|
|
|
|
|
The Western Cape is a birdwatcher's
(the one's with feathers) delight,
a botanist's dream, and the adventurer's
ultimate challenge. In a recent
survey, the Suicide Gorge Kloofing
Trail came out tops as the most
adventurous sports activity in
South Africa. Call Cape Nature
Conservation on 483 4501 for more
details and bookings. |
|
Other adventurous
activities in the Cape are bungi-jumping
at the Gouritz River, parasailing
from Lion's Head, rock climbing
in the Cederberg, mountaineering
on Table Mountain, canoeing and
rafting the rivers of the Cape,
and mountain biking in De Hoop Nature
Reserve. |
|
Kloofing is a unique South
African adventure sport. It the sport of hiking and swimming
along a river path. Very often there
are waterfalls you have to navigate.
You'll have to leave the stilettos
at home, dear. Not for the faint-hearted. |
|
Visit the following
websites for more information about
various nature-orientated activities: |
|
Visit Bontebok
National Park near Swellendam
to see one of the world's rarest
antelope. |
|
Experience one of
the most breathtaking natural sights
in the world with
Flowerline
during late winter and spring in
the Western Cape. The spring flower
displays is a must for the enthusiast. |
There are some really
wonderful hikes in close proximity
to Cape Town. Visit the
Great Hikes in the Western Cape
site for more information. |
View the magnificent
Southern Right Whales from July
to November around the coast.
The best place for whale viewing
is Hermanus - for more information
visit their website:
Hermanus - Heart of the Whale Route. |
|
For general information
about the National
Parks in the Western Cape, click
here. |
The stark beauty of
the West
Coast National Park, within
easy day-visit reach
of Cape Town, is something to experience. |
|
|
|
 |
|
Air Travel to and from Cape Town |
|
| Cape Town
International Airport is home to 20
major international airlines,
including South African, Lufthansa,
KLM, Singapore Airlines, Swissair,
Air Namibia and British Airways.
Most airlines fly direct to Cape
Town, while a few fly via
Johannesburg. Cape Town
International Airport can be
contacted at tel. 021 934 0407.
Airport departure tax is payable in
the case of departing to
neighbouring countries. It is
usually included in the ticket
price.
|
| One route that
has become very popular is the
regular direct return flight from
Cape Town to Miami twice a week.
This offers the American visitor
direct access to the Cape and
shortens the trip by almost 12
hours. From Cape Town there are
daily domestic flights to most other
destinations within southern Africa. |
| Want to find out what
the latest airfare prices are, consult
Airfare. |
| For airline flight
information, connect to the SAA. |
|
| |
|
|
|
| Most international
credit cards are accepted in restaurants
and shops, but it is always advisable
to find out in smaller shops and
eateries whether they will take
you card before purchasing anything
(some will only accept Visa or MasterCard).
Please note that petrol cannot be
bought on ordinary credit card. |
| ATM's or Autobanks
are widely spread throughout the
city - some are internationally
linked and will accept foreign cards
with PIN numbers, with the exception
of American Express. It is advisable
to take traveller's cheques if you
intend spending large sums of money. |
| Be careful of thieves
who check out your PIN number, they
cause a distraction or ask for help
and then swap or grab your card.
Don't let anybody else handle your
card -- if you cannot manage at
an ATM, rather go into a bank and
ask for help from a bank official. |
Stolen credit or Bankcards
can be cancelled by phoning the
following numbers
(note that all 080- numbers are
toll-free): |
| American Express: 080
011 0929 |
| Diners Club:
086 034 6377 |
| MasterCard
Global Service: 080 099 0418 |
| Visa Cards -
First National Bank: 080 011 0132 |
| Visa Cards -
ABSA Bank: 080 011 1155 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| The local currency
is the Rand, which equals 100 cents.
Very few shops and restaurants accept
payment in foreign currency. Cashing
your travellers cheques and foreign
currency may be done at all Commercial
Banks, for added convenience you have
the option of Foreign Exchange Bureau's
situated in most major shopping centres
- some are open 7 days a week (Watch
out for the "Bureau de Change"
sign). Cash can also be withdrawn on
your credit card at banks - have a positive
ID ready. |
Banks
Banking hours are as follows:
Mon. to Fri: 9 am to 3.30 pm. In country
areas, they may open earlier at 8 am
and close for lunch (12.45 pm to 2 pm).
