Cape Town
The ocean. The mountains. The city buzz. The light. The wine region. The hikes. The vibe. The way of life… so many people told me before I came to this city that it would be somewhere that steals my heart. Somewhere I would feel like home away from home, and want to stay or spend more time.
Hiking up Lion's Head
When I first arrived in Cape Town, I had a vivid flashback to travelling South America years ago and landing in Rio de Janeiro. The combination of having busy city, mountainous land and beach front together is rare. It’s so rare to have all 3 condensed into one place, and I immediately knew this would be a place I could get along with. This unique mix means that leading a healthy, balanced lifestyle is 100 x easier. You can enjoy the buzz of city life whilst hiking up Lion’s Head, running along the beach, or kicking off the day with a morning swim beforehand. The energy of Cape Town is unique. We visited in February which was perfect as by mid Jan, the flock of tourists dies down but the weather remains warm and sunny.
Before I arrived in Cape Town, my mind envisioned beach restaurants serving up “braai” aka South African barbecue meats and veggies, colourful shack style beach bars, and a culture wildly different to my own. Spoiler alert: this was not the case! Whilst we loved our time travelling South Africa, our time in Cape Town felt more like a European summer holiday than a trip across the world to another continent. Thanks to the swanky beachfront houses with elevators down to the beach, the endless rooftop bars and trendy modern fare restaurants, and the high levels of ex pats and tourists, I felt like we could have been on the south coast of Italy or somewhere like Ibiza. Cape Town is one of those cities that I feel has been caught up in globalisation to move towards a modern urban hub of fast paced fun. There’s so many boutique gyms, smoothie and açai bars, poke bowls and burger joints, food from every cuisine you could dream of… when we asked about local South African cuisine, most people directed us out of the city towards the north beaches or towards The Garden Route. We subsequently learned that braai is generally something done at home, as opposed to out and about. South Africa does have amazing produce so although not what I had anticipated, we had a great time exploring the best places to eat in Cape Town.
As a tourist in CT, it’s impossible not to stick within the bubble that crosses Camps Bay, Clifton and Sea Point. Everyone will tell you it is safer, accessible, and a quick scroll on Airbnb properties will have you lost in stunning and affordable homes fit with pools and more. The pound to rand is strong (100 SAR = £4 GBP) and so you can afford everyday luxuries like fine dining, vineyard lunches, and experiences for a lot less than you can back home.
Safety
We had many warnings before getting to Cape Town to be wary of safety. I mention this point because I’ve been asked countless times about how safe we felt whilst there. Safety is an important consideration wherever you travel in the world. Especially as a tourist, when you are travelling in developing countries, you can easily stick out as a target and people may assume you are rich because of the colour of your skin, the phone in your hand, or how you dress. It is of the upmost importance to always be aware of this.
Whilst Cape Town is home to some of South Africa’s wealthiest people, there is also a huge disparity between those who “have” and those who “do not”. It is shocking and upsetting to witness quite how stark the difference between the two are, and I must say would personally steer me away from creating a life in the city. Because of this unfair wealth distribution among Cape Town’s inhabitants, many people are forced to turn to crime to survive, feed families and put a roof over their heads. With high levels of crime comes high levels of security. Some of the streets and homes around Clifton beach will have their own security sat outside in a shelter manning properties at all times, which bizarrely made me feel less safe, highlighting the obvious need for it.
As you drive out of the city you witness the miles and miles of townships (slum housing) that spans the land surrounding the city. It’s unimaginable that a place can be home to such varying levels of wealth, that it can all coexist within one city, and left me thinking that it’s no wonder crime levels are high when life is this unfair. When you’re in Cape Town, all the usual safety precautions apply. Take off expensive jewellery, don’t walk around late at night and opt for Ubers instead, be wary of using your phone whilst walking, don’t carry too much cash, share your location with a friend via Find My Friends, and generally be aware of what’s going on around you. We had no trouble whilst we were there sticking to these rules and being aware of our surroundings.
How to Get Around
Uber is your friend in Cape Town! It’s extremely cost effective and usually pretty reliable. You can also pre book for day trips if necessary. We were travelling as a group and so when we found the first XL driver with a comfortable car, we took his mobile number for direct bookings. We also rented a car twice, through two different companies - BLUU & Enterprise. They’re both located in the city, and we had a simple, hassle free experience with both, though more charges with BLUU.
Things to be aware of before you go
Load shedding: every single day, for at least 2 hours and sometimes up to 5, the power across the city goes off. The time of occurrence changes everyday, and you can check and plan ahead via the app Load Shedding. This is supposed to be to conserve electricity, but you’ll find many hotels and restaurants are therefore forced to install huge generators to be able to function through. If you’re in an Airbnb, you’ll have to plan things like washing, lights and cooking around these hours, which can be frustrating but you easily get into the habit of it
Read up on South African history: it’s always necessary to take time to educate yourself about countries you are visiting, but in South Africa in particular, you will be understanding and empathetic during situations if you are educated on the place and culture.
Get a SIM card for data: you can do this at the airport when you arrive, if your current contract doesn’t have this already.
Check opening hours of restaurants and bars! Don’t presume they will be similar to at home.
Take time to explore out of the city too! This is a big one. The land surrounding Cape Town is beautiful: from Franschoek to Stellenbosch to The Garden Route, there is so much incredible nature to explore and get the most of your SA adventures.
You can drink tap water - so bring a refillable bottle for your trip.
Reservations and deposits: When booking any of the restaurants in CT, don’t be surprised if they ask you to pay a deposit ahead of going. This is normal for all restaurants and ensures they are protected if you change your mind last minute.
