Questions about Cape Town/South Africa? Ask a Capetonian!

Here goes! :D

 

Things To do

 

- If you are in Cape Town during the summer months (November to March/April), which I should imagine is the peak time for cruise arrivals, then a fantastic afternoon/evening activity is to take in one of the open-air concerts at Kirstenbosch gardens, which are held every Sunday evening, and normally feature local artists and bands, including the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra. Take a picnic blanket, arrive a bit earlier and grab a nice spot on the grass, and enjoy a fantastic evening. You can also take a picnic basket and drinks with you, or order and grab at the venue.

 

 

- Staying with Kirsenbosch, if you are the more active type, explore Kirstenbosch gardens, and then take one of several paths that leads up the mountain and go for a bit of a hike above the gardens, providing various great views of the city, surrounds, and two oceans.

 

 

- Elephant's Eye Cave hike, in the Silvermine reserve - a relatively relaxing hike, and beautiful scenery and views http://namibsands.wordpress.com/2010/07/10/a-lovely-hike-up-to-the-elephants-eye-cave-at-silvermine/

 

 

- Driving - Cape Town and surrounds is a lovely place to just take a leisurely drive around, starting in the CBD, follow the waterfront around the peninsula through Camps Bay past the 12 Apostles to Hout Bay, and then around the awe-inspiring Chapman's Peak Drive through to Noordhoek and its incredible long white beaches. With more time, continue from there to Fish Hoek and then to Cape Point and its nature reserve. I would also highly suggest a drive up the West Coast, with spectacular views of Table Mountain. Cutting across, you start to hit wine country, which has lots of lazy, winding and scenic mountainous roads. Take your time, stop wherever it takes your fancy, and enjoy the diversity that Cape Town has to offer, from landscapes and scenery, to wine farms, farm stalls, ocean-view cafes and bars, nature reserves, etc.

 

 

- High Tea - the only place for high tea in Cape town, at the Mount Nelson Hotel! Enjoy the gardens whilst you are there.

 

 

 

- Robertson - lesser known wine region, and slightly further from the usual touristy spots, but worth the drive, as it has excellent wines, some very good restaurants, and nice little places to stay. Around the year they have certain wine and food festivals as well.

 

 

- Food and Craft Markets - Cape Town has lots of morning markets, normally Saturday, which are fantastic to visit and just chill. Some of my favourite include the market at the Old Biscuit Mill in Woodstock, the Hout Bay market, and the Saturday morning market at Laborie wine farm in Paarl.

 

 

- Wine Tasting - of course! Just pick one of the main wine routes (Stellenbosch, Paarl, Franschhoek, Durbanville Hills, Constantia), and just lazily drive along and pop into each.

 

 

- Table Mountain - for the adventurous and active, rather than take the cable car, hike up instead! Make sure you are properly kitted out, take a trail map, and start earlier in the day whilst it is still cool and there is lots of daylight.

 

 

- Lions Head and Rhodes Memorial - both awesome places for views, Lions Head especially for the beautiful summer sunsets and sundowners!

 

 

- Walk around the CBD - Cape Town CBD is a lovely city, and it is worth, if you have the time, exploring it by foot. Start down the International Convention Centre end, and just take a leisurely stroll up, through St. George's Mall and into Company Gardens. Lots of vibey little coffee bars, pubs and cafes to pop into, and lots of informal markets selling little trinkets. Don't get bullied into buying something you don't want, for too much! Always haggle, but remember, at the end of the day, in local currency what you eventually pay is probably very little when converted to US$, pounds or Euros, so don't be too stingy! ;-) You can also take a stroll along the World Cup fan walk, which starts from the CBD and takes you to the Cape Town stadium in Greenpoint, which is worth a look. Continue past it, and you end up in the lovely surrounding gardens and park, and ultimately in Sea Point. Take a stroll along the Seapoint promenade next to the water in the afternoon, really nice walk, and the locals come down to walk their dogs, do pilates, or go for a jog.

 

 

- Franschhoek Motor Museum - really lovely private car collection, with various makes from over a century, in a fantastic setting on L'Ormarin's Estate. A must see if you are even slightly interested in anything automotive, and it even tends to fascinate those who aren't!

