Calling the V-Flyer Travel Advisory Service....Cape Town

I've held back from booking any accommodation for our upcoming CPT trip, not my usual control freakery of having everything sorted T-336

This was partly driven by cost considerations following my redundancy last Feb. I hoped that the post world cup reality would kick in and that there might be a number of special offers - we are arriving 18 March and departing 9 April so not crazy peak season. I also wanted to defer spending on my BA Amex so the spend would count towards this year's 241.

So, having titillated myself with MD Vipond's report of last January, I am now ready to get organised. The only 2 givens are I want to spend a little bit of time around the V&A Waterfront, probably on the first 4 days or so after arriving. And we HAVE to go cheetah stroking (thanks MDV) so will stay at Spier a couple of nights too. I can leave Daught lolling by the pool here too while I do a wine tour or two.

Accommodation budget is around 50k rand for the 3 weeks, which averages out at about 2400 SAR or £200 a night. A 2 room suite at the Cape Royale on the AMEX promo is £219, or a deluxe room in a nice B&B around Oranjezicht is £145.

Other considerations. We will have a car but not a big one, and I don't want to be constantly packing and unpacking - so probably want at least 4 nights in any one location, more if I could get a good rate/good base for exploring. Daught will also have revising to do for her finals so we don't want/need every day packed with activity.

Daughter doesn't like places that are overly formal, which can rule out some 5* hotels (I say "tends to" as 5* does not have to be stuffy). I also have access to PTS but can't see any great deals atm.

And even though we have a car I would like to stay somewhere where its easy to walk to local restaurants.

So suggestions please as to really great places to stay based on your experiences. For example, although I would like to be on the Atlantic coast for the views will the breeze make it too cool for sunbathing in March/early April? Are we better to stay inland and leave the coast for drives?

Thanks in anticipation :X

Hi RedVee.

Whenever I stay in Cape Town it always has to the the Victoria and Alfred Hotel. 5* and really not pretentious but at the same time more "upmarket" than the other 4 and 5* touristy hotels.
I was last there when the World Cup draw took place on 5th. December 2009. Brilliant atmosphere, brilliant rooms (get one overlooking the harbour with a mountain view).
It's ideal for the V &A Waterfront and about a 15 minute cab ride from the airport. Its right on the Waterfront so no car needed for when you want to do retail therapy or just people watch.

Hotel has a nice pool in the gardens so you can catch some rays.
No car needed to catch the ferry to Robben Island either..its just a 5 minute walk from the hotel...pre book this as well!

Get a cab to the bottom of table mountain and pre-book a cable car to the top...stunning.Then you might want to rent a car to go to Simons Town for penguin watching.

That's my brain dumped for now ...let me know if there's anything more specific..I'll see if I can help further.

Paul

So, having titillated myself with MD Vipond's report of last January, I am now ready to get organised.

Dear lady, we aim to titillate... Since you've clearly re-read/endured my TR, there's not much more I can add. A year on (we were out there this time last year - how depressing) and I would still wholeheartedly recommend the Cape Royale. Good for your formal-a-phobe daughter, wonderful apartment style accommodation, great roof top pool and bar. And even if you don't stay there, give the restaurant a go, in particular, the steak: to die for.

It's also got good access to the V&A and has it's own underground car park, which is a bonus if you're hiring a car.

Spier is very nice, in a good location and the Cheetah Experience is a must-do. There are probably more characterful hotels in the area though (smaller, more in-keeping with the local architecture) so if your tastes lean this way I'd take a look at some of the options in and around Stellenbosch and Franschhoek.

Two restaurants you must go to: 1. The Harbour House in Kalk Bay. Fantastic seafood in a unique location. 2. Delaire Graff Restaurant on the wine estate of the same name. Stunning scenery, incredible food and service. Wish I was there now. Ah well, back to work...

I have family in Cape Town and we are again visiting in Nov '12.

A visit to Camps Bay is worth doing. Lovely Beach, great café's along the front. A great place for food is http://www.blues.co.za/gallery.html

A drive North of Cape Town into the suburb of Bloubergstrand is a great pub called - http://www.bluepeter.co.za/ - Here you can have great 'sundowners' and as the front page of the web site shows you, that really is the view from the beer garden!

Have a great trip, it is a fantastic city.

Thanks all for the recommendations. So far I have a week booked at the Atlantic View in Camps Bay (bit over budget ) , and a week at the Dock House (same group as the V&A and next door but just 5 rooms and one suite). I also have a hold on a couple of nights at Spier, ditto Clouds Estate (both Stellenbosch).

I was tempted by the Cape Royale (still have a cancelable res for 7 nights on a great AMEX rate), but put off a bit by doing a virtual wander round on google street view. It looks like a very mixed area, and although the reviews are extremely favourable, it don't look as though people recommend walking around there at night. Had to laugh at the Fawlty Towers hotel at the back. But I will take your recommendation Dr V, regarding the 1800 restaurant, I love a great piece of cow!

Its a pity my budget won't stretch to the Lodges at Delaire Graff, they look amazing, but may stop by there for dinner just to check it out.

