Ahh Cape Town, what an incredible place. 

There is so much to see and do during a stay in Cape Town, from hiking Table Mountain to snorkelling with seals while never being more than a couple minutes away from one of Africa’s best restaurants. 

While Cape Town is of course a city, a stay here really doesn’t feel like a ‘city break’. Somehow, it offers a much more relaxing and holistic experience. 

Many of our guests either start or end a trip to Southern Africa with a few days in The Mother City, and regardless of whether you choose to stay in a hotel or an Airbnb (to save some of that budget for other parts of your trip, safari for example), we love to help make sure you are staying in the perfect area for you. 

So, in this notebook entry, Toby, who lives in Cape Town will share his thoughts on which areas to consider staying in. 

First things first, let’s take a look at where Google will suggest you stay:

V&A Waterfront: 

The Waterfront is often thought of as ‘THE place to stay’. Some of the larger and most famous hotels, such as the Cape Grace, One and Only, Radisson etc can be found here. In reality though we don’t really recommend staying here for a true 'Cape Town experience'. 

The Waterfront is in essence a very large shopping Mall on the Cape Town harbour. In our opinion it lacks any real character, and is very busy. There are many other areas which are more authentically Cape Town, less crowded and less commercial. 

That being said, a short visit to the Waterfront is always fun, especially if you visit the Watershed or the Oranjezicht Farmers Market. This is also where you’ll find the Silo Hotel and Zeitz Mocca African Art Gallery. 

Camps Bay:

Camps Bay is, much like the Waterfront, well known as ‘the place to stay’. There is no doubting that the sunset views out across the ocean are spectacular, however sadly the rest of Camps Bay is not what it used to be. 

The ‘strip’, as it does feel a little like one, can be very touristy and busy. You won’t find great restaurants or bars here either. If you’re renting an Airbnb which looks out over the view, but you know that you won’t be spending much time in Camps Bay, then it is of course amazing, but don’t stay here for the sake of the high-street and crowded beach. 

So, where should you stay, according to us at least?

Gardens/Tamboerskloof 

This area is the old heart of Cape Town. It’s vibrant, fun, beautiful, calm and practical all rolled into one. This is the area you will find most of the smaller boutique hotels, as well as stunning unique Airbnbs’s/Guesthouses. There are so many great restaurants, galleries, bars, shops, museums around here. 

This is also where the oldest and most traditional Cape architecture can be found within the city, contrasting between the colourful Malay influence of Bo Kaap, to hints of the old spice route as well as the historic influences from the Brits and Dutch. 

In terms of location, this area is settled in the valley beneath the ‘front’ of Table Mountain and Lions Head, overlooking the Waterfront and harbour area. The access that you have from here to everything the city, and its surrounding areas, has to offer is hard to beat. 

Constantia:

If you’re looking for a lovely, big house with a pool & garden for kids to run around in Constantia in Cape Town’s wine corner is perfect. This area is very beautiful and calm, dare I say ‘posh’. There are lots of great hikes easily accessible from here, Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens is minutes away and of course all of the wonderful vineyards are on your doorstep. 

For the wine lovers amongst us, Constantia is a great place to stay if you want to spend time in the winelands but can’t get up to Franschhoek or Stellenbosch. In fact the oldest vineyard in Africa is found here.

Some of Cape Town’s very best restaurants are in this area; La Colombe, Chefs Warehouse, Beau Constantia and more. 

Deep South:

The southern peninsula of Cape Town, known locally as ‘the Deep South’ is made up of little villages including Noordhoek, Kalk Bay, Kommetjie, Scarborough, Simons Town etc. It’s perfect for people who want a very relaxed coastal stay, often right down by the ocean. In these areas, Cape Town’s already slow pace of life slows even further to a gentle stroll. It’s brilliant if you want to be close to surfing spots, or if you want to ride horses on the beach, explore quieter hikes, and fun little cafes and shops. 

We highly recommend stays down here particularly for the beauty, the people and the overall atmosphere. It’s only a 40-minute drive into town for a day visit, and very easy to book transfers or Ubers. 

We regularly have guests who come to Cape Town and visit this region, who on their return to the city choose to stay here, especially if following on from a safari. 

Other areas to consider:

There are of course a number of other areas to consider which we’ll briefly run through: 

Llandudno, is where you’ll find Cape Town’s best beach. There are some amazing properties here (Airbnb) and we love it for a truly spectacular stay. There aren’t any shops, restaurants or bars here itself, but access to Hout Bay or into town is relatively easy. 

Sea Point, is right down in the centre of town, a little closer to the water than the Gardens/Tamboerskloof area, but a bit less touristy than the Waterfront. There are some great apartments to rent here. 

Woodstock, is the up and coming part of Cape Town slowly going through a gentrification of sorts, lots of gin distilleries, great food markets and so on, mixed with the traditional tradesmen of the area. It’s still a little rough and can feel unsafe, so we tend to only recommend a visit here during the day. 

Table View, looks back over Cape Town and is where you get those perfect views of Table Mountain. Its a lovely area but a bit away and more residential, without as much to do if you are visiting for a few days. 

Hout Bay, is just south of Llandudno and north of Noordhoek, its a lovely little fishing village, but almost lost in no-mans land.  

There are so many incredible places to stay, and ultimately it is what is right for you. 

We’re very lucky that Toby is based down in Cape Town and so have on-the-ground and up-to-date knowledge of the city and its surrounding areas. 

If you are keen to come down here, whether it be just to spend time in Cape Town, or to combine with a bigger trip we’re here to help you find the right spot.