All you need to know about Cape Town – Your Ultimate Slow Travel Guide!
Cape Town is the perfect Slow Travel Destination!
You would be hard-pressed to find another city in this world that has so much natural beauty! Cape Town has it all – mountains, the sea, vineyards wherever you look and fantastic food at every corner! There is so much to explore, you could spend weeks on end in Cape Town without ever getting bored! It’s the perfect place to take your time to explore everything this stunning place has to offer. Let’s take you on a tour to get to know the Mother City!
Kaapstad - Slaap Stad
The general pace of life is rather relaxed with a big emphasis on an active, outdoorsy lifestyle. Perfect for the avid Slow Traveller! South Africans, mostly from outside of Cape Town, even like to call it ‘Slaap Stad’ (Sleepy Town) in reference to the Afrikaans name ‘Kaapstad ‘. This might be an exaggeration, but then nothing here is really done hastily! Capetonians love the finer things in life! Make sure you leave enough time to do as the locals do – enjoy some good wine and good food and enjoy the breathtaking views!
A sight you won't forget!
There is no denying it! Cape Town is simply the most beautiful city in the world! You already know you are in for something special when you arrive from the airport on Nelson Mandela Boulevard and you turn the corner that offers a view over the city bowl, the Atlantic Ocean and Table Mountain! What a sight! The iconic mountain overlooking the city with the dark blue sea glittering in the distance. Even though a few high-rise buildings are scattered throughout, they don’t look too imposing with Table Mountain and Lions Head looking down on them. The locals call Cape Town lovingly the Mother City as it is South Africa’s first and oldest city. Some say the name is eluding to the way the city is nestled in the lap of Table Mountain – like a mother cradling her child. Personally, I like this explanation the best!
A metropolis with a small town feeling!
Cape Town is home to about 4.6 million people, but the majority of Capetonians live in the flats around the mountain, an area that stretches from Table Bay to False Bay. The actual city centre is rather small as it is squeezed between Table Mountain, Lions Head, Signal Hill and the Atlantic Ocean. It’s a metropolis with a small-town feeling! The mountains divide the city between the city bowl, Gardens and Greenpoint on the one side and the “Atlantic Seaboard” with Sea Point, Clifton and Camps Bay on the other side. Nature is always on your doorstep with plenty of things to do from sea kayaking to hiking to paragliding off Lions Head or Signal Hill. Right in the city!
There is a vibrancy in the air that is just infectious and whatever corner you turn you’ll just find another amazing view! Capetonians are fiercely proud of their city, yet they still always seem to be amazed and grateful that foreigners would come to visit their beautiful home.
Wining & Dining
Capetonians are great hosts with countless, fantastic restaurants and cafes. As it comes to local wine and dining experiences, Cape Town can easily keep up with any foodie mecca in the world.
South Africans, in general, are great with fresh local produce and their favourite, most delicious pastime is braaing (barbecuing)! Boerewors (the local sausage) is a must-try when in Cape Town as well as an evening at one of the many outstanding steak restaurants in the city. Add a good bottle of red wine to the equation and you have yourself a winner. If you are fond of cheese boards and charcuterie platters paired with some outstanding wine, you have come to the right place. You also have to try some typical local dishes such as Bobotie – as sweet and savoury rice casserole – and maybe even a bunny chow – half a loaf of white bread hollowed out and filled with a spicy curry! Yum! Breakfast lovers will eat their heart out over all sorts of combinations of avocado, bacon, cheeses and eggs on your choice of bread paired with some freshly brewed coffee or local rooibos tea. If you are looking for healthier breakfast fare, no problem either. The options are endless and often comes with some epic views of the mountains or the sea.
Wine and the City!
Once you venture out of the city centre you are never far away from wine country. Thinking about it, there is actually no direction you can take out of the city that doesn’t pass by some vineyards. Even places as remote as Cape Point, Africa’s most South-Western tip, have a vineyard on its doorstep! The wine areas closest to the city are Constantia and Durbanville!
Constantia is Cape Town’s oldest and most prestigious wine area, set in the lush and green South of the city. Here you’ll find historical Cape Dutch Houses shaded by enormous oak trees – the perfect setting for a wine tasting or to simply sit and enjoy a bottle of good wine.
