Cape Town

Likes & Dislikes

Likes

South Africa - Cape Town - Table Mountain - lookout point - Elter photo

1. The best fresh tuna fish I have ever eaten

2. Watching a lot of penguins on the Boulder's Beach

3. The unforgettable colors of the landscape seen during the one hour drive from Cape Town to the Cape Winelands

4. The coastal Victoria Road with bars, yacht marine, palm trees

5. Safer than Johannesburg

6. The spectacular 360-degree views from the Lion's Head

7. The look of the Cape Coloured people is physically very unique.

8. Food and clothing selection far wider than anywhere else in Africa

9. Muizenberg beach near Cape Town

10. The Saturday market in Woodstock

Dislikes

1. Sellers harassing us on the Camp's Bay Beach

2. Yes, safer than Johannesburg, but still not safe after dark

3. The Table Mountain is spectacular, but not one of the world’s Seven Wonders of Nature, for me at least

4. The sea waters around Cape Town are freezing,

5. We were listening to the scary stories of shark attacks in the warmer water at the sandy bays of Fish Hoek and Muizenberg.

6. Water supply problems

7. We visited a slum with a Black guide, and a group of angry women aggressively chased us away - it was a risky situation

8. Many drug addicts on the streets (methamphetamine and heroin)

9. Within the city limit, most of Cape Town’s beaches are not very wide and are near the road - the beaches of Durban are much better

10. When driving from the airport to the city, we saw terrible slums where people live in shanty tin shacks.

Opinions

Cape Town and the area within a 300km radius: If we’re in the city, then breakfast will probably be included in the bill. Given the strong British (and Dutch) influence, you won’t find it wanting: bacon, black pudding, baked beans, egg, toast, muffins… All this is complimented with stuffed rolls made of a lightly toasted bread, which they call burgers. They weren’t to my taste, so I stuck to the regular bread. This is topped with cheese (so much cheese), bacon and fried eggs, and served hot. Heavenly.

South of Cape Town is Boulders Beach. Aside from the penguins, which were an unforgettable experience for us, I’d also recommend a nearby restaurant (the Seaforth) which has weathered many raging storms over the years. True, you’ll spend the whole meal worrying that the wind will tear the roof off the terrace, but in exchange you’ll be served vast, unconquerable portions of delicious seafood. And the prices? Well, in the pictures you can see what I treated myself to, alongside a good-quality South African wine: 1/ fillet of cod with a shrimp sauce and potatoes – 200ml of fruity chardonnay (€20) 2/ seafood platter with crab and a jumbo-sized portion of roast hake, roast squid rings, black mussels and prawns – 200ml of chardonnay (€18). Yes, I know, the first seems both more meagre and more expensive, but cod is a delicious fish, and very filling. The prices include the tip, which is of course included in the final bill. But if you lunch here, you’re guaranteed to skip dinner. It was the most expensive meal of our trip, but in the most magnificent setting, right above the ocean. You have to book well in advance, or you’ll have no chance of getting a table.

(2019)

South Africa - Cape Town - view - Elter photo

South Africa - Cape Town - downtown - Elter photo

Practicals

Transport

Cable car

South Africa - Cape Town - Table Mountain - cable car - Elter photo

Food

South Africa - Cape Town - waterfront - Elter photo

Shopping

South Africa - Cape Town - wine shop - Cape wine - Elter photo

Public safety

Cape Town is one of the ten most dangerous cities in the world. They can kill you here, and no one will know precisely where and when it happened.

Dont walk around looking lost as you'll be a target for sure. You better don't walk around with your wallet, camera, or cell phone in your hand at beach fronts or city streets.

Some areas, like the Cape Flats, are dominated by dozens of gangs who are at war with each other.

The areas around tourist attractions are generally more protected.

Cape Town - kleptomaniac monkeys - t.c. photo

Others

Cape Town - Malay quarter - t.c. photo

Background

Destination in brief

Name in Afrikaans: Kaapstad
Cape Town is at the Cape of Good Hope. It is the central city of the Western Cape province of South Africa. The city's symbol is Table Mountain.

Cape Town has the Indian ocean on one side and the Atlantic ocean on the other side.

Population (in 2020): 3.4 million (city area) and 4.6 million (urban area)

In Cape Town, the three main racial groups: Cape Coloured (mixed race), Blacks, and Whites. Cape Coloureds forms the majority. 43% Coloureds, 39% Blacks, 15% Whites

Someone (like the Asians) who does not fit into any of these groups will find it very difficult to fit into the socio-racial dynamics of Cape Town.

Average net monthly salary (in 2020): 1100 USD

Climate

,, Cape Town's weather is almost unbearable and horrid. The transitions from season to season are extreme, and you can have four seasons in one day, especially in springtime. Some days you don't even know what to wear. The main factor that makes Cape Town's weather so unbearable is the constant dreaded wind. It is not a pleasant breeze, its a strong, cringeworthy "in your face" type of wind that you can't escape."

People

People of Cape Town, the Capetonians, are very laid back. If a task can be completed in two days, they tell you four. It is considered rude to rush a Capetonian.

Attractions

South Africa - Cape Town - Dutch Fort - Elter photo

Cape Town - Waterfront - clock tower - K. Elter's photo