Summer in Cape Town, is all sun and games.

African winters mean tempestuous winds and surprising 5-second showers in the late afternoon.

If one plays their savvy-traveller cards right, they can book themselves into a toasty city oasis – unreachable to the silver-flecked mist blanketing one of the worlds foremost Wonders: Table Mountain.

My city may be unequivocally known for its superb weather during the warmer seasons (along with the late Nelson Mandela, and ‘The Cape of Good Hope’), but some of the gems of our African travel experiences, can be enjoyed with even more gusto, thanks to Winter specials abound.

Cape Quarter

The Cape Quarter is a sedate, historic landmark located within the effervescent De Waterkant district.

It is well-known to locals as a carefully curated retail experience, of more than 100 establishments, operating smackdab in the middle of the bustling Cape Town central business district.

There is something to be said about luxuriating in a boutique shopping experience without bustling crowds –  such is the energetic scramble within the seaside Victoria & Alfred Waterfront Mall nearby.

Currently, De Waterkant is lauded as a comfortable multi-use area, in which most people: have business meetings at, stop in for an emergency wardrobe fix, Uber over for ‘Happy Hour’, or even breakfast with family.

One could celeb-spot local & international celebrities finishing yoga classes, soaking up the ambience of a Piano Bar, or enjoying a haircut too, around Cape Quarter in De Waterkant.

Within walking distance of the quarter, is Bo-Kaap, famed for its rich Cape Malay history and plentiful colorblocked town houses.

Travellers come at all manner of business hours, to: take a breather after sightseeing in the city, and shop quality artisanal goods by locals at Cape Quarter, while also being reminded about familiar lifestyle staples (like barbershops, high-end bistros, and spa treatments) one can indulge in, at a fraction of their usual home-based costs.

Cape Quarter Living

There is absolutely no problem with being a tourist in your own city – should you be reading this and feeling like booking yourself a ‘Staycation’ in the same city, is not worthwhile.

Wherever you are, you’ve wanted to escape your own 4-walls at some point – No matter how perfect your current abode might be for you!

Cape Quarter Living is a glossy ‘cabinesque’ city vacation option, available to you this winter.

At Cape Quarter Living, they ensure guests have the option of:

• 14 Luxury Apartments & Suites to Rent from – discreet apartments & suites with warm wood-panelling running throughout the roomy interiors
• Perfectly functioning Air Conditioning which heats up a room real quick, if necessary
• A reasonable amount of fluffy white towels for single-person usage
• A Nespresso Capsule Coffee Machine and all its fixings – a revision of the old coffee machine shtick, which has come under scrutiny time & time again, for its hygiene issues
• Daily Housekeeping…because, who wants to do all that on vacation?!
• Free (uncapped) Wi-Fi to keep you connected at all hours

• An unequivocal necessity of my hospitality stays: Hotel robes
• Stealth security
• Contemporary apartment furnishings, reminiscent of modern New York-style penthouse apartments
• Well-equipped kitchenette 
• Sequestered bathroom with individualised amenities
• A stunning and minimalist grey shower with modesty glass, where you can actually watch the news while lathering up
• A roof deck and a rooftop garden to write home about
• Clear and picturesque views of Table Mountain and De Waterkant.

A Consideration for Later

What may be a doozy for some, is the lack of bathtubs and secured handicap considerations in the bathroom suites, as well as the lack of an in-room phone...the latter really threw me for some reason.

Luckily, should any assistance be required during ones stay – whether to replenish your sugar sachets or figure out how the coffee machine works – a number is provided, for guests to call from their own phones.

Yeah, but you weren’t specific on where to eat

Did I really forget to mention that you can have a legitimately stress-free shopping experience for food, at Cape Quarter‘s SPAR store?!

Fresh | Affordable | Dependable

If you are’nt feeling the vibe of the would-be Tesco/Woolies grocery store lovechild, then take up the Cape Quarter Living suggestions in your suite, and maybe:

• Score a full English breakfast at Cape Towns famed hipster coffee house, Bootleggers
• Grab a to-go coffee or tea beverage at the efficient Vida E Cafe
• Snap an enviable Instagram selfie with drinks at Lou Lou’s Restaurant, Lounge & Bar
• Book yourself a harvest table lunch at gourmet bistro Yumcious – headed by celebrity chef Jenny Morris.
• Learn to master a uniquely South African dinner, at celebrity chef Jenny Morris’s acclaimed ‘Giggling Gourmet’.

Your only problem when stepping foot into Cape Quarter, might actually be the fact that you have too many great options to indulge in.

Competition

If you want to take a chance, and stand a chance to win a Grand Prize with Cape Quarter, valued at ZAR10 000, then here are the details:

• Snap a photo of your Cape Quarter Experience (which means you have got to have physically visited it before).
• Upload the aforementioned snapped image at Cape Quarter, to Instagram, Facebook OR Twitter – making sure to use the competition hashtag #WhimsicalWinter when you post.
• Note: Entries close on 22 July 2019.
• Winner announcement is slated for the 23rd July 2019
• Terms & Conditions Apply

So when are you escaping to a #WhimsicalWinter at Cape Quarter Living?

Cape Quarter Living

21 Dixon Street, 8001 De Waterkant, South Africa

Tel: +27  (0)21 418 2821
Email: reservations@homefromhome.co.za

Website: https://www.capequarter.co.za | homefromhome.co.za

Postcards from CGL