20 Photos to Inspire You to Visit Cape Town • Gold Coast Girls Blog

Cape Town, South Africa — Clifton Beaches

tintswalo hotel in cape town — The View from Tintswalo Hotel

bo kaap in cape town — Exploring the Bo Kaap

TBAEscapes — Sunset Picnics on Clifton 2nd Beach

Cape Town Casual Outfit — Tribe Coffee in Woodstock

Getting to explore Cape Town was more than I could ever ask for on my first trip to the continent of Africa. From driving the Cape Peninsula to experiencing in adorable boutique hotels, to soaking in the stunning landscapes, to the delicious food- it’s the ultimate getaway.

Not to mention it’s incredibly inexpensive for most people to travel there right now.

The South African Rand to US Dollar is about 15: 1 right now. I found that I could get a glass of Rose and a half dozen oysters for about $5. Most dinners (even in nice restaurants) were under $10. Basically, everything was a seriously great value for my money.

I’d recommend starting your trip with a scenic helicopter tour. On a clear day, the views are absolutely incredible and give you a better idea of the layout and landscape of the city.

One of my favorite experiences in Cape Town was spending the day at Kirstenbosch gardens. It’s the first indigenous botanical garden in the world.

Exploring the neighborhood of Woodstock is also a must. The Saturday market at The Old Biscuit Mill is one of the best market experiences I’ve had in the world. You’ll also find incredible street art throughout the area.

The Mother City has a strong coffee shop scene! Since moving in Cape Town, I’ve made it my mission to find the best cup of coffee the city has to offer. Not only are they great pit stops as you explore, but a lot of them are freelance-friendly! You won’t have a problem finding a plug point and decent WiFi to get some work done.

Don’t stay inside your hotel once the sun goes down. Cape Town has some incredible rooftop bars and a craft beer scene to rival Belgium!

Overall, Cape Town has stolen my heart and inspired me to explore more of Africa!

Read Next: The Ultimate Cape Town Travel Guide

Instagram

Spending a year abroad sounds exciting… until you see the planning involved.
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Flights, edits, contracts, itineraries — not to mention the admin of being a mom. I’m usually running everything at once, so having a laptop that can keep up makes a huge difference.

I’ve been using an AMD Ryzen AI–powered laptop to keep everything organized, run AI tools even when WiFi isn’t available, and work from wherever we happen to be in the world.

So I can finish what I need to do… and get back to what’s most important ❤️
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
#AMDPartner #AMDRyzenAIPower #ad

@AMD

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Spending a year abroad sounds exciting… until you see the planning involved.
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Flights, edits, contracts, itineraries — not to mention the admin of being a mom. I’m usually running everything at once, so having a laptop that can keep up makes a huge difference.

I’ve been using an AMD Ryzen AI–powered laptop to keep everything organized, run AI tools even when WiFi isn’t available, and work from wherever we happen to be in the world.

So I can finish what I need to do… and get back to what’s most important ❤️
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
#AMDPartner #AMDRyzenAIPower #ad

@AMD

Some places are worth coming back to 🐧

Boulders Beach, Cape Town with Oliver
9 months → 21 months → 3.5 years

I blinked and my baby become a toddler…
and my toddler become a little boy. 😭

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Some places are worth coming back to 🐧

Boulders Beach, Cape Town with Oliver
9 months → 21 months → 3.5 years

I blinked and my baby become a toddler…
and my toddler become a little boy. 😭

January Wrapped 🗓️
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
We landed in Cape Town mid-January and hit the ground running.

Oliver and I packed up our life and moved abroad for a year — chasing a simple question: what’s the best that could happen?

My parents joined us for the first month — which meant extra hands, loving support, and the sweetest way to begin this chapter.

Between toddler sickness (IYKYK) and playing full-time tour guide, we somehow managed to squeeze in so much life.

A long weekend in Paternoster.
Glamping under the stars at Camp Canoe.
Summertime in the city.
Oliver starting at his new preschool.
Adventures through the Cape Winelands.
Slow weekends at the farmer’s market.
Afternoons stretched long at the beach.

It’s been messy and magical.
Exhausting and energizing.

Somewhere between pharmacy runs and beach swims, it started to feel less like a move…

and more like the start of our biggest adventure yet! 🌍
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
#capetown

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January Wrapped 🗓️
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
We landed in Cape Town mid-January and hit the ground running.

Oliver and I packed up our life and moved abroad for a year — chasing a simple question: what’s the best that could happen?

My parents joined us for the first month — which meant extra hands, loving support, and the sweetest way to begin this chapter.

Between toddler sickness (IYKYK) and playing full-time tour guide, we somehow managed to squeeze in so much life.

