2010 World Cup City Guide - Cape Town

March 30, 2008

Cape Town also known as the Mother City is the 2nd largest city in South Africa with a population size of around 3million inhabitants. Cape Town is the provincial capital of the Western Cape and acts as the legislative capital for the whole of the South African republic. Many of the government buildings including the parliament itself are located within Cape Town. The judicial and executive departments lie in South Africa’s other major cities.

Cape Town history was not documented until about the 15th century when the first Europeans visited the area so little is known about the cities inhabitants before then. The Dutch controlled the city from 1652 as they used it as a major shipping port to the Dutch colonies in the East Indies. Labour at that time was quite hard to find in Cape Town so lot of slaves had to be brought into the country. The British took advantage of the Netherlands battle with France during the Napoleonic wars in 1795 to take control of the Cape area. The Cape switched between being British owned and Dutch owned quite a few times before the Anglo-Dutch treaty of 1814 where Cape Town permanently moved to being under British control.

The British formed the Union of South Africa in 1910 making Cape Town the legislative capital for the union which consisted in the city itself and the defeated Boer republics.

The prison that Nelson Mandela was held captive in for his anti-apartheid movement is 10km off of the Coast of the city and it was from the Cape Town City Hall that he made his first public speech since his release which signalled the beginning of a new era for South Africa. Since then South Africa have held their first democratic elections (1994) and although the country still has some major problems especially with HIV/Aids and violent drug crime they are making progress and the economy has been in a boom due to ever increasing tourism and property opportunities.

Cape Town has hosted a variety of sporting events over the past decade or so with the 2 most notable being the Rugby World Cup in 1995 and the 2003 Cricket World Cup but the 2010 World Cup will by far be the biggest sporting event ever held on South African soil.

Cape Town has 2 football teams that play in South Africa s premier league; these are Ajax Cape Town and Santos. Cape Town will host games for the 2010 World Cup in the new 70,000 seater stadium they are building in the Green Point Area of the city.

Transport in Cape Town

The public transport in the city is terrible. It is improving but it is going to take quite a while to catch up with European standards.

The buses and trains are mostly used by the locals if you decide to use the buses remember to ask the drivers where the bus is going exactly as it is very easy to get lost and end up in an undesirable bit of town. The trains are best avoided if they can be but if you decide to use them always pay for a first class ticket and never ride after dark. Tourists are a major target for thieves on the train so don’t carry your camera with you and don’t wear any jewellery even earrings.

By far the best way to get around the city is to have your own car but this can obviously be difficult if you are not 100% sure where you are going so the next best alternative is the metered council run taxis which are considered as being safe .
We will run through all the transport options for you:

The buses are run by the Golden arrow bus company and if you check out their website below you can get details on routes and times of the buses.

http://www.gabs.co.za/

The trains are run by Metrorail and the station in Cape Town is situated right in the centre of the city on the corner of Adderley Street and Strand Street. You can check out the routes and times at the link below.

http://www.capemetrorail.co.za/

Car Hire

There are a number of reputable car hire companies in Cape Town where you can hire a car. Below are a few links to the major ones and you can pick up from the airport on arrival.

Metered Taxis are available either from outside most major hotels or by arrangement with a hotel to call one for you. They are reasonably cheap and have a meter rate on the door when you get into the cars so you have some sort of idea what you are paying. You can also negotiate a set fee with the taxi driver if you are going slightly further afield. These are run as mentioned previously by the local council so are seen as one of the safest options for travelling around the city.

Minibus taxi these are used mostly by locals as they don’t have set routes and can be quite confusing for tourists. If you can afford a metered taxi that is the best way to go but if you feel the need to use a minibus taxi make sure you ask the driver where exactly he is going to drop you off as often you get dropped off close to your destination but not exactly at it.

Scooters and motorbikes are a very popular way to get around the busy city and you are able to hire them from this site http://www.ldvbiking.com/index.html who seem to offer excellent prices.

Tourist Attractions in Cape Town

Cape Town has lots of attractions to visit and lots of fun activities to do.

The Castle of Good Hope which has an interesting history and with a military museum and an art collection is an afternoon well spent.

Robben Island where Nelson Mandela, as well as other political prisoners, were held captive during apartheid. There are a number of trips a day to the island but they are booked quite far in advance so you will have to arrange the trip as soon as you arrive. The tour runs from the Nelson Mandela gate at the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront.

For more info visit http://www.robben-island.org.za/

Kirstenboch Botanical Gardens is one of the most beautiful botanical gardens in the world, displaying plants from all over South Africa.

The South African Parliament is worth a visit to find out about the country’s political system and the history of how they got to where they are now.