Saturday - 9 am to 11 am in the towns/cities
Foreign currency may be exchanged at
Rennies Travel and American Express
offices. |
| For the current rate of
exchange, open the
Oanda
Currency Converter. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| For those who
can't leave the hairdryers and
hotbrushes behind, remember South
Africa has an electricity supply of
220/230V (for some strange reason it
is 250V in Pretoria) and
three-pronged, round terminal plugs
are the norm. Hotels have 110V
outlets for shavers. American
appliances will need a transformer. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| The following
are important emergency telephone
numbers to remember (all 10- numbers
are free) |
| Ambulance:
10177 |
| Police (Flying
Squad): 10111 or any police station |
| Mountain Rescue:
10177 or 10111 or any police station |
| Sea Rescue
Services: 021 449 3500 or 10111 or any
police station |
| Aviation
Rescue Services: 021 937 1211 or
10111 or any police station |
| If you have
any difficulties with an emergency
call, dial 1022. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| There is no Malaria
risk in Cape Town or the Western
Cape. Malaria is mainly confined
to the northern and northeastern
half of the country, especially
in the Lowveld, approximately 1800
km from Cape Town. There are also
occasional outbreaks in the Kalahari
region. However, if your journey
to (or from) Cape Town takes you
through any part of Africa where
malaria is prevalent, it is advisable
to start a course of anti-malarial
tablets before you leave home. The
worst you'll get in summer is a
severe suntan, so remember the sunblock. |
|
| |
|
|
|
| There are several information bureau's
in and around Cape Town where you
can obtain maps, travel advice, brochures,
etc. The Information Centre at the
lower end of Adderley Street (adjacent
to the railway station) is open from
8am - 7pm weekdays, 8.30am - 8pm Saturdays
and 9am - 5pm Sundays (closed Christmas
Day).
|
| Information bureau's are also situated
in the Tyger Valley Centre in Bellville,
in the Museum in Simon's Town, next to the Library in Atlantic
Road in Muizenberg, and on the
beachfront at Table View. |
| Telephone numbers
for the Information Centre in the
City Centre are: |
Cape Town
Tourism: 021 487 6800
http://www.cape-town.org |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| South Africa
has 12 official public holidays.
It is important to remember that
if a public holiday falls on a Sunday,
the Monday is officially a public
holiday. Our public holidays are
as follows:
|
January 1: New Year's
Day
March 21: Human Rights Day
March or
April: Good Friday - Friday before
Easter Sunday
March or
April: Family Day - Monday after
Easter Sunday
April 27: Freedom Day
May 1: Workers' Day
June 16: Youth Day
August 9: National Women's Day
September 24: Heritage Day
December 16: Day of Reconciliation
December 25: Christmas Day
December 26: Day of Goodwill |
| *Holidays falling on a Sunday are
observed the following Monday. |
| Businesses and banks
are closed on public holidays, but
most shops and restaurants are generally
open, except for Christmas Day and
Easter Friday when
just about everything is closed
-- except for some restaurants. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Cape Town offers
an established network of suburban
railways. Trains run regularly from
Cape Town station to the southern
and the northern suburbs. The scenic
route from Cape Town to Simon's
Town is a must and also safe. Rather
travel first class, and be careful
of which routes you travel. For
enquiries call Metrorail
at 080 065 6463.
|
| Rail travel information
can be obtained from the Spoornet
Rail Travel website. Spoornet
is the national railway operator |
| Then of course there
is the world-famous Blue Train that
is undoubtedly the most luxurious
train in the world. Originally launched
in 1946 and running between Cape
Town and Pretoria, the service has
now been extended to the Victoria
Falls in Zimbabwe. Each train compartment
has an en-suite bath or shower,
a telephone, television and air-conditioning.
For further details on timetable,
fares and reservations, contact
Blue Train Central Reservations
at telephone 011 773 7631, or
check out their website at http://www.bluetrain.co.za. |
|
|
|
|
|
Roads to and
from Cape Town |
|
| Excellent networks
of national roads link Cape Town
to the rest of the country. The
N1 is the national road from Cape
Town north to Bloemfontein, Johannesburg,
and Pretoria and on to Beit Bridge
and Zimbabwe. The N2 is the national
road east along the south coast
to George, Port Elizabeth, East
London, Durban and on up the north
coast of KwaZulu-Natal, moving into
Mpumalanga south of Swaziland. The
N7 north from Cape Town is the main
road to Namibia.
|
| There are a number
of inter-city coach operators available,
including Greyhound. |
| Translux
Coaches also provide a
country-wide bus service, click on
the name for more information. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| The international
telephone code for Cape Town is
+27 21 followed by the dialled number.
In Cape Town itself you will find
public telephones in malls and on
street corners, blue public phones
take cash and green ones use phone-cards.
Phone-cards are obtainable at post
offices, Telkom offices, some Information
Centres and various shops - at major
airports there are phone-card dispensing
machines.
|
| The national dial code plus the
number must be dialled for all
calls, even locally to your
next-door neighbour. |
| If you want to be
like ET and phone home, you will
find the international dialling
codes in a telephone directory,
or you can dial 0903 (free of charge)
for any information regarding international
calls. You can book international
calls by dialling 0900. When calling
from South Africa, country-dialling
codes are prefixed with 09+. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| South Africa
operates on Central African Time,
which is two hours ahead of Greenwich
Mean Time. This is one hour ahead
of Central European Winter Time,
and seven hours ahead of Eastern
Standard Winter Time in the US.
