Africa’s leader, guiding disparate factions over perilous terrain as the
country became an integrated society. Note that tickets to Robben
Island typically sell out in advance so it’s best to book at least three
weeks in advance.
Also worth visiting in Cape Town is Company’s Garden, a park and
heritage site that dates to the 1650s. It began as a garden to provide
fresh fruit and vegetables for sailors on ships rounding the Cape.
The formal British colonial feel is softened by a rose garden, aviary
and fish pond. It even has the oldest pear tree in the country, said to
have been planted in 1652.
Situated on the coast with a view of the dramatic Table Mountain,
Cape Town may be South Africa’s best dining city. “The food scene
is off the charts with fresh seafood right off the boat, greens and
grains from verdant nearby valleys, and superb wines from the
nearby winelands,” Robertson said.
“Meals are inexpensive and creative. Some favorites include
Manna Epicure on Kloof Street for a casual lunch, the Foodbarn
Restaurant located at the end of a beautiful coastal drive called
Chapman’s Peak, and the Pot Luck Club set atop an old flour mill
that has been repurposed into a small complex of boutiques and
quality restaurants.”
Farther afield one can visit the Cape Peninsula to see African penguins
at Boulders Beach and drive to the lighthouse at the southwestern
tip of Africa. Just outside Cape Town, at the foot of Table Mountain,
is Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden, with meandering trails and
abundant indigenous local flora outdoors and indoor biomes with
plants from the country’s varied regions, such as its savanna.
If time allows, South Africa’s Winelands, just east of Cape Town,
is well worth visiting for a couple of days. “We like to base
our guests in Franschhoek, a small village in an idyllic setting,”
Robertson said. “For a splurge stay at the Delaire Graff Estate
situated on a pass overlooking two valleys. This estate was
A boy minstrel from the Cape festival also
known as the Kaapse Klopse at the Bo-Kaap.
FLYWASHINGTON.COM 30 AUTUMN 2017
Zeitz MOCAA (Museum of Contemporary Art Africa)