 

 

 

Places to Eat

 

 

Much like wine estates, Cape Town is blessed with a wide variety of excellent, world-class restaurants. Some of my favourite, in no particular order:

 

 

- The Test Kitchen - make sure you book months in advance, and prepare to spend a few hours there marvelling at the art that arrives on a plate. And that is before you taste it!

 

 

- La Mouette - lovely little place in Greenpoint/Seapoint area.

 

 

- La Colombe - excellent, deserves its stellar reputation

 

 

- Bizerca Bistro - more informal than the above, but probably a contender for my number 1 favourite. Menu changes daily, always fresh ingredients.

 

 

- Bombay Brasserie - for a "fancy" curry.

 

 

- Eastern Food Bazaar - for a "basic" curry, but just as tasty, and dead cheap!

 

 

- And Union - great craft beer and wine bar, favourite of locals after work, also serve rustic but very tasty German and Portuguese fare

 

 

- The Crypt Jazz Restaurant - in the crypt underneath Cape Town's St. Georges Cathedral. Enjoy the unique surroundings and great live jazz music every night whilst having a bite to eat.

 

 

- Azure Restaurant - at the 12 Apostle's Hotel, absolutely stunning views over the ocean whilst sitting on the deck, and really good food is a bonus!

 

 

- Den Anker - my favourite place to eat at the V&A Waterfront. Good food, excellent beer and wine, nice location.

 

These are but a sample, you need to spend several years in Cape Town to experience everything! :D

I loved your list of "things to do" in and around Cape Town - while I have been there before (8 years ago and 32 years ago) my partner has not visited and I found your list the most useful and informative source of information I have found so far. Thank you !! We are in and around Cape Town for 8 days ahead of joining the Queen Mary 2 on 28th January 2014 and are staying close to the V & A area. For half of the time we will have a car, so we should be able to get through quite a bit of your list !!

My only questions are do you have any new thoughts or additions to your list since you wrote it, and do you know of anything special that might be on in Cape Town around the time we are visiting ?

We will be in Cape Town in early May and are staying at the Commodore Hotel. Can you please advise on best way to get to hotel from airport... And if by taxi what would be the approximate cost? Do taxis take visa? Thank you..

We will be in Cape Town before our transatlantic cruise in November 2015. We have been told that it is pointless to go to Victoria Falls as it is the dry season. Is this true? Also from which country will the views be best? I am just in the beginning stages of planning. Our wish list is to see the Big Five, Victoria a Falls, and Nelson Mandela sites. I know we will need flights to accomplish this. Thank you for any information.

Pearl

Zimbabwe has the best view of the falls. you can walk onto the bridge between Zambia and Zimbabwe and have a different view from there. You do not need to purchase a multi entry visa that way for Zimbabwe. You just have to tell the immigration people that you are just walking on to the bridge and not going into Zambia. You will have to stop at immigration again on the way back to let them know you are back in Zimbabwe.

The baboons by the bridge are quite entertaining.

Our wish list is to see ......Nelson Mandela sites....Thank you for any information.

Pearl

We were in Cape Town last month and as you probably know one of the 'must sees' is Robben Island. The tour was booked up for three days in advance, so make sure you book on online. From memory this can be done up to three months in advance.

We will be arriving in Cape Town in May and cruising up to Dover. I am still in a quandary about taking malaria pills and would love to hear a Capetownian's opinion. Yellow fever shot is mandatory, but that is all. We are not doing a Kruger type safari.:confused:

We're thinking about taking a cruise that departs from Capetown in November & has a precruise short safari from near Port Elizabeth. Do you know had bad the misquetoes are that time of year at these game preserves as my dw is allergic to misquetoes? thanks

I am hoping you are still monitoring your thread. We are looking at a cruise that will end in Cape Town next December 21st. We have the opportunity to do 1 of 2 post cruise 3 day land packages. One goes to Chobe and Victoria Falls and one goes to Kapama game reserve. Do you have any thoughts on either of these destinations? At this point in time I don't have any details just the 2 destinations but hope you have some insight into which one you recommend. Thanks for any thoughts you might have.

Apologies for my delayed response! Have been very busy the last few months, hardly room to breathe! Hopefully I am not too late with my advice.

