Table Mountain Cape Town Version: Same name but so different!

Table Mountain offers a 4-minute cable-way option to the top

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Until mid-2023, I had only been to Table Mountain in Kenya. More info on my Table Mountain Kenyan version experience is here.

In July 2023, I got to experience first-hand Table Mountain in Cape Town, South Africa - such a magnificent sight that surrounds the city. 

Table Mountain's magnificent view as seen from Waterfront area of Cape Town

Unlike the Kenyan Table Mountain version, it's accessible to not only hikers but also people from all walks of life, given the cable-way 4-minute option to get to the top. There is also a wheel-chair accessible path at the top as well as restrooms and a restaurant, quite a touristic experience! While I am more accustomed to basic and old-school hiking, I found it a refreshingly elegant and time-saving way to see the must-see signature mark of the town. You see, hiking on foot to and fro takes 8 hours, which is great if you have a day, but given there's so much to do in Cape Town for a first-time visitor, I found it as an ideal option as I had a tight schedule - hopefully next time, I can get to do the hike the more traditional way.

Another aspect of travelling to Cape Town during winter months is that the weather does get unpleasant, and in that case, they do close access to Table Mountain mainly due to poor visibility. I was impressed with how accurate the town's weather forecast is and how well-informed the locals are about the weather pattern for upto a week, sometimes more! For instance, on my first day's taxi ride from the airport the driver already told us we had a one-day window period to visit Table Mountain - and it turned out to be the case... thankfully I listened and adjusted my schedule for the (packed) day as I really wanted to go to the mountain, and in that case, the cable-way option came in so handy!

At the ticketing office, the queues can get quite long - best to be there early, especially if you have a packed day- we were there by 9am and the queue was quite something already

Nevertheless, the views all the way to the top are best showcased by photos...so below we go!

Views of the city as you go up the cable way

Once you reach the top, there are plenty of helpful writings explaining the rich history and geography

My highlight was seeing the the 'city bowl' view from the top - below is a view of Cape Town from the top. 

Below is the view of how the mountain and the ocean meet - such a unique attribute (in Kenya, you'd need to visit two different cities to experience this 'two-in-one' nature experience, that is, the Coastal region (for the Ocean views) and the Highland areas (for the mountain experience).

It was lovely being greeted by the sunrise as I enjoyed the 'city bowl' experience - definitely worth another visit (hopefully in the summer months)!

Have you been to either or both of the Table Mountains versions, and if different, what has your experience been like? Share in the comment section below!