Cape Town Experience - General > Reviews (7)

Cape Town is undeniably the crème de la crème of picturesque cities to visit in South Africa. Even as you walk around in the city's central business district, the air is still pure enough to feel as if any of the beautiful first world buildings and constructions, breathe at one with nature as a certain palpable, hazy warmth wraps around you in calm, quiet magnitude. Tarry awhile to listen to the gentle cooing of doves overhead and you may just find yourself hopelessly addicted.

Locals are friendly, and can be a little too friendly if you find yourself in certain parts that only locals know how to find their way about. They might offer to wash and look after your car and if you refuse, might swamp you with pressing requests to do so, just wave a friendly, firm and dismissive nay (try not to look afraid) and they'll not usually press on.
Places you might like to visit include Table Mountain, the Waterfront, Century City (massive theme park with fun rides for adults and children), Canal Walk (another massive complex which boasts shops from there to Timbuktu, no, not literally, but nearly!), Camps Bay, Mouille Point, Sea Point, The Strand, Gordon's Bay, Plettenburg Bay, Betty's Bay, the list is inexhaustible. The beaches, coves and lagoons are strewn with powdery white sands while the crystal clear waters promise to grant toe-curling delight to those who can't resists its deep blue allure (no water shoes required, what a blessing!). Splash out with surfing and sailing for most part of the year, what more could one ask for?
It's advisable to rent accommodation near to beaches, rather than try to wind your way through endless traffic jams at the heart of summer. The weather is generally hot but not generally over 35 degrees. On the odd day it might soar to 35c in summer, if not slightly more, but this is the exception rather than the rule. In Cape Town, rains fall often, even during summer, and winters have been know to yield snow in certain parts, especially mountainous regions. If Table Mountain's magnetism has pulled you in, ensure that you tackle what looks like a deceptively "easy" walk, by not doing it alone, and following necessary precautions. It has been known for an unsuspecting tourist to literally get lost in the majestic glory of it all, only to perish overnight due to hypothermia.

Local produce such as fruit, wine and fish are generally inexpensive and because the country is rich in natural resources, most foods are manufactured / grown naturally. Muizenberg and Simon's Town boasts its own little fish spots where local fisherman bring in their catch several times throughout the day. What a tasty way to live healthily!

Local restaurants (i.e family favourites) which are cheap include the Spur (various branches all over), Ocean Basket (among others), however, if grub is the thing which keeps your boat afloat, you might want to drive in to Macdonalds, KFC or Pizza Hut... If you have a wallet that's bursting at the seems, you might want to give it all up at the Mount Nelson Hotel.

Now South Africa might very well be a place where you won't get imprisoned for debt, but don't try this at home folks, this is what one might call a citizen's privilege. The Mount Nelson Hotel is, in fiscal terms, not for the faint-hearted.

Its advisable to be aware of driving alone at night, or even driving with a partner. Hijackings are not uncommon and sometimes the perpetrators are what seem to be vulnerable women, who approach whilst their partner is waiting close by, ready to pounce on someone unsuspecting. Be wary, but remember, crime could happen anywhere, you can get run down just as easily down your own road as you could anywhere in the world.

Other points of interest would be its nature reserves, Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden, Cape Point (which overlooks Robben Island where Nelson Mandela had been imprisoned during the Apartheid regime), the Aquarium at the Waterfront, and much much more…

Capetonian landscapes and buildings are vibrant with colour and almost everywhere you go you'll be surrounded by artistic titillations. In Cape Town City Centre you will find a vast array of art shops or stalls selling local art products, the flea markets tell their own picture stories, and occasionally you'll find the rising sound of drums reverberating through your senses as a local group of African dancers start busking from a lonely corner, attired in traditional skins and time defying instruments shaking up the quiet moment with a traditional song and stomping rhythmical zeal which awakens and refreshes the senses, in a way which mimics one's very heartbeat, and echoes in the mind long after the holidays are over…