Shoulder Season Travel: Cape Town by Maria Shollenbarger
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Shoulder season in Cape Town: the days are long, balmy, and sunny - but not too hot, as in full Summer; and evenings are mild, with only the suggestion of a chill. It’s the perfect time to hike or ride, or simply stretch out in a deck chair and soak up the warm Autumn sun. Rains have tapered off, leaving the land verdant and fresh.
In Stellenbosch and Franschoek, winemakers are preparing for harvest, and the colour is changing spectacularly among the vines and in the woods along the Drakkenstein mountains. But globetrotters everywhere already know, South Africa’s not just about pretty vineyards and safaris. Cape Town is emerging as the continent’s most sophisticated city, with a European vibe that’s complimented by the city’s African vibrance.
What to Do - A Couple of Tips for Shopping in Cape Town
Capetonians are no slouches in the style department, either; a stroll around the Waterkant area, with its many design showrooms and sleek cafes, is one of the city’s treats - the colourful Cape Dutch and 19th-century houses have been restored to charming perfection. While here, make sure to stop in Africa Nova for crafts, furniture, and fine art by emerging South African talents.
For a real insider’s look at how the cool locals spend a Saturday, get over to the Neighbourgoods Market, in the Old Biscuit Mill in the up-and-coming Woodstock area - a rollicking outdoor scene of fine-food purveyors, crafts traders, and designers that’s the place to be seen drinking a spiced rooibos or a glass of bio-organic pinotage. In the back lot, you’ll find several stands of delectable prepared food, from Cape Malay curries to savoury French crepes to super-fresh sashimi.
Capetonians also flock to Upper Kloof Street, lined with boutiques and cafes selling everything from designer bikinis to artisanal chutneys to handmade pottery. (Tea or a snack at TK is a must.)
Where to Stay - A Selection of Luxury Hotels in Cape Town
There’s no shortage of choice on the hotel front, either. You can take your pick from some of Africa’s most luxurious and elegant places to rest your head - and they vary drastically in style, from sprawling no-holds-barred splendour to hushed and intimate hideaways to temples of less-is-more contemporary design.
Agruably the finest luxury hotel in South Africa (if it’s good enough for Kofi Annan, both Clintons, Jay-Z and Beyonce, it must be very good indeed), The Cape Grace has recently undergone a total renovation, and the results are breathtaking. Antiques from all over the Cape adorn the rooms, suites and opulent lounges (it took the designers a full year to source all of them). Hand-painted textiles adorn the beds and walls. Chandeliers fashioned from crystal and Delftware-style porcelain hang in the hallways and Signal, the hotel’s completely re-imagined restaurant.
For a private and intimate getaway in a minimalist setting that showcases sea and sky, book at Les Cascades de Bantry Bay - a Balinese-inspired hotel, whose rooms all have floor-to-ceiling glass doors giving onto terraces that face the blue Atlantic. Lying next to the gunite pool, sipping a glass of the local Sauvignon Blanc, is one of Cape Town’s most luxurious places to be.
Handsomely appointed out in the chic residential district of Gardens, is Welgelegen, a pair of Victorian townhouses separated by a quiet, private garden blooming with roses and jasmine. Like the welcome, the decor is warm and traditional, with painted cast-iron beds layered in Irish linen and the lounge areas warmly lit with candles in the evening.
Planning a shoulder season trip to the Cape? See our full collection of luxury hotels in South Africa.