In my opinion, I would do the Chobe and Victoria Falls package. Chobe is excellent for wildlife, probably as much so as Kapama. And then there the Victoria Falls, which is an absolutely magnificant sight and should be on everybody's bucket list. Because of this, it shouldn't be a difficult decision! :D

I loved your list of "things to do" in and around Cape Town - while I have been there before (8 years ago and 32 years ago) my partner has not visited and I found your list the most useful and informative source of information I have found so far. Thank you !! We are in and around Cape Town for 8 days ahead of joining the Queen Mary 2 on 28th January 2014 and are staying close to the V & A area. For half of the time we will have a car, so we should be able to get through quite a bit of your list !!

 

My only questions are do you have any new thoughts or additions to your list since you wrote it, and do you know of anything special that might be on in Cape Town around the time we are visiting ?

Sorry I didn't get a chance to reply before your trip. I hope you had an amazing time - I did see the QM2 docked in the harbour, a beautiful ship and awesome sight given its size in our small little port!

If it's any consolation, there isn't much I can add to my previous list, most of it still stands. The reality is, there is so much to do in Cape Town, and so many events on all the time, that you could pretty much wonder around aimlessly and still have a wonderful time.

We will be in Cape Town in early May and are staying at the Commodore Hotel. Can you please advise on best way to get to hotel from airport... And if by taxi what would be the approximate cost? Do taxis take visa? Thank you..

There are actually quite a few ways to conveniently get to the Commodore Hotel from the Cape Town airport.

The City's new and very modern bus service MyCiti has a station directly outside the arrivals terminal at the airport. If I recall correctly, a bus departs every 30 minutes (the A01) and it will take you all the way to the Waterfront. You can get off at the Granger Bay stop and it is a short walk across to the Commodore. If your flight arrives sometime during the day, this is not a bad option, and costs around R60 per person (cash).

There is also the option to take a shuttle bus. My preference is CitiHopper (http://www.citihopper.co.za/) - I use them often for business and for personal transfers. You can book ahead of time online, they will have someone waiting for you at arrivals to take you through to the transfer desk (where you can pay by card), and then they will take you to your shuttle bus which will drop you off right outside the hotel entrance. Cost will be about R400 for 4 people.

A normal "yellow" taxi is also an option. There are airport accredited ones just behind the MyCiti bus terminal. I have not taken one for a while but I should imagine they will cost in the region of R300. I don't think they will take credit card.

Hope this helps, let me know if you have any other questions.

We will be in Cape Town before our transatlantic cruise in November 2015. We have been told that it is pointless to go to Victoria Falls as it is the dry season. Is this true? Also from which country will the views be best? I am just in the beginning stages of planning. Our wish list is to see the Big Five, Victoria a Falls, and Nelson Mandela sites. I know we will need flights to accomplish this. Thank you for any information.

 

Pearl

Good thing you asked! ;) :D Whoever told you it is pointless is not too clued up! In fact, the dry season is the best time to see the Falls, as during the wet season there is so much water flowing over, and so much spray created, that you can't actually see much of the falls at all! In the dry season, the water volume is much lower, but it is still absolutely spectacular, and you can see so much more of it!

Both Zambia and Zimbabwe have decent view and different perspectives, but Zimbabwe does probably have the best views. That said, if you prefer to stay on the Zambia side you can walk across the bridge and get a temporary visa to visit the falls from the Zim side for the day. Alternatively, the best view of the Falls is by air - the "flight of the angels" by helicopter is a must!

Running out of time now, but we try be back in the next couple of days to provide some more thoughts and advice on the rest of your trip.

We will be arriving in Cape Town in May and cruising up to Dover. I am still in a quandary about taking malaria pills and would love to hear a Capetownian's opinion. Yellow fever shot is mandatory, but that is all. We are not doing a Kruger type safari.:confused:

Absolutely no need to take malaria pills if you are staying in Cape Town and further surrounds. Even going in safari in some parks along the West or East coasts are malaria-free and do not require pills. Typically only if you move towards the north of the country (Kruger park and bordering with Zimbabwe, Botswana, Mozambique) would you need to take malaria precautions. This map is a good indication.

Having said all of this, if you cruise has stopovers in African ports above South Africa, it may be wise to take precautions.

