Cape Town very short visit recommendations

[Momo]

I will be in Cape Town for a two-day meeting the second week in January. Schedules mean that I leave (LH for Frankfurt) at 5 PM the day after the meeting ends. While I have been in SA twice before, I have never been to Cape Town, and can't stay any longer. The only restriction I have on a visit is that I need to come back with a bag of stones from the "Scratchpad" (wherever that is) for one of my kids. No free time the days the meetings are on. (Arrive at 6 AM on SAA, meeting starts at 10 on day 1, ends at midnight on day 2.)

Any recommendations on "Must see" items, assuming I only have four or five hours available? My hotel is right at the V&A waterfront.

Momo

[teleport]

Table Mountain
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Table_mountain
A little more time:
Cape Point
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_Point
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_Town

Not enough time for Robben Island, I think

[PAXboy]

Difficult to chose!

One option is driving. Car hire for a day will be easy and with advice from locals and maps:

With Table Mountain, even if you are unable to go up the mountain (low cloud, long queues {or vetigo}) then taking a drive up the mountain road is still VERY good. You can then drive across to Signal Hill. There is a car park at the end of the road. Usually very blustery up there but a fine sight across the city before you and out to Robben Island.

There is a circular route around the mountain that takes a number of hours but has brilliant views and you can choose lunch in many different places along the route. If driving, keep to main road and be back before night fall.

Within the city, I am not really up on the museums and galleries but they should be easy to find. Having been visiting the city for 41 years, I've got past the regular touristy things but looking out from the mountain and Signal Hill never fail.

[Leezyjet]

If your meeting finishes at 1400 and your flight leaves at 1700, then you won't have much time to do anything aside from travel to the airport and check-in !!. If your hotel is on the waterfront, and time is tight, then I would just have a wander around there. It is a great place for people watching and just sitting having a beer and watching the world go by all with Table Mountain as a back drop.

Although if you have manage to get some free time on the evenings, I would recommend a trip to Teazers - try and get booth 7 if you can as it is opposite the stage :E :eek: :O

:)

[garthicus]

If you take Leezys advice and are having a beer on the Waterfront, go to Mitchells Microbrewery..... excellent beers.... oh and have a steak too!! Or some Fish and Chips...

Enjoy!

[THE FLYING COOK]

If you only have a few hours then it has to be Table mountain but check the weather as the cable car does not run if the wind is even slightly strong. You get one of the best views in the whole lorld on a clear day. If not the advice of taking a car to signal hill is a good one, and then down the road for a quick beer in Camps Bay

[PAXboy]

momoSchedules mean that I leave (LH for Frankfurt) at 5 PM the day after the meeting ends. Which is why I suggested a drive as it looks as if he has an afternoon / evening / morning and early afternoon. If he takes a hire car for 24 hours, he can drive himself to the airport (unless a limo is already booked!)

[farmpilot]

Go to the heliport and take a flip - that way you will see it all!

[Momo]

Well, I will be off to CPT tomorrow evening. Thank's for all the advice. Final details are that my meeting finishes at "lunchtime" on Thursday, and the flight back is at 7 PM. Weather foreast is 26-28C, sunny, wind 15 to 25 mph. I will go for the cable car to Table Mountain if open, and a bit of shopping at the V+A center. Going down in C on SAA (A340-600 so flat bed-type), back in F on LH (evouchers) with a bit of luck. Staying at the Sheraton. Will let you know.

Momo

[PAXboy]

These threads about what to do in London and Bahrain for a day amde me wonder ... Momo How did the CPT trip go?? :)

[Momo]

Hi all,

Oddly, I already posted a report on this trip, but the reply is not here any more. Once again...

Few down with SAA in C from Frankfurt. Outstanding. Much better than C with LH. Duvets instead of blankets, much more space, much better food. The LH video system has more choice.

We were too early for CPT, and had to go down for a scenic trip around Cape Point before the airport opened. Landed, went to hotel, started meeting at 8:30, worked to 10 the first night with dinner in the hotel. (Arabella Sheraton - very nice with great health club on top floor.) Second day started at 8, and we worked until midnight with dinner in the conference room. The rest of the team had to see the government on the Thursday afternoon, so I had a few hours. I took the Red Line open-top bus tour. This gives you an hour in the city and and another hour up to the base station of the Table Mountain cable car, then down to the coast and back up to the waterfront. I then had 90 minutes shopping, including grabbing a bag of stones at the Scratch Patch for one of the kids, then off to the airport and back home via FRA.

I was wait-listed for the upgrade to first, but did not get it. I think that was the first time I can remember being on a long haul flight with absolutely every single seat taken. (While I was waiting at the gate to see would the last person in F check in, a woman in Y was told she could not get a seat with a recline, because all seats were taken. C was also full.

I suppose I could have gone up in the cable car. At the hotel, they told me that there would be gigantic queues because of the school hols, which is why I took the bus tour. However, there were no queues, but then there was no time.

Anyway - too short, because I had to be in Geneva the following morning. Definitely worth more exploration next time. Seems safer than Joburg. Thanks for the advice.

[I can't work out how to post pictures, as I can't use a URL for them.]

Momo

[Globaliser]

[I can't work out how to post pictures, as I can't use a URL for them.]Try uploading from your computer to www.tinypic.com - very quick and easy, and then it will give you a URL that you can use here. In fact, one of the boxes already has the [img] codes already wrapped around the URL.

[PAXboy]

Thanks Momo glad it went well - sounds like you earned more than an afternoon off! Interesting observation also about SAA 'C' which I have not been in for (Whirr, Klunk, fizz :}) 19 years.

To your observation Seems safer than Joburg. The only reply is "No kak Sherlock!" (Yes, that is the Afrikaans for Scheiße)