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Your first 48 hours in South Africa

A quick guide to Cape Town
by John Lightbound

Some old explorer, possibly Francis Drake, referred to the Cape of South Africa as ‘the fairest in the world’. Here is my backpackers guide to Cape Town (or Kaapstad as the Afrikaners have it).

Arriving
Cape Town’s international airport lies about a 45 minute ride from the city centre, with a taxi costing about R150 (£12ish). Most hostels will arrange a pickup for you in advance, it was R70 from mine. The Backpacker Bus will also collect you from the airport, again if you book in advance. Long distance trains and buses arrive in the city centre.

Money
The South African Rand (ZAR) is currently at an exchange rate of about ZAR11.5 to £1. [Click here >> for an up-to-date conversion] Cape Town is an expensive city by African standards, however, by converting your money back to pounds, everything is a bargain. An evening meal in a mid-range restaurant should cost about R40-R50, a night’s dorm accommodation in a hostel R70, a beer R8-R10.

Places to stay
The main backpacker haunt is Long Street, close to the city centre. This has the bonus of being central, lively, and packed with hostels, bars, and cheap restaurants. There are also some hostels in the Gardens and Tamboerskloof areas of the city, about a 10 minute stroll from the city centre, on the lower slopes of Table Mountain. Places here have the advantage of great views and extra space. More places can be found at the seafront as well, but you will need a taxi to get you there. Pick up a free copy of Coast-to-Coast, a free guide to hostels throughout South Africa.

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Eating and Drinking
Cape Town is an excellent spot for eating out. Whether you want to eat game animals by the half kilo or mountains of seafood, there is plenty of choice, plus international cuisine of all kinds. Go mad!

As for drinking, you can get everything you could possibly want, but a cold lager is a must on a hot day. Castle and Windhoek are good South African brands, and have the bonus of being slightly cheaper than the international varieties. There are hundreds of bars in the city, plus equal numbers of coffee shops and street vendors selling ice cold soft drinks.

Things to see and do
There is no shortage of things to do in the Cape, here are a few of my must-sees:

Robben Island - the old apartheid prison on an island in Table Bay is a must - the tour is interesting and fair in its interpretation of the history of South Africa. You get to see Mandela’s cell and the island offers some of the best views of the city. Cost R150, including the catamaran trip across the bay.

Table Mountain - there is a cable car to the peak, or many hiking trails (my favourite being Plattekloof gorge - straight up). The views from the summit are amazing, the city is laid out before you and you can see to the end of Africa. Start early in the day and you can beat the crowds to the top and possibly see an unforgettable sunrise. Return fare on the cable car is R110, with student discounts available.

Cape Peninsula - hostels will be able to tell you about Cape tours, or hire a car and take yourself off to the Cape of Good Hope and Cape Point, the south-westerly-most point of Africa, where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans meet. Watch out for thieving baboons! Also make a point to see Hout Bay, which has great seafood and Simonstown for beaches and penguins. If you have a little extra time, the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens are meant to be brilliant.

The city centre is great for strolling, and in the gardens just above the main streets you can visit the National Gallery and, for part of the year, the Parliament buildings. My favourite museum in Cape Town is the District 6 museum, about an area of town forcibly cleared during apartheid, but giving a good overview of conditions in the country during that period. Admission was R30 when I visited.

The Victoria and Alfred Waterfront is classy and slightly more pricey, but has lots of shops, and is great for a day trip. For more shops, get a taxi out to the Canal Walk shopping centre, which claims to be the biggest in the southern hemisphere.

Hostels will be able to tell you about township tours, and there are places to stay in the townships springing up all the time.

The Castle of Good Hope is the oldest building in South Africa, and well worth a visit.

Surfing and swimming is possible, but the water is not hot in winter!

It would be possible to see everything Cape Town has to offer in two or maybe three days, but no time is too long - I was there for eight days and didn’t want to leave!

Getting about
Within the city, it is definitely possible to walk to most places, and the city is safe, at least during the day. Taxis are available, but it is cheaper to catch a rikki, a small van converted to carry passengers, to get to the Waterfront, at a cost of about R5. there are fixed prices for different areas of town, so you don’t have to worry about meters. Walking alone at night in certain areas is not recommended, but I had no problems in small groups.

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Arriving in Cape Town
by Shane Hodges

Arriving in Cape Town isn’t that daunting; it is not an exceptionally big airport and is pretty easy to find your way around. There are plenty of info stands, car rental and taxi stalls. The airport is quite far from the city centre so you will have to get a taxi.

Unless you are staying with friends and family I would recommend you stay in Town (city centre/city bowl). It is much closer to all the attractions and touristy things and it is easier to get around Town especially on foot.

Out of season (winter) you might be able to just turn up and find a bed, but I suggest you book in advance. You don’t want to be wandering the streets of Cape Town alone at night. Also if you book, many of the Backpackers will pick you up from the airport which will save on the taxi (taxis are expensive).

First day in CT... I think head for Long Street (awesome in sunshine and moonlight) and The V&A Waterfront; both these places are pretty central and have many info centres which will help to get your bearings and plan the rest of your stay.

Recommended Hostel: Ashanti