Spoil yourself on Mother City getaway
Domestic tourism needs a bit of love
For those itching to take flight, cabin fever might by now be a very real reality. While international travel remains largely out of the question, a visit to a world-class city on our very doorstep is an enticing option.
In fact, there is no time like the present for a weekend escape to the Mother City – without popular spots overflowing with tourists, many attractions have re-opened and domestic tourism is in desperate need of a bit of love.
If you’re planning a weekend trip to Cape Town, we’ve rounded up a great itinerary, a perfect mix between exploring the winelands, experiencing the local sights, taking in topclass art and winding down with a fynbos-inspired cocktail.
Explore a wine estate with Jeep Tours Cape Town
Unwinding with a glass of wine overlooking blue-tinted mountains is one of the special treats you can find only at the coast. In terms of being responsible, when it comes to trips that involve all the vino minus the driving, Jeep Tours Cape Town is a great way to get around.
Start by checking into your accommodation and arrange with the team to meet you at reception – Jeeps at the ready to whisk you away. They offer wine tours, dune tours and customisable group tours.
I enjoyed an afternoon exploring the grounds of Warwick wine estate while being chauffeured in a blood-red Jeep.
Following a bubbly tasting at the foot of the mountains, tables laden with delicious food awaited us beneath the trees. It
offered the perfect opportunity to find out for myself: who is my first lady? After a leisurely tasting, I settled upon The Black Lady, a silky smooth syrah.
Unless you opt for a customisable group tour, you can pick from two options of wine tours: a four-hour tour stopping at two wineries or an eight-hour tour stopping at four wineries around Stellenbosch or Durbanville.
Prices start from R4,790 for two people for a full-day tour. This includes three wine tastings, one wine pairing and a cellar tour. For more info, visit jeeptours.capetown.
If you want to visit without a tour, Warwick is open every day from 9am to 5pm. To accompany your wine tasting, pre-book a gourmet charcuterie picnic via warwickwine.com.
Explore the Zeitz MOCAA
For day two of your Cape Town expedition, dedicate some time to exploring the V&A Waterfront, starting at the V&A Waterfront Silo District.
If you are yet to visit, the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa, or Zeitz MOCAA, is a must. It is the largest
art museum in Africa, covering over nine floors, 100 gallery spaces and 6,000m dedicated entirely to showcasing the art of the continent and its diaspora.
But more than the art, the space itself is magnificent to behold. Housed in the old grain silos built in 1921, the building was constructed around the original structure.
The inside has been carved out in the shape of a grain of corn and creatively merges spiral staircases with hollowed out concrete tubes in what is an architectural feat.
The museum is open from Thursdays to Sundays from 10am to 6pm. Admission costs R210 for adults and children under 18 enter for free. Visit zeitzmocaa.museum.
Take in 360° views from the Cape Wheel
After a morning spent exploring the Zeitz MOCAA, make your way through the V&A Waterfront, stopping at the foot of the Cape Wheel.
While it may seem cliché, if you haven’t yet been to the top to behold the 360° views of the city and sea you’ll be forgiven for behaving like a tourist.
Take the ride to the top, 40m above ground, with unobInsta
scured views over Table Mountain and the city skyline. Spot Robben Island, the Cape Town Stadium, Paarl Mountains and the Atlantic Coast. Rides last more or less 15 minutes and make four revolutions.
The Cape Town Wheel operates from 10am to 9pm from Mondays to Thursdays and Sundays and from 10am to 10pm on Fridays, Saturdays and public holidays.
R155 for adults and R80 for children under 18. Tickets can be booked online at capewheel.co.za.
Unwind with a work of drinkable art from Cause Effect
Cause Effect is no ordinary cocktail bar. Having moved to a more central location in the V&A Waterfront after gaining popularity as one of the mustvisit cocktail bars in Cape Town – around the corner from the Cape Wheel – it draws inspiration from the nature surrounding Cape Town and uses fynbos as the main ingredient in all the tinctures, bitters and vermouth used in the cocktails whipped up behind the bar.
Whether you’re in need of a burst of creativity, something to brighten your palate or a swoon-worthy snap for your
feed, you’ll most likely find it in their one-of-a-kind cocktail experiences.
Think Table-Mountain-inspired rotating sips, a spekboom-infused pour in a hollowed-out ostrich egg or candyfloss-topped unicorn mugs. The menu changes regularly and features both laidback and bespoke cocktails and easy spritzers.
Round off the day with a small-plate-style nibble from their kitchen and a tot of brandy from the Cape Brandy Bar — they serve over 60 different local potstill brandies.
Cause Effect is open from 10am to 1am (curfew regulations permitting), seven days a week. See causeandeffect.co.za.
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