Romantic weekend getaway in Cape Town

Our Local Expert Says:

The Cape Peninsula is home to some of the world’s greatest floral diversity. Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens is host to numerous examples and provides a great venue for walking, picnicking, and playing.

Description:

Settled along the eastern slope of Table Mountain, Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens hosts over 22,000 indigenous plants. Just 15 minutes away from Cape Town city centre, the Botanical Gardens are extraordinarily natural in design and blend straight in to the mountain. There is a tea shop and picnic sites for those wanting to enjoy a leisurely visit and paths from the Garden leading straight onto Table Mountain for the more active. In summer, there are Sunday Summer concerts on the lawn; arrive early, enjoy the Garden, set up a picnic spot and enjoy the music.

Description:

Groot Constantia was established in 1685 by Simon van der Stel, then governor of the Cape, who reputedly named it after his daughter Constancia and planted the Cape's first vines. A century later the Cloete family put Constantia on the international map with a dessert wine that became the favored tipple of the likes of Napoleon, Bismarck, King Louis Philippe of France, and Jane Austen. An outbreak of phylloxera in the 1860s bankrupted the family, however, and the land lay fallow until 1975, when substantial replanting began. Today Groot Constantia is known for its reds, particularly the Gouverneurs Reserve. In addition to tasting the wines in the modern cellars here, you can visit a small museum showing the history of the manor, as well as the beautiful Cape Dutch house itself, furnished in beautiful late-18th-century Cape Dutch furniture. Behind the house are the old cellars, originally designed by French architect Louis Thibault; note the celebrated pediment sculpted by Anton Anreith in 1791. The cellars now contain an interesting museum of wine. A cozy, pleasant restaurant, Jonkershuis (tel. 021/794-6255), serves traditional Cape Malay dishes, and Simons (tel. 021/794-1143) -- surrounded by vineyards and lawns -- is where the locals can be found quaffing from the extensive wine list and marveling at the pinkness of the seared tuna or lamb.

Description:

This formal valley restaurant serves international haute cuisine on a menu whose influences include local, European and Asian. There is a daily Chef's menu and a crayfish menu. Special touches include an "amuse-bouche" and sorbet between courses. Regular starters include: variation of duck with brioche, kudu carpaccio with mushroom bean salad and pecorino and Asian-style glazed warthog loin. With a wide range of wines to complement main courses such as whole oven roasted pigeon with wild mushroom butter, or kabeljou in a shrimp-caper sauce, your every sense is guaranteed satisfaction.

Description:

With its historic Cape Dutch homestead and superb views across the valley and False Bay, Klein Constantia, some 15 minutes by car from Cape Town, has frequently been described as one of the world's most beautiful vineyard locations. The estate forms part of the land granted to Simon van der Stel in 1685. This early Dutch Governor of the Cape planted the first vineyards in Constantia, which later produced the legendary Constantia dessert wine. Requested by Napoleon and praised in the writings of Charles Dickens and Jane Austen, this wine was sought after by the European élite of the 18th and 19th centuries. Continuing the standards of a glorious bygone era, all Klein Constantia's wines are grown, made and bottled on the estate.

Description:

Constantia Uitsig, known until 1940 as Constantia View, was the home of the Lategan family for five generations. Their ancestors arrived in South Africa in 1735. Constantia Uitsig had been a portion of Simon van der Stel's original grant of Groot Constantia. In 1894 Willem Lategan married Antoinette Bredell of Schoemanshoek, and with her inheritance he built the present homestead of Constantia Uitsig. In 1988 the farm was purchased by David and Marlene McCay. Together they have restored the farm to its former glory, and Constantia Uitsig now boasts award winning wines, three world-renowned restaurants, a private cricket oval, spa and a 16-roomed luxury hotel. In 2006 fifty percent of the wine estate was bought by a consortium. Just 20 minutes from the heart of the city, Constantia Uitsig is truly Cape Town's own vineyard. The breathtaking rural beauty of a valley, where vineyard rows stretch up the mountainside, is just one of many compelling reasons to visit.

Our Local Expert Says:

A regular winner of national awards, this is one of the best restaurants in Cape Town

Description:

If romance is what you are looking for, the light ambiance of this classic French restaurant in the heart of Constantia is where you will find it. It is situated within the grand Constantina Uitsig  Hotel. The eatery is filled with the colors and flavors of the French countryside, and the menu is constantly changing to suit new trends.