We're thinking about taking a cruise that departs from Capetown in November & has a precruise short safari from near Port Elizabeth. Do you know had bad the misquetoes are that time of year at these game preserves as my dw is allergic to misquetoes? thanks

Unfortunately mosquitoes are a reality most of the year around in the bush here. Although, having said that, their numbers should not be too bad at that time of year coming out of winter. If you are staying at Shamwari game reserve, then most of the lodges have mosquito nets, fans and air conditioning which will keep the bugs away. In addition, you can take some repellent spray/lotion and wear long pants and long-sleeve shirts/blouses which work well.

Unless your wife is severely allergic, I would not let it deter you from taking what would be an awesome trip. It is easily possible, taking the above precautions, to go unbitten.

As an aside, in case it is concerning you, Port Elizabeth is malaria-free.

Thank you so much, Zimbo. I really want to see Victoria Falls. We saw Iguazu this past December and they were fantastic. I have been searching for safari companies that will either depart from Cape Town where our cruise begins or Johannesburg and we will just take an independent flight to Cape Town. We don't want to break the bank but we don't want totally rustic. I know it is Africa! Which animal reserves do you recommend? Also, can you give us a time frame? We are looking at a week or so. Is that doable?

Again, thank you so much for your help.

Pearl

Apologies for my delayed response! Have been very busy the last few months, hardly room to breathe! Hopefully I am not too late with my advice.

 

In my opinion, I would do the Chobe and Victoria Falls package. Chobe is excellent for wildlife, probably as much so as Kapama. And then there the Victoria Falls, which is an absolutely magnificant sight and should be on everybody's bucket list. Because of this, it shouldn't be a difficult decision! :D

Thanks for your advice.

Zimbo,

We are not cruising to South Africa but doing a land based tour starting at Victoria Falls with a day trip to Chobe, then on to Kapama Buffalo Camp then to Cape Town. Hope you don't mind answering a few questions for us. We wondered if we should bring just US dollars or just South African Rand or a combination of both. We will need money for tips, meals, tour guides etc. I saw your list of things to do and places to eat in Cape Town. We are staying at the Victoria and Alfred Hotel on the V & A Waterfront and will not have access to a vehicle except during our tours. Are any of the recommended restaurants in the waterfront area? Are there any other reasonably priced restaurants you would recommend in the area? We are doing 4 days of touring to cover as many of the highlights as we can -a half day Cape Town tour with a half day Robben Island tour then a full day Peninsula tour, a full day winelands tour capped off with a full day Shark Cage Diving for the guys and a Whale watching tour for the girls. We are visiting in Sept 2014. Any information you can provide would be appreciated.

Diane

Willoughbys in the V & A waterfront. Lots of locals eat there. Japanese food, no reservations, but the queue moves quite quickly.

We used US dollars for Victoria Falls and used rand for South Africa.

Willoughbys in the V & A waterfront. Lots of locals eat there. Japanese food, no reservations, but the queue moves quite quickly.

 

We used US dollars for Victoria Falls and used rand for South Africa.

Thanks! I always like to be sure and have the correct currency to avoid using credit cards and incurring exchange rates.

We are going to arrive a couple of days ahead of our precruise safari to Sibuya Forest Camp to see Cape Town. (Wish it was longer this time)

Can you comment on a couple of things:

Transportation from the airport to the hotel (probably the Southern Sun Cullinan Hotel) which is fairly easy. My husband is 82 and I am a young 75. Probably a taxi, but we have heard nightmares about the transportation in Cape Town--true or not.

Do you know about Sibuya Forest Camp?

Suggested wardrobe? We have travelled wordwide, but for some reason, we are needing specific ideas so that all will go in Africa, where we have wanted to go for years.

A couple of other safaris we will be on are Botlierskop, Addo Elephant Park, and Tala Game reserve. Comments please.

No hurry. We don't leave until mid December, but whenever you have time, your recommendations will be appreciated.

We also only have the 2 days in Cape Town prior to our connection with our trip/cruise the first being the Sibuya Forest Camp. We thought that we would take a Hop On Hop Off for those two days. Good idea?

Thanks so much.

