The usual top five must-sees in Cape Town are:-
1. Table Mountain Park and cable car
2. Robben Island and V and A Waterfront
3. The Cape Peninsula and Cape Point
4. Kirstenbosh Botanical Gardens
5. The Winelands
It’s what all our B and B guests come to see. That is apart from soccer during the Soccer World Cup. Needless to say these excursions are very popular. A word of advice. Book trips like Robben Island and Table Mountain in advance if you can at webtickets. That way you can avoid the queues and hopefully make sure you get to see them. One more word of advice. Check the weather before you head out. If the weather is wet and windy, phone first. Both Robben Island ferry and Table Mountain cable car do not run in bad weather
One of Cape Town’s not to miss experiences is the glorious sunsets. A stroll along Sea Point Promenade is a perfect way to observe the fiery skyline. Or you could find a place anywhere along the coastal road to stop and sip a cocktail with the setting sun as an accompaniment. Just be aware that the new drink driving laws are being enforced with a vengeance.
The association with crime and South Africa has been brought up again with the murder of Anni Dewani, wife of Shrien Dewani, in Cape Town. A few posts back I said that crime almost always occurs in hot spots and that plain common sense should keep you safe.
The international media have had a field day with the story. UK journalists had a go at our national police commissioner Bheki Cele. “Can you assure us no other tourists will get killed?” was apparently asked of him.
I do think it incumbent on tourists to observe basic safety protocol. Surely that should apply no matter where you travel? With regard to this story there are a good few things I would never have done. I am fairly certain that the 5 star hotel where they were staying would also have offered good advice.
I would not go to a hot spot at 11.00pm at night. I would only travel to a hot spot with an approved driver or tour guide. I would never go to a hot spot with a stranger. I would know exactly where I was going and would in all likelyhood have known that the restaurant they were looking for was closed. I know that I would never have been in that car, with that person, in that place, at that time. Never!
That’s not to say I have never been to a township or that I don’t go out. I have and I do. Locals are watching this case unfold. We would also like to know what happened. Visit our webiste for all the best safety and travel tips we have come across. Click here – health, safety, travel and money saving tips.
What to do at night in Cape Town? You will be utterly spoilt for choice when it comes to eating out in South Africa. On the whole, food is affordable and the standard of food is usually excellent. Service is good. Cusine ranges from seafood, Malay curries and international cuisine to steak houses. For kosher food try Avron’s in Sea Point and for halaal food try Biesmiellah in the Bo Kaap.
I like Osumo, Kauai and Wellness Warehouse Cafe for divine fresh salads and smoothies. Vegetarians are well catered for there. Have a look at the Eat Out and Dining Out websites for more ideas.
After that you could head down Long Street for anything from stand up comedy, live music to an all night boogie. Green Point and Camps Bay also have a good few clubs and cocktail bars. To get about call a Rikki cab. They are London style share-cabs that are well priced and safe. It’s safe to walk about the busy areas but I wouldn’t get drawn into conversations with people on the street trying to sell things to you. Just say no!
For something completely different, how about an evening cycle tour? Or maybe a moonlight hike up Lion’s Head. For the cycle tour which is a 13 kilometre route that starts at 16.00pm at Cape Grace visit the operator website – Bike and saddle. For the full moon hike, take a turn up Signal Hill and find a parking space early. It’s a popular walk and can get crazy full of people. Take some snacks or sandwiches and a bottle of wine and head up to watch the full moon rise.
It’s like Soccer World cup all over again here in Cape Town. The roads are closing and fans are flocking into our part of the world. If we can pull off Soccer World Cup, well one more game is a doddle. An on-line poll done by a local newspaper shows that South Africans are feeling optimistic. Sixty-six percent of us think we will beat the Americans. Let’s hope the makarapas and the rest of the fan gear is as stunning as it was for Soccer World Cup.
A makarapa for the ignorant, is a hard hat that is carved with great care to create relief designs on the hat. The colour of the hard hat and optional painted images allow fans to display their club colours. And of course a hard hat is handy if fans become a bit boisterous. The de rigeur accompaniment is a pair of bright plastic oversize glasses. Tres soccer chic!
And what would a game of soccer here be without the obligatory vuvuzela. Bring them on!
In my last blog I was waxing about how incredibly wonderful South Africa and South Africans are. Funny thing is, the rest of the world don’t see us like that. I can’t count the amount of times after I was asked where I was from, people would ask me about crime and how I manage to live with it. It’s almost as if they think we’re all living in fear here.
I can’t lie and say we don’t have crime. We’re definitely at the top end of the statistics lists. And while most of the people I mix with have not been affected by crime, I do know some people who have. Crime happens in hot spots and for the most part – to people who don’t take proper care. If you leave a laptop on the passenger seat of your car, well don’t expect to find it when you come back. If you get blind drunk and walk off in a dark alley, there is a chance you will be attacked. If you don’t do stupid things you should be fine.
But there is good news. Crime in SA is coming down. National Crime Statistics showed our murder rate had dropped by 8.6% since last year. Soccer Cup went off with hardly a glitch. Except for the soccer team that invited ladies of the night into their hotel and left cash lying around. Then wondered why their money got nicked. I can tell them why. But then what do I know?
