Being a city of great beauty Cape Town provides the perfect setting for all things romantic. Majestic mountains, the blue ocean, a Mediterranean climate, an outdoor lifestyle are the perfect backdrop for a romantic Cape Town vacation.
When planning a romantic break its important to ensure that your accommodation fulfills the requirements of privacy and luxury. Although there are a lot of beautiful hotels to choose from in Cape Town we would recommend going the vacation rental route - either a self-catering apartment or villa.
If you pick your time carefully avoiding the busy peak period between cape town Sunset dinner cruise Christmas and New Year (about 19 December - 10 January) you'll pay about 20% less. If neither of you are sun worshippers then October & April are also good months to be in Cape Town and you can slash the rates by another 20%. Of course if you like a mediterranean winter (rainy) then May - September are the cheapest months where prices are generally 100% less than in summer.
Most of the Cape Town villa rentals in are on the Atlantic Seaboard with lovely views of the ocean. Most of these having swimming pools and/or hot tubs (jacuzzis). The best value would be a self-catering apartment in Camps Bay or Clifton with great views, access to a pool (some even have private plunge pools or hot tubs) and / or direct access to the beach.). What could be better than sharing a bottle of good Cape wine with your romantic partner while sitting in a jacuzzi looking at the stars.
Negotiating a good Rate for your romantic holiday in Cape Town - it is possible...
Try and pick a gap where the owner / agent has availability - generally they are more negotiable if they can rent out say 5 days between 2 other bookings. Don't be embarrassed to make them a lower offer - you may be able to able to pick up a luxury apartment or villa at a fraction of the rate if you're clever. We recommend Atlantic Heliotrope, Blue Rock Penthouse, Riptide, Sea Point Paris beach or Clifton Cottage apartment (021 972 1609 or 083 6116021)
You'll also need transport and we would definitely recommend hiring a car as Cape Town's public transport is not yet at the level of European cities, despite the new Rapid Bus Transport system being implemented. Some great companies for car hire are Tempest (011 552 3900) or Avis (021 927 8800) or Afri carhire (021 657 1000). They all have offices at the airport where you can pick up your car on arrival. Or to simplify things ask your accommodation agent to organize your car for you - they often have contacts in the business.
Once you've cleverly negotiated a better rate for your luxury Cape Town villa or apartment and ordered your wheels you can plan your romantic stay.
Here are some romantic activities (you'll have to look at a map of Cape Town for directions) but we have tried to include phone numbers where possible)...
1) A romantic picnic: A bit of an obvious suggestion, but one is spoiled for scenic choices with great views in Cape Town and a picnic is a good way to enjoy each others company against a backdrop of natural beauty. Some good picnic locations are one of the Clifton or Camps Bay beaches, Glen Beach Rocks, Llundudno Rocks, Kirstenbosch botanical gardens, Chapmans peak drive or Rhodes memorial. Stock up at Giavannis Deliworld (021 434 6893), Melissas at the Waterfront or Kloof street (021 424 5540) or Deli Delish in Hout Bay (021 790 5324). All of these shops also sell wine so no extra stops required. Don't forget the corkscrew.