#out past the parks populated with tourists and hiking trails and picnic tables

[cogentranting]

Love the phrasing of this because it absolutely does make me think of some hidden entrance in the side of a mountain leading to a cavern with an underground forge and dwarven workshop full of rare and possibly enchanted metalcraft.

[gordonwilliamsweb]

‘Go Ahead and Vote Me Out’: What Other Places Can Learn From Santa Rosa’s Tent City

SANTA ROSA, Calif. — They knew the neighborhood would revolt.

It was early May, and officials in this Northern California city known for its farm-to-table dining culture and pumped-up housing prices were frantically debating how to keep covid-19 from infiltrating the homeless camps proliferating in the region’s celebrated parks and trails. For years, the number of people living homeless in Santa Rosa and the verdant hills and valleys of broader Sonoma County had crept downward — and then surged, exacerbated by three punishing wildfire seasons that destroyed thousands of homes in four years.

Seemingly overnight, the city’s homeless crisis had burst into view. And with the onset of covid, it posed a devastating health threat to the hundreds of people living in shelters, tents and makeshift shanties, as well as the service providers and emergency responders trying to help them.

In the preceding weeks, as covid made its first advance through California, Gov. Gavin Newsom had called on cities and counties to persuade hotel operators to open their doors to people living on the streets whose age and health made them vulnerable. But in Santa Rosa, a town that thrives on tourist dollars, city leaders knew they would never find enough owners to volunteer their establishments. City Council member Tom Schwedhelm, then serving as mayor, settled on an idea to pitch dozens of tents in the parking lot of a gleaming community center in an affluent neighborhood known as Finley Park, a couple of miles west of Santa Rosa’s central business district.

Neighborhood residents weren’t keen on the idea of accepting homeless people into their enclave of tree-lined streets and sleepy cul-de-sacs. Yet in short order, thousands of residents and businesses received letters notifying them of the city’s plans to erect 70 tents that could shelter as many as 140 people at the Finley Community Center, a neighborhood jewel that draws scores of families and fitness enthusiasts to its manicured picnic grounds, sparkling pool and tennis courts.

The backlash was fierce. For three hours on a Thursday evening in mid-May, Santa Rosa officials defended their plans as hundreds of residents flooded the phone lines to register their discontent.

“Will there be a list of everybody who decided to do this to us and our park, in case we want to vote them out?” one resident barked.

“This is a family neighborhood,” another fumed.

“How can we feel safe using our park?” others pleaded.

In Santa Rosa, like so many other communities, strenuous neighborhood objections typically would drive a stake through a proposal for homeless housing and services. Not this time. Elected officials were not asking; they were telling. The project would move ahead.

“Go ahead and vote me out,” said Schwedhelm, recounting his mindset at the time. “You want to shout at me and get angry? Go ahead. It’s important for government to listen, but the reality is these are our neighbors, so let’s help them.”

Within days, the spacious parking lot at the Finley Community Center was cordoned off with green mesh fencing. Inside, spaced 12 feet apart, were 68 blue tents, each equipped with sleeping bags and storage bin. A neat row of portable toilets lined one side of the encampment, and it was fitted throughout with hand-washing stations and misters for the summer heat.

The city contracted with Catholic Charities of Santa Rosa to manage the camp, and social workers fanned out to the city shelters and unsanctioned encampments, where they found dozens of takers. The first dozen residents were in their tents four days after the site was approved, and the population quickly swelled to nearly 70. In exchange for shelter, showers and three daily meals, camp residents agreed to an 8 p.m. curfew and a contract pledging to honor mask and physical-distancing requirements and act as good neighbors.

Santa Rosa’s tent city opened May 18. And, not too long after, something remarkable happened. Finley Park residents stopped protesting and started dropping off donations of goods — food, clothing, hand sanitizer. The tennis and pickleball courts, an afternoon favorite for retirees, were bustling again. Parents and kids once more crowded the nearby playground.

And inside that towering green perimeter, people started getting their lives together.

From May to late November, Santa Rosa would spend $680,000 to supply and manage the site, a six-month experiment that would chart a new course for the city’s approach to homeless services. As cities across California wrestle with a crisis of homelessness that has drawn international condemnation, the Santa Rosa experience suggests a way forward. Rather than engage in months of paralyzing discussion with neighborhood opponents before committing to a housing or shelter project, city officials decided their role was to lead and inform. They would identify project sites and drive forward, using neighborhood feedback to tailor improvements to a plan — but not to kill it.

It was a watershed moment of action that would echo across Sonoma County.

“We know we’re pissing off a lot of people — they’re rising up and saying, ‘Hell, no!’” said county Supervisor James Gore, president of the California State Association of Counties. “But we can’t just keep saying no. That’s been the failed housing policy of the last 30 to 40 years. Everybody wants a solution, but they don’t want to see that solution in their neighborhoods.”

‘Death by a Thousand Cuts’

About a quarter of the nation’s homeless reside in California, nearly 160,000 people living in cars, on borrowed couches, in temporary shelters or on the streets. The pandemic has exacerbated the crisis for a host of reasons, including covid-related job loss and prison releases and new capacity limits at homeless shelters.

From Los Angeles to Fresno to San Francisco and Sacramento, homeless encampments have multiplied. And without toilets or trash bins, unsanctioned encampments have become magnets for neighborhood complaints about seedy, unsanitary conditions. That leads to regular law enforcement sweeps that raze an encampment only to see it rise elsewhere.

California’s capital city offers a telling example of the dynamic. An estimated 6,000 people are living homeless in Sacramento, a population that has grown more visible since covid brought office life to a standstill. Tents and tarps crowd freeway underpasses throughout the downtown grid, accompanied by wafting piles of trash and clutter.

The mayor, Darrell Steinberg, is known as a champion on homelessness issues. During his years in the state legislature, he pushed through measures that exponentially increased funding to address homelessness and mental illness. But in more than four years as mayor he has struggled to muscle through a cohesive policy for moving people off the streets and into supportive housing.

“The problem with our approach,” Steinberg said earlier this year, “is that every time we seek to build a project, there is a neighborhood controversy. Our own constituents say, ‘Solve it, but please don’t solve it here,’ and we end up experiencing death by a thousand cuts.”

With community uproar building, he is leading the charge on a new initiative to build a continuum of city-sanctioned housing, including triage shelters, sanctioned campgrounds and permanent housing with social services. The city has allocated up to $1 million in an initial outlay for tiny homes and safe camping, but as of March had gotten consensus on just one site: a parking lot beneath a busy freeway where the city will install toilets and hand-washing stations and allow up to 150 people to set up camp.

Donta Williams, homeless the past five years, shakes his head at how long it’s taken the city to sanction a campsite. Priced out of the South Sacramento neighborhood he considers home, Williams has subsisted in a series of squalid lots, regularly packing up and moving from one to the next in response to law enforcement sweeps.

“We’ve got nowhere to go,” said Williams, 40, who is a plaintiff in a legal battle with the city over encampment sweeps. “We need housing. We need services like bathrooms and hand-washing stations. Or how about just some dumpsters so we can pick up the trash?”

A Real Job, a New Beginning

Like Sacramento, Sonoma County has battled unruly homeless encampments for years. Before the fires, the crisis was more hidden, with people sheltering in creek beds and wooded glens abutting hiking and biking trails. The wildfires of 2017, 2019 and 2020 brought many out of the backcountry. And the 5,300 homes decimated by flames meant even more people displaced.

Politicians in Sonoma County described their soul-searching over how to cut through the community gridlock when it comes to finding locations to provide housing and services.

“It’s fear and anger that you’re going to take something away from me if you build this housing — that’s a big part of it, and I saw that anger directed at me, too,” said Shirlee Zane, a vocal backer of homeless services who lost her reelection bid last year after 12 years on the county board of supervisors. “It’s a psychology we see here too often, a sense of entitlement from white middle-class people.”