I hope you enjoy SA as nuch as DL the Elder and I did. We stayed at the Table Bay Hotel which wasn't in the slightest bit stuffy but may be a bit more than you want to pay. We had a terrace with a great view of the Waterfront and a full uninterrupted view of the Sugarloaf. Fantastic.
We had a stunning meal here http://www.theopallounge.co.za/#img/17.jpg although there seem to have been a couple of ropey reviews on TA recently. Personally I would not do any driving on your own at night - if you're going to a restaurant (save for the Waterfront area when you're staying there which is perfectly safe to walk about) get the hotel to provide a cab and then make sure they also collect you.
If you fancy a day off from the driving (or a day on your own so the daut can revise in peace) I heartily recommend using Rob Salmon who runs this http://www.capeconvoy.com/.
We had two fantastic days with him - he really is as good as the TA reviews say !
I'm not sure if you'll find 2 nights at Spier to be too much -it can be a bit commercialised but the Cheetah Experience can be visited by non - residents (which is what we did). And yes they really do purr...
Make sure you lock the car door anywhere there are baboons around (like on Chapmans Peak, Cape Point et al). We saw several dopey tourists being liberated of handbags, camera bags etc by wily monkeys (even though the car doors were shut).
Have a great time.
DL
DL

I had bad experience staying at Speir...tip avoid the SA buffet, it holed me up for 24hrs in the room, with sickness.. However the estate is well worth a visit, but as DL says it is quite commercialised.

other notable visits away from the well known: Morgenhof for a pleasant light lunch,Tokara's restaurant and its top wines worth a try. If you like port- hunt out Muratie - really quirky and a fortified wine of note.
It goes without saying that any opportunity to visit: Constantia Uitsig Colombe is well worth a trip and the vineyard also very pleasant, the food here is to die for...
You can fit in Klein Constantia at the same time..
For proper African nick-knacks often interesting for a look round the Pan-African market, Long St in CPT, also remember you need to brush up your haggling skills (in true Monty Python style..), as markets, this and the likes of Green Market Sq expect it and they will often quote double the actual realistic price- mainly because the American cruise ship visitors just pay whats asked...stand your ground you will be surprised..

Franschoek opens up lots of eateries, another quirkier option popular with locals Reubens, had great lunch and vineyard wise...Mark Kent's outfit at Boekenhoutskloof I believe still only does visits by appointment, these are serious wines, and maybe worth a chat with Andy at Harogate Fine Wines who specialise in SA wines and can often arrange vineyard visits if of interest.
PM me if you want any Vineyard leads..

NH

Thanks again for the many recommendations on where to eat and the vineyard info. I'm still a bit stuck for somewhere in Stellenbosch to stay though if not Spier. Saying stuck is probably wrong, there is so much choice being spoiled for choice is probably more. As well as Spier and Clouds estate I also looked at Devon House but a bit underwhelmed by the room (sizes and facilities).

I do fancy an estate property so I can do the wine tour my myself and without driving, but also wouldn't mind a few days in central Stellenbosch so I can have a few glasses of wine with a meal and not have to drive. And would quite like to be a bit more inland for at least part of our stay.

Sounds like Lanzerac to me.. close to Neil Ellis also in spitting distance to Stellenbosch, amazing scenery and Lanzerac itself is well regarded, and has good facilities...
Not stayed there, but had breakfast and they used to do good wines, slightly less renowned now given the competition, but worthy. lovely property and set up looks lovely..

NH

Well thanks again everyone. I took something from each of the recommendations, even if I've not gone directly for that property, but it got me searching nearby. And some had to be excluded on availability.

Spier will be done as a day trip - if 2 V-flyers thought it overly touristy/commercial and another one got sick, that's enough to put me off.

So the itinerary is now 7 nights Atlantic View (Camps Bay), 3 nights Clouds Estate (Stellenbosch), 4 nights Le Quartier Francais (Franschhoek) finishing off with 7 nights at the Waterfront at the Dock House. Just need to do a list of restaurants now for each location and I'm sorted. Anyone tried the Tasting room at Le Quartier? Seems a shame not to try it if I'm staying there.

Just becareful if you decide to to this from Table Mountain !

Unfortunately my wing suit will be unavailable for the duration of this trip as I lent it to Jeff.

[Decker]

Excllent call on le Quartier Francais. Favourite place in SA. Especially if you stay in one of the villas... and the food OMG....

. le Quartier Francais. Favourite place in SA. Especially if you stay in one of the villas... and the food OMG....

Thanks Decker. I've got a "Petite" suite booked and fingers crossed for a space available upgrade via the Amex PTS/Fine Hotels tie up. And if you thought the food was OMG, then it will be worth doing. Just have to persuade the Daught to go with a menu where she can't pick and choose. I dug out the report Wolves and Fozzyo did a few years back on a degustation menu they sampled on one of their trips and I think I'm winning. Ruebens also gets good press, have you been there?

[Decker]

'Fraid not. I met the QF ladies as a Restaurant Magazine Top 50 Awars ceremony one year and they persuaded me to visit. Have been back since and will return in a heartbeat! Enjoy