A long weekend in Paternoster.
Glamping under the stars at Camp Canoe.
Summertime in the city.
Oliver starting at his new preschool.
Adventures through the Cape Winelands.
Slow weekends at the farmer’s market.
Afternoons stretched long at the beach.

It’s been messy and magical.
Exhausting and energizing.

Somewhere between pharmacy runs and beach swims, it started to feel less like a move…

and more like the start of our biggest adventure yet! 🌍
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
#capetown

Sun-drenched mornings, salty air, and the kind of place that makes you instantly exhale @waldorfastoriacostarica ✌️
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Our stay at this brand-new property was truly a dream — sweeping ocean views, elevated design, and more pools than I’ve ever seen at a hotel in my entire life.

From award-winning wellness to coconuts by the pool, every detail felt thoughtful and intentional.

🧖‍♀️ The Spa
Recently named Costa Rica’s Best Resort Spa, this sanctuary blends modern wellness with local healing traditions — volcanic mud rituals, rainforest-inspired therapies, and grounding treatments that leave you floating.

🛎️ Amenities
World-class service, beachfront access, a stunning collection of pools (truly — endless), curated experiences, and those sweet elevated touches everywhere you turn. Newly opened, yet already operating like a seasoned 5-star icon.

💦 Kids’ Club
One of the coolest spaces for littles — crafts, games, toys, and outdoor play areas that made traveling with Oliver feel easy (and fun for him, too).

🥥 The Food & Coffee
Fresh, locally sourced Costa Rican flavors with elevated execution. Oceanfront bites, poolside snacks, handcrafted coffee experiences, and yes… plenty of coconuts.

🌿 Sustainability
Proud holders of the Bandera Azul Ecológica for conservation and environmental efforts — luxury and responsibility beautifully intertwined.

We truly cannot wait to come back. ✨

If you’re looking for a luxury, family-friendly escape in Costa Rica — this is your spot.

A huge thank you to @waldorfastoriacostarica for hosting us on this sunshine-soaked getaway.
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
#costarica #waldorfastoria #luxuryfamilytravel #familytravel

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A little late sharing this — but I needed time to sit with 2025. It was so much more than what made it to Instagram.
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
This was the year I stopped measuring life in miles traveled… and started measuring it in the days we weren’t promised.

Not in passport stamps.
Not in hotel check-ins.
Not in how far we could go.

But in the quiet relief of “clear.”
In small hands squeezing mine tighter.
In birthday candles and quiet camping mornings.
In laughter that came back after fear.

2025 was the plot twist year.

The year I learned strength doesn’t look like control —
it looks like surrender.
It looks like showing up anyway.
It looks like choosing joy even when you know how fragile it is.

And it looks like being surrounded by the people who love us most.

We traveled the world.
But more importantly —
we celebrated what we almost lost.

And at the end of it all?
We packed up our life and chose a new continent. 🇿🇦

2025, you were heavy.
You were also beautiful.
You changed me.

2026 — I’m ready.
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
#2025wrapped

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Open post by theblondeabroad with ID 18380851606081524

A little late sharing this — but I needed time to sit with 2025. It was so much more than what made it to Instagram.
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
This was the year I stopped measuring life in miles traveled… and started measuring it in the days we weren’t promised.

Not in passport stamps.
Not in hotel check-ins.
Not in how far we could go.

But in the quiet relief of “clear.”
In small hands squeezing mine tighter.
In birthday candles and quiet camping mornings.
In laughter that came back after fear.

2025 was the plot twist year.

The year I learned strength doesn’t look like control —
it looks like surrender.
It looks like showing up anyway.
It looks like choosing joy even when you know how fragile it is.

And it looks like being surrounded by the people who love us most.

We traveled the world.
But more importantly —
we celebrated what we almost lost.

And at the end of it all?
We packed up our life and chose a new continent. 🇿🇦

2025, you were heavy.
You were also beautiful.
You changed me.

2026 — I’m ready.
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
#2025wrapped

Cancel reply

Jane Tennet

Hi Kiersten,
I follow you on snap chat and am forever checking in on your blog.
I was SO excited to see you finally visit South Africa but was a little upset as you arrived on the day I left for my hometown of Durban, South Africa.
I’m really glad you enjoyed your time – and hope that you get to explore a little bit more of our beautiful country – must visits are the Cango Caves, Knysna, Durban, the Drakensberg Mountains, the Isimangalisa Wet Lands and more!!! there really is so much to see and South Africa is very diverse.

April 25, 2016 at 11:39 pm · Reply

Kiersten Rich

Aw thank you so much! I plan on returning later this year for an extended amount of time in South Africa as well as parts of West Africa hopefully 🙂

May 2, 2016 at 9:33 pm · Reply