Bright, busy and breezy Cape Town icon, home to street entertainers, shoppers and those who want to watch the world go by...
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The V&A Waterfront in Cape Town is a popular area for shopping, restaurants, craft markets and the starting point for many boat cruises out into the bay. It was created from rehabilitated wharf-side sheds, and Victorian maritime buildings. Naturally it is the base for many popular hotels as well.
It’s become less quirkily South African and more ‘global’ in recent years. But the fact that it is still a working harbour sets the Cape Town V&A Waterfront apart from other urban restoration projects.
There are hundreds of shops, bars and cafés in the V&A Waterfront. All within walking distance of the various V&A hotels. The Craft Shed is a wonderful space for checking out artisanal crafts, and also a great ''street food'' destination. Plus, nearby is the launch-place for the helicopter flips over the city. Boat excursions into Table Bay and the popular boat excursion to Robben Island (3-4 hours) depart from here. There’s lots of entertainment at the weekends and a genuine holiday atmosphere.
There’s a good choice of hotels in the Cape Town V&A Waterfront. They range between 4 star and uber-luxe, but only one is a boutique option. Note that some Cape hotels suggest by their name, or description, that they are IN the Cape Town Waterfront. (This is not always the case, some are in the nearby city centre!)
I recently stayed at the 5 star Table Bay Hotel in the Victoria & Alfred waterfront with my husband and 2 children aged 4 and 7. From the moment you arrive you are made to feel special and the children loved the attention. We stayed on the 5th floor in a superior family room with a stunning view over the ocean. We could also see the pool from our window. The hotel have a wonderful vibrant vibe and is conveniently connected to the shops and many restaurants at the Waterfront. The staff is very friendly and efficient and my children loved their welcome sweets and beautiful gifts they received. My only small criticism would be that the mattress for the sleeper couch might be a little too thin as I had to make a plan to make it more comfortable for the children. But otherwise our stay was excellent.
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