In creating the Finley Park model, Santa Rosa leaders drew on a few basic tenets. Neighbors were worried about crime and drug use, so the city deployed police officers and security guards for 24/7 patrols. Neighbors worried about trash and disease; the city brought in hand-washing stations, showers and toilets. Catholic Charities enrolled dozens of camp residents in neighborhood beautification projects, giving them gift cards to stores like Target and Starbucks in exchange for picking up trash — usually $50 for a couple of hours of work.

A few times a week, a mobile clinic serviced the camp, dispensing basic health care and medications. Residents had access to virtual mental health treatment and were screened regularly for covid symptoms; only one person tested positive for the coronavirus during the 256 days the site was in operation.

“We were serious about providing access to care,” said Jennifer Ammons, a nurse practitioner who led the mobile clinic. “You can get them inhalers, take care of their cellulitis with antibiotics, get rid of their pneumonia or skin infections.”

Rosa Newman was among those who turned their lives around. Newman, 56, said she had sunk into homelessness and addiction after leaving an abusive partner years before. She moved into her designated tent in September and in a matter of days was enrolled in California’s version of Medicaid, connected to a doctor and receiving treatment for a painful bladder infection. After two months in the camp, she was able to get into subsidized housing and landed a job at a Catholic Charities homeless drop-in center.

“Before, I was so sick I didn’t have any hope. I didn’t have to show up for anything,” she said. “But now I have a real job, and it’s just the beginning.”

James Carver, 50, who for years slept in the doorway of a downtown Santa Rosa business with his wife, said he felt happy just to have a tent over his head. Channeling his energy into cleanup projects and odd jobs around camp, Carver said, his morale began to improve.

“It’s such a comfort; I’m looking for work again,” Carver, an unemployed construction worker, said in November while cleaning stacks of storage totes handed out to camp residents. “I don’t have to sleep with one eye open.”

Jennielynn Holmes, who runs Catholic Charities’ homeless services in Northern California, said the Finley Park experiment helped in ways she didn’t expect.

“This taught us valuable lessons on how to keep the unsheltered population safe, but also we were able to get people signed up for health care and ready for housing faster because we knew where they were,” Holmes said. Of the 208 people served at the site, she said, 12 were moved into permanent housing and nearly five dozen placed in shelters while they await openings.

When Santa Rosa officials conceived of the Finley site, they sold it to the community as temporary, believing covid would run its course by winter. And though covid still raged, they kept that promise and closed the site Nov. 30, then held a community meeting to get feedback. “Only three or four people called in, and they all had positive things to say,” said David Gouin, who has since retired as director of housing and community services.

Several area residents said they changed their mind about the project because of the way the site was managed.

“I was amazed I never saw anything negative at all,” said Boyd Edwards, who plays pickleball at the Finley Community Center a few times a week.

“I thought they were going to be noisy and have crap all over the place. Now, they can have it all year round for all I care,” said his friend Joseph Gernhardt.

Of the 108 calls for police service, almost all were in response to other homeless people wanting to sleep at the site when it was at capacity, records show. And there was no violent behavior, said Police Chief Rainer Navarro.

With the Finley encampment closed, Santa Rosa has expanded its primary shelter while drafting plans to set up year-round managed camps in several neighborhoods, this time with hardened structures. County supervisors, meanwhile, are using $16 million in state grants to purchase and convert two hotels into housing, and have stood their ground in pushing through two Finley Park-style managed encampments, one on county property, the other at a mountain retreat center.

The time has come, they said, to stop debating and embrace solutions.

“We have estates that sell for $20 million, and then you walk by people sleeping in tents with no access to hot food or running water,” said Lynda Hopkins, chair of the county board of supervisors. “These tiny villages — they’re not perfect, but we’re trying to provide some dignity.”

This story was produced by KHN, which publishes California Healthline, an editorially independent service of the California Health Care Foundation.

KHN (Kaiser Health News) is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues. Together with Policy Analysis and Polling, KHN is one of the three major operating programs at KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation). KFF is an endowed nonprofit organization providing information on health issues to the nation.

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‘Go Ahead and Vote Me Out’: What Other Places Can Learn From Santa Rosa’s Tent City published first on https://nootropicspowdersupplier.tumblr.com/

[touristguidebuzz]

An In-Depth Travel Guide to Cape Town

Welcome to a very special new column! I’m excited to announce that Natasha and Cameron from The World Pursuit will be writing a (semi-)monthly column on traveling around Africa. While I’ve been to the continent in the past, I’ve only seen a few countries and this website is really thin on Africa content. So I’m super duper excited to have these two travelers share their knowledge about traveling the continent. They will share budget tips, detailed guides, itineraries, and stories to get you excited and prepared for your own trip! I am excited to bring them onboard and share their experiences with you! Their first post is on Cape Town, a town they lived in for a few months, before setting off on this trip – and one of my favorite cities in the world!

Dominated by the iconic Table Mountain, which serves as a backdrop everywhere in the city, Cape Town is a mish-mash of cultures. Its appeal was apparent the day we arrived: we had a monthlong apartment rental and a plethora of “must see” sites, but the laid-back vibe of the city had us in no rush to do so. After just one hour of exploring, we said to each other, “We are going to love it here.”

After two months of soaking up the sun, enjoying the outdoors, and eating delicious food, we still hadn’t managed to pull away from the city. The magic of Cape Town extends well beyond its beauty; it lies in what it can offer visitors. Whether it was checking out a weekend market, hiking, attending a jazz concert, canyoneering, or spotting some wildlife, we never ran out of things to do. And you won’t either!

Top Things to Do in Cape Town

At over 3,500 feet above sea level, the views from Table Mountain are the best in the city. Taking the famous cableway up the mountain was one of the first things we did. However, at ZAR 285 (USD $21) for a return ticket, it is relatively expensive.

However, the hiking trails are free and offer some great exercise. There are a number of routes up the mountain, with the shortest trail taking about two hours to climb from the cableway station. At the top there is a café and restaurant, where we grabbed a drink and soaked up the views. Prices at the café are reasonable: R16 ($1.17) for a coffee, R40 ($3) for a slice of pizza, and R80 ($6) for a full hot meal.

Enjoy a drink on top of Lion’s Head

While hiking up Table Mountain may take too long for an evening hike, the adjacent Lion’s Head is only a 45-minute climb to the top. It’s essentially the little sister to Table Mountain. Make sure to bring a camera on your hike, because it’s one of the most photogenic spots in Cape Town. Rising high above the city skyline, it still provides incredible views of the city, sea, and Table Mountain. The evening we hiked up, we witnessed a rare show as a low blanket of clouds made all trace of man disappear.

Sunrise and sunset can be crowded times, as locals and tourists alike clamber up the mountain to take in the impressive vista. Once on top of the peak be sure to reward yourself with a classic African “sundowner” (a drink while watching the sunset). Our personal drink of choice is the classic gin & tonic; it complements a sunset on Lion’s Head perfectly.

Drive Chapman’s Peak to Cape Point

Past Chapman’s Peak southwest of Cape Town is Cape Point National Park, where you can witness the collision of the Atlantic and Indian oceans at the Cape of Good Hope. The national park offers long hikes, coastal birdlife, and a chance to take in the smallest and richest floral kingdom in the world, the fynbos.

You will have to pay a R42 ($3) toll to drive on the road; however, the scenic drive is well worth the cost! The famous drive snakes along the vertical cliff faces of Table Mountain, leaving you wondering whether your car will end up in the Atlantic. A day car rental runs R300-R500 ($22-37) depending on the season, with petrol costing around R14 ($1) per liter. The entry fee to the Cape Point National Park is R135 ($10).

Head to Robben Island

Visiting the former political prison on Robben Island was high on our list of things to do. A former inmate personally guides everyone around the prison. It is both sobering and inspiring to learn first-hand about South Africa’s first black president especially from other people who actually knew him. We were able to hear their stories and sit in the same exact cells where prisoners who fought for their rights were locked away. It’s hard to think about the victims of political oppression still in prison around the world and remember that, despite what the news may say, we’re a lot further along than just two decades ago.

