Cape Town Travel Guide – Hello South Africa

Cape Town, located at the southern tip of the African continent, is making a name for itself with its history, natural beauty, cuisine, and wines. Cape Town is a city that almost leaves all its visitors in awe. We thoroughly enjoyed our time in Cape Town and South Africa. Now, let’s delve into the details of this beautiful journey. 🙂

Cape Town Travel Guide: When to Go?

The peak season in Cape Town is during the summer months of December to February. While the Northern Hemisphere experiences winter, Cape Town has warm weather during these months, creating a lively atmosphere on all the beaches. However, you can visit at any time between September and May (excluding the winter months of June, July, and August). Cape Town is generally beautiful in every season.

Since we planned to do a safari and wanted a month when the animals are active and it’s springtime in Cape Town, we traveled in September. Throughout our journey, the weather in Cape Town was around 17-20 degrees Celsius, and we mostly walked around with light jackets.

Cape Town Travel Guide: How Long to Stay?

Considering that we can’t always travel to a distant place like South Africa, we allocated a 10-day period here. However, this time is quite ample for Cape Town alone. Since we had come this far, we wanted to explore Cape Town and its surroundings thoroughly, relax in the vineyards where the famous South African wines are produced, and experience a safari in Kruger National Park, one of the most beautiful safari destinations in the world. Therefore, we divided our trip into three parts: two nights in Franschhoek, three nights in Cape Town, and three nights in Skukuza. These durations proved to be quite sufficient for each place we stayed.

Cape Town Travel Guide: Transportation

There are many airlines that fly directly or with layovers to Cape Town. Due to the price and comfort advantage, we chose to fly with Qatar Airways with a layover in Doha. The flight was comfortable, and the meals were excellent. You can check the details of Qatar Airways tickets here.

We booked our Airlink internal flight from Skukuza to Johannesburg through Qatar Airways as a link to our main flight. If you are also planning to take an internal flight, my advice is to buy international + internal as a single ticket. This way, if there is any delay in the internal flight, you won’t risk missing it because it’s linked to your international flight. We booked our tickets from Cape Town to Skukuza through Airlink as separate tickets.

Cape Town Travel Guide: Accommodation

Cape Town has many different areas for accommodation: City Center, Sea Point, Camps Bay, or the Victoria area, among others. We liked Home Suite Hotels in Sea Point among our options because of its score, location, and price. You enter the hotel with a face scanning system! Yes, this was the first time I encountered such ultra-security measures, and it actually gave us a clue about the city. The hotel was very comfortable and centrally located. However, the best part was the breakfast. If you book your rooms including breakfast, you receive a voucher worth 300R per person every day, which you can spend at the delightful restaurant Sonny and Irenne in the same building. Frankly, with 300R, you can have a feast for breakfast here. You can find the details of the hotel here and other accommodation options in Cape Town here.

Cape Town Travel Guide: Public Transportation

We mostly used UBER to get to important points within the city. For areas outside the city, such as Cape of Good Hope or Boulders Beach, we rented a car from AVIS for a day. You can check the rent a car options from here. Although traffic is on the left side, which was a bit different, we quickly got used to it. I’m glad we rented a car because we planned our trip the way we wanted, took breaks at the scenic spots, and enjoyed the views. Every part of this city is a scenic spot, a visual feast!

Cape Town Travel Guide: Safety

Cape Town is not a safe city, my friends. I don’t want to scare you, but it’s good to be cautious and know where you are going. It’s a city in a country with a high crime rate. We understand this not only from official data but also from the electric wires and security cameras surrounding almost all buildings. When and where you are is very important. My advice is to be very careful during the day and not walk on the streets after dark. Especially in the evenings, always go to your destination using UBER.

Cape Town Travel Guide: A Brief History

Before exploring South Africa, I believe it’s necessary to know a little about the country’s history. Because we still see the effects of these historical events today.

After being discovered by the Portuguese in the 15th century, South Africa was invaded and exploited by the Dutch in the 17th century and then by the British in the 19th century. The classification of black vs. white, which began during the Dutch colonization, unfortunately continued until 1996. With the implementation of the Apartheid rules in 1948, society was divided into four categories: White, Black, Indian, and Coloured. In a country where 80-90% of the population is black, white population created an incredible world for themselves.

