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1. Street markets/Food/Food Markets
- Hope Street Market
- Oranjezicht Market
- Biscuit Mill Market/Neighbourgoods Market
- Houtbay Market
- Longmarket Street
- Bree Street
- Long Street
- Kloof Street
2. Scenic views/Photography
- Table Mountain
- Signal Hill
- Lions Head
- Kirstenbosch Gardens
- Newlands Forest
- Bokaap
- Seapoint Promenade
4. Light activity (short hikes/climbs)
- Signal Hill (Drive to the top)
- Lions Head (+/- 40 min slow walk to the top)
- Kirstenbosch Gardens (As long as you want)
- Newlands Forest (As long as you want)
5. A little nightlife
- Long Street (This is the busiest and tends to have a more crime + drugs. Caution walking around alone)
- Bree Street (Quieter and a lil' more hipster, 2 streets up from Long Street)
- Hidden Gin Bar on Wale Street (cool lil gin bar that's hidden behind a chocolate shop)
- Asoka on Kloof Street
- Shimmy Beach (Local band named Goldfish often plays here)
- Shark Cage diving
- Surfing
- Cycle along the promenade
- Sidecar motorbike tour
- Helicopter tour
- Sunset cruise from the Waterfront
- Zipline through Hottentot Mountains
- Walking tours through the city
- Summer concerts in Kirstenbosch
The water is freezing in my opinion. But I grew up swimming in a heated pool and driving down to Durban which has the warm Indian ocean. Most people who surf use wetsuits but a lot of people who grew up in Cape Town tend to swim in the ocean without too much concern. Muizenberg has slightly warm water compared to Camps Bay/Clifton/Blouberg
- Don't go to the townships alone.
- Be vigilant at night walking around the streets alone.
- Try not to flash valuables around.
- Don't use Minibus taxis
- Don't use the train
- Common sense mostly
Feel free to ask away if you want to know any more. I also grew up in Johannesburg if you want any information about that
Wow...such an inclusive list! Thank you so much!
I will definitely be back in this thread for more suggestions but in the meantime am going to take in all of your info here.
So would you say I would be ok traveling alone? Or is it best to do a tour as another posted suggested? I don't usually do tours but I want to be smart about travelling here. For instance, I'd like to just get up and go to Table Mountain when I feel like it; would I need to be accompanied to do something like spending a few hours hiking/doing photography there?
A somewhat related question to everyone: I had planned on bringing a drone with me by this time. Thoughts on this? I don't want to be targeted for theft or anything because someone sees me recording with one of these for instance....
For instance, I'd like to just get up and go to Table Mountain when I feel like it; would I need to be accompanied to do something like spending a few hours hiking/doing photography there?
You'll be fine to go do these things during the day. It's really not as bad as people make it out to be The dangers are more likely to come when you're wondering down a dark street late at night. Or possibly walking alone on the beach (although I think it's more common in Durban to get mugged on the beach)
But you shouldn't have any problems doing anything alone on the list I posted
With regards to Kruger National Park. There's nothing to worry about there either, it's very rare that people get hurt by the animals and if they do it's because they did something stupid.
I'm considering a solo trip to Africa in Feb 2019 for my 40th. I'm not 100% set on the places I will go yet but right now I am thinking Seychelles, Johannesburg and Cape Town. Likely for 2 weeks.
Things I'd like to do/am interested in: street markets (food and/or retail), scenic views/photography, food, beaches, light activity (short hikes/climbs), a little nightlife, and did I mention food?
I figure I'll just lay around in Seychelles. I haven't come up with an official list of things to do yet but so far think think that wine country, Table Mountain, Robben Island and the Apartheid Museum will be on the list. I hear February is a great time for festivals as well. I'm trying to think of a few unique things to do as well (think: paragliding? kite flying?).
Are the beaches in Cape Town too cold for swimming?
Am looking for suggestions on "must do" activities and also, just general tips on things not to do as well as safety tips. I have travelled places alone before (Mexico city, Rome, Spain, Portugal) but can always use advice specific to where I'm going, especially as solo female.
(Late Edit) I missed southkakkatlantan's post. He has a lot more information than I do, but I see I have added a few more things that he didn't touch upon. He's obviously knows more about the area than I do from my limited experience. Mind you, my knowledge is a bit dated, too.
