In April 2025 I visited South Africa for the second time, hosted for WTM Africa 2025 in Cape Town and staying at the Southern Sun Hotel, with the city on one side and the ocean and Table Mountain on the other. I arrived a few days early to see, feel and taste the city that still carries traces of Dutch VOC history. On my first clear morning I took the cable car up Table Mountain, watching Cape Town turn into a toy model beneath my feet, and suddenly the whole setting made sense: mountain, sea and city woven into one dramatic panorama. Here I experienced one of the most impressive sunsets ever and realised that the sun moved here from right to left…
Next day I toured around Table Mountain and followed the coastal route from the V&A Waterfront, where harbour life, restaurants and street performers all blur together. I slowed the pace at Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens, wandering paths framed by a green mountain backdrop, and stepped straight into the Cape’s wine story at Groot Constantia, tasting classic reds under old oak trees and realising how deeply wine belongs to this landscape. No South African trip is complete without its famous vineyards, so I headed to Franschhoek for tastings among art, luxurious hotels, top restaurants and rows of vines against the mountains.
Finally, I swapped wine glasses for wildlife. I flew to Hoedspruit and checked in at Kingfisher Creek, a lodge in the middle of the bush. From there I was braught to the Blyde Boat Cruise, and visited Blue Canyon. Next day we drove into Kruger National Park on early-morning and late-afternoon game drives. Seeing the Big Five in the wild – lions in golden light, elephants crossing the road in front of us, rhinos moving like armoured tanks through the scrub – turned the journey from a simple holiday into something much bigger: a vivid reminder of how wild, fragile and extraordinary this part of the world still is.
Tasting Cape Town’s past in today’s culinary heritage
Cape Town’s culinary heritage is a layered mix of Indigenous, Dutch, Malay, Indian and British influences, shaped over centuries at the tip of Africa. In traditional kitchens you still taste this history in dishes like bobotie, sosaties (marinated skewers), slow-cooked bredies (stews), snoek on the braai, and fragrant Cape Malay curries served with yellow rice and chutneys. The city’s coastal setting keeps fresh fish and seafood central, while the winelands just beyond the city add world-class wines to the table.
Today that heritage spills out onto the streets in a vibrant, informal food culture. Around the CBD, the Waterfront and neighbourhood markets you’ll find Gatsby sandwiches stuffed with chips and steak, bunny chow filled with curry, samoosas, vetkoek, biltong, boerewors rolls and loaded braai plates served from food trucks and stalls. Modern vendors play with these classics, mixing Cape Malay spices, global flavours and local ingredients into easy, hand-held dishes – turning Cape Town’s complex food history into something you can eat on the go between mountain, city and sea.
Want it all in one night? Go to Spice or Gold, both unique experience restaurants based on the extensive South African culinary heritage.
