Celebrating 35 in Cape Town, South Africa
Champagne, Sunsets & Safari: Celebrating 35 in Cape Town, South Africa
An early birthday trip filled with slow mornings in Camps Bay, ocean views, good food, safari days, and some of my favorite people.
Cape Town for 35
Two months before my 35th birthday, I packed my bags and headed to Cape Town, South Africa.
This trip was never about racing to see everything Cape Town has to offer. I wanted something slower. Beautiful views, good food, champagne, a little adventure, and time with my friends. That's it.
And that's exactly what I got.
We all landed on a Sunday and made our way to Camps Bay, where we stayed in a beautiful mansion tucked between the mountains and the ocean. Just me and some of my closest friends, coming together in South Africa to celebrate this next chapter.
Slow Mornings, Champagne & Camps Bay Sunsets
One of my favorite memories from Cape Town is actually one of the simplest: waking up and just looking outside. Mountains on one side, ocean on the other. I spent so much time at the house in Camps Bay doing basically nothing, and it was perfect. I'd sit by the pool with a glass of champagne or Prosecco, watch the light move across the mountains, look out at the water, and just let the day happen.
The house itself became part of the trip. A pool overlooking the water, mountains rising up behind us, views that made it genuinely hard to want to leave. Some trips are all about the itinerary. Cape Town, for me, was just as much about sitting still. And I loved that.
The mornings were just as beautiful. I'd wake up to the sun coming in over that incredible landscape and have this little moment of, wow, I'm actually in South Africa.
And the sunsets? Cape Town showed off every single night. Watching them became a ritual. No rushing to get dressed, no feeling like I had to be somewhere just because I was on vacation. Some nights the whole plan was pouring a glass, sitting outside, and watching the sky change.
Dinner at TANG Waterfront
One night, we traded poolside lounging for dinner at TANG Waterfront at the V&A Waterfront. This was one of those dinners where we just ordered for the table, poured the champagne, and let the night happen. We sat outside overlooking the water and worked through sushi, oysters, shrimp, fish, way more food than we needed. The atmosphere was beautiful, the food was even better, and it was exactly the kind of night I wanted on this trip. Good food, beautiful scenery, my friends around the table.
TANG fit perfectly into the energy of this trip. Elevated, but not stuffy about it. We could dress up, have champagne and oysters, eat really well, laugh way too loud, and still be back at our house in Camps Bay within the hour. If you're building a Cape Town itinerary and love a good dinner experience as much as I do, put the V&A Waterfront on your list and make room for TANG.
And order the sushi.
A Day at Aquila Private Game Reserve
Of course, I couldn’t come all the way to South Africa without going on safari. We spent a day at Aquila Private Game Reserve, and this was definitely one of the highlights of the trip.
From the moment we arrived, it felt like an experience. We were welcomed with wine before heading out for our safari, and then it was time to see what we came for.
Rhinos. Lions. Elephants. Giraffes. Zebras. Ostriches.
Seeing these animals in South Africa, with my friends beside me, was one of those experiences that photographs don’t completely capture. You can take all the pictures you want, but actually being there and looking out at this huge landscape while animals roam around you is completely different.
If you’re planning a trip to Cape Town and want to add a safari experience without building an entirely separate trip around it, Aquila is worth looking into. Give yourself the day for it, wear something comfortable, bring your camera, and take some time to actually look around instead of experiencing the entire safari through your phone.
Get your pictures, of course. I definitely did. But put the camera down sometimes, too.
Beach Walks & Victoria Road
I also made time to explore a little closer to home. I walked along Victoria Road, spent time near the beach, and wandered around Camps Bay without much of an agenda.
This is one of my favorite ways to experience a city. I love the big attractions, but I also want to know what a place feels like when I’m simply walking through it. I want to look at the homes, find the pretty streets, stop near the water, people-watch and take my time. Camps Bay was perfect for that. Between the beaches, mountains, beautiful homes and ocean views, there was always something worth stopping for.
Celebrating 35 a Little Early
When I think about this trip now, I don't really think about everything we did. I think about how it felt.
Champagne by the pool. Waking up to mountains outside my window. Another Cape Town sunset. Sitting around a table with sushi and oysters and my friends. Seeing an elephant on safari. Walking along the beach. Laughing inside a huge house with people who flew all the way to South Africa just to celebrate with me. There was something special about turning 35 and choosing to celebrate it this way.
I didn't need the trip packed from morning to night. I wanted rest. I wanted luxury. I wanted Africa. I wanted my friends. I wanted good food and beautiful scenery.
Cape Town gave me all of it. And sometimes, that's enough.
Planning Your Own Cape Town Trip?
If you’re planning a trip to Cape Town, these were three of my favorite parts of mine:
Stay in Camps Bay. If waking up near the ocean and mountains sounds like your kind of vacation, start there.
Make time for safari. We chose Aquila Private Game Reserve and made a full experience out of the day.
Have a beautiful dinner. TANG Waterfront gave us the sushi, oysters, champagne and waterfront views I wanted from a Cape Town night out.
But my biggest recommendation is to leave some empty space in your itinerary. Cape Town is beautiful enough that sometimes the best plan is no plan at all. Pour the champagne. Watch the sunset. You’re in South Africa.
