassel orange earrings.
Dress – Zara
Jeans – Zara
Earrings – Zara
The final part of our time in Western Cape was in Stellenbosch and Franschhoek, these areas are known for their vineyards which surround small villages. In Stellenbosch we stayed in a local hotel in the cute little village which had quaint boutiques and restaurants, it reminded me of Old Beaconsfield.
I wore this really pretty blue lace blouse that I picked up from a sample sale – probably one of the best finds that I have had! I also have seen the trend of tying scarves around ponytails, so I thought this vintage orange scarf would look really nice and a contrast against the blue top.
Top – Somi London
Scarf – Blitz (Vintage shop in Shoreditch)
Jeans - Zara
In Franschhoek, we stayed in a hotel which was on a vineyard in a beautiful thatched roof hotel. We also had a fine-dining experience in the hotel’s restaurant.
I really enjoy wearing these casual co-ords, cause it literally feels like wearing pyjamas! I love this print as well!
Co-Ord – Zara
Trainers – H&M
Sunglasses – Mango
We also had a fine-dining experience in the hotel’s restaurant.
Pleated top – Zara
Necklace – & Other Stories
Sandals – Zara
In between Stellenbosch and Franchhoek, we went whale watching in Hermanus. This wasn’t my favourite experience, I learnt that I get seasick! In order to see the whales up close you have to take a boat and the waves that day were very rocky. Despite getting the opportunity to see quite a few whales, I didn’t feel good at all and wanted to get back on land as soon as possible!
From Franschhoek, we were then off to the airport to get a flight to Joburg – this will all be in my second blog post!
I wanted to keep my blog posts quite short and just focus on the photos, but as soon as I started writing it up I just couldn’t help myself but to relive it all! Every experience on this trip exceeded my expectations (apart from the whale watching!!), and there is so much more I wanted to discover especially in Cape Town. Hopefully we will be going back for another trip sooner rather than later! The food, wine, views and people make Cape Town one of the most beautiful places I have visited, and we could definitely see why many people would retire there. Cannot wait to go back!!
Make sure you keep an eye out for part 2 which will be all about our time in Joburg and the safari!!
Anishka xx