Durbanville is located in the North of the city, about a 30-minute drive from the centre. Next to outstanding wines, the vineyards here offer some of the best views of the city skyline with a full frontal view of Table Mountain, Devils Peak, Lions Head and Table Bay in front! A truly awe-inspiring sight and some delicious wines!
Now we haven’t even started to talk about the ‘real’ Winelands around Stellenbosch, Franschhoek, Paarl, Wellington and Somerset West only about a 45 – 60-minute drive from the city! This is a topic on its own, which obviously deserves its own post. For now, let me just say you should plan at least a night or two in the Winelands – wine lover or not – it is just one of the most beautiful areas you could ever find. Mountains, vineyards, historic little towns and outstanding food – if this is wrong, I don’t want to be right!
What's your kinda stay?
Cape Town is a long-long standing tourist destination and you will find any sort of accommodation you can think of. As an iconic start- or endpoint for Africa trips Cape Town caters for all budgets and tastes!
For the budgeteers
South Africans do backpacker accommodation extremely well and even if you travel on a higher budget try a night or two at a backpacker once. You’ll always find the most interesting characters around and the proprietors have the best stories they love to share. Here is where usually the best travel stories are born! The accommodation is not as rough and ready anymore since most backpackers offer private rooms, often with en-suite bathrooms that are worth staying at.
For the bon vivants
Another type of accommodation that Cape Town does extremely well are the Boutique Guest Houses and B&B’s. You can find amazing, exclusive little guesthouses all over the city and down the Cape Peninsula. These are usually beautiful houses with only a few, thoughtfully decorated rooms and beautiful gardens! The owners are attending to your every need and love to spoil you. If you have the budget and you are not keen on big hotels, this is the best way to stay in the city!
For the traditionalists
If you love a good hotel with all amenities, there are plenty around the city and surroundings. You’ll find a few of the international brands, but South Africa has their own big brands such as Southern Sun or Protea Hotels! They can easily hold their own amongst the international competition. Cape Town is even home to South Africa’s only 6-star hotel, the One & Only at the V&A Waterfront!
For the individualists
If you prefer to be more independent there are obviously plenty of options with AirBnB and self-catering accommodation on offer! Especially if you stay longer, this is the perfect way to feel like a local. Try your hand in cooking some of the delicious South African dishes or if you have a braai area, get your fire-making skills on and relax with a bottle of wine at home.
Getting Around
Cape Town, or South Africa in general, is the best place to have a rental car! The roads are good, traffic is not too hectic and it’s pretty easy to navigate. Having a rental car offers you so much more freedom to explore the city, the Peninsula and Winelands – it is definitely worth it. You will find all the big rental car companies in Cape Town, such as Europcar, Hertz, Budget, Avis etc. It’s easy to pick up a car at Cape Town airport on arrival and get started right after touchdown. If you prefer to enjoy the city without a car and only pick one up later for a road trip, no problem either! All rental car companies have outlets in the city centre too.
Other than your own transport the Uber App is the best possible way to get around! Trips within the city centre usually cost between 20 – 45 ZAR (1.40 – 3 USD), if you go pretty much anywhere in about a 10 – 15 km radius you usually spend between 100 to 160 ZAR (7 – 11 USD). It’s quick, it’s affordable, it’s easy and it’s safe! Download the app and off you go.
Staying Connected
Now, to be able to use your google maps or to call an Uber you will need some data. Make your life easy and get yourself a South African sim card on arrival. Vodacom and MTN are the two biggest players in South Africa, so it’s easiest to go with either of them. They offer similar pre-paid options depending on the length of your stay and your data needs. If you want to top-up you can usually get pre-paid airtime (call credit) and data vouchers at petrol stations and supermarkets. Generally speaking, 99% of cafés and restaurants do offer free WIFI as well.
Weather & Seasons
Well, well, well – Cape Town’s weather is fickle, to say the least, and you can easily have four seasons in one day. So, always be prepared for any eventuality!
Summer
Cape Town’s summer months are December to February and are also the peak season for travellers flogging to its beautiful shores. The weather is mostly sunny and hot with temperatures as high as the mid-thirties. During this time there is only a small chance for the occasional shower.
