12 BEST THINGS TO DO AND PLACES TO VISING IN CAPE TOWN

So over summer I worked in Cape Town and whilst I was there I made sure that I got to experience as much of the City as possible, after work or over the weekends and so here are my top recommendations.

1. Surfing at Muizenberg beach
This beach was so perfect that I think I'll be dreaming about it for the rest of my life.  It is a bit further outside of Cape Town and takes about 20 minutes on the train but it is so worth visiting.  Not far from the shore there are restaurants and cafes and also a surf shop where you can rent a wetsuit and surfboard.  The view from the water is amazing, whilst all you can hear are the waves, you look up to see the most vivid view of a mountain right at the edge of beach. Beware however, as the water is supposed to be shark infested, which I was not aware of when I surfed but it does not seem to bother the locals.

 2. Wine tasting
I did wine tasting at Groot Constantia, which is a winery that was founded in 1685.  It had the most unusual and amazing tasting wines. There are so many wineries in and around Cape Town with fresh grapes vines growing and it is such a fun experience.  There are even wine tour busses that take you around some of the different wineries.  Just prepare yourself however, as they will make you drink all of each glass that they pour.

3. Visit Camps Bay beach 
This beach is a lot closer to Cape Town itself and is in one of the most expensive areas of the city.  It is home to the most expensive mansion in the whole of Cape Town, which is worth around £50 million.  This beach is a romantic spot to watch the sunset over the horizon from.  You can even do this from one of the local cafes or restaurants alongside the beach. The water was slightly colder in the evening but I couldn't help but go for a swim.

4. Hike Lion's Head mountain 
In all honesty, I found this hike quite difficult, especially considering I was up at 4am the morning after surfing all day in order to be able to make it to the top for sunrise.  It also didn't help that I was with a bunch of extremely fit people.  The view and experience was so worth it.  I felt like a fairy or an angel dancing above the clouds and the city.  I think the pictures speak for themselves. Be prepared to scale rocks with chains nearer the top though, as it gets very steep.

5. Visit Cape Point 
This is the most south western point of the entire continent and the entire walk to and around it so beautiful.  It is quite a long walk around so it is definitely a day trip.   Also be sure not to take any food out whilst you are there as there are baboons walking around everywhere! If you are lucky you might see an ostrich too.

 6. Visit Boulders Beach in Simons Town 
Okay, I promise this is the last beach that I will be recommending but this one is quite literally paradise. The water looks like clear tap water and the sand is so white.  Simons Town is quite far outside of Cape Town so is definitely a day trip as well.  You can see penguins walking around freely on this beach so if you try to go and see penguins, don't make the mistake that many others make if you are told to pay R60 to see them at a specific area, just keep walking further past that 'official' place for around 30 minutes and you'll come to the beach and see them for free, even closer up. 

7. Visit Kristenbosch botanical gardens 
The scenery at these gardens is amazing and you can walk around for ages just taking in all of the nature. It is so relaxing and also the perfect place to go for a picnic or to sunbathe.  There are also a lot of Guineafowl birds running around, which I find hilarious considering they can't fly and just run around all day.

8. Chapman's Peak Drive 
The drive up Chapman's Peak is claimed to be one of the most scenic drives in the world and I'm not surprised why.  It is the perfect date idea and if you don't have access to a car whilst you are in Cape Town then you can always get an Uber or walk as it is not that long.  Each part you stop at has an amazing view and if you climb down the side of the rocks there are caves in the mountain too that overlook Hout Bay.

9. Visit the Waterfront 
The Waterfront is probably one of the most typical tourist areas in the City.  This also means it is one of the more expensive areas.  It is normally very busy and has a rather expensive mall but is perfect for buying souvenirs as it is full of little gift shops. There are restaurants and live music and also sail boats if you want to go sailing.  This area is perfect if you have more money and want to experience a more luxurious day out. 

10. Go to Mzoli's 
Mzoli's is definitely a place to go if you have a group of people who all love music and meat.  Definitely not suitable for vegans/vegetarians.  This is a large scale BBQ party where you basically order, for example, 3 steaks, sausages, 4 pieces of lamb, 8 pieces of chicken, etc.  You then pay and take your raw meat (in a plastic bucket) through to the braaier (BBQ man), who cooks it for you.  You return around 30 minutes later to collect your cooked meat.  In the room where everyone eats, there are large speakers playing African beats and people dancing, drumming, drinking and eating and it is the best time ever. However, be prepared for absolutely 0 health and safety regulations. You get your meat on a tray or in a bucket, no knives, forks, plates or napkins (unless you bring your own), and you literally just eat it as it is and it is an amazing experience, everyone is having an amazing time.  You must be careful when visiting this area/place however, as although it is famous in Cape Town, it is in a township and therefore can be extremely dangerous/unpredictable. Be sure not to take any valuables with you or at least do not have them on show and you will be fine. (Hence why I don't have a lot of photos to show of the place) 

11. Hout Bay Market and the Old Biscuit Mill Market
I am listing these two together as they are quite similar.  Hout Bay is another expensive but stunning area and the market there is incredible.  It is an indoor market that takes place on a Sunday.  There is all the food you can imagine freshly made at all of the stalls and most of it is miniature so you can try many different things.  There are also many handmade gifts and stalls of clothes and jewellery and gifts, although this is once again quite a tourist area so things are more pricey!
Old Biscuit Mill is the perfect little indoor food market that is on every Saturday morning at breakfast.  Once again, with all of the food you can imagine.  It is slightly smaller and a bit cheaper than Hout Bay but is only open in the morning.  All the food is again fresh and across from the food market there are also little shops and stalls to look at too.

