Cape Town Experience - General

...the opportunity to fly to Cape Town for my holiday, I am really glad that I did.

Cape Town is the third most populted city in South Africa and is famous for its harbour, mountain and many many more attractions.

*~*Getting There*~*

There are many ways to fly to Cape Town most regional airports now offer an indirect service via Paris or Amsterdam with the likes of KLM or Air France or you can get a direct ...
...flights, however direct flights to Cape Town are now become more and more popular and more routes are being provided from the UK.
Flying direct to Cape Town takes approximately 12 hours direct.
Depending on the time of year that you travel flights can be from as low as £149 per person each way and in peak travel season this cost will more than likely increase to £340 per person each way.

*~*Passports*~*

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After winning flights to Johannesburg with Air France I thought I would take the opportunity to fly to Cape Town for my holiday, I am really glad that I did.

Cape Town is the third most populted city in South Africa and is famous for its harbour, mountain and many many more attractions.

*~*Getting There*~*

There are many ways to fly to Cape Town most regional airports now offer an indirect service via Paris or Amsterdam with the likes of KLM or Air France or you can get a direct flight from London with British Airways, South African Airlines or Virgin Atlantic.
Johannesburg is the main hub for International flights from the UK and Europe offering daily flights, however direct flights to Cape Town are now become more and more popular and more routes are being provided from the UK.
Flying direct to Cape Town takes approximately 12 hours direct.
Depending on the time of year that you travel flights can be from as low as £149 per person each way and in peak travel season this cost will more than likely increase to £340 per person each way.

*~*Passports*~*

As with all passport information this can change so it is always advisable to check on the foreign office website before you travel to ensure that you will be granted entry upon arrival in South Africa.
British Citizens currently do not require a visa but you must have at least 1 blank page for entry stamp in your passport. When we traveled we were not aware of this fact however we still had plenty of pages left in our passport so we had to change of being reused entry on this requirement!

*~*Currency*~*

I would always recommend ordering your currency in advance, however be sure not too order to much, our hotel was on bed and breakfast basis and we had done a bit of research on restaurants before we departed to gauge the cost of a typical meal in restaurants around the waterfront and tours whilst we were in the destination and we still found that we had taken too much money with us.
The currency in South Africa is the South African Rand also known as the ZAR for a basic converstion rate £1 is equal to approximately 14rand.
The cents work in a similar way to our pennies with 100 cents to a rand. Notes however are in higher multiples or R200, R100, R50, R20 and R10 and coins of R5, R2, R1. Cents are in the same multiples as our pennies.
As we traveled with cash only we had no need to change currency however it can be exchanged at any bank or Bureau de Exchange.

*~*Arriving*~*

Cape Town is approximately 20 minutes drive from the city centre and can be accessed in three way:

Taxi’s can be arranged from the airport and on average cost between R8 and R12 which is between 50p to £1.00 per kilometer, it is always better to ask for a cost before you get into the car to ensure that you know how much to expect and if you are being overcharged. Tips are heavily relied on in South Africa and although there are no set guidelines it is advised to tip around 10% for a taxi.

Car rental is another option of getting from the airport as public transport is not very reliable in South Africa, however I would always recommend pre-booking car rental with a reputable supplier such as Holiday Autos so that you know how much you will be paying and what is included to ensure that you are fully protected should any incidents occur.

*******************************TOP TIP*********************************
If you do decide to rent a car, always keep a full tank of petrol. You will find petrol stations at regular intervals but for safety never leave yourself low on fuel.

Hotel transfers are in my opinion the best form of transportation from the airport and the majority of hotels in Cape Town offer transfers at a reasonable price in a comfortable car, we arranged the transfers before we left the UK and had a confirmed price added to our hotel accommodation and we were advised that the driver would be at the baggage reclaim hall to meet us and assist us with our luggage and transfer us back to the hotel.

*~*Best time to Visit*~*
Cape Town is an all year visitor destination however it is important to remember that the seasons are opposite to ours. Cape Town’s summer runs from Late October to March and the average temperature is 79Of.
Autumns are mild and was the time that we visited and it was really nice it was warm but not too warm and there was a pleasant breeze making it ideal for sightseeing, it was also not overly populated with tourists as Summer is the most popular time for visitors to Cape Town we found that this was an ideal time to visit as not only are flight prices lower, but you can benefit from very low prices for hotel accommodation.
Winter begins in June and they are generally wet and cold and this lasts up until August, so there would not be much opportunity for sightseeing if you decided to visit during the winter months.
Ultimately the best time to travel depends on you and what you want to gain from your holiday below are some guidelines:-

For the game season visit between August and October
For Southern right Whale watching visit between June and October
For the hump back whales visit between August and December
For the Summer Weather plan your visit between November and February.
When we visited in May the temperature was similar to our spring, plenty of warm sunshine, a lack of rain and light breezes especially on the Waterfront.

*~*Language*~*

South Africa has eleven official languages which are:-
English
Afrikaans
Ndebele
Northern Sotho
Southern Sotho
Xhosa Venda
Tswana
Zulu
Suazi
Tsonga

English is predominately used however there are many phrases that mean different things in South Africa but visit the Countries website for a list to familiarize your self before you travel.

*~*My Top Must-Do’s*~*

As I was only in Cape Town for a week I didn’t get to do as much sight seeing as I would have liked but then that only gives me plenty of reasons to return.

