Mad or brave? Had you asked me 6 months ago if we were planning on going on holiday abroad with our baby girl Winnie, I would have laughed at you. Let alone taking on a 12 hour flight to South Africa. But after us all getting sick with classic winter colds for our entire Christmas break at home, we said “screw it”, let’s go! If we can do long haul travel with a 7 month old, we can do anything. At the end of February 2023 we headed South for 2 glorious weeks in Cape Town. We stayed in a luxury apartment in the city centre – courtesy of Urban Elephant.
Although this was our first trip to Cape Town with Winnie, it was in fact my 15th trip there and Ryans 4th. So we are seasoned travellers when it comes to this route and destination.
*Disclaimer: For full transparency the accommodation was gifted by my Dad, owner and CEO of Urban Elephant, a short-let management company – for which I am also a shareholder. You’d of course expect me to sing their praises being family owned. HoweverI hope you believe me when I say this post is 100% honest.I would whole heartedly recommend the accommodation to friends, family and my readers alike. For more details see my disclosure policy and privacy policy.*
In this post I will share our experience of travelling to and around Cape Town with a baby, on our very first trip abroad as a three. We did our research before we went, and learnt a lot along the way. I will also be sharing a separate post on our more general travel tips soon. You can sign up to receive email alerts when new posts go live so you don’t miss it. So let’s dive in.
Flying To Cape Town With A Baby
The direct flight to Cape Town is approximately 12 hours, with various airlines offering day and night flights. We opted for a night flight in the hope Winnie would sleep most of it – which to our surprise she did. We flew with British Airways from London Gatwick direct to Cape Town. I picked the airline based in the aircraft type and the number of bassinets available. We were very disappointed to discover they hasn’t put enough of the infant seats on the flight for our outbound flight. So my clever planning was fruitless and Winnie slept on my lap for the entire flight. On the flight home we asked for one immediately upon boarding so we got offered one first – it was game changer!
If you check online which documents you need to enter and exit South Africa with a baby, in addition to the usual passports, it says you need their birth certificate. Whilst we were never asked to show it, I’d still always carry it to be safe.
When we arrived, it didn’t take too long to get through passport control and collect our luggage. We were picked up by my Dad and a short drive later we were at our apartment.
Staying At 16 On Bree With Urban Elephant
We have visited Cape Town many times over the years and usually move around, travelling up the coast. This trip however, we opted to stay in one spot to get Winnie settled, and enjoy day trips in the car.
We set up home in apartment 2709, a one bedroom apartment situated on the pool deck. We chose this option from the many stunning choices based on the proximity to the pool. This meant we could spend family time on the sun deck or in the pool with easy access to the apartment. We even took turns enjoying the comfy outdoor sofas and a dip in the pool whilst the other had Winnie just inside the lounge for playtime or naps in the cool.
The apartment had a fully functioning kitchen, large shower big enough to fit a travel infant bath, spacious bedroom with room for a travel cot and a stunning living space where winnie had room to play. In addition to the pool deck access, we also enjoyed our own huge balcony with sun loungers and dining table – perfect when we wanted privacy or a romantic dinner outside once Winnie had gone to bed. The air conditioning was a major bonus, particularly at night, when we had the best sleep of our lives in the ginormous comfy bed. Urban Elephant provided the travel cot, high chair and walker, and their car seat available for hire was comfier than our own!
After the trip we agreed out of all the hotels and homes we have stayed in in South Africa, this was our favourite. It felt so luxury, but a home at the same time – perfect for holidaying stress-free with Baby Winnie but equally would be incredible for a couple or solo traveller.
AD | You can book direct and use code “Sistabliss” for a fantastic 15% discount.
See the breathtaking views from our apartment featured in this Instagram Reel!
Things To Do In Cape Town With A Baby In Tow
Two Oceans Aquarium
Situated at the Victoria & Albert Waterfront, the Two Oceans aquarium is conveniently close to the city centre. We went after 3pm, which scored us a discounted rate and we still had time to walk round twice – once with Winnie awake and again asleep.
South Africa has such rich marine life, the aquarium is a great way to learn about the oceans and how to keep them protected.
The aquarium was buggy friendly which was brilliant, although we wish we took the carrier with us as there was lots for Winnie to see higher up. She loved all the exhibits, with so many bright colours, sounds and lights for her to stare at.