We booked our transport from the airport to our hotel in Cape Town. it would have been faster to have taken a taxi. Just make sure they have their meter on or negotiate the price before you get in. I seem to recall that they had taxi booking before you exited the luggage pickup area and they had set prices to various hotels.

We booked tours with a private guide for Cape Town. One day we went out to the wineries (fabulous tour, especially since he took us to this incredible chocolate shop) and the other we drove along the coast line, went to the Cape, saw the penguins and several lovely towns. We did not go up Table Mountain as it was socked in the whole time we were there.

It is not fancy dress in Cape Town. Country casual like on board the ship.

For safari, invest in a hat with a strap to hold it on your head. Very windy while on the jeeps or vans. For the later afternoon drives, you need long pants for the mosquitoes. I wore long sleeves for sun protection while on safari. You don't have any shade to speak of. Wear non acrylic clothing, cotton is much cooler to wear. You don't need to buy anything special. For morning drives and during the main part of the day drives, I wore capris as they were a bit cooler. The bugs come out at dusk and are around till dawn.

We went to Tala and enjoyed it. Did not do any of your other safaris.

Thanks No Fuss Travel. Gives me a pretty good idea and makes sense. Another question, kind of embarrasing for me to ask, but what about appropriate tipping and the preferred currency. Not sure about the safari tipping.

Thanks No Fuss Travel. Gives me a pretty good idea and makes sense. Another question, kind of embarrasing for me to ask, but what about appropriate tipping and the preferred currency. Not sure about the safari tipping.

For a full day tipping to the Ranger, $20 per day. For the Tracker $10 US per day.

That is per couple We adjusted when it was only one outing for the day and also if the Ranger or tour guide was not very good. We had an incredible Ranger and Tracker at Sabi Sands, and actually tipped bit higher there. The amount I am quoting you is what a South African Travel Agent gave us as a guide.

Zimbo,

We are not cruising to South Africa but doing a land based tour starting at Victoria Falls with a day trip to Chobe, then on to Kapama Buffalo Camp then to Cape Town. Hope you don't mind answering a few questions for us. We wondered if we should bring just US dollars or just South African Rand or a combination of both. We will need money for tips, meals, tour guides etc. I saw your list of things to do and places to eat in Cape Town. We are staying at the Victoria and Alfred Hotel on the V & A Waterfront and will not have access to a vehicle except during our tours. Are any of the recommended restaurants in the waterfront area? Are there any other reasonably priced restaurants you would recommend in the area? We are doing 4 days of touring to cover as many of the highlights as we can -a half day Cape Town tour with a half day Robben Island tour then a full day Peninsula tour, a full day winelands tour capped off with a full day Shark Cage Diving for the guys and a Whale watching tour for the girls. We are visiting in Sept 2014. Any information you can provide would be appreciated.

 

Diane

Hi, I am an ex-Cape Tonian and hubby an ex-Rhodesian (now Zimbabwe) we now live in Tampa, Florida but in the 20 years we have lived here we still travel to SA every year (Sept & Oct) to visit family and go on safari. Some background, my husband was a game ranger at Wankie (Hwange) National Park, Zimbabwe and also Pilanesberg National Park, SA and Kruger National Park, SA. I met him in Victoria Falls where he lived for a while - National Parks move you around ;)

Anyhow, now we tour American friends to our home countries each year. We do not have a business, nor do we charge, this is purely introducing our American friends to our African heritage. Sorry it took so long to qualify myself to answer your questions.

As a previous person suggested Willoughby's is absolutely the BEST restaurant in the V & A according to us as well, it's not really Japanese but they do make the most unbelievable sushi. We always have the prawn platters and their seafood is scrumptious! There are tons of restaurants in the V & A and lots are good, some have better views of the bay and the mountain than food. You won't be disappointed with Willoughby's. Try and eat early in the evening, typically Cape Tonians eat later, although Willoughby's also attracts people coming from work too.

US Dollars are only used in Zimbabwe and Rands are used in South Africa. I wouldn't suggest carrying too much cash on you for security reasons. We carry the bare minimum and use our credit cards everywhere … the charges are minimal.

We will be in Chobe, Zimbabwe, Kruger Park and Cape Town in September this year as well - it's the best time of year in the game reserves and at Vic Falls - you're going to love it, it's just a pity you won't be in Cape Town longer!!