Tours depart from the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront, and visitors are shuttled across the bay to the island via ferry. The tour on Robben Island with the ferry ride costs R320 ($24). It is a small price to pay to see where Nelson Mandela’s autobiography, Long Walk To Freedom, was authored. Keep in mind that ferries leave at set times and tickets should be bought in advance — we nearly missed ours!

Spend a weekend day at the Bay Harbor Market

On weekends in Hout Bay, artisans and vendors from around the city come to the Bay Harbour Market to sell their goods: everything from fish stew, souvenirs, crêpes, jewelry, art, and even mojitos are available, as are live bands. You can get just about anything you can crave. We discovered the market by happenstance: we had come to go swimming with the seals in Hout Bay, and just followed the sounds of the buzzing market. We enjoyed it so much we returned multiple times.

The market (31 Harbour Road) is open on Friday evenings, as well as Saturday and Sunday from 9:30am to 4pm. To find it, travel to the eastern edge of Hout Bay Harbor, where you’ll find a crowd of locals and live music.

Kirstenbosch Gardens

On a nice spring day, we headed to the southern suburbs to check out Kirstenbosch Gardens. Set against the slopes of Table Mountain, the beautiful botanical gardens are appropriately dubbed “the most beautiful garden in Africa.” Kirstenbosch offers visitors a chance to explore the fynbos and various floral kingdoms found across the African continent. It was one of our best outings and provided a welcome escape from the city. A ticket to the gardens costs R60 ($4.40) and includes entrance to the famous tree canopy walkway. There are a few restaurants and a café there, but we saved money by having a picnic on the pristine lawns.

Surfing at Muizenberg Beach

Muizenberg is a southern suburb of Cape Town famous for its boardwalk and surf. It’s a 30 min. car ride from the city center and the ideal spot to learn how to surf. The laid-back neighborhood is a beach bum’s haven and has a strong multicultural vibe that is refreshing. A 90 min. rental with wetsuit costs just R100 ($7.30) and makes for a great way to get active on vacation.

If surfing isn’t your thing, the neighborhood is also home to a number of cultural events and yoga studios. We took a stab at a free yoga class, followed by a healthy wrap and smoothie along the beach. Afterwards, we took photos of the famous beach stands that are painted in a rainbow of colors.

See the Boulders Beach penguins

This was at the top of our to-do list in Cape Town. So, we saved it for a special occasion and made our way to see the home of thousands of African penguins. Visitors can properly view them from a raised boardwalk, while still giving the massive colony their personal space. You’ll know where the African penguin’s second name, “jackass penguin,” comes from when you hear them call.

Boulders Beach Park costs R70 ($5) to enter, with the fee going to the upkeep of the park and conservation of the penguins. Don’t try to take a photo too close to a penguin — they bite, and I’m speaking from experience.

Wine and dine in Stellenbosch

One of the most world-renowned wine regions is only a 45-minute ride outside of Cape Town. There are hundreds of privately owned vineyards in and around Stellenbosch, which is famous for the mountains and valley that are often blanketed in fog. The world-class wine can be sampled for just R60-75 ($4.40-5.50) a tasting. We managed to have a full day of wine and food pairings (ranging from salt and cupcakes to cheese and chocolate) for a fraction of what it would cost in Napa Valley. Our personal favorite was the biltong (South African dried meat) and wine pairing at L’Avenir.

To get to the various vineyards, check out the Vine Hopper, a hop-on, hop-off van with various vineyard routes. If you can only visit one vineyard, we would recommend Lanzerac to taste the origin of the region’s very own pinotage variety.

Pose for a pic in colorful Bo-Kaap

Walking distance from the city center is the colorful Cape Malay (Muslim) neighborhood of Bo-Kaap, the former quarters of the city’s slave population. However, as time passed, the neighborhood grew, and various communities have called it home. Nowadays, the Cape Malay population reside in the vibrant neighborhood. Don’t feel shy walking through and taking photos; the residents are friendly and used to having their homes photographed and posted on Instagram. We went to the neighborhood in the morning to catch good light for photos and watch the neighborhood come alive. We ended up staying for a couple of hours, checking out South Africa’s first mosque, Auwal Mosque, and eating at one of the best Cape Malay restaurants in the neighborhood, Bo-Kaap Kombuis. Afterwards we had plenty of fun posing for photos in front of the bright orange, green, pink, blue, and yellow houses.

Typical Costs in Cape Town

Overall, I would say that you should budget R450-R750 ($33-55) a day in Cape Town. Compared to other big cities around the world, Cape Town is definitely affordable. Hostels and apartments will offer the best rates on accommodation, buses (albeit slow and inconsistent) are incredibly cheap, and no good meal should cost you more than R100 ($7.30) unless it’s at an upscale restaurant. We were never on an ultra-tight budget, and we lived quite comfortably, with great food and entertainment a quarter of what it cost in NYC. Our only splurge days involved excursions outside of the city, like canyoneering, whale watching, or bungee jumping.

Accommodation Accommodation will be the biggest budget breaker, with dorm beds costing as much as R250 ($18) in the high season. If you are traveling with friends, it’s possible to find a decent apartment rental for R700-R1000 ($51-73) per night. As a couple we found great value in hopping around various Airbnbs in the city. Hotels can vary wildly; expect to pay R1,400-R14,000 ($102-1,024) a night.

Food Eating out in Cape Town is a fantastic experience, as you can have almost any cuisine at a fair price. We were able to gorge on delicious sushi for less than R150 ($11) at Willoughby’s Fish Market and get health juices at the Sidewalk Café for R30 ($2.20). We found the best bang for the buck at 96 Long Market Street, where the Eastern Food Bazaar serves up great food and huge portions every day for less than R50 ($3.70). Tipping 10% of the bill for table service is a common practice in South Africa.

Transport Cape Town is a spread-out city — to get around you’ll have to choose the bus or a taxi. While it may be a big, modern city, it lacks efficient public transport. The only system in place is a bus network called MyCiTi, which was implemented for the 2010 World Cup. It is the cheapest but least efficient way to get around the city. Ticket prices begin at R2 ($0.15) and are calculated by distance traveled. However, bus times are infrequent and the coverage is incomplete.

Our solution was to take Ubers around the city. They offer better prices than the local cabs, and they are nicer, more reliable, and safer. And you are guaranteed a fair price without hassle. The only time we used a local cab resulted in price gouging and having to sit through the cabbie’s pitch for more personal rides and tours around the city. An Uber from Woodstock to the V & A Waterfront will cost about R60 ($4.40), while you can expect to pay all of R20 ($1.50) to get anywhere around the city center.

How to Save Money in Cape Town

Go in the off-season to save on accommodation – Traveling during South Africa’s winter season will help your wallet. During the summer, locals leave the city to the tourists and South Africans from around the country take over. In the winter, you have the ability to work out deals with hostels and Airbnbs, as owners work to fill up their rooms. We visited in September and were able to negotiate with a number of apartment owners to find the best deal. It pays to shop around!

Stay active – If you’re looking for free things to do, then getting active is a great solution. Climbing Lion’s Head, swimming at the beach, and running along the Sea Point promenade are all free activities that provide a good workout. Almost any outdoor activity in Cape Town is sure to offer stunning views of the ocean as well!

Stay away from the touristy areas Shops at the Watershed, in Camps Bay, and downtown offer handmade local products, but expect to pay more, as they are some of the most visited areas in the city. If you are looking for souvenirs from Cape Town, try the Old Biscuit Mill in Woodstock on Saturdays for better prices. If you are in need of any standard products or clothes, we found Mr. Price to be the best bargain shop around South Africa.

Stay in the less fancy neighborhoods –Camps Bay, Sea Point, and the Waterfront areas are all real estate hotspots: they are some of the most beautiful areas of Cape Town, so therefore are the most expensive areas to stay in. For more affordable options try Muizenberg, Vredehoek, or Woodstock. We stayed in apartments in each of those neighborhoods, which offered their own sightseeing but we were still only an Uber ride away from the main sights.