As I am still breastfeeding, I was delighted to find there were lots of spots to sit and feed Winnie whilst enjoying the peaceful ocean sounds by the large tanks.
Victoria & Albert Waterfront
I absolutely love the V&A, so knew we would enjoy lots of time here during our trip. As well as being home to a gigantic shopping mall full of everything from high street to designer stores, it’s a hub of activity and life. There are incredible restaurants, live music, bars, craft sellers and traditional African buskers. Here you can also catch a tour to Robyn Island for a historical and humbling education, or just walk around and take in the breathtaking views of the dock set against the backdrop of table mountain.
There is a separate lockable baby changing room with sink, bench and toilet – particularly brilliant when you are out with baby alone.
Boulders Beach
South Africa is home to a colony of African penguins, and Boulders Beach is a tourist hot spot where you can watch them in their natural habitat up close. If you’re lucky you might even catch a swim with one in the beaches protected waters where large boulders prevent sharks from getting close to shore.
Having been here a number of times over the years, i can say it’s become very touristy and expensive compared to what it once was. There are some free sections of the walkway, but you have to pay to enter the beach and the viewing platform. You can avoid the fees and hedge your bets spotting penguins at neighbouring beaches – Seaforth or Windmill which are often much quieter. We walked around with Winnie in the buggy as it was a hot day, but it did require two of us to carry it down steps at Seaforth Beach.
At Seaforth beach you can find a large carpark, toilets and restaurant – but booking is highly advised as it’s often full.
Durbanville Wine Estate
Staying in Cape Town with a baby this time, I thought we would have to skip the vineyards. I was pleasantly surprised to discover many vineyards in South Africa are child friendly. We chose Durbanville Wine Estate due to its close proximity to Cape Town only a short drive from the city.
We sat outside and enjoyed a very cheaply priced wine tasting and cheese/charcuterie board for two. Winnie enjoyed pinching the strawberries off the board too. There is a fantastic play park, although Winnie was a little young unfortunately. I love the informality and ease of wine tasting here, compared to the UK which is a lot less accessible to families and often quite pricey.
Bird World & Monkey Sanctuary
Looking for activities that Winnie would enjoy, we stumbled across Bird World online which had decent reviews so we headed there for an afternoon.
Personally, I wasn’t sure about it. My husband on the other hand had an amazing time, and absolutely loved the monkey enclosure where we got climbed all over. The rest however is very rustic, walk through enclosures.
It was fairly buggy friendly, although Winnie was mostly in the carrier, and she enjoyed seeing the birds fly about.
Canal Walk Shopping Centre
Home to hundreds of stores, this huge shopping centre is a short drive from Cape Town. Forgotten something important for your trip? You’ll likely find it here, as well as family friendly restaurants.
My only gripe about this shopping centre, is the poor baby changing facilities. At the toilets we used, there was simply a ledge next to the sinks, where everyone was queuing – not ideal when I had to change a screaming baby’s full outfit!
Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens
Unfortunately we didn’t squeeze a visit into our recent trip, however having been before, this would be a lovely family day out. A great place to take a picnic, and play on the grass with the little ones. There are absolutely stunning flowers, plants and scenes to be seen.
Eating Out In Cape Town With A Baby
Cape Town serves some of the best food in the world, with fresh seafood to die for. Staff are usually extremely friendly anywhere you go, and very welcoming of children. The only downside is it is quite rare to find a restaurant with high chairs or baby changing. We knew this in advance however, and purchased a foldaway travel highchair for £20 from Asda – definitely worth it!
Here are some of our favourite spots to eat during our trip with Winnie. We found the staff super welcoming and the food delicious:
Vixi Social House, Cape Town (no high chairs or baby changing)
The Nines, Sea Point (high chairs and baby changing) – For somewhere pretty high end, they were incredibly friendly and accommodating to Winnie.
Belthazar Restaurant, V&A (no high chairs)
Amber on Bree (no high chairs)
Vovo Telo Bakery & Cafe, V&A
Overall our experience travelling to Cape Town with a baby was a success and an incredible first family holiday destination. I hope you find this post helpful, and i’ll be back soon with more travel tips!
Follow Sistabliss Tribe on Instagram and Pinterest for more tips as I discuss all things self-care, personal development and motherhood.
Rosie Louise x
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