We left Swellendam and drove out towards Cape Agulhas to see the ‘real’ southern-most point. We drove via vineyards and small villages until we eventually ended up on the beautiful coastal road that boasted amazing views of turquoise waves crashing against the rocks. We spent a little time here to take a few photos before setting off to Hermanus – home of the southern right whale.
On arriving in Hermanus, it seemed much bigger than I had imagined. Clean-looking modern white buildings filled the busy town that oozed upmarket shops and an array of cafes and restaurants. The coast at Westcliff has great views out to sea and beyond, and you can walk along the coast. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the right time of year for whale watching, so I think a trip back here one day is a must’. However, before moving on, there was still time to sample some delicious cakes at a nearby cafe!
It was eventually time to take our 90-minute drive to our final destination - back to Cape Town. We would soon be back to where we had begun our journey, but not quite. This time we were going to the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront, named after Queen Victoria and her son, Alfred. The Waterfront is a completely different ball game to the quieter coastal resort of Camps Bay. This is shopping at its best, with over 400 retail outlets, plus an array of cafes, bars, restaurants and upmarket hotels. The redevelopment of the historic docklands also houses the Titanic museum, an aquarium, and even a big wheel, all of which we had to sample. Helicopter trips and boat trips can be taken from here, too, which include trips over to Robben Island. We unfortunately missed the boat on this one, though, as not booking in advance meant that every ferry to Robben Island was booked up until after we had departed Cape Town – another reason to return!
Our final night in Cape Town was New Years’ Eve – time to go out with a bang! We headed down to the Waterfront for the celebrations, which, as you can imagine, was a lively event that included dancers, great live bands and of course fireworks. What better way to end our perfect Festive adventure in the beautiful Rainbow Nation!