Shoprite for food – “Shoprite” is Southern Africa’s affordable supermarket. Other grocery stores in Cape Town are Checkers, Pick n Pay, Spar, and Woolworths (in order of increasing cost). Checkers is comparable to Shoprite; however, some “hyperstores” are as big as a Super Walmart in the United States. Pick n Pay and Spar are mid-range grocery stores, while Woolworths is the up-market, “fancy” brand. We preferred shopping at Pick n Pay, as the prices were reasonable and the produce was great.

****

There is little reason to wonder why so many people are drawn to Cape Town. The city has almost everything to offer: beaches, food, mountains, wildlife, history, culture, wine, and adventure sports. Exploring Cape Town takes time; life seems to move a little slower in the Cape. The locals enjoy their city’s very laid-back attitude, and you’ll want to do the same. We stayed for two months and still hear about things that we missed. We’re already plotting our eventual return!

Natasha and Cameron run the blog The World Pursuit. They’ve been traveling around the world for a couple of years and, after spending extended time in Cape Town, are taking a 4×4 and through Africa for a year. You can follow their adventures on their blog as well as Twitter and Instagram. 

The post An In-Depth Travel Guide to Cape Town appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.

[fadingfartconnoisseur]

An In-Depth Travel Guide to Cape Town

Welcome to a very special new column! I’m excited to announce that Natasha and Cameron from The World Pursuit will be writing a (semi-)monthly column on traveling around Africa. While I’ve been to the continent in the past, I’ve only seen a few countries and this website is really thin on Africa content. So I’m super duper excited to have these two travelers share their knowledge about traveling the continent. They will share budget tips, detailed guides, itineraries, and stories to get you excited and prepared for your own trip! I am excited to bring them onboard and share their experiences with you! Their first post is on Cape Town, a town they lived in for a few months, before setting off on this trip – and one of my favorite cities in the world!

Dominated by the iconic Table Mountain, which serves as a backdrop everywhere in the city, Cape Town is a mish-mash of cultures. Its appeal was apparent the day we arrived: we had a monthlong apartment rental and a plethora of “must see” sites, but the laid-back vibe of the city had us in no rush to do so. After just one hour of exploring, we said to each other, “We are going to love it here.”

After two months of soaking up the sun, enjoying the outdoors, and eating delicious food, we still hadn’t managed to pull away from the city. The magic of Cape Town extends well beyond its beauty; it lies in what it can offer visitors. Whether it was checking out a weekend market, hiking, attending a jazz concert, canyoneering, or spotting some wildlife, we never ran out of things to do. And you won’t either!

Top Things to Do in Cape Town

At over 3,500 feet above sea level, the views from Table Mountain are the best in the city. Taking the famous cableway up the mountain was one of the first things we did. However, at ZAR 285 (USD $21) for a return ticket, it is relatively expensive.

However, the hiking trails are free and offer some great exercise. There are a number of routes up the mountain, with the shortest trail taking about two hours to climb from the cableway station. At the top there is a café and restaurant, where we grabbed a drink and soaked up the views. Prices at the café are reasonable: R16 ($1.17) for a coffee, R40 ($3) for a slice of pizza, and R80 ($6) for a full hot meal.

Enjoy a drink on top of Lion’s Head

While hiking up Table Mountain may take too long for an evening hike, the adjacent Lion’s Head is only a 45-minute climb to the top. It’s essentially the little sister to Table Mountain. Make sure to bring a camera on your hike, because it’s one of the most photogenic spots in Cape Town. Rising high above the city skyline, it still provides incredible views of the city, sea, and Table Mountain. The evening we hiked up, we witnessed a rare show as a low blanket of clouds made all trace of man disappear.

Sunrise and sunset can be crowded times, as locals and tourists alike clamber up the mountain to take in the impressive vista. Once on top of the peak be sure to reward yourself with a classic African “sundowner” (a drink while watching the sunset). Our personal drink of choice is the classic gin & tonic; it complements a sunset on Lion’s Head perfectly.

Drive Chapman’s Peak to Cape Point

Past Chapman’s Peak southwest of Cape Town is Cape Point National Park, where you can witness the collision of the Atlantic and Indian oceans at the Cape of Good Hope. The national park offers long hikes, coastal birdlife, and a chance to take in the smallest and richest floral kingdom in the world, the fynbos.

You will have to pay a R42 ($3) toll to drive on the road; however, the scenic drive is well worth the cost! The famous drive snakes along the vertical cliff faces of Table Mountain, leaving you wondering whether your car will end up in the Atlantic. A day car rental runs R300-R500 ($22-37) depending on the season, with petrol costing around R14 ($1) per liter. The entry fee to the Cape Point National Park is R135 ($10).

Head to Robben Island

Visiting the former political prison on Robben Island was high on our list of things to do. A former inmate personally guides everyone around the prison. It is both sobering and inspiring to learn first-hand about South Africa’s first black president especially from other people who actually knew him. We were able to hear their stories and sit in the same exact cells where prisoners who fought for their rights were locked away. It’s hard to think about the victims of political oppression still in prison around the world and remember that, despite what the news may say, we’re a lot further along than just two decades ago.

Tours depart from the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront, and visitors are shuttled across the bay to the island via ferry. The tour on Robben Island with the ferry ride costs R320 ($24). It is a small price to pay to see where Nelson Mandela’s autobiography, Long Walk To Freedom, was authored. Keep in mind that ferries leave at set times and tickets should be bought in advance — we nearly missed ours!

Spend a weekend day at the Bay Harbor Market

On weekends in Hout Bay, artisans and vendors from around the city come to the Bay Harbour Market to sell their goods: everything from fish stew, souvenirs, crêpes, jewelry, art, and even mojitos are available, as are live bands. You can get just about anything you can crave. We discovered the market by happenstance: we had come to go swimming with the seals in Hout Bay, and just followed the sounds of the buzzing market. We enjoyed it so much we returned multiple times.

The market (31 Harbour Road) is open on Friday evenings, as well as Saturday and Sunday from 9:30am to 4pm. To find it, travel to the eastern edge of Hout Bay Harbor, where you’ll find a crowd of locals and live music.

Kirstenbosch Gardens

On a nice spring day, we headed to the southern suburbs to check out Kirstenbosch Gardens. Set against the slopes of Table Mountain, the beautiful botanical gardens are appropriately dubbed “the most beautiful garden in Africa.” Kirstenbosch offers visitors a chance to explore the fynbos and various floral kingdoms found across the African continent. It was one of our best outings and provided a welcome escape from the city. A ticket to the gardens costs R60 ($4.40) and includes entrance to the famous tree canopy walkway. There are a few restaurants and a café there, but we saved money by having a picnic on the pristine lawns.

Surfing at Muizenberg Beach

Muizenberg is a southern suburb of Cape Town famous for its boardwalk and surf. It’s a 30 min. car ride from the city center and the ideal spot to learn how to surf. The laid-back neighborhood is a beach bum’s haven and has a strong multicultural vibe that is refreshing. A 90 min. rental with wetsuit costs just R100 ($7.30) and makes for a great way to get active on vacation.

If surfing isn’t your thing, the neighborhood is also home to a number of cultural events and yoga studios. We took a stab at a free yoga class, followed by a healthy wrap and smoothie along the beach. Afterwards, we took photos of the famous beach stands that are painted in a rainbow of colors.

See the Boulders Beach penguins

This was at the top of our to-do list in Cape Town. So, we saved it for a special occasion and made our way to see the home of thousands of African penguins. Visitors can properly view them from a raised boardwalk, while still giving the massive colony their personal space. You’ll know where the African penguin’s second name, “jackass penguin,” comes from when you hear them call.

Boulders Beach Park costs R70 ($5) to enter, with the fee going to the upkeep of the park and conservation of the penguins. Don’t try to take a photo too close to a penguin — they bite, and I’m speaking from experience.

Wine and dine in Stellenbosch

One of the most world-renowned wine regions is only a 45-minute ride outside of Cape Town. There are hundreds of privately owned vineyards in and around Stellenbosch, which is famous for the mountains and valley that are often blanketed in fog. The world-class wine can be sampled for just R60-75 ($4.40-5.50) a tasting. We managed to have a full day of wine and food pairings (ranging from salt and cupcakes to cheese and chocolate) for a fraction of what it would cost in Napa Valley. Our personal favorite was the biltong (South African dried meat) and wine pairing at L’Avenir.