1. Table Mountain.
Table Mountain is the best way to see what Cape Town has to offer and the quickest and easiest way is via cable car and it is just a 15 minute drive from the city centre. This was the first sight seeing tour that we booked and we were certainly not disappointed as our tour guide pointed out the many sights that we could see during our trip, however Table Mountain can be hit or miss you really need to go on good day or your view will be impaired.
The Table Mountain website is ideal for daily forecasts and prices, the site will also advise if the cable car is closed due to any bad weather.

2. Victoria and Alfred Waterfront
When planning our visit to Cape Town we had decided to split our accommodation finishing with a few nights on the Waterfront staying at the Table Bay Hotel.
The V&A Waterfront as it is more affectionately known is located between Table Mountain and Robben Island and is Cape Town’s working harbour it is full of popular shops, restaurants and bars and is stacked with history including the Clock Tower, Dragon Tree and much much more.

3. Robben Island
Another must-see, Robben Island housed the prison that was home to former South African President Nelson Mandela and is now a world heritage site.
Excursions can be pre-booked to the Island through your hotel concierge and this will provide you with transport from your hotel, return ferry crossing over to Robben Island, an Island tour with a former political prisoner as your guide.
You cannot visit Cape Town without this visit.

4. Whale Watching
Unfortunately we had traveled out of season to see the Whales but I still have to put it on my recommendation list as I have heard from a friend that this is the most breath taking view you will ever get. Hermanus is a fantastic seaside town and is the best location to view Whales and get closer that you ever imagined possible.

5. Cape Point
Easily recognized from Table Mountain, Cape Points is a magnificent site formed by cliffs on the most southwestern tip of Africa, here you will find magnificent birds, plants and animals ideal for sightseeing on foot on one of the many trails offered.
You can reach Cape Point by Car or by Train, we again had pre-booked an excursion so had no worries about getting Cape Point.

6. Winelands
One of my favourite parts of the Holiday. Where else can you get away with being sizzled before 12pm?!?!?
The Winelands are fantastic, as you take the route through you witness some amazing scenery we made our journey from Cape Town to Stellenbosch then onto Paarl before finishing in Franschoek. Our favourite was Seidelberg Wine estate where we went on a tour with the owner who took us through the wine making process before we sampled some of the popular wines, there was also a glass making factory on site and a restaurant.
Spier is an ideal day out as this is a more commercialized wine estate offering more than just wine tasting they have animals and birds onsite with regular shows for children and adults.

7. The Garden Route
If scenerary is your thing then the Garden route is a must. Ideal if you have rented a car as it is easily reached from Cape Town, or if you prefer you can fly direct from Johannesburg to George which is located in the heart of the Garden route and it caters for everyone’s needs.
Mossel Bay is the first stop with amazing beaches on the shores of the Indian Ocean and is popular with families as well as locals and is ideal for those that enjoy the outdoor activities.
Sedgefield is ideal for fishing and diving in a quaint seaside village, I just loved.
Knysa is a wonderfully picturesque town and the Knysa Lagoon is home to over 200 species of fish. Plettenberg Bay is a great place for those wanting to catch a tan with warm waters this sun trap is amazing and offers Dolphin and Whale watching trips.

There are many more things to do when you arrive in Cape Town and I could go on for pages and pages but I thought I would give you a taster of my favourite sights.

*~*My Recommended Restaurants*~*

You really will be spoilt for choice eating in South Africa as the prices are so low and the food and wine is superb. There are so many places that you will want to sample, however her are a few of my recommendations which have been tried and tested:-

Baía Seafood Restaurant was my birthday treat for my partner, he has a love for sea food and here we were able to dine on Oysters, Lobster, Steak and more for the average price of a 3 course meal in your local pub! This restaurant is very popular and we actually booked the day that we arrived as we knew we wanted to have a special night here and be guaranteed a reservation.

belthazar restaurant & wine bar we actually visited on several occasions as the wine was fantastic and the food was amazing, here we regualarly dined on langoustines and the appetizer was to die for which was some fantastic freshly baked bread with a spicy sausage dip to complement. Simply the best steak I have ever sampled was at this restaurant and again it is very popular with locals and tourists alike so expect a wait if you have not pre-booked in the evening.

Jewel Of India we simply could not resist, another superb restaurant which provided us with a great deal of food for our money with poppadums, delicious appetizers and fantastic curries, we only visited here once but it was delicious. The average cost based on 2 people dining with alcoholic drinks was R200 which is approximately £20.00

Quay Four Seafood Brasserie is a great place if you want something similar to bar food as they offer great open sandwiches, steaks and seafood again at great prices.

*~*Other Useful Information*~*

Cape Town is only GMT +2 so you are unlikely to suffer from jet lag although it is a pretty long journey when you arrive you will just want to start sight seeing as soon as possible.

Cape Town is clean and safe however you should always protect yourself as you would at home, make sure that all valuables are stored away safely. If you have a car, keep valuables out of sight and your doors locked. We had been advised that car jacking does occur on private quiet roads at night so always exercise caution and keep traveling to a minimum late at night.

No vaccinations are required for your trip to Cape Town and there are no health risks. You will need a plug converter for electrical items that you take with you such as a hairdryer or straightners etc.

14% VAT is added to the price of most goods, services and accommodation but as a tourist you can reclaim VAT back on departure for purchased to the value of R250 or more.

I love Cape Town and am desperate to return and this time I think I may try to go in the Summertime to see the Whales.
If you decide to visit Cape Town you can pre-book your tours before you travel and these are just as cheap, try Keith Prowse for more information.

Useful Websites:-
www.robben-island.org.za
www.waterfront.co.za
www.capepoints.co.za
www.winelands.co.za
http://www.paarlonline.com
www.lhw.com 

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