12. Visit Robben Island 
This is the Island where Nelson Mandela was kept in prison for 18 years.  Here you are given a tour of the island and it is beautiful.  So much of it is historical untouched and you can see Cape Town in the horizon, as you stand on the edge of the island.  The first part of the tour is by bus and the second part is of the prison itself and the cells.  I found it amazing that previous inmates/prisoners of the island were the ones giving the tours.  They were able to share their stories and explain/bring to life the tragedies that really went on in the prisons.  Tickets can be bought online or from the Waterfront area and the boats depart from the Waterfront. 

Of course there are still many many more things to do such as visit all of the malls, hike up Table Mountain, skydive, visit to Access Park, go for a night out on Long Street, drink coconut beer, play beer pong at Forex in Observatory and also importantly, visit all of the family run, unique coffee shops and cafe's. 

Let me know if you have been or where you would like to go! These were all of my personal favourites that I really enjoyed but I am sure if you are a local then you will know far more than me! 

LIVING IN CAPE TOWN (4)

During my final weeks it started to hit me just how quickly time was passing by.  I sadly began to realise I wasn't going to be in Cape Town for as long as it had once seemed and so I decided to disconnect myself from my phone and social media to make sure I was really living in each moment. 

During my last two weeks I was incredibly lucky to get the opportunity to shadow three of the top Magistrate Judges at Wynberg Magistrate's Court.  It was one of the most surreal experiences that I've had.  I worked with civil, criminal and child law cases.  Thinking back to when I was leaving the UK, at that time I would have never dreamed that I would end up working in the High Court. It makes me so grateful that I got on that flight despite all of my fears, apprehensions.  Working in the court also gave me so much confidence and reassured me that I do want to be a lawyer. 

Later in the week my friends and I went sailing at the Waterfront.  That night we also went to an authentic Mexican restaurant and my American friends were shocked at how apparently "un-mexicanised" us Brits were when we had no idea what to order...

LIVING IN CAPE TOWN (3)

If homesickness is going to happen, I've read that it will most likely be around the 3rd week but I haven't felt it yet and I am so glad.  One of my worries was that I would end up feeling homesick and therefore unable to fully enjoy my time here.  Surprisingly, the opposite has happened.  The longer I am here the less I want to go home.  I've fallen in love with the laid back, social culture.  It really contrasts to the industrial culture of the UK, which is heavily dominated by working and corporations, as I suppose many countries are now.  I love how there are an endless number of small family businesses here and how friendly and helpful all of the local people are. 

This week my friends and I went for a night out on Long Street. We found a great bar with a live band and a club upstairs called the Dubliner.  I can't remember what time we got home but it was a wild night and I was hit with the sudden realisation that I'm in love with a friend I've made here.  You know those moments when someone makes a quiet joke that only you'll hear and as you pause to smile at them, it feels as though everyone around you drifts far away into the distance? Maybe just me.

Anyway, we also went to the Hout Bay Market on Friday which was incredible.  It was in the evening and there were all sorts stalls with food, drink, clothes, jewellery, anything you could imagine really.  It was a lovely atmosphere and a great way to spend the evening.  Everyone is so chatty and friendly here.  The next day we went to the Old Biscuit Mill, which is a similar sort of market except it is in the morning.  I had a crepe with bacon and eggs for breakfast with a blueberry smoothie.  All of the little stalls of fresh food smelt amazing, there were way too many to choose from.  Later that day I went with my friends Katy and Hannah to the V&A Waterfront Mall and I was happy to discover the store called Mr Price. It is literally a South African version of Primark and I was in serious need of some new clothes. 

At work this week I ran a two hour workshop with the women about the South African Bill of Rights and the Children's Act 2005.  I was only told two days beforehand that I would be presenting so I worked day and night to prepare.  I was really pleased with how it went.  Many of the women had asked me individually about the rights of their children's fathers depending on whether they were married or unmarried, etc.  This can be quite a confusing area of the law but luckily for me, South African and Scots laws are very similar in this area. The women were interested and engaged throughout the workshop and had many questions on both topics, which made me really happy.

Considering that South Africa has one of the most advanced written constitutions in the word, whereas the UK does not even have a written constitution at all, I was shocked that many of the women had never even heard of it.  They had never been taught or made aware of their own rights, which is so upsetting.  I am glad that I picked the topics that I did.  

Every person should be taught that they are born with certain rights regardless of who they are or what their status is, each person is entitled to and owed the same fundamental protections simply by being. 

LIVING IN CAPE TOWN (2)

This week I realised that when the time to leave comes I will be a much stronger person than I am at the moment. Some of the women at the shelter have endured such horrific experiences beyond belief and I often find myself being part lawyer part counsellor, or even just a friend. I'm struggling to detach work from my personal emotions. 

Despite often feeling drained I am grateful for the lessons I have already learnt and experiences that I have had whilst being here.  Living in Scotland most of my life had clouded my perception of what life is like in other countries beyond what is shown in the media.  Being here I am reminded that there is still much work to be done in the world. 

MOVING TO CAPE TOWN

So after three flights and a very suspicious looking airport, I finally arrived in Cape Town.

As I mentioned in a previous post, I have an internship here to do legal aid work to help women and children who are victims of domestic violence and substance abuse. 

PHYSICIANS FORMULA HIGHLIGHTER

Today I felt like sharing my favourite highlighter as I cannot get over how gorgeous it looks! The Physicians Formula Warm Nude Simmer Strips.  It is glitter free so perfect for creating a dewy skin look and applying to areas of the face other than just the cheekbones. I actually broke this one a few weeks ago and felt quite lost without it, I cannot wait for my new one to arrive. Another great thing that I have to mention is the price, it can be found on Amazon for around £15 which I think is great considering that it cannot be found in drugstores in the UK.