To get to the various vineyards, check out the Vine Hopper, a hop-on, hop-off van with various vineyard routes. If you can only visit one vineyard, we would recommend Lanzerac to taste the origin of the region’s very own pinotage variety.

Pose for a pic in colorful Bo-Kaap

Walking distance from the city center is the colorful Cape Malay (Muslim) neighborhood of Bo-Kaap, the former quarters of the city’s slave population. However, as time passed, the neighborhood grew, and various communities have called it home. Nowadays, the Cape Malay population reside in the vibrant neighborhood. Don’t feel shy walking through and taking photos; the residents are friendly and used to having their homes photographed and posted on Instagram. We went to the neighborhood in the morning to catch good light for photos and watch the neighborhood come alive. We ended up staying for a couple of hours, checking out South Africa’s first mosque, Auwal Mosque, and eating at one of the best Cape Malay restaurants in the neighborhood, Bo-Kaap Kombuis. Afterwards we had plenty of fun posing for photos in front of the bright orange, green, pink, blue, and yellow houses.

Typical Costs in Cape Town

Overall, I would say that you should budget R450-R750 ($33-55) a day in Cape Town. Compared to other big cities around the world, Cape Town is definitely affordable. Hostels and apartments will offer the best rates on accommodation, buses (albeit slow and inconsistent) are incredibly cheap, and no good meal should cost you more than R100 ($7.30) unless it’s at an upscale restaurant. We were never on an ultra-tight budget, and we lived quite comfortably, with great food and entertainment a quarter of what it cost in NYC. Our only splurge days involved excursions outside of the city, like canyoneering, whale watching, or bungee jumping.

Accommodation Accommodation will be the biggest budget breaker, with dorm beds costing as much as R250 ($18) in the high season. If you are traveling with friends, it’s possible to find a decent apartment rental for R700-R1000 ($51-73) per night. As a couple we found great value in hopping around various Airbnbs in the city. Hotels can vary wildly; expect to pay R1,400-R14,000 ($102-1,024) a night.

Food Eating out in Cape Town is a fantastic experience, as you can have almost any cuisine at a fair price. We were able to gorge on delicious sushi for less than R150 ($11) at Willoughby’s Fish Market and get health juices at the Sidewalk Café for R30 ($2.20). We found the best bang for the buck at 96 Long Market Street, where the Eastern Food Bazaar serves up great food and huge portions every day for less than R50 ($3.70). Tipping 10% of the bill for table service is a common practice in South Africa.

Transport Cape Town is a spread-out city — to get around you’ll have to choose the bus or a taxi. While it may be a big, modern city, it lacks efficient public transport. The only system in place is a bus network called MyCiTi, which was implemented for the 2010 World Cup. It is the cheapest but least efficient way to get around the city. Ticket prices begin at R2 ($0.15) and are calculated by distance traveled. However, bus times are infrequent and the coverage is incomplete.

Our solution was to take Ubers around the city. They offer better prices than the local cabs, and they are nicer, more reliable, and safer. And you are guaranteed a fair price without hassle. The only time we used a local cab resulted in price gouging and having to sit through the cabbie’s pitch for more personal rides and tours around the city. An Uber from Woodstock to the V & A Waterfront will cost about R60 ($4.40), while you can expect to pay all of R20 ($1.50) to get anywhere around the city center.

How to Save Money in Cape Town

Go in the off-season to save on accommodation – Traveling during South Africa’s winter season will help your wallet. During the summer, locals leave the city to the tourists and South Africans from around the country take over. In the winter, you have the ability to work out deals with hostels and Airbnbs, as owners work to fill up their rooms. We visited in September and were able to negotiate with a number of apartment owners to find the best deal. It pays to shop around!

Stay active – If you’re looking for free things to do, then getting active is a great solution. Climbing Lion’s Head, swimming at the beach, and running along the Sea Point promenade are all free activities that provide a good workout. Almost any outdoor activity in Cape Town is sure to offer stunning views of the ocean as well!

Stay away from the touristy areas Shops at the Watershed, in Camps Bay, and downtown offer handmade local products, but expect to pay more, as they are some of the most visited areas in the city. If you are looking for souvenirs from Cape Town, try the Old Biscuit Mill in Woodstock on Saturdays for better prices. If you are in need of any standard products or clothes, we found Mr. Price to be the best bargain shop around South Africa.

Stay in the less fancy neighborhoods –Camps Bay, Sea Point, and the Waterfront areas are all real estate hotspots: they are some of the most beautiful areas of Cape Town, so therefore are the most expensive areas to stay in. For more affordable options try Muizenberg, Vredehoek, or Woodstock. We stayed in apartments in each of those neighborhoods, which offered their own sightseeing but we were still only an Uber ride away from the main sights.

Shoprite for food – “Shoprite” is Southern Africa’s affordable supermarket. Other grocery stores in Cape Town are Checkers, Pick n Pay, Spar, and Woolworths (in order of increasing cost). Checkers is comparable to Shoprite; however, some “hyperstores” are as big as a Super Walmart in the United States. Pick n Pay and Spar are mid-range grocery stores, while Woolworths is the up-market, “fancy” brand. We preferred shopping at Pick n Pay, as the prices were reasonable and the produce was great.

****

There is little reason to wonder why so many people are drawn to Cape Town. The city has almost everything to offer: beaches, food, mountains, wildlife, history, culture, wine, and adventure sports. Exploring Cape Town takes time; life seems to move a little slower in the Cape. The locals enjoy their city’s very laid-back attitude, and you’ll want to do the same. We stayed for two months and still hear about things that we missed. We’re already plotting our eventual return!

Natasha and Cameron run the blog The World Pursuit. They’ve been traveling around the world for a couple of years and, after spending extended time in Cape Town, are taking a 4×4 and through Africa for a year. You can follow their adventures on their blog as well as Twitter and Instagram. 

The post An In-Depth Travel Guide to Cape Town appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.

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An In-Depth Travel Guide to Cape Town

Welcome to a very special new column! I’m excited to announce that Natasha and Cameron from The World Pursuit will be writing a (semi-)monthly column on traveling around Africa. While I’ve been to the continent in the past, I’ve only seen a few countries and this website is really thin on Africa content. So I’m super duper excited to have these two travelers share their knowledge about traveling the continent. They will share budget tips, detailed guides, itineraries, and stories to get you excited and prepared for your own trip! I am excited to bring them onboard and share their experiences with you! Their first post is on Cape Town, a town they lived in for a few months, before setting off on this trip – and one of my favorite cities in the world!

Dominated by the iconic Table Mountain, which serves as a backdrop everywhere in the city, Cape Town is a mish-mash of cultures. Its appeal was apparent the day we arrived: we had a monthlong apartment rental and a plethora of “must see” sites, but the laid-back vibe of the city had us in no rush to do so. After just one hour of exploring, we said to each other, “We are going to love it here.”

After two months of soaking up the sun, enjoying the outdoors, and eating delicious food, we still hadn’t managed to pull away from the city. The magic of Cape Town extends well beyond its beauty; it lies in what it can offer visitors. Whether it was checking out a weekend market, hiking, attending a jazz concert, canyoneering, or spotting some wildlife, we never ran out of things to do. And you won’t either!

Top Things to Do in Cape Town

At over 3,500 feet above sea level, the views from Table Mountain are the best in the city. Taking the famous cableway up the mountain was one of the first things we did. However, at ZAR 285 (USD $21) for a return ticket, it is relatively expensive.

However, the hiking trails are free and offer some great exercise. There are a number of routes up the mountain, with the shortest trail taking about two hours to climb from the cableway station. At the top there is a café and restaurant, where we grabbed a drink and soaked up the views. Prices at the café are reasonable: R16 ($1.17) for a coffee, R40 ($3) for a slice of pizza, and R80 ($6) for a full hot meal.

