Despite having nearly a month to travel around South Africa, it wasn’t nearly enough time. I arrived in Cape Town with only four days left and wanted to fit in as much as possible. The only thing I knew I wanted to do was a tour with Kiff Kombi, a company I’d read about online.
Started by an Australian twentysomething, it gets its name from “kiff,’ a slang word for cool, and “kombi,” the nickname for the VW buses they previously used. Just perusing their website, I knew this was a company I would love. In addition to their signature Urban Safari tour, which I took, they also have gin and craft beer-focused ones.
All visit Cape Town’s trendiest neighborhoods and showcase its history, food, drink, and street art. I couldn’t think of a better way to get to know the Mother City. We didn’t visit all of these places, but some I returned to or wrote down to go back to.
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Bo-Kaap
The neighborhood of Bo-Kaap is probably the most photographed in all of Cape Town for its colorful homes. It was originally the home of people from Sri Lanka, India, Malaysia, and Madagascar who painted their houses when they were freed from slavery. The history of this neighborhood can be found at the Bo-Kaap Museum.
In between the rows of houses, you’ll see minarets from local mosques. Shops and restaurants sell spices and samosas as well as local crafts. The Bo-Kaap Cooking Tour feeds visitors these unique Cape Malay flavors, teaching them recipes to take home. Cape Town Tourism has a great list of places to visit here.
If you’re visiting to photograph these homes, go early and stay out of the road when traffic is passing. These homes are still private residences, apart from those that have been turned into Airbnbs, so respect the space.
District Six
The District Six neighborhood is where over 60,000 residents were forcibly removed during Apartheid. Previously, it was inhabited by a diverse group of people, including Cape Malays and Xhosa. The District Six Museum opened in 1994 to tell visitors about what happened here. It provides a picture of the events that took place around South Africa and pairs well with a visit to Robben Island.
This area has some interesting street art as well as bakeries and restaurants. Truth Coffee Roasting is in District Six and has been named one of the top coffee roasters in Africa. My guide recommended Charly’s Bakery. The Eastern Food Bazaar is also nearby and is a food hall with Turkish, Indian, and Chinese fare.
Woodstock
When I first started looking for Cape Town recommendations, I found many in Woodstock. It’s a street art heavy neighborhood that still has warehouse from its previous life. We briefly drove through here, snapping quick photos of murals in the rain.
I heard good things about Neighborgoods Market, a weekly market at the Old Biscuit Mill. It has food and local crafts. The Palms Market is another weekly market in a former warehouse. There are also street art tours.
Woodstock has some trendy eateries. The Test Kitchen at the Old Biscuit Mill has won awards for its creative cuisine. Make a reservation well in advance. Superette is open for breakfast and lunch, including breakfast sandwiches and burgers. Grab a jolt at Espresso Lab Microroasters.
Salt River
Neighboring Salt River borders Woodstock and Observatory, a popular area for students due to the nearby university. We stopped here for lunch at Devil’s Peak Brewery, one of Cape Town’s many craft breweries. This is their second location, with a full-service restaurant and a menu of pub favorites.
If beer isn’t your thing, you can also tour Hope on Hopkins Distillery, which makes local gin. Friends recommended Reverie Social Table in Observatory, an 18-seat restaurant that serves five-course meals prepared by the chef nightly.
Noordhoek
While most people know about the wineries in nearby Stellenbosch, there are the Constantia wineries even closer to central Cape Town. Just across Table Mountain is Noordhoek, which has its own small wine region. We sipped on sparkling and Sauvignon Blancs at Cape Point Vineyards.
They’re open for tastings as well as breakfast, lunch, and dinner in their restaurant. There’s also a popular weekly market on Thursdays, which has local food and craft vendors as well as live music.
Chapman’s Peak
Reminiscent of the Pacific Coast Highway, Chapman’s Peak Drive is considered to be the most stunning stretch of road in South Africa. It hugs the curves along the cliffs with viewpoints along the way of the Indian Ocean below. The only way to see the drive is by car, so a tour was a good way to avoid renting a car.
Camps Bay
Our day ended with sundowner beers at one of the most beautiful places in town, a rock outcropping above Camps Bay. I couldn’t tell you the one we went to, but this neighborhood has plenty of places to watch the sunset from. It’s one of Cape Town’s most luxurious, as you can see from the mansions that line the winding roads.
There are some great restaurants, especially seafood restaurants. Chinchilla is a rooftop bar and cafe with the best views around, while Codfather has seafood and sushi.
If You Go
Kiff Kombi has some great tours, no matter your area of interest, including street art, craft beer, and gin. They have their own Cape Peninsula tour as well. The Urban Safari tour runs on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 11:30 am, running 6-7 hours. It includes lunch and wine tastings as well as transportation. It costs R 920 ($65) per person, but it’s well worth it. The company also sends you a great list of recommendations around town.
Where to Stay in Cape Town
The tour offers pickups so you can stay nearly anywhere in town. I stayed at 91 Loop, a trendy hostel not far from Bo-Kaap and Long Street, which I recommend. It has pod-style dorm rooms as well as traditional rooms, a restaurant and bar, and daily activities.
Urban Hive Backpackers is in the heart of Long Street in a stunning Victorian building. If you’re looking to spend a bit more, The Grand Daddy Hotel and Gorgeous George are two stylish boutique options. Grand Daddy is known for its rooftop Airstreams.
But if you want to stay where the tour actually starts, check out Once in Cape Town. It’s near Kloof Street, which is surrounded by shops and restaurants. Once has complimentary breakfast and parking. Daddy Long Legs Art Hotel is on the same street a few blocks away, offering themed rooms.
In District Six, budget travelers can stay at District Six Backpackers or District Six Guesthouse. They have basic rooms and amenities like free breakfast, WiFi, and televisions. The guesthouse is halaal so there are restrictions on food and alcohol.
Trendy Woodstock is great for rentals like Airbnb, but that’s not the only option. Stock Exchange has three room types with chic furnishings as well as a pool and fitness center. In nearby Salt River, budget travelers will love Wish U Were Here Lodge and Backpackers, which has dorms, private rooms, and cottages.
Escape to wine country in Noordhoek, which has some gorgeous resorts that feel worlds away from central Cape Town. Monkey Valley Beach Nature Resort is surrounded by trees overlooking the beach with a restaurant and pub, sauna, and cozy rooms, suites, and cottages.
Green Goose Lodge has self-catering double and queen rooms with a pool and Wild Rose Country Lodge has rooms inspired by different parts of the world.
Chapman’s Peak doesn’t have many hotels to choose from, but Hout Bay is a nice base in this area. Chapman’s Peak Hotel is at the foot of the famous drive with a terrace restaurant. The Beach House Guest House has nine clean white rooms with ocean views. TheLab is an incredible eco-friendly retreat with electric car charging, only glass bottled water, a spa, and daily tea and coffee.
Camp’s Bay has some incredible rentals, especially if you’re traveling with a group. But if you’re not, Camps Bay Retreat is set on four acres with a tennis court, restaurant, spa, and four pools. Taking its inspiration from Miami, South Beach Hotel is a blend of self-service and full service.
Kiff Kombi provided me with a media discount for this tour but opinions are my own.
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