Planning a Cape Town Honeymoon

If you are looking for exquisite scenery, fantastic fine dining and fascinating culture, South Africa is a magical place for your honeymoon.

Best of all, you don’t have to break the bank. You can get twice as much for your money, as the local currency, the rand, is weak against the U.S. dollar. 

Known as the Mother City, Cape Town is the oldest city in South Africa. Its vibrant energy, thriving art scene, and impressive vineyards will mesmerize you and your significant other. 

There are many couples adventures to experience together, too. Check out the area’s natural beauty via jeep safari, admiring the wild animals and beautiful waterfalls along the way. There’s also the majestic ocean—Surfer magazine voted Cape Town one of the “Top 10 Surf Cities in the World.” 

Attractions 

Visit the world’s largest collection of contemporary African art at Zeitz MOCAA. Spend a few hours here—the architecture of the museum is achingly beautiful, and the exhibits are fascinating.

There is nothing more extraordinary than visiting Table Mountain, one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature. At more than 260 million years old, this beautiful place is older than the Andes, the Alps, the Rocky Mountains and the Himalayas!

A must-see is the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, which was named “International Garden of the Year” by the International Garden Tourism awards body. There’s a beautiful treetop canopy walkway, called “The Boomslang” (meaning tree snake), that winds and dips its way through and over the trees.

While it’s been seven years since Nelson Mandela passed away, many visitors to South Africa still think about his life and legacy. A trip to historic Robben Island, home to the prison that housed many political prisoners under apartheid, Mandela being the most famous, will make for a thought-provoking day.

Where to Stay 

Radisson Blu Waterfront

When you wake up in the morning on a comfortable bed and see the lovely, glittering blue waterfront of Cape Town, you will immediately know the Radisson Blu Waterfront is the right place to stay. Only a short distance from Table Mountain, there are a variety of fun places to shop and eat close by, too.

The Taj Hotel

The Taj Cape Town is an impressive hotel right in the heart of Cape Town. Everyone who stays here loves the mix of old and new; there is a lovely, luxurious combination of heritage and history and classic, contemporary architecture. The hotel was once the home of the South African Reserve Bank and Temple Chambers, and later the Board of Executors (BOE).

Southern Sun The Cullinan Hotel

When you stay at Southern Sun The Cullinan Hotel, you will absolutely love the amazing views of Cape Town and the Mother City’s numerous attractions, like Table Mountain, the exquisite harbor and ocean, the Victoria & Alfred (V&A) Waterfront and the city skyline. Couples will admire the marble pillars and floors and lovely furnishings. Swimming in the hotel’s pool and working out in the gym is a great way to start your day before sightseeing. 

Things to Do

After breakfast at your hotel, make sure you take one day and head to Khayelitsha, about a 40-minute drive from Cape Town. As a resident of the township, your host/guide will give you a unique and interesting tour of his neighborhood. 

Cape Town’s performing arts have a positive influence on socioeconomic issues experienced in the townships, as you will discover at South Africa’s only shack theater, the Makukhanye Art Room. The theater hosts art, drama and dance classes for the youth in Khayelitsha and provides inspiration to keep them away from drugs and crime. 

A Cape Town helicopter tour is an incredible way to experience the city. The tour starts by rising over the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront and flies over many beautiful areas.

Cape Town is an incredibly lovely, musical city, home to so much talent and creativity. One way it can be experienced is via a unique journey, called the South African Jazz Safari, where tourists can visit local jazz musicians in their homes and chat with them about their lives.  

Another amazing event to do is the Cape Town Fynbos Experience. The distinctive plants comprise approximately 6,000 of the 9,000 species found in the Cape Floral Kingdom and inspire the local culinary and cocktail scene. Buchu has become popular in gin, rooibos in homemade fudge, and rose pelargonium is used in scones—all will leave you craving more.

Dine and Drink 

Cape Town has evolved into a burgeoning culinary destination as top-caliber chefs are being drawn to the city. According to Fodor’s Travel, “eight of South Africa’s top 10 restaurants reside here.”

If you would like to experience fine dining afloat Cape Town’s indigo waters, check out The Alba Restaurant Boat, located on the V&A Waterfront. The Alba is the first fine-dining floating restaurant in Cape Town, with amazing professional chefs and a fully equipped kitchen on board. You will never be short of fine dining establishments in the city, but adding the ocean to the mix is an exciting innovation.

Indulge in a sensory exploration at Bobo’s Brasserie—the latest dining offering from The Kove Collection. Featuring a plush interior filled with whimsical touches reminiscent of the Continental bistros of yesteryear, Bobo’s provides a stylishly contemporary take on old-world comfort.  

With more than 2,000 vineyards and wine estates in the Western Cape, you’ll be buying lots of great wine to take home with you. One of the many wineries located east of the Drakenstein Mountains, Seven Sisters is a Black-owned winery, helmed by the seven Brutus sisters from the small town of Paternoster on the West Coast. The sisters returned to Paternoster 20 years after being evicted from their home at a young age to create fine wines that suit the style and personality of each of them. The tasting includes all of their house wines, which were developed based on the personality of the sisters.