I spent a lot of time working there on water resource issues, 2010-2016 with trips to many places in the Country, for work and pleasure. I was always with local Afrikaaners, who were my colleagues and clients.
1. Don't go into JoBerg or any of the Townships without a guide and car. The guides are quite nice.
2. Do visit the Wine Country around Stellenbosch, Paarl, Wellington and Franschhoek. There are tours. The country-side is lovely.
3. The best beach in Cape Town on the Atlantic side are the Clifton Beaches. Take a mini-bus (hold onto your bag) or cab...or walk. I've swum there - about like Atlantic Ocean off the NH coast in June. Cold. You can go over to the Indian Ocean side and the water is much warmer, but there are Great White Sharks.
4. The botanical gardens in Cape Town are lovely.
5. A nice eating, drinking, lodging etc place is called de Waterkant.
6. Take a tour bus to Cape Point.
7. There's a flea market in the center of Cape Town. There's a lot of fake goods (watches, fake gold, etc), but clothing, baskets, "trinkets" are mainly OK.
8. Safety in Cape Town: Don't dress up or wear any jewelry, anywhere on the street. Keep firm possession of your bag. Put your camera, mobil, etc. in your bag. There is lot of petty thievery and some that is less petty.
I wouldn't want to push my luck by testing the waters. How would anyone know someone's a tourist, anyway? OP asked about nightlife, for example. If someone's out and about at night, clubbing, or going to restaurants or whatever, how would locals know who's a tourist?
She would be safe in de Waterkant, for example, and on the beach bars, down from Clifton Beaches.
You can't lay on a South African beach in the U.S. and every beach is different. I will get most of my beach time in obviously at Seychelles though.
When you say Kruger are you saying to visit for a safari? I actually didn't have a safari on my list of things to do (am a big scared of them) but I wasn't sure if by Kruger you are referring specifically to doing a safari at Kruger National Park. I honestly like a mixture of everything so I open to doing many sorts of things. I just didn't have Kruger on the list because I saw a few disturbing videos on YouTube of safari attacks
Maybe you missed some of the things I mentioned wanting to do such as hiking, Robben Island and the Apartheid museum. I'm the very early planning stages so I am looking for lots of suggestions. Honestly I want to do as much as I can from eating to nightlife to beaches to nature to wine tasting to hiking to street art photography and museums but I will obviously be a bit limited with time. I am open to any/all suggestions.
The great thing about Kruger National Park is you don't have to join up with a formal safari, you just drive into the park like you do in Yellowstone. The only difference is you can't get out of your car, you have to get out at one of the many fenced in lodges or ranger centers in the park, and I don't think you can drive at night. You can walk around the park if accompanied by armed rangers, just sign up for one of the walks which is an amazing experience. There is no danger really......during the day. At night, well....the cats rule. All I can say is I will never visit a zoo again. This place is the size of the state of MA and should not be confused with these mini animal parks near Josburg and CapeTown.
The mountain range just north of Kwazulu is quite spectacular as well. All this is, unfortunetly, a bit of a drive from Cape Town so you may not have time.
Nothing wrong with your trip. As I said, it's just not my thing.
Personally I would head east to Kruger and Kwazulu to explore S. Africa's beautiful and magnificent natural attractions and wildlife, rather than urban attractions. Why go to S. Africa just to lay on a beach and party? I can do that here. Doesn't make sense, but that's me.
You don't need a group tour in S. Africa at all. It's very easy to get around and the infrastructure is excellent. I went there 15 years go, simply got a rental car, and I was off...
Yet there are risks in South Africa that are higher than the States. To the OP if you are going to South Africa get advice from South Africans living in South Africa.
Yet there are risks in South Africa that are higher than the States. To the OP if you are going to South Africa get advice from South Africans living in South Africa.
Yes, or prior visitors to SA.
But what are you trying to say and why are you directing this at me? Yes a visitor needs to take safety risks under consideration, no you don't need an organized tour group. The travel infrastructure in South Africa is excellent.
Yet there are risks in South Africa that are higher than the States. To the OP if you are going to South Africa get advice from South Africans living in South Africa.
It would be quite a lonely forum if the only ones allowed to post here must live in Africa.
What do I know, I've only been to Africa 3 times.
Huh
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