Enjoy a drink on top of Lion’s Head

While hiking up Table Mountain may take too long for an evening hike, the adjacent Lion’s Head is only a 45-minute climb to the top. It’s essentially the little sister to Table Mountain. Make sure to bring a camera on your hike, because it’s one of the most photogenic spots in Cape Town. Rising high above the city skyline, it still provides incredible views of the city, sea, and Table Mountain. The evening we hiked up, we witnessed a rare show as a low blanket of clouds made all trace of man disappear.

Sunrise and sunset can be crowded times, as locals and tourists alike clamber up the mountain to take in the impressive vista. Once on top of the peak be sure to reward yourself with a classic African “sundowner” (a drink while watching the sunset). Our personal drink of choice is the classic gin & tonic; it complements a sunset on Lion’s Head perfectly.

Drive Chapman’s Peak to Cape Point

Past Chapman’s Peak southwest of Cape Town is Cape Point National Park, where you can witness the collision of the Atlantic and Indian oceans at the Cape of Good Hope. The national park offers long hikes, coastal birdlife, and a chance to take in the smallest and richest floral kingdom in the world, the fynbos.

You will have to pay a R42 ($3) toll to drive on the road; however, the scenic drive is well worth the cost! The famous drive snakes along the vertical cliff faces of Table Mountain, leaving you wondering whether your car will end up in the Atlantic. A day car rental runs R300-R500 ($22-37) depending on the season, with petrol costing around R14 ($1) per liter. The entry fee to the Cape Point National Park is R135 ($10).

Head to Robben Island

Visiting the former political prison on Robben Island was high on our list of things to do. A former inmate personally guides everyone around the prison. It is both sobering and inspiring to learn first-hand about South Africa’s first black president especially from other people who actually knew him. We were able to hear their stories and sit in the same exact cells where prisoners who fought for their rights were locked away. It’s hard to think about the victims of political oppression still in prison around the world and remember that, despite what the news may say, we’re a lot further along than just two decades ago.

Tours depart from the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront, and visitors are shuttled across the bay to the island via ferry. The tour on Robben Island with the ferry ride costs R320 ($24). It is a small price to pay to see where Nelson Mandela’s autobiography, Long Walk To Freedom, was authored. Keep in mind that ferries leave at set times and tickets should be bought in advance — we nearly missed ours!

Spend a weekend day at the Bay Harbor Market

On weekends in Hout Bay, artisans and vendors from around the city come to the Bay Harbour Market to sell their goods: everything from fish stew, souvenirs, crêpes, jewelry, art, and even mojitos are available, as are live bands. You can get just about anything you can crave. We discovered the market by happenstance: we had come to go swimming with the seals in Hout Bay, and just followed the sounds of the buzzing market. We enjoyed it so much we returned multiple times.

The market (31 Harbour Road) is open on Friday evenings, as well as Saturday and Sunday from 9:30am to 4pm. To find it, travel to the eastern edge of Hout Bay Harbor, where you’ll find a crowd of locals and live music.

Kirstenbosch Gardens

On a nice spring day, we headed to the southern suburbs to check out Kirstenbosch Gardens. Set against the slopes of Table Mountain, the beautiful botanical gardens are appropriately dubbed “the most beautiful garden in Africa.” Kirstenbosch offers visitors a chance to explore the fynbos and various floral kingdoms found across the African continent. It was one of our best outings and provided a welcome escape from the city. A ticket to the gardens costs R60 ($4.40) and includes entrance to the famous tree canopy walkway. There are a few restaurants and a café there, but we saved money by having a picnic on the pristine lawns.

Surfing at Muizenberg Beach

Muizenberg is a southern suburb of Cape Town famous for its boardwalk and surf. It’s a 30 min. car ride from the city center and the ideal spot to learn how to surf. The laid-back neighborhood is a beach bum’s haven and has a strong multicultural vibe that is refreshing. A 90 min. rental with wetsuit costs just R100 ($7.30) and makes for a great way to get active on vacation.

If surfing isn’t your thing, the neighborhood is also home to a number of cultural events and yoga studios. We took a stab at a free yoga class, followed by a healthy wrap and smoothie along the beach. Afterwards, we took photos of the famous beach stands that are painted in a rainbow of colors.

See the Boulders Beach penguins

This was at the top of our to-do list in Cape Town. So, we saved it for a special occasion and made our way to see the home of thousands of African penguins. Visitors can properly view them from a raised boardwalk, while still giving the massive colony their personal space. You’ll know where the African penguin’s second name, “jackass penguin,” comes from when you hear them call.

Boulders Beach Park costs R70 ($5) to enter, with the fee going to the upkeep of the park and conservation of the penguins. Don’t try to take a photo too close to a penguin — they bite, and I’m speaking from experience.

Wine and dine in Stellenbosch

One of the most world-renowned wine regions is only a 45-minute ride outside of Cape Town. There are hundreds of privately owned vineyards in and around Stellenbosch, which is famous for the mountains and valley that are often blanketed in fog. The world-class wine can be sampled for just R60-75 ($4.40-5.50) a tasting. We managed to have a full day of wine and food pairings (ranging from salt and cupcakes to cheese and chocolate) for a fraction of what it would cost in Napa Valley. Our personal favorite was the biltong (South African dried meat) and wine pairing at L’Avenir.

To get to the various vineyards, check out the Vine Hopper, a hop-on, hop-off van with various vineyard routes. If you can only visit one vineyard, we would recommend Lanzerac to taste the origin of the region’s very own pinotage variety.

Pose for a pic in colorful Bo-Kaap

Walking distance from the city center is the colorful Cape Malay (Muslim) neighborhood of Bo-Kaap, the former quarters of the city’s slave population. However, as time passed, the neighborhood grew, and various communities have called it home. Nowadays, the Cape Malay population reside in the vibrant neighborhood. Don’t feel shy walking through and taking photos; the residents are friendly and used to having their homes photographed and posted on Instagram. We went to the neighborhood in the morning to catch good light for photos and watch the neighborhood come alive. We ended up staying for a couple of hours, checking out South Africa’s first mosque, Auwal Mosque, and eating at one of the best Cape Malay restaurants in the neighborhood, Bo-Kaap Kombuis. Afterwards we had plenty of fun posing for photos in front of the bright orange, green, pink, blue, and yellow houses.

Typical Costs in Cape Town

Overall, I would say that you should budget R450-R750 ($33-55) a day in Cape Town. Compared to other big cities around the world, Cape Town is definitely affordable. Hostels and apartments will offer the best rates on accommodation, buses (albeit slow and inconsistent) are incredibly cheap, and no good meal should cost you more than R100 ($7.30) unless it’s at an upscale restaurant. We were never on an ultra-tight budget, and we lived quite comfortably, with great food and entertainment a quarter of what it cost in NYC. Our only splurge days involved excursions outside of the city, like canyoneering, whale watching, or bungee jumping.

Accommodation Accommodation will be the biggest budget breaker, with dorm beds costing as much as R250 ($18) in the high season. If you are traveling with friends, it’s possible to find a decent apartment rental for R700-R1000 ($51-73) per night. As a couple we found great value in hopping around various Airbnbs in the city. Hotels can vary wildly; expect to pay R1,400-R14,000 ($102-1,024) a night.

Food Eating out in Cape Town is a fantastic experience, as you can have almost any cuisine at a fair price. We were able to gorge on delicious sushi for less than R150 ($11) at Willoughby’s Fish Market and get health juices at the Sidewalk Café for R30 ($2.20). We found the best bang for the buck at 96 Long Market Street, where the Eastern Food Bazaar serves up great food and huge portions every day for less than R50 ($3.70). Tipping 10% of the bill for table service is a common practice in South Africa.

Transport Cape Town is a spread-out city — to get around you’ll have to choose the bus or a taxi. While it may be a big, modern city, it lacks efficient public transport. The only system in place is a bus network called MyCiTi, which was implemented for the 2010 World Cup. It is the cheapest but least efficient way to get around the city. Ticket prices begin at R2 ($0.15) and are calculated by distance traveled. However, bus times are infrequent and the coverage is incomplete.