Autumn
A beautiful time to visit the Mother City is the shoulder season from March to May, it’s less busy and the weather is still beautiful, warm and less windy.
Winter
From June to September it’s officially winter and temperatures go as low as 10 – 15 degrees on average. It also rains a lot during winter with the occasional gale force winds. Every now and then it even snows on Table Mountain, but it never reaches the city.
Spring
Between September and November it’s springtime. During this time it is slowly warming up, but the weather is generally pretty unpredictable and more on the cool side. It can be rainy, it can be windy, but it can also be beautiful and warm. Don’t miss out on the spring flowers up the West Coast during this time. It’s a beautiful and unique experience.
Wind – The famous South Easter
Let’s talk about wind. You might laugh, but if you come to Cape Town it is a force to be reckoned with. It’s better known as the South Easter, thanks to the direction it’s blowing from or Cape Doctor because it cleans the city from dirty air. One of the more beautiful wind-related phenomena, that occurs regularly, is the Tablecloth over Table Mountain. It’s when the wind drives clouds over the flat top of Table Mountain which then cascades down the front and disappears before reaching the city. Capetonians LOVE to talk about the wind as it has to be taken into account when planning anything! It prevents or destroys many plans, from having a braai (barbeque) to having a picnic or going to the beach. Usually, the wind starts blowing from around September/October until around January, from there it usually gives a bit of a rest until the deepest, darkest winter when it returns in form of occasional gale force winds battering the city.
The Ocean - it's not all what it seems!
Let’s talk about the sea! Cape Town and the Cape Peninsula have some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. White sand and crystal-clear blue water that seems to whisper: ‘come closer, come for a swim’. BUT don’t be fooled – the water is ice cold! It is heart attack material! If you, therefore, plan a day at the beach just be prepared that this might be a quick dip unless you have nerves of steel or you are practising the Wim-Hof-method. #justsaying!
The Rainbow Nation and its people
Cape Town has a big mix of different cultures and ethnicities and is different from other big cities in South Africa. When you land in Johannesburg, you know you’ve landed in Africa. When you land in Cape Town, you can sometimes forget that you are in Africa. The first thing you will see leaving the airport are the townships, where a big portion of the black population lives. Poverty is very clearly visible. Closer to the city, along the “Cape Flats”, the flat area of land around the mountain, is where most of the Coloured communities are settled. The majority of the white population lives in the city centre and more affluent areas further out. This is obviously a generalisation, but there are still some tangible divisions.
Wealth is still not distributed equally. Race, colour and ethnicity is still a topic and will probably always be. Untangling the works of apartheid politics is hard work, a long and complicated process. Only patience and education will hopefully eventually heal the wounds of the past.
I think the COVID crisis has shown in South Africa once again, that when times are tough, people stick together! Everyone chips in for the best of their country and people. Sometimes I feel like South Africans are not even aware of how unified they actually are and how much they look out for each other!
Capetonians – and South Africans in general – are such warm and welcoming people, always ready to help. They love to look after their guests and friends, are generous and just great fun to be around. It’s so easy to have the best time and make good friends here!
Last but not least - Staying Safe
Talking about Cape Town or South Africa often one of the first questions that come up are about crime and safety. And yes, crime is, unfortunately, a reality in South Africa. However, it doesn’t need to consume your stay in this beautiful city, if you avoid a few simple things. Most crime tourists might be confronted with is petty crime, such as stealing cell phones, wallets or breaking into cars. So, if you act smart and responsible, the chances of having a bad experience are relatively low.
Here are some DON’T’s, helping you avoid having a bad experience:
- Don’t walk around at night, take an Uber even if it’s a short distance
- Watch your stuff – don’t leave your phone, your wallet, your handbag unattended
- If you have a rental car don’t leave valuables in it overnight, don’t leave anything of value uncovered
- Be observant when you walk the streets. Don’t be scared or paranoid, just know what’s going on around you
- Don’t get into discussions with beggars
Don’t let this take anything from the amazing experiences you’ll be able to have here! I promise you, once you have been here, you’ll always return. There must be something in the water because it’s impossible not to love this beautiful city!
Thanks so much for your time and I hope you enjoyed getting to know Cape Town. Follow us next time again when we discuss the Top 10 Best Things to do in Cape Town!
Until next time! Subscribe and like!
