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South Africa · November

Cape Town

A mountain in the middle, two oceans at the edges.
November is early summer: long days, beach weather and the city’s festive season beginning — the festive lights switch on in late November. Expect the strong south-easterly wind known as the Cape Doctor.
Currency
South African rand (ZAR)
Languages
English, Afrikaans, isiXhosa
Airport
Cape Town International (CPT), ~25 min
Getting around
Ride-hailing apps, MyCiTi buses, car hire
Contents
01
4 places

Neighbourhoods

Compact centre, with the Atlantic coast minutes away.
01
Bo-Kaap
Neighbourhood · City Bowl
Brightly painted houses and mosques on the slopes of Signal Hill, home of Cape Malay culture.
02
City Bowl & Gardens
Neighbourhood · Centre
The Company’s Garden, museums and Kloof Street cafés below Table Mountain.
03
V&A Waterfront
Neighbourhood · Harbour
A working harbour with markets, museums and boats to Robben Island.
04
Sea Point
Neighbourhood · Atlantic seaboard
A long seaside promenade for walking, running and sunset.
02
4 places

See

Nature is the main attraction here.
01
Table Mountain
Viewpoint · City Bowl
The rotating cableway reaches the flat summit in minutes; views run to Cape Point on clear days.
02
Kirstenbosch
Garden · Newlands
A botanical garden on the mountain’s eastern slopes, with a treetop walkway. Summer sunset concerts start in late November.
03
Robben Island
Heritage · Ferry from the Waterfront
The prison where Nelson Mandela spent 18 years, guided by former political prisoners.
04
Boulders Beach
Nature · Simon’s Town
A colony of African penguins among granite boulders.
03
4 places

Eat

Cape Malay curries, seafood and excellent coffee.
01
Biesmiellah
Cape Malay · Bo-Kaap
A long-running family restaurant for bobotie, denningvleis and koesisters.
02
Eastern Food Bazaar
Halal food hall · City centre
Busy, inexpensive and halal: biryani, curries, shawarma and naan from many counters.
03
Truth Coffee
Coffee · City centre
A steampunk roastery café — dramatic interior, serious coffee.
04
V&A Food Market
Food market · Waterfront
Stalls in an old power station, good for a quick, varied lunch.
04
3 places

Architecture & Design

Old Cape buildings and a world-famous conversion.
01
Zeitz MOCAA
Museum · Waterfront
Heatherwick Studio carved a cathedral-like atrium out of a 1920s grain silo. Africa’s largest contemporary art museum.
02
Norval Foundation
Museum · Tokai
A gallery and sculpture garden on the edge of a wetland, near the winelands road.
03
Castle of Good Hope
Heritage · City centre
A 17th-century star-shaped fort, the oldest surviving colonial building in South Africa.
05
2 places

Day Trips

The peninsula drive is unforgettable.
01
Cape Point
Day trip · ~1 hr south
Cliffs, lighthouse and fynbos at the tip of the peninsula; combine with Boulders Beach.
02
Chapman’s Peak Drive
Day trip · Hout Bay
A cliff-hugging coastal road with 114 bends. Toll road; closes in bad weather.
06
Notes

Practical

Small things that make the trip easier.
01
Wear sunscreen and a hat even when it’s windy — UV is very strong.
02
Use ride-hailing apps at night and keep phones out of sight in the street.
03
Atlantic beaches are cold; False Bay beaches (Muizenberg, St James) are warmer.
04
Book Table Mountain and Robben Island tickets online, with flexibility for the weather.
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