The V&A Waterfront Cape Town

I have fallen in love with Cape Town that I wanted to buy a house here. Thus, it is only fitting to end my posts on South Africa at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town, which is the perfect Cape Town urban complex.

Situated at the heart of the historic harbor of Cape Town, the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront is a bustling myriad of entertainment attractions, shops, restaurants, cafes and even historical sites. Thus, it is the most visited tourist destination in the entire South Africa.

The V&A Waterfront It houses the Nelson Mandela Gateway which offers boat trips to Robben Island that weren't able to visit. Robben Island was where Nelson Mandela was held captive. There are also museums in the compound, such as the Chavonnes Battery Museum and the SAS Somerset.

There is a mall of course, but the shops are quite limited. You get some high end boutiques but they were quite hidden in the 2nd floor area.

Since I was with my kid, we visited the Two Oceans Aquarium, which was like any standard aquarium park. The aquarium though featured water species from the warmer Indian Ocean and the colder Atlantic.

After visiting the aquarium, we had lunch in one of the outdoor cafes, and gazed at the people from all walks of life pass by. It was indeed a tourist attraction because we saw a lot of Chinese, Koreans, Europeans, Americans, Brazilians and even other Africans take pictures at the harbor area.

We decided to ride the V&A Observation Wheel, to get a better view of the waterfront and of Cape Town as well. The V&A Waterfront had an amazing backdrop of Table Mountain, and I think I got my best shots of the mountain from here.

There was a massive human shaped statue made out of empty Coca-Cola crates to promote awareness on the importance of recycling. Named Elliot, it reminded me of a lego person with fingers of its two hands spread to form the symbol of victory. Indeed, it is amazing to see the Elliot in the serene and calm background of Cape Town.

We spent an entire afternoon at the V&A Waterfront, and even came back here the next day for our last dinner in this marvelous city. The V&A Waterfront was still bustling with activity, as musicians played and performers entertained on its cobblestone streets.

As I've mentioned, I have fallen in love with Cape Town, and I would compare it to any visit in a famous city in Europe such as Paris and Rome. But with fabulous beaches, a vibrant culture, excellent cuisine and an amazing natural backdrop of mountains, Cape Town has the upper hand in terms of laid back charm and appeal. You won't get this feeling in any other city in the world.