The Points Guy: Why I love Cape Town

My first trip was in 2013, when I came to South Africa for my first safari. It was my first time in Cape Town, and I immediately fell in love!

The physical beauty stood out to me from the beginning. On my first trip, I went to see Table Mountain (and the magnificent tablecloth of Table Mountain), go great white shark diving in Gansbaai, and just explore the area as much as I could. Cape Town has this incredible majestic quality that never ceases to amaze me.

The food scene… It’s always evolving and there are so many great restaurants to try with every visit. I love The Pot Luck Club. It’s a super unique venue with delicious food, great drinks and an overall great vibe. The Delaire Graff Estate is another favourite with gorgeous views, superb wines and fresh, artisanal food that pair perfectly together.

The Silo Hotel is my favourite place to stay. It has everything you want in a hotel: magnificent views, close proximity to the waterfront, really cool rooms and great service.

There are so many to choose from! I’ve paraglided off Signal Hill, gone on countless hikes and had so many magical experiences in Cape Town. The last time I was there, I came across a puffadder on a trail by Lion’s Head. That was definitely a wow experience, and thankfully, the locals made sure I knew to stay far away!

Bringing my son to Cape Town and seeing a place I already loved through his eyes. I’ll never forget the time I took him to Boulders Beach and a dassie stole one of his socks. The dassie is his favourite animal to this day! We have a stuffed dassie from the Table Mountain Shop and that’s always a fun story to tell his American friends, who often don’t know what dassies are.

Wine country is just absolutely spectacular and is still one of my favorite things to do since my very first trip. During my last visit, I stayed at La Residence, which is an out-of-this-world property with just incredible, magical views.

Cape Town has a bunch of great points hotels to choose from, including Hyatt, Westin, Hilton and more. The Hyatt Regency in downtown Cape Town is especially great for budget travelers with some rooms available as low as 6500 points per night.

In terms of value for money, Cape Town is a great and affordable destination for Americans because of the strength of the US dollar. The hotels in Cape Town offer a ton of value for travellers, whether they’re booking with points or cash. Not only does the Hyatt Regency in Cape Town offer rooms for 6500 points per night, but one of the writers for The Points Guy stayed at that same hotel for $80 per night a few years ago!

Convenience is key, so flying direct from Newark to Cape Town on United is hard to beat. But if I’m not in a rush, I love taking Emirates through Dubai on my way to Cape Town.

As a parent who’s visited with a toddler, I can personally vouch for Cape Town being an incredible kid-friendly destination! My son Dean still talks about the time a dassie stole his sock at Boulders Beach and we had a great time just walking around, seeing penguins and taking in the views. Plus, there’s hiking, a fantastic aquarium and so much more that I can’t wait to experience with Dean again the next time we go to Cape Town.