cape town - what to do where to stay

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eirefinq

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hi thinking of heading to cape town for a bit of sun in feb or march, anyone any views of where to stay, what is there to do down there and who to fly with etc.
 
Hi,
I've been to South Africa a number of times over the last few years & have always flown Air France- I can recommend a really nice place to stay in Cape Town (not sure what your budget is)

http://www.abbey.co.za/

this is an outstanding guesthouse. In cape town plenty to do- V&A, camps bay, table mountain, cape of good hope. Maybe take a drive to the winelands or spend a few days driving the garden route.
Magnificent country/great people,,
Enjoy
 
You have to go to Robben Islandto see the conditions under which Mandela and his comrades lived for so long.

For places to stay, go to [email protected]

You should include time to go down to Boulders Beach south of Simonstown to look at the Jackass Penguin colony. If you set off early enough, you can combine this with a visit to Cape Point. The return trip should be made via the coast road to see Chapmans Peak and the 12 Apostles.
 
Cape Town is beautiful, you should have a really good time, depending on your budget i would suggest Camps Bay specifically the Whale Cottage B&B for accomadation, its about 2 min walk to the beach and there a number of great bars and restaurants along the promenade. I would definitely visit the Cape Wineland towns of Stellenbosch and Franschoek they are about a 45 minute drive away from CT. Stellenbosch in particular is a wonderful place. Robben Island, Table Island and V&A waterfront is a must but if you are hiring a car take a drive around the Cape Penisuala/Chapmans Peak and you will see amazing scenery and some nice towns along the way such as Simonstown. Finally there is a area called Llandudlo its about 20mins from the city centre, we watched the sunset with a few beers on the beach, it capped off a brilliant holiday!
 
I would endorse the recommendations of previous posters. I know the area well & would just add a few things.You might consider Camps Bay. It has a heavenly beach at the back of Table mountain with great B&B's, bars, restaurants etc. If you want to spend "beach time" which is great at the time you are going then this is the place to be. Short taxi or bus ride takes about 15 mins. to V & A.
I find that KLM via Amsterdam is best way there & have always got better prices than Air France or BA.
Finally just be careful & stick to main areas particularly after dark. If driving be vigilant at traffic lights & don't open your windows for anyone. Crime rates are very high & police are great at spotting & fining for traffic offences. Not nearly so diligent at addressing the bigger issues.
 
Have been to Cape Town twice. Highly recommend Southern Sun Waterfront hotel. Fantastic city but be vigilant at all times...seriously!! Lovely restaurant which is not on the V&A Waterfront is "Mama Africa." Predictably, an African culture themed restaurant with African dancing & singing performers, bamboo style ceiling...pure class and seriously good food as there is most places in Cape Town. As a previous poster says, Robben Island is a must but book well in advance. Food cheap in Cape Town, as are taxis and local beers...Castle beer is toooo nice! Lovely people I thought generally.

I would recommend flying with Virgin; from Dublin we went through L-Heathrow and it was fine. L-Heathrow is huge and decent step to switch terminals. Any other queries, please post back.c
 
A great way to see around - very cheaply - is on the red bus. You can get on and off where you like, there is another bus every 20 minutes or so, and it passes by all the popular tourist attractions.

Some of my own favourites are Table Mountain, the Aquarium, District Six museum, Boulders Beach (hold your nose though, those penguins stink!), the V&A Waterfront and Afternoon Tea at the Mount Nelson. Another fascinating tour to take is a township tour, I think it was the highlight of my stay in Cape Town.

For a quirky museum visit, it's hard to beat the one at Groote Schuur hospital where Dr Barnard carried out the first heart transplant in 1967. The rooms that the transplant was carried out in are set up in an authentic representation of the operations.

If you hire a car, it's well worth driving around the peninsula and through the National Park. The baboons are very cheeky and you can get great photographs. A warning from a friend - if you are in a convertible car, don't sit there eating anything, the baboons will take it off you! Make sure the passenger in the car has a camera handy when you're driving along Chapmans Peak Drive, between Noordhoek and Hout Bay, as the scenery is utterly spectacular.

Fabulous place and fabulous people. However, do heed the warnings about your personal security and be extra careful in the evenings.
 
If you fancy an apartment/self-catering , I stayed in the Oceana Apartments in Camps Bay a few years ago - highly recommend them. Good rate at the time and they were serviced daily
 
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