Cape Town, South Africa City Travel Information
The view from the top of Table Mountain overlooking Cape Town.
City Description:
Cape Town is the southern-most city in Africa and the second largest city in South Africa, right after Johannesburg. It is the capital of the Western Cape and offers everything from a night out at fancy restaurant then off to a trendy nightclub, to a hike thru the countryside and tours In the areas Townships, some of the most impoverished and crime-ridden areas in the world.
Besides that, they got some damn good wine in the area!
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City Highlights:
Make sure to visit Camp's Bay and 4th beach. It was one of the best days I had there. There you can find great beaches, nice people, and a nice relaxed atmosphere where you can enjoy a nice 'sundowner' (a drink to watch the sunset, duh!).
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City Lowlights:
Table Mountain was quite the letdown. Every online travel article about Cape Town will undoubtedly have this on the 'must do' list for Cape Town, but don't expect much. The hike might be nice if it wasn't for the fact that there is a good chance you can get mugged on the way up or even worse, stranded by a sudden change in weather. I guess people die from that every year. I took the cable car up, and once up there, you're treated to a nice view, but that's it. If it wasn't for all the hype surrounding Table Mountain, it wouldn't have been such a letdown.
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Restaurants:
At Camp's Bay there is a place called Cafe Caprice that overlooks the ocean. There I got the best sandwich I have ever had in my life thus far. It was the steak sandwich, so if you are ever there, make sure to give it a try! They also have awesome drinks and friendly staff. Plus, when you are ready to leave, they have a free phone with which you can use to call a rikki up to come and get you. I also heard "Mama Africa" is supposed to be nice (according to guide books), but some people I talked to who went there said it was just "ok".
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Nightlife:
Most of the nightlife in Cape Town center on Long Street and the Waterfront with the Waterfront being the more expensive, upscale option of the two. Make sure if you go out to either you take a cab back home otherwise you're going to get mugged. There are also a lot of good clubs in Cape Town, but once again, you'll need to take cabs to the good ones and make sure to dress nice.
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Public Transport:
There isn't any real public transport in Cape Town except for minibuses and "rikkis". I've heard different things about the safety of the minibuses, so I opted to use the rikkis which are basically converted English taxis that are decent, safe and cheap. They follow scheduled routes and can be reached by phone pretty easily. You can expect a pickup pretty shortly after you call, but whatever time they quote you on the pickup, make sure you are out there at least 5 minutes before that because the rikki will not wait for you. Also, when you call them up, don't be startled by the fact that as you are talking to the dispatcher, you're going to be hearing all kinds of yelling and commotion in the background.
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The People:
There is a huge racial divide in South Africa thanks to apartheid (pretty much what segregation was in the United States but a bit worse). The one city I found it to be the least apparent, at least socially, was in Cape Town. I went out there and it was refreshing to see blacks and whites mingling as if Apartheid never happened (this was on Long Street). It was pretty cool. For the most part people are friendly, but you will also get a good amount of impoverished blacks who will stare at you with almost predatory eyes. Don't take that as a racist statement because it's simply the sad truth down there thanks to the socioeconomic problems that are in South Africa. Also, there are a TON of beggars on Long Street at night, so be prepared to be bombarded with locals who will come up, talk to you for a second or two then ask for money. Other than that, the average person is generally friendly, but not everyone is very approachable thanks to the security situation in South Africa, but if you meet a group at a club or pub they will generally be more than happy to talk with you.
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Sights:
In the way of sights, there are a couple things to see in Cape Town, but I think the best thing to see in Cape Town is the culture itself. I did Table Mountain and wasn't impressed, and would recommend putting that closer to the bottom of the to-do list. Going through the Cape of Good Hope though was very nice. It's an easy hike with amazing scenery. There is also the Waterfront, but it's nothing much more than a huge mall with some nice restaurants (but it is probably the safest area of the city). Finally, there's Long Street. Take a stroll down there in a group during the day or night and you'll get to see some cool architecture and a bunch of decent places to eat or have a beer at.
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My Thoughts on this City:
I liked Cape Town a lot, but I don't think that it lives up to the hype that I seem to be bombarded with anytime I read an article about traveling in Africa. Sure, it is a wonderful city with a beautiful water front, nice clubs, bars and shopping. But it also has a serious crime problem and I met many a traveler who got mugged there (they didn't follow the advice of the locals, but not everyone has common sense). It is a city of dichotomies, million dollar homes with electric fences and barbed wire on one side, with dirt floored shacks and stray dogs on another. Cape Town has everything, but sometimes everything isn't a good thing.
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