For those down under, Cape Town
is six hours after Perth and eight
hours after Sydney. There is no
daylight saving in South Africa,
so our times do not change from
summer to winter. |
| In Cape Town you do
not need a watch as Capetonians
are fairly laid back. If you want
to know the time, every day at noon
(except Sundays) the Noon Day Gun
is fired from Signal Hill, startling
pigeons and tourists alike all over
the city bowl. If you really want
an accurate time check, phone 1026
(don't put down if you hear a strange
language - the time is given every
10 seconds alternately in English
and Afrikaans). |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| It is pretty much
part of the game. Mandatory in certain
places like restaurants. Waiters
are usually tipped between 10 and
15%.
Unlike the States, barmen and other
people in the service industries
are very rarely tipped, although
it is appreciated. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| There is a large
number of tour operators in Cape
Town who will offer a large variety
of tours. You can have your choice
of tours in and around the city,
as well as tours to more distant
parts of the province, other parts
of the country, or even north into
neighbouring countries. |
| For more information,
visit the following recommended
tour operator: |
| Hajo's Tours has
tours in and around Cape Town, to
the Garden Route and to other
destinations in Southern Africa. Visit
Hajo's Lodge & Tours website. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Relative costs
of a meal and accommodation in US
Dollars:
budget meal = $5 -
6
restaurant meal = $7 -15
budget hotel = $15 - 25
mid-range hotel = $25 - 50
|
| Backpackers and shoe-string
travellers can get by on just $10
a day if you can stand to go without
the luxuries. This implies camping
(the type you do with a tent) or
staying at a youth hostel. |
| Most banks accept
travellers cheques, usually on a
commission of around 1%. Remember
to keep exchange receipts as you'll
need them when you reconvert your
Rands when you leave. |
| Credit cards, especially
Visa and MasterCard, are widely
accepted. ATM's are abundant in
major centres and are easy to find.
Check with your bank to determine
whether you can access funds through
Cirrus-friendly ATM's. |
| Contact Cape
Town Tourism for
more details on 021 487 6800 or visit
the
Western Cape Tourism Board Website. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 14% Value Added
Tax (VAT) is added to goods and
services except for some basic foods.
Foreign visitors can reclaim VAT
on purchases with a total value
exceeding R250-00. You can do this
at the airport of departure, you must
show your passport and original tax
invoice from the shop -- you may
be asked to show items on which
refunds are claimed. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| All travellers
to South Africa require a valid
passport and in most cases a visa.
Should you have any specific enquiries,
contact the Department of Home Affairs
in Pretoria at Tel: +27 12 314 8911
or Fax: +27 12 314 8516, or in Cape
Town at Tel +27 21 462 4970. You
can also find out what the visa
requirements are from a South African
embassy or consulate in your country.
|
| Travellers who should
also like to visit some of the neighbouring
countries should, however, apply
for a multiple entry visa. Some
countries like Mozambique for example,
although part of the multiple entry
agreement, will sometimes not recognise
it and insist that you pay at the
border again. |
| No visas are required
for travellers from Australia, New
Zealand, Canada, USA, Japan, and
the European Union for visits up
to 90 days. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Cape Town
is situated on a
peninsula at the south-eastern tip
of the African continent in an
area with a Mediterranean climate. The summers
are warm and dry, while the winters
are cool and wet. The average summer
temperature ranges from a moderate
15ºC (59ºF) low at night to a pleasant
day-time high of 27ºC or 80ºF. Winter
temperature ranges from an average
7ºC (45ºF) at night to 18ºC (64ºF).
In winter, night temperature can
occasionally drop as low as 0ºC
or 32ºF.
|
| Besides lovely warm
days, the dominant feature at the
start of summer in Cape Town is
the south-eastern wind. This wind
can reach gale force, especially
over the Southern parts of the Cape
peninsula. However, the South-Easter,
as its locally referred to, keeps
the city fairly clean as it blows
away most smog and pollution. It
is therefore also known as the "Cape
Doctor". The South-Easter also
gives visitors one of the most spectacular
scenic shows in the world, namely
Table Mountain's famous table cloth.
The clouds keep pouring over the
edge of the mountain where they
dissipate before reaching the city
below. |
|
Weather-wise, February, March and
April are the best times to visit
Cape Town. The summer's heat has
subsided, the South-Easter has
dropped, but the days and nights are
still warm and pleasant. In
comparison, the winters are rainy
but mild. If you are into red wine,
log fires and snuggling-up in bed
with a romantic partner, then it's
not a bad idea to visit Cape Town
during the winter "green season" |
|
Check the regional weather forecast
on the
South Africa Weather Service website. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
No stones or
pounds here! The metric system is
used. So get used to the kilograms,
kilometers, litres and such-like.
The following conversion table covers
some of the
more commonly used measurements:
|
1 Centimeter = 0.39
inches
1 Meter = 3.281 feet or 1.094 yards
1 Kilometer = 0.62 miles
1 Kilogram = 2.2 pounds
1 Litre = 0.22 gallons |
| So, if you have a
nine-incher, here in Cape Town it
will be 22.89cm long --
you must agree, a much more impressive
length!! |
|
|
