FAQ on Tight budget travelling, best places to see, crime in South Africa, etc.

Cape Town has the most majestic mountains and fabulous beaches, lots of great restaurants and awesome wines!

You should know that it is probably the most cosmopolitan city in Africa. People of all backgrounds, cultures, and countries can be found here and it makes it so interesting! Also, Capetonians are very friendly and helpful and it’s just the way they are! It can be surprising at first!

What Do You Suggest if I’m Travelling on a Tight Budget?
Looking for cheap accommodation, stay away from the tourist area's such as the V&A waterfront, Camps Bay... Bed and breakfasts (R350 for a single room) are a good option or backpackers (Dorms bed around R110/night)if you don’t mind being around youngsters. For more information on travelling to Cape Town on limited budget, check my page on cheap travel packages.
Looking to save on transport, put your feet to good use or phone Rikki’s taxi for longer distance. If you decide to rent a car , the cheapest option will be to rent Volkswagen Beetles. Also, petrol is much cheaper in SA than in Europe with EUR 0,55/L.

You can eat for cheap at places such as Primi Piatti, Ocean Basket, Spur, Nando’s… Don’t forget to ask for doggy bags as the meal portions in South Africa are usually big. Now, to give you an indication...

What are The Prices for Common Things?
Light lunch -R35/R50; to eat out or buy food at supermarket it's half price related to US or Europe and 3 times cheaper than GBP prices; petrol same than in US and half price related to Europe with EUR 0,55/L; coffee- R15, a beer- R15, a bottle of wine in a restaurant- from R45 to R120; cinema- R40.

To find more info on cheap travel packages, click

Best Places to See?
Table Mountain (climbing or just for a sunset), Lion's Head (hiking), Signal Hills (for sunset), Clifton beach, Camps Bay beach, Hout Bay (hiking), Cape Point , Kommetjie, Constantia (wine estates), Muizenberg (surfing), Kalk Bay (artistic village)...

Where can I get Internet Access?
3G network is very well developed in SA, with internet cafes all over and especially in Sea Point, some coffee places offer free WiFi such as Buzz, News Cafe, Mugg and Bean...

Safety and Crime in South Africa?
Crime in South Africa is especially bad in townships and in Pretoria and Johannesburg. Lots of people, because of the media, think of Cape Town as the rest of South Africa.

Crime and safety in Cape Town is not like in the rest of South Africa. Cape Town is a nice city and fairly safe place, but just keep your belongings safe and don’t put it on a seat next to you or anywhere else where it would be tempting to steal it.

If you are always aware and alert there should be no issues. Watch out for shady characters, be careful and intelligent, ask around before traveling to a location, be wary of those who stand at traffic robots then you'll be absolutely fine. I’ve been living in Cape Town for 8 years and never felt that my safety would be threaten.

Any specific vaccination to be done and anything to know about health??
Cape Town is a paradise...You can drink water without any risk of sickness, there is no malaria, there are no poisonous spiders or insects. You'll be safe...and happy! No need for yellow fever vaccination in and around Cape Town.

Are there frequent shark attacks?
Nothing compare to car accidents! There is around 1 attack a year and mostly in False Bay (around Fish Hoek where I live!). On these potentially dangerous beaches, there is a shark spotters'flag system which prevents attacks.
*A green flag means visibility for the spotters is good, and no sharks have been seen.
*A black flag means visibility for the spotters is porr, but no sharks have been seen.
*A red flag means a shark has been seen recently, but is no longer visible to spotters.
*A white flag with a black shark has been sighted, and bathered should leave the water immediately.
*No flag means that shark spotters are not on duty.
For more information, check my page on shark cage diving.

Is it True that South Africa has been Getting Worse Since Apartheid Ended?
Crime in South Africa has increased due to unemployment. I believe it will improve slowly but surely as more and more people get education (school is now compulsory in SA). And lots of facilities are in place to educate the poorest and provide them with jobs(BEE). It’s now mostly a matter of time and willingness.
Poor public transport can be a problem when you come from Europe and so use to subways, bus, trains...For more info on local transport, check here.

However, from a general point of view, the country definitely goes in the right direction. And with Soccer World Cup 2010 lots of good things are happening...

Also, we have the most human rights in the world. The Politics are fairly stable compared to other Southern African countries such as Zimbabwe. South Africa is the strongest economy in Southern Africa. Since 1994, the GDP grows 5% every year.

From crime in South Africa to Voila Cape Town