On my last visit to Cape Town I was struck by how cosmopolitan and diverse the city appeared, writes Jon Underwood.
So when I returned on Mega Lekker 2025 this week I was keen to see if anything had changed in the intervening years.
Pleased to report that the city still delivers a cultural and authentic smorgasbord of experiences that will keep visitors enthralled and intrigued.
The drive around the peninsula from the city to the Cape of Good Hope offers the luxury beachside lifestyle reminiscent of similar suburbs around the coast of Australia.
Huge stretches of sand, aqua and deep blue swathes of ocean and the café/bar/restaurant frontage that we are all very familiar with. They also have penguins at Boulders Beach!
A trip up the famous cable car to the top of Table Mountain gives visitors an eagles-eye view of the sprawling metropolis below. Watching the clouds sweep across the top of the mountain – known locally as ‘the tablecloth’ – is quite the sight.
Back down on the streets and we had the pleasure of embarking on a walking tour of the city, which was a warts-and-all look at how the supply, styles and consumption of food has changed over the centuries.
Thanks to our knowledgeable guide from Coffee Bean Tours, we discovered and ate at places that no tourist would discover on their own. We tried local dishes such as samp, pap, dulchie and The Gatsby – quite possibly the biggest chip butty I’ve ever seen!
The tour ended in the colourful Bo-Kaap area of Cape Town where the slaves used to live and which was formerly known as the Malay Quarter. We wandered the streets where each house was painted in a different bright colour and smelt the aroma of spices and exotic food wafting on the breeze.
No visit to Cape Town would be complete without a walk around the V&A Waterfront, offering luxury shopping, bars and restaurants – a million miles away from the dining experiences we’d had on our earlier grass roots food tour. But that’s Cape Town – there;s something for everyone here.
Editors note: Of course, walking around any major city has its own challenges and in Cape Town you need to be aware of your surroundings. Always book with a registered tour guide and keep your phone and valuables out of sight.
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