Our solution was to take Ubers around the city. They offer better prices than the local cabs, and they are nicer, more reliable, and safer. And you are guaranteed a fair price without hassle. The only time we used a local cab resulted in price gouging and having to sit through the cabbie’s pitch for more personal rides and tours around the city. An Uber from Woodstock to the V & A Waterfront will cost about R60 ($4.40), while you can expect to pay all of R20 ($1.50) to get anywhere around the city center.

How to Save Money in Cape Town

Go in the off-season to save on accommodation – Traveling during South Africa’s winter season will help your wallet. During the summer, locals leave the city to the tourists and South Africans from around the country take over. In the winter, you have the ability to work out deals with hostels and Airbnbs, as owners work to fill up their rooms. We visited in September and were able to negotiate with a number of apartment owners to find the best deal. It pays to shop around!

Stay active – If you’re looking for free things to do, then getting active is a great solution. Climbing Lion’s Head, swimming at the beach, and running along the Sea Point promenade are all free activities that provide a good workout. Almost any outdoor activity in Cape Town is sure to offer stunning views of the ocean as well!

Stay away from the touristy areas Shops at the Watershed, in Camps Bay, and downtown offer handmade local products, but expect to pay more, as they are some of the most visited areas in the city. If you are looking for souvenirs from Cape Town, try the Old Biscuit Mill in Woodstock on Saturdays for better prices. If you are in need of any standard products or clothes, we found Mr. Price to be the best bargain shop around South Africa.

Stay in the less fancy neighborhoods –Camps Bay, Sea Point, and the Waterfront areas are all real estate hotspots: they are some of the most beautiful areas of Cape Town, so therefore are the most expensive areas to stay in. For more affordable options try Muizenberg, Vredehoek, or Woodstock. We stayed in apartments in each of those neighborhoods, which offered their own sightseeing but we were still only an Uber ride away from the main sights.

Shoprite for food – “Shoprite” is Southern Africa’s affordable supermarket. Other grocery stores in Cape Town are Checkers, Pick n Pay, Spar, and Woolworths (in order of increasing cost). Checkers is comparable to Shoprite; however, some “hyperstores” are as big as a Super Walmart in the United States. Pick n Pay and Spar are mid-range grocery stores, while Woolworths is the up-market, “fancy” brand. We preferred shopping at Pick n Pay, as the prices were reasonable and the produce was great.

****

There is little reason to wonder why so many people are drawn to Cape Town. The city has almost everything to offer: beaches, food, mountains, wildlife, history, culture, wine, and adventure sports. Exploring Cape Town takes time; life seems to move a little slower in the Cape. The locals enjoy their city’s very laid-back attitude, and you’ll want to do the same. We stayed for two months and still hear about things that we missed. We’re already plotting our eventual return!

Natasha and Cameron run the blog The World Pursuit. They’ve been traveling around the world for a couple of years and, after spending extended time in Cape Town, are taking a 4×4 and through Africa for a year. You can follow their adventures on their blog as well as Twitter and Instagram. 

The post An In-Depth Travel Guide to Cape Town appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.

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An In-Depth Travel Guide to Cape Town

Welcome to a very special new column! I’m excited to announce that Natasha and Cameron from The World Pursuit will be writing a (semi-)monthly column on traveling around Africa. While I’ve been to the continent in the past, I’ve only seen a few countries and this website is really thin on Africa content. So I’m super duper excited to have these two travelers share their knowledge about traveling the continent. They will share budget tips, detailed guides, itineraries, and stories to get you excited and prepared for your own trip! I am excited to bring them onboard and share their experiences with you! Their first post is on Cape Town, a town they lived in for a few months, before setting off on this trip – and one of my favorite cities in the world!

Dominated by the iconic Table Mountain, which serves as a backdrop everywhere in the city, Cape Town is a mish-mash of cultures. Its appeal was apparent the day we arrived: we had a monthlong apartment rental and a plethora of “must see” sites, but the laid-back vibe of the city had us in no rush to do so. After just one hour of exploring, we said to each other, “We are going to love it here.”

After two months of soaking up the sun, enjoying the outdoors, and eating delicious food, we still hadn’t managed to pull away from the city. The magic of Cape Town extends well beyond its beauty; it lies in what it can offer visitors. Whether it was checking out a weekend market, hiking, attending a jazz concert, canyoneering, or spotting some wildlife, we never ran out of things to do. And you won’t either!

Top Things to Do in Cape Town

At over 3,500 feet above sea level, the views from Table Mountain are the best in the city. Taking the famous cableway up the mountain was one of the first things we did. However, at ZAR 285 (USD $21) for a return ticket, it is relatively expensive.

However, the hiking trails are free and offer some great exercise. There are a number of routes up the mountain, with the shortest trail taking about two hours to climb from the cableway station. At the top there is a café and restaurant, where we grabbed a drink and soaked up the views. Prices at the café are reasonable: R16 ($1.17) for a coffee, R40 ($3) for a slice of pizza, and R80 ($6) for a full hot meal.

Enjoy a drink on top of Lion’s Head

While hiking up Table Mountain may take too long for an evening hike, the adjacent Lion’s Head is only a 45-minute climb to the top. It’s essentially the little sister to Table Mountain. Make sure to bring a camera on your hike, because it’s one of the most photogenic spots in Cape Town. Rising high above the city skyline, it still provides incredible views of the city, sea, and Table Mountain. The evening we hiked up, we witnessed a rare show as a low blanket of clouds made all trace of man disappear.

Sunrise and sunset can be crowded times, as locals and tourists alike clamber up the mountain to take in the impressive vista. Once on top of the peak be sure to reward yourself with a classic African “sundowner” (a drink while watching the sunset). Our personal drink of choice is the classic gin & tonic; it complements a sunset on Lion’s Head perfectly.

Drive Chapman’s Peak to Cape Point

Past Chapman’s Peak southwest of Cape Town is Cape Point National Park, where you can witness the collision of the Atlantic and Indian oceans at the Cape of Good Hope. The national park offers long hikes, coastal birdlife, and a chance to take in the smallest and richest floral kingdom in the world, the fynbos.

You will have to pay a R42 ($3) toll to drive on the road; however, the scenic drive is well worth the cost! The famous drive snakes along the vertical cliff faces of Table Mountain, leaving you wondering whether your car will end up in the Atlantic. A day car rental runs R300-R500 ($22-37) depending on the season, with petrol costing around R14 ($1) per liter. The entry fee to the Cape Point National Park is R135 ($10).

Head to Robben Island

Visiting the former political prison on Robben Island was high on our list of things to do. A former inmate personally guides everyone around the prison. It is both sobering and inspiring to learn first-hand about South Africa’s first black president especially from other people who actually knew him. We were able to hear their stories and sit in the same exact cells where prisoners who fought for their rights were locked away. It’s hard to think about the victims of political oppression still in prison around the world and remember that, despite what the news may say, we’re a lot further along than just two decades ago.

Tours depart from the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront, and visitors are shuttled across the bay to the island via ferry. The tour on Robben Island with the ferry ride costs R320 ($24). It is a small price to pay to see where Nelson Mandela’s autobiography, Long Walk To Freedom, was authored. Keep in mind that ferries leave at set times and tickets should be bought in advance — we nearly missed ours!

Spend a weekend day at the Bay Harbor Market

On weekends in Hout Bay, artisans and vendors from around the city come to the Bay Harbour Market to sell their goods: everything from fish stew, souvenirs, crêpes, jewelry, art, and even mojitos are available, as are live bands. You can get just about anything you can crave. We discovered the market by happenstance: we had come to go swimming with the seals in Hout Bay, and just followed the sounds of the buzzing market. We enjoyed it so much we returned multiple times.

The market (31 Harbour Road) is open on Friday evenings, as well as Saturday and Sunday from 9:30am to 4pm. To find it, travel to the eastern edge of Hout Bay Harbor, where you’ll find a crowd of locals and live music.

