Sarah’s Cape Town

Sarah Khan was an editor at Travel + Leisure magazine when she visited Cape Town on a whim in early 2012. In the span of four days, she fell in love with the city…and with a Capetonian. Now she’s married, and happily freelancing from the most beautiful city on Earth. Here are some of Sarah’s favorite things about Cape Town.

Keep up with Sarah on her blog and on Twitter and Instagram @BySarahKhan.

Cape Town is My City

When someone comes to visit me, the first place I take them is BoKaap. The vibrant Muslim quarter of the city is known for its charming rowhouses in a riot of lime greens, marigold yellows, and neon pinks. You can stop by for a coffee and koesister at Biesmillah’s café, or while away the whole afternoon posing for pictures on people’s front stoops.

February is the best time to visit my city because it’s summer down here in the nether-hemisphere!

You can see my city best from 

Table Mountain

: it’s the heart of Cape Town — who needs GPS when you have this hulking plateau to help you orient yourself? When you hike it or take the cable car to the top, you can get the best perspective on all the neighborhoods that make up Cape Town, with the mountain at its epicenter.

Locals know to skip the crowded beaches of

Clifton

and

Camps Bay

 and check out 

Llandudno Beach

instead — a secluded, scenic strip of sand devoid of any shops.

Greenmarket Square

 is the place to buy authentic, local souvenirs. 

In the past, notable people like 

Archbishop Desmond Tutu

My city’s best museum is the District Six Museum because while most people head to

Robben Island

If there’s one thing you should know about getting around my city, it’s that you need a car. There’s no subway or reliable bus system here. And if you’re renting, you should probably know how to drive manual — automatics are not widely available.

The best place to spend time outdoors in my city is Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens — it celebrates 100 years this year, and was named one of NatGeo’s 10 best picnic spots in the world, with good reason!

My city really knows how to celebrate Tweede Nuwe Jaar, or “second new year,” because it’s when Cape Minstrel Carnival takes place on January 2, a crazy street party dating back to the 1800s.

You can tell if someone is from my city if they call a traffic light a robot, a barbecue a braai, wear slops to the beach instead of flip-flops, and thinks a 15-minute drive to Hout Bay is “the other end of the world.” (See other South Africanisms here.)

For a fancy night out, I go to Test Kitchen, Luke Dale Roberts’s celebrated restaurant in the Old Biscuit Mill.

Just outside my city, you can visit the Cape Winelands — the absolutely stunning wine region just a 45-minute drive away. Babylonstoren, a super-stylish farm resort (no, not an oxymoron!), is the perfect place for an overnight stay, a relaxing meal, or a guided stroll through the sprawling, fragrant gardens.

My city is known for being beautiful, but it’s really beautiful. What can I say, the rumors are true!

The best outdoor market in my city is Neighbourgoods Market, a popular weekly hangout that draws stylish Capetonians, set in a converted Victorian-era warehouse in Woodstock.

The Neighbourgoods Market is my favorite place to grab breakfast, and Long Street is the spot for late-night eats, where you can pick up a boerewor, or spicy sausage roll, from one of many street stalls set up to feed partygoers.

My city’s biggest sports event is rugby. Watch it at Newlands Stadium.

When I’m feeling cash-strapped, I head to Mariam’s Kitchen for a cheap and delicious steak salomie — spicy curried beef wrapped in a flaky, buttery roti.

To escape the crowds, I head to “the rock” — a little-known, secluded lookout point on a hill in Fresnaye.

If my city were a celebrity it’d be Zooey Deschanel because it’s beautiful, laid back, and quirky.

The dish that represents my city best is the Gatsby, a hoagie stuffed with meat, fries, onions, and more.

The Boorhaanol Mosque in BoKaap is my favorite building in town because it is an absolutely lovely, tiny confection of a mosque, sea green with white trim.

The most random thing about my city is the fact that so many diverse, far-flung cultures (European, African, Asian) came to find themselves living here at the tiny tip of this continent, centuries ago.

Tagore’s is the best place to see live music, but if you’re in the mood to dance, check out Shimmy Beach Club.

Four legit seasons in one day could only happen in my city.

In the spring you should go horseback riding in Noordhoek.

In the summer you should braai every weekend.

In the fall you should hike up Lion’s Head (though my husband tries to do this at least once a month, year round).

In the winter you should take advantage of the amazing winter “specials” at all the top restaurants, trying to lure diners out of hibernation.

If you have kids (or are a kid at heart), you won’t want to miss frolicking with the penguins on Boulders Beach.

When I think about my city, the song that comes to mind is “Paradise” by Coldplay — the video was shot here.

In 140 characters or less, the world should heart my city because it’s got natural beauty, architectural gems, fascinating history, unique cuisine, cosmopolitan culture, and a laid-back vibe.