Traveling to Cape Town – All you need to know!

Yay, how exciting that you decided to visit South Africa and specifically the Western Cape! You are going to love it! But let's make sure that you have the best trip possible. I have been living in Cape Town for almost two years, and know many tips and tricks to make your holiday unforgettable. I basically made all the rookie travel mistakes so that you don't have to 😃

So let's dive right in!

The Western Cape

Cape Town is located in the Western Cape, one of South Africa's 9 provinces, and is also its capital. Don't be fooled by its size on a map – it is bigger than Austria and Switzerland combined, stretching about 400 kilometres (250 mi) northwards along the Atlantic coast and about 500 kilometres (300 mi) eastwards along the South African south coast and Indian ocean.

There is much more to see in the Western Cape than only Cape Town. It has wine lands, desert, bushlands, mountains and long coastlines.

CAPE TOWN

The Western Cape's capital, sometimes also called the "Mother City". Two thirds of the population of the Western Cape live in the capital region with its downtown, Atlantic Sea Board residences and Cape Flats where you will find the townships and illegal settlements.

There are many amazing restaurants, beaches and museums to explore in Cape Town and I recommend you use your time there not only to enjoy the beach lifestyle but also to learn about South Africa's diverse history.

LANGUAGE

There is a total of 11 offocial languages in South Africa. In the Western Cape, around 50 % of the people speak Afrikaans as their first language, 25 % percent IsiXhoas and only 20 % English. Everybody does speak and understand English though, except in very rural areas maybe.

WEATHER

The Western Cape is diverse in many things and climate is one of them. Most of the province has a Mediterranean climate, meaning cool and wet winters and warm, dry summers. In the desert parts (the Karoo) you get frosty winters and very hot summers with thunderstorms. Along the Garden Route, the weather is maritime with cool, moist winters and warm, moist summers. In the mountains, it can even snow during winter.

As for Cape Town, people say there is no place like the Mother City to experience four seasons in a day. In the summer, from November/December until March, you have temperatures between 16 °C and 26 °C – it barely ever gets smoking hot and it barely rains either. Wildfires happen quite frequently during that season though.

In winter, which lasts from the beginning of June to the end of August, large cold fronts from the Atlantic Ocean are coming in and it can pour down for days with icy winds accompanying the rain! Winter months average between 18 °C and 8.5 °C. If you are lucky though, you can get sunny and warm days from August onwards.

Now you think: Yes of course summer is the best time BUT: Spring and summer come with strong wind, called the "Cape Doctor", a south-eastern wind that can make tanning on the beach quite uncomfortable and requires you to bring a jacket even on the warmest of days. The Cape Doctor normally becomes weaker around February.

SWIMMING

Swimming in Cape Town is not for the faint of heart either: Average annual ocean surface temperatures are between 13 °C and 17 °C. In general, the False Bay side is warmer than the Atlantic seaboard side.

Along the Garden Route, the water is warmer, between 16 °C in August to 21 °C in February.

TAP WATER

Tap water in South Africa is safe to drink and cook with when taken from taps in urban areas. Not all tap water in rural areas is safe for consumption, so it is advised you take precautions if necessary.

CLOTHES

You might read very often that you shouldn't bring flashy jewellry to South Africa and leave your expensive brands at home. Well, it's not like that. You can dress up if you like. But be sure to be safe: Take an Uber to your destination, don't walk alone, if you feel uncomfortable with someone walking close to you or behind you, don't feel weird to cross the street…

Even in the summer, you will need a light jacket in Cape Town as it gets windy in the evenings and cools down a bit. Along the Garden Route, the climate is warmer and more tropical, so if you travel there, bring light clothes and linen pants.

I'd recommend you bring trail running or hiking shoes for your hikes – but if you don't have them, you should be fine in sneakers too. If there is any outdoor equipment you need while you are here, Cape Union Mart is a good choice.

ELECTRICITY

Yup, so this is an ongoing issue in South Africa: The dreaded Loadshedding. Load shedding is a method of reducing demand on an energy generation system by switching off the distribution of energy to certain geographical areas for a period of time. Unfortunately, it mostly happens at the times where you need it most: Mornings and evenings.

And it's very unfortunate if you have to work remotely. You find some great co-working spaces that normally have generators here. Most hotels have generators as well, by the way. But shops and some restaurants might close during loadshedding.

