We are considering a quick trip to SA with three days in Cape Town before heading to Kruger. I need advice for best way/ tour to see the "must sees" in that length of time. Also need Rico's for restaurants.
Realize we all have varied opinions but any advice is appreciated.

A great guide will ensure that your time is used efficiently. Last October, we used Wayne Maddams of Hylton Ross... great guy! He grew up in that area and will be able to suggest restaurants, etc.

Hi Neuman605
I can also highly recommend Selwyn Davidowitz from http://www.ilovecapetown.com/ He is also very well represented on this forum

Mark
Owner - Taga Safaris Africa

Table Mountain is a must, go up as soon as it's clear (clouds, locally called the table cloth) then after pop along Signal Hill. This leaves you with a ½ day to explore the city. The cape peninsula tour is another must do but this is really a full day tour if you want to really appreciate the area. The final full day take a trip to the winelands, about 1hour from CT to Stellenbosch & then onto Franschhoek & if enough time Paarl.

Do a city tour, the hop on hop off bus is a good idea. With some hop offs included this could be a full day.
Go up Table mountain (half day)
Go to Cape Point (half to full day)
The two oceans acquiarium (half day)
Wine tasting in Stellenbosch (or even closer) if interested. Some wine tasting can be combined with the hop on hop off bus

Cape Town is a beautiful city. If you have a generous budget choose a hotel at the V&A Waterfront- they are all very upmarket and integrated in a large complex including the harbour, numerous shops and restaurants(very touristy and pricy). also look at www.proteahotels.co.za a local chain with very good hotels al over South Africa. (They also have a very nice hotel at the entrance to the Kruger Park called Kruger Gate Hotel. Airport is around 40km from city centre.
Book your tickets for Table Mountain at www.webtickets.co.za if you do not want to stand in a very long qeue at the cable car. I will suggest renting a car, as public transport is not readily available anywhere in SA. A taxi in town is also not to bad- $1.50 at flag fall and $1/km. NEVER GET IN A TAXI WITHOUT PROPER PRICE STRUCTURE ADVERTISED ON DOOR AND WITHOUT A METRE.

For 3 days I will suggest.
1. Table Mountain.The Castle of Good Hope (oldest building in SA.)and many museums in town around the Company's Gardens and Greenmarket Square (filled with African Curio, please note most Curio on this market is not South African but mostly from the countries up north.

2. Cape Point (You will need to drive or organise a tour)
The most scenic drive will be a circular route from Cape Town,on the Muizenberg High Way through to Simon's Town then to Cape Point and back on the Chapman's Peak scenery road (toll road) to Hout Bay (visit the Harbour) on to Llandudno, Camps Bay, and back into Cape Town.

3. If you want to visit a wine farm, rather choose Groot Constantia which is surrounded by Cape Town. It is the oldest vineyard in SA with a rich history. Alternatively if you have a rental drive out to Somerset West and Stellenbosch - numerous wine farms. Gordons Bay is also close by if you want to visit the beach.

Enjoy your trip and make an effort NOT to look like a tourist when you are in the City Centre.

I would not have missed Robben Island for anything! Loved the Cape Point experience, had a so-so day in winelands (I live in northern CA so perhaps it was just too familiar?) but the history involved in the Robben Island trip was fascinating.

If you are into recent politics I can understand that you will visit Robben Island, but I personally was very dissapointed in the Robben Island trip. Robben Island has served as a prison and place of isolation for 350 years, but the tour guides (all previous prisoners) only focus on the couple of years that it was used to keep political prisoners 1960's-1990's. Also the information they are giving is very opinionated (and sometimes completely incorrect) and not objective broad spectrum info.

Dougie: different strokes, I guess. I think it is hard to overestimate the importance of Mandela in recent SA history so yes, it was an important thing for me to see.

losaltos,
I couldn’t agree more, about robben island being a must see. I would much rather have a tour of the island run by an ACTUAL former inmate, than a regular Joe that is just reciting everything from notecards, facts or not. Seeing it from a former inmates eyes would be the only way to go. And if they would be opinionated, being they are former inmates, i would want that opinion!

Well if you are happy with one guys opinionated summary- enjoy!
It's like only reading the last few pages of a 600 page book.