The Apartheid era ended with Nelson Mandela being released from prison and becoming the president. However, I can say very openly based on my observations that the effects of Apartheid still continue, and perhaps they will continue for another hundred years. The standard of living difference between black and white people is extreme. Most of the country lives in poverty. This situation is one of the main reasons for the high crime rate in the country.

Cape Town Travel Guide: Internet

Wifi is available at the airport and some tourist areas. However, it’s still good to have your mobile data. I bought a 5 GB internet package for $15 through Airalo. It was very useful for using UBER, maps, and communication. If you use the IAMONT3974 code when purchasing an e-sim from Airalo for the first time, you will get a $3 discount :).

Cape Town Travel Guide: Places to Visit

Cape Town, with its city structure surrounded by mountains, is so photogenic, natural, and beautiful. When the city is this beautiful, the number of places to visit is quite high. 🙂

1. Victoria & Alfred Waterfront

This historic port dating back to the 1600s, during the Dutch era, is the oldest working port in the Southern region. In this port area with a mountain view behind it, there is the Victoria Wharf shopping center, many cafes and restaurants, and a Ferris wheel. One of the most touristy areas in Cape Town.

2. Table Mountain

The world-famous Table Mountain, which has become a symbol of Cape Town, takes its name from its flat summit and its resemblance to a table. The city is almost built around the foothills of Table Mountain. Therefore, you can see this interesting mountain view from most places. You can hike or take the cable car to the top of Table Mountain. The cable car ticket is 340R per person.

We had only one day to climb Table Mountain, and the weather was a bit cloudy that day. Unfortunately, as we went up with the cable car, the silhouette of the city completely disappeared after a certain point. When we reached the top of the mountain, it felt like we were completely in the clouds, and we couldn’t see any city view.

Although there was no view, we really enjoyed this activity. The plateau part of the mountain was quite surprising. It was a much larger, flat area than I expected. The fact that specific flowers and plants grow there was also quite interesting. My advice is to bring an extra jacket, sweater, and if possible, a hat when you go up here; the summit can be quite cold. Also, check the weather, and if you’re lucky, go on a day when the weather is clearer.

3. Camps Bay

One of the most luxurious areas in Cape Town. It hosts beautiful villas. Camps Bay Beach, with its blue-flagged sea and white sands, is especially crowded with tourists in the summer months. The most beautiful viewpoint in Camps Bay is definitely the Maiden’s Cove Braai Area. After getting our coffee, we sat on a bench here for a while and enjoyed the view.

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Then, starting from Glee Beach, we walked to Camps Bay Beach and Bali Beach one after another. We really enjoyed this walk with clean air, the sea, and magnificent mountains.

4. Bo Kaap

A neighborhood located in the city center of Cape Town with colorful houses. It was one of the areas where non-whites had to live until the end of the Apartheid era. It’s mainly an area where people of Asian origin Muslims live. There is also a museum in the neighborhood where you can see the details of Cape Malay culture.

5. Hout Bay

After renting a car to discover the Cape Town Peninsula, Hout Bay was our first stop of our road trip. We walked a bit on this long beach, which is nestled in the mountains, even if the weather was rainy. I’m sure it’s very enjoyable here in the summer. There is a pier with fish restaurants and cafes right next to the beach. You can take a break here and enjoy this fishing village.

6. Chapman’s Peak Drive

Cape Town hosts one of the world’s most beautiful scenic road trip routes. Chapman’s Peak, located between Hout Bay and Noordhoek, is right by the ocean. The road called Chapman’s Peak Drive offers breathtaking views. Whether you rent a car or arrange a daily tour, make sure to pass through here. 🙂

7. Cape of Good Hope

The famous Cape of Good Hope, which we always hear about in geography lessons and know by heart since childhood, is located at the southernmost point of the Cape Peninsula. Discovered in the 15th century, the Cape of Good Hope is now a large national park. We entered this famous national park by paying 300R per person.

As soon as we entered this area, the vegetation changed completely. Trees gave way to bushes, and we saw different flowers and freely roaming ostriches.

When we advanced towards the ocean part of the Cape of Good Hope, a sign with coordinates appeared. Then we climbed to the top, and the view and the sound of the ocean were amazing.