Description:

The Cape Grace is the classiest option in the Waterfront -- the hotel of choice when the Clintons are in town. The difference between this hotel and the Mount Nelson -- the other top choice -- is primarily one of location; the Cape Grace is in a marina, situated on its own promontory and surrounded by water on all three sides, while the Nellie is surrounded by lush gardens. Being relatively new, it also doesn't exude the graciousness of the century-old Mount Nelson (and from an exclusivity point of view, cannot compete with the Ellerman). That said, the luxury (standard) rooms truly are luxurious, in both size and furnishings, with French doors opening onto mountain or harbor views; superior rooms are slightly larger, with walkout balconies. The two- and three-bedroom suites, with fully equipped kitchens, are ideal for families. In fact, the Cape Grace prides itself on its reputation as one of the most family-oriented luxury hotels in the country: Kids are welcomed with their own cards and gift hampers, and are read stories and given milk before bed; plus, the hotel rents anything from a car seat to a pram. Downstairs the lively Bascule regularly hosts some great New World DJs (it's packed with singles on the prowl on Fri), and the fine-dining one.waterfront is regularly voted one of the top hotel restaurants in the country (though personally I'd rather take a stroll to Den Anker).

Our Local Expert Says:

If you want to enjoy a sunset horseback ride on the beach, this is the place to do it. Also great surfing near the Chapman's Peak side . If you are going to take a long walk, check with the locals about safety.

Description:

Based at the southern end of Chapman's Peak Drive, Noodhoek beach is well known to locals, horseriders, kite flyers, and the like. The longest of any of the Atlantic Seaboard beaches, Noordhoek offers great sunset views and hours of walking. Watch out for windy days though, the beach is exposed and the sand can whip up.

Description:

One of the most beautiful drives in the world, Cape Town's Chapmans Peak Drive is a spectacular 10 km coastal drive linking Noordhoek to Hout Bay. In spring (Sept-November) Southern Right Whales can be spotted in Hout Bay. Year round there are stunning views from numerous viewpoints and picnic spots. A trail to Chapman's Peak itself starts just before the highest viewpoint on Chapman's Peak Drive. If the road is closed or if one only wants to access the portion of the road closer to Hout Bay, a complimentary day pass can be acquired from the toll booth.

Our Local Expert Says:

An idyllic, hidden beach off the beaten tourist track, Llandudno is a great place to marvel at the unending beauty of Cape Town.

Description:

A small, beautiful, boulder bordered beach along the Atlantic Seaboard, Llandudno beach is a local favorite among the surfers and nature lovers. Its secluded location tends to keep Cape Town's wind away and its lack of cafes and bars keeps the Camps Bay beach scene away. The boulders on the northern side of Llandudno beach offer a fun scenic walk. Llandudno is a great place to watch the sunset over the ocean with the mountain backdrop glowing red.

Description:

One of the World's top ten restaurants listed by US-based Hotels magazine, its modern African cuisine blends with trendy European and is accompanied by live contemporary jazz playing nightly. In a magnificent 1921 built room and complete with a Cape mural backdrop it has painted pillars and african decor. Cape ingredients and culinary traditions of the world are fused here. Expect spicy, fruity flavours and imaginative mixes. Tea-smoked springbok with paw-paw, apple and chili salad and Natal prawns with beaten rice batter and a sweet, mild chili jam, served on a snoek cake are examples of what is available.

Description:

The city's showpiece theatre (formerly known as the Nico Malan Theatre), Artscape was officially opened in May 1971, and became the home of the Cape Performing Arts Board (CAPAB). It has staged numerous opera, ballet, drama and music productions since, but has also been the scene for fashion shows, charity balls, art exhibitions and trade fairs. It offers a busy performance schedule with entertainment provided most Tuesday's to Saturday's. For further information please see the website.

Description:

The Cape Grace is the classiest option in the Waterfront -- the hotel of choice when the Clintons are in town. The difference between this hotel and the Mount Nelson -- the other top choice -- is primarily one of location; the Cape Grace is in a marina, situated on its own promontory and surrounded by water on all three sides, while the Nellie is surrounded by lush gardens. Being relatively new, it also doesn't exude the graciousness of the century-old Mount Nelson (and from an exclusivity point of view, cannot compete with the Ellerman). That said, the luxury (standard) rooms truly are luxurious, in both size and furnishings, with French doors opening onto mountain or harbor views; superior rooms are slightly larger, with walkout balconies. The two- and three-bedroom suites, with fully equipped kitchens, are ideal for families. In fact, the Cape Grace prides itself on its reputation as one of the most family-oriented luxury hotels in the country: Kids are welcomed with their own cards and gift hampers, and are read stories and given milk before bed; plus, the hotel rents anything from a car seat to a pram. Downstairs the lively Bascule regularly hosts some great New World DJs (it's packed with singles on the prowl on Fri), and the fine-dining one.waterfront is regularly voted one of the top hotel restaurants in the country (though personally I'd rather take a stroll to Den Anker).