Where to stay in Cape Town

See

Although the legislative capital of South Africa, Cape Town doesn't seem like part of Africa, in fact, the city provides a natural backdrop and Cape Dutch architecture.

• Bo-Kaap
• Castle of Good Hope
• City Hall
• Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden
• Rhodes Memorial
• South African Houses of Parliament
• Two Oceans Aquarium
• Victoria and Alfred Waterfront
• Cape Town Science Centre
• Nobel Square
• Bo-Kaap Museum
• District Six Museum

Do

Cape Town is at the meeting spot of the Atlantic and the Indian Ocean. Because of the Benguela Current the Atlantic Ocean is relatively cold (about 8°C to 14°C). The Indian Ocean is warmer (12°C to 17°C), and here you can see more colourful fish. The official border between the two oceans is at Cape Agulhas, but currents and eddies take the warmer water further west and these waters can reach the eastern side of the Cape Peninsula in False Bay, so from a diving point of view, the Cape Peninsula may be considered the interface between the two marine biological regions, and there is a notable difference in character between the waters of the two coasts of the peninsula.

• Cable Car to the top of Table Mountain
• Climbing Table Mountain
• Cape Peninsula
• Winelands
• Sunset cruise
• Swimming
• Surfing
• Kite surfing
• Newlands
• Ama Feesh Charters
• Cape Charters
• Hooked on Africa

Eat

Food in Cape Town is generally of high quality. The wines are much celebrated, but the surrounding region is also a major fruit producer, and the Karoo lamb is widely regarded. Seafood caught locally is superlative, but ironically much of it goes internationally (e.g., tuna for sushi) because of the prices that can be achieved. Ask about the local linefish—yellowtail, cape salmon, kingklip, cod and others are great eating. Oysters in season are also exceptional, farmed and wild from Knysna or wild flown in from Namibia. As one of the main tourist spots is the V&A Waterfront, you will find a broad range of restaurants, but they are often crowded and expensive.

Drink

Long Street, which can be easily reached from St. George's Cathedral and the Greenmarket Square, is famous for its bars, restaurants and clubs. This is the ideal place if you want to end the day with a drink. It is also one of the few truly multi-ethnic, multi-racial nightspots in the city. See the new South Africa, not just other tourists. You will have live entertainment (normally something like jazz or kwaito music) in many bars and sometimes you will have to pay to get in. Observatory or better known as Obz is just north of Rondebosch (Southern Suburbs).

Stay safe

While Cape Town is not a dangerous place for tourists, South Africans are significantly more safety-conscious than people in most other parts of the world. While you should take some care as a tourist in any city, you should be more careful in South Africa than in many other places. A large number of outdoor CCTV cameras have been installed by the municipality. These stretch from the city bowl, the suburbs, the townships and all the way to the outlying areas of the metropole. New cameras are installed in additional areas quite regularly as needed. The cameras are monitored 24/7, and police and emergency services respond quite quickly to any detected incidents.