The V&A Waterfront in Cape Town

There are a few items on every tourist’s to-do list in Cape Town. Shopping / dining at the V&A Waterfront is likely to be one of them. This relatively recently developed part of Cape Town has most of what it takes to please your appetite as well as your mind (the part of your mind that loves a new piece of clothing, art, or fancy gadget). The only part of you that may suffer is your financial conscience. For most of us, it can be a tough challenge to spend a day at the Waterfront without severely breaking your planned travel budget.

As I already mentioned, the V&A Waterfront has not always been what it is today. The first work to build the docks started back in 1860, but the nice shopping mall and dining area was not developed until the 1990’s. So, as you visit this major tourist destination, you will realize that this is a modern mall with exclusive boutiques and restaurants, as well as main stream shops and cafes. There is also a movie theatre, hotels, an aquarium, pubs, bars, and docks for various day-trip cruises and ferries (including the one to Robben Island).

Still some of you may ask yourself what makes this mall so special? To be honest, the mall is remarkably normal. It is the location that is extraordinary. With the Table Mountain as the perfect backdrop, the mall has the combination that makes Cape Town what it is: The ocean and the mountain, with a whole sea of culture in between.

As a matter of fact, the V&A Waterfront has found a way to summarize it all with very few words: Live, work, shop and play at the V&A Waterfront. (PS: Did you wonder what the V&A stand for? –The answer is Queen Victoria and her son Prince Alfred, who initiated the first construction of the Waterfront 150 years ago).

Below you will find a couple of photos from when I visited Cape Town’s V&A Waterfront this week. Enjoy the pictures, and come back soon!