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After this, we went to Cape Point, which is 1.5 km away from the Cape of Good Hope. After a 45-minute walk, you reach the section where the lighthouse is located. You can also use a funicular to climb if you wish.

8. Boulders Beach

After the Cape of Good Hope, we turned our route to Boulders Beach. Boulders Beach is home to a penguin species unique to Africa. We lingered too much at the Cape of Good Hope, and we didn’t know that Boulders Beach closed at 5 o’clock. We were there exactly at 5, but we couldn’t purchase any ticket to enter. I was incredibly sad because the thing I was most excited to see since I came to Cape Town was the penguins. If you want to go to Boulders Beach, keep in mind the closing time.

Later, right next to it, we went to Water’s Edge Beach. This is a public beach very close to Boulders Beach. We encountered a lot of penguins just hanging out on this beach! Moreover, there was no one on the beach, just penguins and us. Incredibly cute, shy, funny. If you come to Cape Town, you must see the penguins. If you miss the entrance to Boulders Beach like us or if you don’t want to buy any tickets, don’t worry, just check the next public beaches. It’s very likely that you’ll spot some of them in the beach.

9. Muizenberg Beach

The final stop of our road trip was the beautiful Muizenberg with its colorful beach huts and long white beach. Muizenberg is a favorite spot for surfers due to its beautiful waves. But at the same time, it seems to be a beach that whales love very much. If you are going to surf or swim here, I recommend being careful.

10. Lion’s Head & Signal Hill

On my Cape Town to-do list are two places I couldn’t manage to see. One of them is Lion’s Head, a perfect route for hiking. Unfortunately, I couldn’t undertake this activity due to rainy weather. There are multiple routes for trekking to Lion’s Head, with the ascent taking an average of 1.5-2 hours. If you have the time and energy, you can trek here in the late afternoon and watch the sunset.

11. Robben Island

Another activity I wanted to do but couldn’t is Robben Island. This island served as a prison from the 17th century until 1996. Nelson Mandela and hundreds of others were imprisoned here for political reasons. Daily/half-day tours are organized to the island. If you’re interested in Robben Island, be sure to buy your ferry tickets in advance and arrange your tour. Unfortunately, we couldn’t find any available spots because we didn’t plan ahead and missed the chance to see this historical island. You can check ticket and tour details here.

Cape Town Travel Guide: Activities

There are dozens of different activities to enjoy in Cape Town and its surroundings. You can go cage diving to watch whales, take a helicopter tour of the city, or arrange a safari tour in the areas near Cape Town. Check out the details of all these activities here and here, and you can conveniently book your activities online.

Cape Town Travel Guide: Dining & Food and Drink

1. Sonny and Irenne

We had our breakfast at this lovely restaurant every morning and had one dinner here. Everything on the menu was very tasty and of high quality. I strongly recommend this place. My favourite for breakfast was the Green Pea Pancake, and for dinner, it was the Chef’s Stroganoff. Main course prices range from 180-190R, and breakfast dishes vary between 100-180R.

2. I Love The Dough

Bree Street, a very long street filled with restaurants and cafes. Upon the recommendation of a local friend, we went to I Love The Dough on this street. In this place with 11 different beautiful pizzas, we tried their Number 6 pizzas and South African beers. Everything was delicious. Pizza prices ranged from 160-190R, and beer prices varied between 40-60R.

3. Kloof Street House

A cozy lunch/dinner spot. Prices are a bit higher than other places, but the atmosphere and garden are quite beautiful.

4. Saray Restaurant

When we were on the Victory side and didn’t want fast food due to fatigue, we sat down at this Turkish restaurant. The food was good, and the portions were large.

Cape Town Travel Guide: Tips & Notes & Closing

• It’s better not to bring valuable items with you.
• Be a bit more cautious than usual. Don’t walk on the streets after sunset. Check the ratings and reviews of UBER drivers.
• In South Africa, a different type of triple socket is used. Before going to where you’ll stay, ask if there’s a converter available, or it’s good to bring one with you.
• Don’t let all these warnings stress you out; millions of tourists go to Cape Town every year. I’m sure you’ll have a great time; just be cautious.
• You can find my other articles about South Africa in here.