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Old 07-21-2009, 01:32 PM
 
Location: Living near our Nation's Capitol since 2010
2,218 posts, read 3,437,003 times
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Hi to all fellow travelers,

Have any of you gone to Capetown? My partner and I are planning a trip there in October and I would appreciate any feed-back any of you can give me.

I am a little concerned about security there, is it a problem?

Can any of you tell me what sorts of shopping, cuisine, touring is best??

Many thanks, Kitt
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Old 07-21-2009, 02:33 PM
 
14,984 posts, read 23,756,605 times
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I've only changed planes there. Been to Jos'burg and the eastern half of S.A., and that was about 10 years ago, so can't answer completely. I just simply got a rental car and drove everywhere, did my research on areas to avoid, and was always aware of my surroundings and valuables.

I can tell you S.A., as you probably know, has a serious crime (rape, carjackings, and muggings) problem. Most of it located in the large cities (Josburg and including Capetown), but most of it as I understand is localized to certain areas. Avoid those areas, avoid the townships, don't go "clubbing" in unfamiliar areas or with questionable people, inquire locally on areas to avoid, and you should be fine.
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Old 07-21-2009, 04:56 PM
 
16,349 posts, read 30,049,961 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by FlightAttendant View Post
Hi to all fellow travelers,

Have any of you gone to Capetown? My partner and I are planning a trip there in October and I would appreciate any feed-back any of you can give me.

I am a little concerned about security there, is it a problem?

Can any of you tell me what sorts of shopping, cuisine, touring is best??

Many thanks, Kitt
The US State Department and the Britisf Foreign Service prepare consular sheets for MOST countries. These sheets will give you a general overview of the country as well as the risks (medical, crime, etc.) that you may encounter as a tourist.
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Old 07-23-2009, 12:52 PM
 
6,351 posts, read 21,467,625 times
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Flightattendant, we went on a group tour, so I'm not sure that I can be much more than general help; we spent a few days there and moved on. As others have said; security is a concern, but I've always believed that common sense works well. I do have one odd ball tip, especially if you visit one of their parks: the baboons are fast and smart!!! Despite signs that warn you not to feed them, many peaople do. So nowadays they are VERY used to humans. We sat down at a picnic table at a park. I had opened one of those pre-packaged sandwiches and had the other half still in the plastic package laying on the table. No sooner than I had taken the first bite out of the half in my hand, a baboon raced up, grabbed the package and was gone with the rest of my sandwich almost before I had realized what had just happened!
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Old 07-23-2009, 01:16 PM
 
Location: Living near our Nation's Capitol since 2010
2,218 posts, read 3,437,003 times
Reputation: 6035
Thanks for the replies. I think that bad publicity of all South African cities has made many of us afraid to visit. I have been all over the world and I think I use common sense and normal precautions where ever I travel. I do worry about muggings and random acts of violence in Africa though. Yet I do not want a prejudice to keep me from enjoying a wonderful region. What a dilemma!
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Old 07-23-2009, 11:24 PM
 
Location: Michigan
89 posts, read 200,690 times
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My husband and I stayed in Capetown for a few days a couple of years ago. There is some nice shopping on the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront. We enjoyed hiking up Table Mountain (it has a wonderful view, we took the gondola down) and seeing the tablecloth as we were driving past (a flat looking cloud that kind of drapes itself over the top of the mountain). We rented a car and drove south along the coast to the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve. There are incredible views all along that drive. I would also recommend driving to Simon's Town to see the penguins.

As far as security goes, I felt a lot safer in Capetown than Jo'burg but that was just my impression. I still think you need to be cautious but not overly so. If you are renting a car, find a place behind a fence to park it. I don't know what to think about those guys in orange vests that say they will watch your car if you pay them. We tended not to trust them and found guarded parking garages instead.

Have fun!
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