Fun in Cape Town from R0 to R100k

Published Dec 11, 2014

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Summer is here and it’s time for fun in the sun. From activities that won’t cost you a cent to splashing out on limo rides while sipping on expensive champagne, Cape Town caters for every budget.

Here are a few ways to have fun in Cape Town without spending a cent:

- Pack a picnic basket and gather a group of friends for a lazy lunch at the Green Point Urban Park. Take a moment to stroll around the biodiversity garden – it contains over 300 Cape plant species – and unwind on the lawns afterwards.

- Cape Town is famous for its mountains. Lace up your walking shoes and go on a sunrise or full moon hike up Lion’s Head or one of the many free hiking trails available. This is a good way to keep active throughout the summer.

- The Table Mountain Aerial Cableway offers a free cableway return trip up the mountain on your birthday. The offer is open only to South Africans over 18, who present a South African ID.

- For a glamorous treat, the Shimansky Diamond Museum at the V&A Waterfront and Prins and Prins Diamonds at the corner of Loop and Hout streets offer free diamond tours. Both museums present fascinating behind-the-scenes glimpses into how experts transform raw diamonds into shimmering pieces of jewellery. It is advisable to book in advance.

What you can do for R100 or less:

- Get cultured and educated on the history of Cape Town and South Africa at the Iziko Museums of South Africa (Iziko). Iziko has about 14 divisions, a mixture of museums, education centres and galleries. Their school and public programmes include a range of learning experiences for everyone, among them art lessons and lectures. They regularly have free entry days, usually on public holidays, otherwise entry is less than R50. Go to www.iziko.org.za.

- The old Penny Ferry is running again at the V&A Waterfront. Jump on board at the entrance to the Alfred Basin. It’s no longer a penny, but for R5 a person a trip it will carry between 10 and 12 people across the “cut” leading to the Alfred Dock.

- Tokai Forest is a favourite spot for picnics, mountain biking and long walks. The forest is a home to pine trees, wild fynbos and indigenous vegetation. At the walk’s base you’ll find the Tokai Arboretum, a planting of 1 555 different trees representing 274 species. Entry costs R10 for adults, R5 for under 12s and R15 a car entering the forest.

- Take the family by train on a day trip to the retro scenic town of Kalk Bay. Explore the antique stores, coffee shops and second-hand bookstores. For lunch, visit Kalky’s in the harbour for a serving of fish and chips the old-fashioned way. The restaurant is popular with locals and tourists for its fresh and affordable seafood. The canteen-like eateries serve up perfectly battered fish and chips for R48. They also run daily specials for under R100.

- For beer lovers, Newlands Brewery offers brewery tours that will take you back to the 19th century. Experience the making of beer and sample crisp and fresh beer from the barrels. The tour costs R50 a person and includes a beer tasting and two complimentary drinks. Book beforehand.

- The Galileo Open Air Cinema is perfect for cosying up with your loved one and watching a film. You can choose between the V&A Waterfront and Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens. An online ticket costs R95, which includes entry, a blanket and a backrest. You can either bring your own snacks or buy them there.

- Watch the city come to life on a scenic morning cruise from the V&A Waterfront’s Quay 5. Trips are R100 for adults and R50 for children.

- Grab your picnic baskets and head to Kirstenbosch for their summer concert season. The popular outdoor live music series has a varied line-up to cater for all kinds of music lovers. Concert-goers should bring blankets and picnic baskets. Tickets range between R100 and R135.

- For a taste of South African history, contemporary art and local culture, the Langa Township Arts Gallery (Langa TAG) showcases some of the best local talent. Tickets to Langa TAG are available online at Quicket.co.za (you can also pay cash on arrival) and cost R105. Shuttles to and from Langa are available at an additional cost.

Activities under R1 000:

- Scuba diving and seal snorkelling are ocean experiences for the adventurous. Plunge into the Atlantic ocean, snorkel or scuba dive and interact with hundreds of playful Cape fur seals at Duiker Island in Hout Bay. A half-day scuba excursion costs R850 a person and snorkelling is R650 a person. Both include wetsuits, equipment and a light snack.

- Learn to sandboard on the Atlantis dunes of Cape Town. Sandboarding is similar to snowboarding and just about anyone can do it provided you’re physically fit. Sandboarding Cape Town costs R550, which includes 30 minutes basic training, and lasts for three hours.

- Taste authentic and traditional township food while dancing to live music. Book a table at the Amazink Live, Cape Town’s only township dinner theatre in Kayamandi, Stellenbosch. Tickets for the show cost R200 a person; a cash bar is available and guests can order from the à la carte menu. Shows run every Friday evening from 7pm.

Activities under R10 000:

- For a day of good food and wine, try a Dine & Vine Tour. The trip combines a Cape cuisine guided tour through Stellenbosch, sampling delicious food along the way and visiting two wine estates for R685 a person. Wine tasting is excluded in the price. Visit www.winelands.co.za/wine-tours/dine-and-vine-tour-stellenbosch.

- Have a celebrity night on the town complete with a chauffeur. City Slickers Limousines will drive you and nine friends between bars, clubs or wherever you fancy around the city, rolling out the red carpet in each location, for R4 800.

- See whales, seals, sharks, dolphins and pelagic birds on the Waterfront Charters jet boat. The eco-friendly jet boat seats up to 10 passengers. An hour costs R5 100 and two hours cost R8 600.

If you happen to have R100 000 to spend:

With 20 years’ experience working with top luxury brands across the continent, Anina Malherbe-Lan, the chief executive of Vivid Luxury, tells us how the wealthy spend R100 000.

For a R100 000 a day, you can rent the five-storey Pentagon Villa for a private party. The Nettleton Road Villa in Clifton is one of Cape Town’s most exclusive residential properties. “But that only buys you the venue. You may still need to fork out on food and drink, which could be another few R100 000, depending on how many people are in your party,” she says.

Hiring yachts for private summer parties is quite popular in Cape Town, although the options are somewhat limited when it comes to hosting larger groups of people, she says.

For groups of about 10 to 15 there are some great options available from around R25 000 for a three-hour cruise around the harbour, says Malherbe-Lan.

“Flowing champagne is the ultimate status symbol to show you’ve arrived. And for those new to money and the good life, flashy behaviour in public spaces is key,” she says.

“A group of friends once ordered a case of Veuve Clicquot and a case of Dom Pérignon at a pool party.

“They sprayed the Veuve Clicquot over each other, then rinsed themselves down in the pool. When they got out, they drank the Dom Pérignon.”

Also very popular among the wealthy in Cape Town in summer is to book a private VIP Lounge at social events like the Veuve Clicquot Masters Polo Cape Town, taking place early next year.

A private lounge, including VIP hospitality and a bottle of Veuve Clicquot champagne a person, will set you back just over a R100 000 for 30 people.

“Dressed in their best summer suits, this is a playground for the rich where business deals are made, and success is flaunted,” says Malherbe-Lan.

She says private parties at extravagant villas remained popular in Cape Town. “Hiring luxury pads in Clifton for a day, and getting a celeb chef to cater to you and your 50 best friends while sipping fountains of Dom Pérignon around the pool, is the thing to do,” she says.

A popular choice is Dom Pérignon’s Rosé Vintage, 2003, at around R3 000 a bottle. If you were to order this in a nightclub, you would look at almost R10 000 a bottle,” says Malherbe-Lan.

Vodka is also a very popular choice. The rich would buy tables at the top nightclubs, with a minimum spend around R10 000. Then order large ice buckets with bottles of Dom Pérignon and Belvedere Vodka. Belvedere normally retails for around R1 200 a bottle.

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