City: Western Cape
Top Things to do in Western Cape
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10 Things to do Good for Adrenaline Seekers in Western Cape That You Shouldn't Miss
South Africa’s most popular tourist destination offers the urban thrills of Cape Town, its adjacent wine country and an aura of the rich political history of South Africa. The Overberg's perfect whale-watching perches provide excitement of a different nature. The Garden Route's lakes and forests and the Klein Karoo's ostrich-farming towns and vineyards present another take on the Cape. For extra kicks, try bungee jumping or cage-diving among Great Whites.
Restaurants in Western Cape
1. Table Mountain
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 18,347 reviews
The mountain in the middle of Cape Town offers many hikes and magnificent views in all directions.
Reviewed By paul19602013 - Brighton, United Kingdom
One of the highlights of our trip with amazing views over the city and further a field.Some choose the option to hike which takes 2 hours to do but we opted for the cable car. Be aware of the cloud so dont leave the visit to the end of the holiday in case its cloudy. Once at the top apart from the amazing views there is plenty to do including hiking trails, free walking tours , restaurant, waterworks and you can even abseil down the mountain.A must visit place if in Cape town.
2. Robberg Nature Reserve
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 2,524 reviews
Reviewed By FoodorArt - Polokwane, South Africa
Wow Wow Wow loved my little hike to the gap and sitting on the rocks looking out over Plettenberg Bay... Amazing!
3. Lawnwood Snake Sanctuary
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 486 reviews
Reviewed By ethanleroux - Knysna, South Africa
An amazing experience for anyone who likes or has any interest in snakes. although the park is small the knowledgeable guide has amounts of information about snakes giving you a newfound appreciation for the creatures, big and small. if you find yourself in the area it is well worth the time to spend a few hours and get to learn more about these fascinating creatures!
4. Otter Trail
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 80 reviews
Reviewed By belindas731 - Durban, South Africa
Amazing, challenging, adventurous, beautiful! Don’t think you can just get up off the couch and hike the Otter trail - it requires cardio fitness and strong legs and arms to carry the backpack and you up those steep ascents! However, don’t not try if you haven’t had time to train - just take lots of Deep Heat/ Arnica ice and anti-inflamm tabs because you will feel muscles you never thought you had! It’s absolutely worth the effort and worse comes to worse, you take one of the escape routes... you tried! You’ll also need a head for heights as there are a couple of rock climbs that take you up high... all the better to see dear. This was our first Otter Hike for the whole group so we found ourselves chasing low tides on day 3 (Lottering 10:50) and day 4 (Bloukrans 11:30). In the end it was the Kleinbos river (!) which gave us the biggest challenge as the flow of water from upstream was quite strong due to previous days rain. We laughed our way through the other 2 biggies. Every day of the year is going to offer up a different set of weather conditions for river crossings and hiking - be prepared and try reach the big rivers round low tide (it helps take the stress out of the event). But worse comes to worse, take the escape... hey - you’re on the Otter, it’s part of the adventure!! Practical tips: We all had different priorities when it came to luxury ‘necessities’ - some had a small pillow, some binoculars, some whiskey, some goggles & snorkels (or small swimming goggles) - take what will add to the enjoyment of your experience.... just don’t overpack! Don’t share toothpaste or Vaseline with someone sleeping in the other cabin - it’s a schlep. 2 thumbs up for water bladder, but take an empty water bottle for practical use around camp Trek pole - some of the group swore by them and a few put them away. Suggest you take one (safe) and decide on route. Some of us drank the water without purification drops (we only filled up at the huts) and were fine. If in doubt, rather use them. If you like taking photos, carry a pouch around your neck to store your phone in for easy access (but remember to cover it in plastic if it rains or water crossings) Red survival bags for river crossings are so big - we tested 2 backpacks in 1 surv bag across the Bloukrans and it worked fine. Share between 2 and save weight and space on the hike. Bloubaai (Blue Bay) turnoff is now clearly sign marked. Leave your bags on the trail, put your lunch in a small bag and carry it down to the beach. Lovely spot. It’s not a bad thing if you get to the huts early on a few days - you can chill, wash & recover in a beautiful setting. By the way, crows can open your top zipper, open your marshmallow packet and fly off with your booty. Did I mention we saw an Otter?? Day 3 Elandsbos River. JUST DO IT!!
5. Platteklip Gorge
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 235 reviews
Platteklip Gorge is a national park trail of Table Mountain. The route that takes you the most directly up to the Cableway. Learn more about the various routes of Platteklip Gorge hike which takes place on Table Mountain tours and visit our website.
Reviewed By kt577 - Brooklyn, United States
This hike is awesome, but is sold as the ‘easiest’ hike on Table Mountain, and maybe that’s true but it’s definitely not easy. Start early, sunrise or shortly after - if it’s a sunny / hot day you are in direct sun the entire hike without really any shade coverage. Bring 1 liter of water / person then fill up your bottle or buy more at the top. Eat before or bring snacks .... there’s also food at the top. This is a strenuous hike, a constant uphill and not suitable for children or the elderly. This took us about 4 hours including an hour spent at the top; and we are two people in our 30s who are very active.