I recommend you install the Eskom Loadshedding App so you can plan your day accordingly and avoid areas with loadshedding.

MOBILE INTERNET

You can purchase a prepaid data SIM card right at the airport. All you need is your passport and an address (your hotel is sufficient). Vodacom and MTN generall have the best coverage.

PROTECTING NATURE

You will likely be visiting the Western Cape to enjoy the unique nature, which South Africans are also very proud of. Please remember that the Western Cape's delicate landscapes can take decades to recover from misuse. Do not hike on paths that are closed for renaturation, don't throw away cigarette butts, don't pick flowers or walk on them – even if someone else did before you. Try to leave no trace.

SAFETY

Let me start by saying that I have never felt truly unsafe or threatened in the Western Cape. Uncomfortable, yes but not truly unsafe. The Western Cape is generally one of the most touristy areas of the country, so security works well here.

This is, however, a topic we do need to address when traveling to South Africa – a country with notably high rates of violent crime and one of the highest murder rates in the world. But please, don't let that keep you from visiting. Just make sure you stay safe and stick to certain ground rules:

• When you go for a walk: Let me clarify: You can go for a walk in Cape Town and be perfectly fine. Especially along the Sea Point promenades or walks that I recommend. You still need to be aware of your surroundings though – I wouldn't run around with my phone in one hand, a to-go coffe in the other and headphones in my ears. If you feel like you are being followed or someone is harassing you, address a security guard or enter a store or restaurant. I would also strongly recommend that you avoid quiet side streets though, especially at night. The "let me just walk those 200 meters really quick" approach can fail you here in Cape Town.

• When you go hiking: Don't hike alone, I cannot stress this enough. Just at the beginning of this year, a young German hiker was mugged and killed on a remote hike that he took alone. But not only for those reasons, also for simple safety reasons (you can always slip) it's advisable to not hike alone. Cape Town hikes, especially Lion's Head, are quite popular so you can always find someone to go with you. Lion's Head is also the only hike that I would say you could do by yourself – during the day.

One last word about people begging in the street: Treat them with kindness. They deserve dignity. You are so privileged and fortunate to travel to a beautiful country, you have a roof over your head, you don't worry about money. Give them food, if you have it. If not, at least be polite. Instead of giving something to every person you meet, you can support charities like The Secret Love Project.

CURRENCY & CASH

Since the South African Rand is very volatile, I would recommend you don't get cash upfront before you travel there. Just take what you need out of the ATM and make sure no one is standing behind you or trying to help you. Use ATMs in shopping centers if you can. You won't need a lot of cash in South Africa though, even street vendors often have card machines.

GROCERY STORES

From cheapest to most expensive, the big grocery stores in the Western Cape are: Pick'n'pay, Shoprite, Checkers, and Spar. I personally like Checkers for the Deli they have in every shop and that is quite decent.

Note that you cannot buy alcohol in Grocery Stores, you have to go to dedicated Liquor Shops for that. Liquor Stores normally close earlier than normal shops.

DRIVING

In South Africa, they drive on the left side of the road. Many cars are manual but all rental companies have automatic options as well. Be careful when driving on the highway: Animals and even people can cross it at all times. When you come to an intersection, the rule is that the person who arrived first, can drive first so keep that in mind.

If you want to go out at night, I just recommend you take an Uber to the venue or restaurant. If you go by car, make sure to park in a guarded parking and leave no valuables in the car. There are parking guards everywhere, give them around 10 ZAR for their services when you leave but don't pay them upfront.

GAS STATIONS

At the gas station, someone will clean your windshield and fuel up your car with however much gas you till him to put in. They expect a little tip for it – between 5 and 15 ZAR is fine.

TIPPING

South Africa definitely has a tipping culture and it is expected that you top up your bill for most services. People in the service industry really rely on tips to make a living wage to 10% is really the bare minimum.

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South Africa is a bucket list destination for many – be it adventurers, nature lovers or gourmets. For years now, it attracts backpackers and solo travelers just as well as families and honeymooners. When visiting the country: Stay open, be ready to learn, and keep in mind that South Africa depends on tourists – but that doesn't mean you can behave condescending towards anyone who is worse off than you.

For more detailed planning, restaurant recommendations, hikes and so much more check out my travel map.

You want something different? Ask me for a personalized itinerary and I'll be happy to tailor it to your wishes.

And now: Enjoy South Africa, I am so excited you chose to visit! 😍