Cape Town, Master Chef & Street Art in Woodstock with Travelbiz

Declan Mescall (Features Editor Travelbiz) was a guest of South African Tourism this and brings you more updates from this amazing destination.

South African Tourism packed a lot of activity into day 2 of our pre-Indaba fam trip to Cape Town. Early in the morning we were back in the skies again as we were driven to the top of the mountains to zipline our way down. We were suitably booted, suited and harnessed for the seven different zipline journeys, the longest of which was 500 metres with a 155 metre drop and thankfully our two guides were meticulous in their training to ensure we reached the end without any injuries. Then it was on to Camp Bay where we were treated to pre-lunch cocktails followed by lunch overlooking the beautiful beach at the Chinchilla restaurant.

Next stop was a walking tour of the Bo-Kaap multicultural neighbourhood which is known for its brightly coloured homes and cobblestone streets and is the oldest surviving residential district in Cape Town. Despite being covered in cloud we decided a cable car trip to the top of the iconic Table Mountain was a must. Visibility at the peak was very restricted so our expect guide Mario had to resort to showing us a model of the mountain, rather than the real thing, before we took the next cable car back down again. In the evening we had great fun as we all cooked our dinner together in Food Jams under the guidance of expert chefs who made sure what we cooked was edible so we could dig into the sumptuous harvest table we created.

We also got the opportunity to Visit Woodstock, one of the earliest suburbs of Cape Town which had become run down in the second half of the 20th century. Today Woodstock is an edgy, evolving neighbourhood where hipster cafes, veggie eateries and funky galleries occupy old factories covered with vivid murals, such as the Old Biscuit Mill. A mix of diversity and cultures combine to make the neighbourhood a vibrant, bustling blend of food, fashion, arts and design where graffiti is regarded as street art. We were given a fascinating walking tour of Woodstock’s colourful side streets by two of the area’s resident community leaders. Their enthusiasm for the gentrification of their neighbourhood was infectious and they gave us a glimpse into several this eclectic suburbs’ different facades. Go Woodstock.