6. Storms River Suspension Bridge
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,022 reviews
This picturesque suspension bridge is on one of the shorter hikes of this river gorge.
Reviewed By west0909 - Metro Minneapolis-Saint Paul, United States
There is an entrance fee to the park, but IMHO it's worth every penny--the park is just another one of the amazing landscapes South Africa has to offer, but is so unlike the rest. The walk to the Storms River Suspension Bridge is lovely, the type of walk you want to have your camera at the ready throughout b/c every turn is more beautiful than the next. The walk to the bridge was 20-30 minutes each way, leisurely, and was quite accessible (it wouldn't be doable with wheels, there are too many stairs, but it is a board-path that makes for pretty easy walking. There are several suspension bridges (the one in all the pictures at the mouth of the river, then a few others right nearby). We only had time to walk tot he bridge and back, but you can continue onto other paths to make the journey as long as you'd like. If the weather is cooperating, the views alone are worth the walk, but the walk itself is a great experience, too.
7. The Cango Caves
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 4,151 reviews
Though damaged through shortsighted tourism schemes in the 1960s, these caves are still worth a visit for their eerie dark tunnels and stunning limestone formations.
Reviewed By magsboy - North Vancouver, Canada
The Cango Caves are well worth the visit to see to large underground caverns and the awesome geologic formations (we only did the Heritage Tour) and you can get some spectacular photos - we took the earliest available tour and glad we did because the tour buses were rolling up when we left and hordes of people were arriving - I do think they need to limit the numbers - and also enforce their requests for visitors not to sit and touch where they are asked not to!
8. Garden Route
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 126 reviews
Reviewed By MargoVV - South Africa, null
I've written a review a while back about the beautiful garden route but would like to mention a hidden gem along the way for tourists. Botlierskop! If you haven't got time to go north to the Kruger National Park and you'd like to experience a beautiful, compact, luxury safari experience in the Cape, make a point of stopping by at the small game farm, Botlierskop (between Mossel Bay and George) for an informative game drive to see the Big Five (except leopard), various buck and antelopes, giraffe, rhinos, lions, elephants and the rare black impalas. This exceptionally well run establishment offers, top class food at their restaurants, infinity pools, indoor and outdoor fires, luxury comfortable accommodation, a spa, horseback riding, safari game drives, etc. A night or two is totally worth it!
9. Table Mountain Aerial Cableway
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 16,942 reviews
The best views of Cape Town are seen from the top of Table Mountain. The Cableway takes you to the summit in under 5 minutes and the cable car's rotating floor ensure that all visitors get a 360 degree aerial view of the city. The 65-passenger cable car runs from Tafelberg Road to the top of Table Mountain. To date the Cableway has transported more than 28 million visitors to the summit. A million visitors from all over the world use the Cableway annually.
Reviewed By xabrahamali - Nairobi, Kenya
The people we met kept saying these interesting things about the Cape town's weather, you can have all four seasons in one day the officer at the passport control said with a smile, the airport shuttle service driver laughed and said enjoy cape town and the weather too if its sunny enjoy when the cold and rain come enjoy its cape town's winter after all. This is very important if you plan to go up table mountain budget for extra time or even alternative days in case the wind speeds pick up or the rains descend. The Aerial cableway is a fantastic way to view the mountain and the world around, it has an even more fascinating system inside the capsule (Cable car), the floor rotates and gives the passengers a 360º view while the capsule goes up and when it makes its way down. It is an exhilarating ride. Great to take pictures too, we found a good way to save yourself a bit of time is to book your ticket early - we used the City Sightseeing - Hop On - Hop Off service and bought the tickets early, so when the bus got to the station we went straight to the cable car boarding wait area. They have helpful staff who guide you through the station and when its time to board the capsule, they are kind to let the nerves settle before a quick brief. They are really good even for those with fear of heights they are very reassuring. At the end of the line, you jump off and then voila! you are at the top of the mountain, its a wonderful feeling and the truth is everyone will enjoy it differently, walk slowly taking in the sights, smells, the signboards some are small and easily overlooked. there are some small animals to see too, the plants' varieties are in the hundreds, the rock formations almost from another world. Plan well with some extra time in case the cable car trip is cancelled due to bad weather as you will enjoy a walk down the mountain. When walking remember to pause and look around, I recommend good sturdy walking shoes for this trip.
10. Lion's Head
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 4,305 reviews
Lion's Head in Cape Town is a peak situated at 669 meters above sea level. The hike up Lions Head takes approximately 90 minutes at a moderate pace. Lions Head trail is steep but do-able, while the 5.5km trail packs a punch (Both ways). The views from Lions head are amazing. Take a look around you and see the beauty. Lions Head hike is the preferred route for mountain enthusiasts, the easiest of the routes in Cape Town.
Reviewed By Totravelistobealive - Taastrup, Denmark
Although lesser in height than Table Mountain, it offers a great hike to the top, and unsurpassed views over the city, the bay and Robben Island. If you have the time and energy, you should definitely try to scale it.