Hi, I am an ex-Cape Tonian and hubby an ex-Rhodesian (now Zimbabwe) we now live in Tampa, Florida but in the 20 years we have lived here we still travel to SA every year (Sept & Oct) to visit family and go on safari. Some background, my husband was a game ranger at Wankie (Hwange) National Park, Zimbabwe and also Pilanesberg National Park, SA and Kruger National Park, SA. I met him in Victoria Falls where he lived for a while - National Parks move you around ;)

Anyhow, now we tour American friends to our home countries each year. We do not have a business, nor do we charge, this is purely introducing our American friends to our African heritage. Sorry it took so long to qualify myself to answer your questions.

 

As a previous person suggested Willoughby's is absolutely the BEST restaurant in the V & A according to us as well, it's not really Japanese but they do make the most unbelievable sushi. We always have the prawn platters and their seafood is scrumptious! There are tons of restaurants in the V & A and lots are good, some have better views of the bay and the mountain than food. You won't be disappointed with Willoughby's. Try and eat early in the evening, typically Cape Tonians eat later, although Willoughby's also attracts people coming from work too.

 

US Dollars are only used in Zimbabwe and Rands are used in South Africa. I wouldn't suggest carrying too much cash on you for security reasons. We carry the bare minimum and use our credit cards everywhere … the charges are minimal.

 

We will be in Chobe, Zimbabwe, Kruger Park and Cape Town in September this year as well - it's the best time of year in the game reserves and at Vic Falls - you're going to love it, it's just a pity you won't be in Cape Town longer!!

Thanks so much for your reply. It's great to know that we have picked a good time to visit. My research has paid off! In your opinion, have we missed any highlights around Cape Town? We will have every evening free for dinner and whatever else may be of interest. It's so nice to hear from someone that knows the area inside out and I really appreciate any additional information and suggestions you can make. I read that we can get a boxed sandwich at Il Paninaro to take with us when we go to Robben Island - have you tried this? I have read mixed reviews about Robben Island - what are your thoughts? Any other restaurant suggestions? What is the cost of meals in Cape Town? We are not into really fancy places, just somewhere with good food, good service and good atmosphere.

Thanks again for taking the time - I enjoyed reading your background!

Diane

Hi Diane,

Highlights around Cape Town are very subjective. For us a highlight is not to visit Robben Island - although the Nelson Mandela story is a great testimony the island itself is a little of a let down. It's not as exciting as visiting Alcatraz, so personally we don't take guests there for that reason and also because there are soooo many wonderful things to see in Cape Town, one has to choose the highlights that suit your personalities.

As you now know - we are crazy, avid, wildlife watchers …. so much of our time is taken up with Whale Watching in Hermanus, Penguins at Boulders, Seal Island off Hout Bay and a trip to Cape Point (whale and game viewing there too). South Africa has such unique animals (to Africa) and seeing them all in their own environments is such a plus. Just a side here: If you do get to go to Hout Bay, there is one of the most awesome restaurants there - Mariner's Wharf …. they serve the BEST seafood on the Cape Peninsula hands down. Also while in South Africa you must try a Dom Pedro …. it's like a double thick shake, made with ice cream but also contains either whiskey or Kahlua … you can order one at ANY restaurant that has a liquor license.

You are going to find so many places where the food is so inexpensive. Of course for us to exchange rate at the moment is pretty much $1 - R10, so we find most of the restaurants very reasonable.

You will find more restaurants at the V & A than you can imagine and they run the gamut in price. Starting with McDonalds and KFC right up to Nobu etc. But in the cheaper range here are some recommendations:

Santa Ana Spur (Spur is a chain of steakhouses in SA) - good food, good prices.

Steers - if you are looking for a burger joint, much better than Mc Donalds.

Mugg & Bean - for great breakfast and lunches

Ocean Basket - cheap seafood

Quay 4 - down on the water, you can watch the seals playing.

Moyo - for a true African experience. Although I will say we much prefer Moyo at Spier winery in Stellenbosch.

And other than Willoughby's (which you will not be disappointed in) our personal other favorite casual restaurant there is Balducci's.

Hope this helps a bit ……...