Kirstenbosch Gardens

On a nice spring day, we headed to the southern suburbs to check out Kirstenbosch Gardens. Set against the slopes of Table Mountain, the beautiful botanical gardens are appropriately dubbed “the most beautiful garden in Africa.” Kirstenbosch offers visitors a chance to explore the fynbos and various floral kingdoms found across the African continent. It was one of our best outings and provided a welcome escape from the city. A ticket to the gardens costs R60 ($4.40) and includes entrance to the famous tree canopy walkway. There are a few restaurants and a café there, but we saved money by having a picnic on the pristine lawns.

Surfing at Muizenberg Beach

Muizenberg is a southern suburb of Cape Town famous for its boardwalk and surf. It’s a 30 min. car ride from the city center and the ideal spot to learn how to surf. The laid-back neighborhood is a beach bum’s haven and has a strong multicultural vibe that is refreshing. A 90 min. rental with wetsuit costs just R100 ($7.30) and makes for a great way to get active on vacation.

If surfing isn’t your thing, the neighborhood is also home to a number of cultural events and yoga studios. We took a stab at a free yoga class, followed by a healthy wrap and smoothie along the beach. Afterwards, we took photos of the famous beach stands that are painted in a rainbow of colors.

See the Boulders Beach penguins

This was at the top of our to-do list in Cape Town. So, we saved it for a special occasion and made our way to see the home of thousands of African penguins. Visitors can properly view them from a raised boardwalk, while still giving the massive colony their personal space. You’ll know where the African penguin’s second name, “jackass penguin,” comes from when you hear them call.

Boulders Beach Park costs R70 ($5) to enter, with the fee going to the upkeep of the park and conservation of the penguins. Don’t try to take a photo too close to a penguin — they bite, and I’m speaking from experience.

Wine and dine in Stellenbosch

One of the most world-renowned wine regions is only a 45-minute ride outside of Cape Town. There are hundreds of privately owned vineyards in and around Stellenbosch, which is famous for the mountains and valley that are often blanketed in fog. The world-class wine can be sampled for just R60-75 ($4.40-5.50) a tasting. We managed to have a full day of wine and food pairings (ranging from salt and cupcakes to cheese and chocolate) for a fraction of what it would cost in Napa Valley. Our personal favorite was the biltong (South African dried meat) and wine pairing at L’Avenir.

To get to the various vineyards, check out the Vine Hopper, a hop-on, hop-off van with various vineyard routes. If you can only visit one vineyard, we would recommend Lanzerac to taste the origin of the region’s very own pinotage variety.

Pose for a pic in colorful Bo-Kaap

Walking distance from the city center is the colorful Cape Malay (Muslim) neighborhood of Bo-Kaap, the former quarters of the city’s slave population. However, as time passed, the neighborhood grew, and various communities have called it home. Nowadays, the Cape Malay population reside in the vibrant neighborhood. Don’t feel shy walking through and taking photos; the residents are friendly and used to having their homes photographed and posted on Instagram. We went to the neighborhood in the morning to catch good light for photos and watch the neighborhood come alive. We ended up staying for a couple of hours, checking out South Africa’s first mosque, Auwal Mosque, and eating at one of the best Cape Malay restaurants in the neighborhood, Bo-Kaap Kombuis. Afterwards we had plenty of fun posing for photos in front of the bright orange, green, pink, blue, and yellow houses.

Typical Costs in Cape Town

Overall, I would say that you should budget R450-R750 ($33-55) a day in Cape Town. Compared to other big cities around the world, Cape Town is definitely affordable. Hostels and apartments will offer the best rates on accommodation, buses (albeit slow and inconsistent) are incredibly cheap, and no good meal should cost you more than R100 ($7.30) unless it’s at an upscale restaurant. We were never on an ultra-tight budget, and we lived quite comfortably, with great food and entertainment a quarter of what it cost in NYC. Our only splurge days involved excursions outside of the city, like canyoneering, whale watching, or bungee jumping.

Accommodation Accommodation will be the biggest budget breaker, with dorm beds costing as much as R250 ($18) in the high season. If you are traveling with friends, it’s possible to find a decent apartment rental for R700-R1000 ($51-73) per night. As a couple we found great value in hopping around various Airbnbs in the city. Hotels can vary wildly; expect to pay R1,400-R14,000 ($102-1,024) a night.

Food Eating out in Cape Town is a fantastic experience, as you can have almost any cuisine at a fair price. We were able to gorge on delicious sushi for less than R150 ($11) at Willoughby’s Fish Market and get health juices at the Sidewalk Café for R30 ($2.20). We found the best bang for the buck at 96 Long Market Street, where the Eastern Food Bazaar serves up great food and huge portions every day for less than R50 ($3.70). Tipping 10% of the bill for table service is a common practice in South Africa.

Transport Cape Town is a spread-out city — to get around you’ll have to choose the bus or a taxi. While it may be a big, modern city, it lacks efficient public transport. The only system in place is a bus network called MyCiTi, which was implemented for the 2010 World Cup. It is the cheapest but least efficient way to get around the city. Ticket prices begin at R2 ($0.15) and are calculated by distance traveled. However, bus times are infrequent and the coverage is incomplete.

Our solution was to take Ubers around the city. They offer better prices than the local cabs, and they are nicer, more reliable, and safer. And you are guaranteed a fair price without hassle. The only time we used a local cab resulted in price gouging and having to sit through the cabbie’s pitch for more personal rides and tours around the city. An Uber from Woodstock to the V & A Waterfront will cost about R60 ($4.40), while you can expect to pay all of R20 ($1.50) to get anywhere around the city center.

How to Save Money in Cape Town

Go in the off-season to save on accommodation – Traveling during South Africa’s winter season will help your wallet. During the summer, locals leave the city to the tourists and South Africans from around the country take over. In the winter, you have the ability to work out deals with hostels and Airbnbs, as owners work to fill up their rooms. We visited in September and were able to negotiate with a number of apartment owners to find the best deal. It pays to shop around!

Stay active – If you’re looking for free things to do, then getting active is a great solution. Climbing Lion’s Head, swimming at the beach, and running along the Sea Point promenade are all free activities that provide a good workout. Almost any outdoor activity in Cape Town is sure to offer stunning views of the ocean as well!

Stay away from the touristy areas Shops at the Watershed, in Camps Bay, and downtown offer handmade local products, but expect to pay more, as they are some of the most visited areas in the city. If you are looking for souvenirs from Cape Town, try the Old Biscuit Mill in Woodstock on Saturdays for better prices. If you are in need of any standard products or clothes, we found Mr. Price to be the best bargain shop around South Africa.

Stay in the less fancy neighborhoods –Camps Bay, Sea Point, and the Waterfront areas are all real estate hotspots: they are some of the most beautiful areas of Cape Town, so therefore are the most expensive areas to stay in. For more affordable options try Muizenberg, Vredehoek, or Woodstock. We stayed in apartments in each of those neighborhoods, which offered their own sightseeing but we were still only an Uber ride away from the main sights.

Shoprite for food – “Shoprite” is Southern Africa’s affordable supermarket. Other grocery stores in Cape Town are Checkers, Pick n Pay, Spar, and Woolworths (in order of increasing cost). Checkers is comparable to Shoprite; however, some “hyperstores” are as big as a Super Walmart in the United States. Pick n Pay and Spar are mid-range grocery stores, while Woolworths is the up-market, “fancy” brand. We preferred shopping at Pick n Pay, as the prices were reasonable and the produce was great.

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There is little reason to wonder why so many people are drawn to Cape Town. The city has almost everything to offer: beaches, food, mountains, wildlife, history, culture, wine, and adventure sports. Exploring Cape Town takes time; life seems to move a little slower in the Cape. The locals enjoy their city’s very laid-back attitude, and you’ll want to do the same. We stayed for two months and still hear about things that we missed. We’re already plotting our eventual return!

Natasha and Cameron run the blog The World Pursuit. They’ve been traveling around the world for a couple of years and, after spending extended time in Cape Town, are taking a 4×4 and through Africa for a year. You can follow their adventures on their blog as well as Twitter and Instagram. 

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