Two Oceans Aquarium located on the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront and is worth a visit to see the weird and wonderful sea creatures that live in the waters around Cape Town. For more info visit http://www.aquarium.co.za/

The Victoria and Alfred Waterfront is a tourist spot in itself with dozens of bars, restaurant and shops. This is also where a lot of the tours start from. For more info visit http://www.waterfront.co.za/

If you are into museums then there are a whole host of them throughout the city here are just a few of them:

Bo-Kaap Museum which is located in the Muslim section of the city the address is 71, Wale Street Bo-Kaap.

South African National Gallery contains some of the finest pieces of South African art. Located just off Government Avenue.

District Six Museum gives the history of the area which was attempted to be cleared of all other races except whites during the apartheid. Eventually all the buildings were bulldozed and the area still remains uninhabited. Located at 25A Buitenkant Street.

South African Maritime Museum which is located at the Victoria and Albert Waterfront.

Things to do in Cape Town

Cape Town’s surroundings mean there are lots of activities to do all in the one place. You can go deep sea fishing; you can go hiking on Table Top Mountain as well as the other peaks but if that is just too energetic for you there is also a cable car to the top (check out http://www.tablemountain.net/ for more info). Water sports are also available on the many beaches in Cape Town. Both coasts are equally popular with the Atlantic coast having a well developed shopping and restaurant scene but the water in the False Bay beaches are much warmer than the Atlantic coast as the water comes from the glacial melts of Antarctica.

If you are interested in Deep Sea Fishing Cape Town is ideal and it is available all year round. There are a few different charters that we recommend these are:

http://www.hookedonafrica.co.za

www.amafeesh.co.az

http://www.capecharters.co.za

Have a look at their website for location and pricing details.

Shark Cage Diving is available from Gansbaai which is about 90 minutes outside of Cape Town. You are able to come face to face with a great white all safe in your cage. There are a few companies offering this exhilarating service:

http://www.white-shark-diving.com/

http://www.sharkbookings.com/

http://www.whitesharkdiscovery.com/

Scuba Diving opportunities are fantastic in Cape Town as a result of the 2 different seas to choose from, the Atlantic ocean and the Indian. There are a couple of companies that you can book with and will take you to the best spots depending on the time of the year that you go.

These are:
Scuba Shack - http://www.scubashack.co.za/
Dive Action - http://www.scubadivecapetown.com/

Surfing and Kite Surfing in Cape Town is world renowned because of the top class surf breaks. If you are not a pro and need lessons then the companies below can provide this for you.

Cape Sports Centre offer kite surfing and windsurfing lessons
http://www.capesport.co.za/kitesurfinglessons.asp

Downhill adventures provide surfing lessons
http://www.downhilladventures.com/surfing.php

Hiking routes around Cape Town are simply amazing with literally breathtaking views. If you are an experienced hiker then check out:

Hike Cape Town - http://www.hikecapetown.co.za/ for information on walking in and around the city.
If you are less experienced or just would like someone to guide you this can also be arranged.

Have a look at:
Table Mountain Walks - http://www.tablemountainwalks.co.za/ or
Take-a-Hike - http://www.take-a-hike.co.za/
For options of guided walking tours.

Tours in and Around the City

There are plenty of tours available in Cape Town covering a variety of activities whether they be within or out with the city. Some of the options available are:

African Eagle Day Tours who offer a wide range of full or half day tours. http://www.daytours.co.za/

Day Trippers offer more energetic adventure trips as well as township tours and mountain biking activities. http://www.daytrippers.co.za/

Legend tourism offer personalised tours as well as standard tours http://www.legendtourism.co.za/

Hylton Ross offer a huge range of tours from Wineland tours to whale watching http://www.hyltonross.co.za/

Waterfront Boat Company offer once in a lifetime extreme trips such as helicopter trips and speed boat cruises. If you can afford it these are not to be missed http://www.waterfrontboats.co.za/

Food and Drink - Eating Out

Restaurants

It is always worth asking your hotel for some recommendations on where to go for dinner locally as they can often advise a nice little traditional restaurant to let you try the local delicacies this site is also a place to check out for some of the top restaurants in Cape Town: http://www.wininganddining.co.za/western-cape/cape-town

Some of the local delicacies to look out for on the menu are:

Some of our recommendations for eating out to experience the traditional Cape flavours are:

Jonkershuis located at Groot Constantia for booking info check out: http://www.grootconstantia.co.za/30/jonkershuis_restaurant_at_groot_constantia

Emily’s located at the Victoria and Albert waterfront and is the 2008 waterfront restaurant of the year and one of the best known restaurants in South Africa. Booking info is located at http://www.emily-s.com/home.htm

The Cape Malay Restaurant located in the Cellars-Hohenort Hotel in Constantia is another restaurant we recommend for some of the best dining in the whole of Cape Town. Booking info available at http://www.dining-out.co.za/member_details-MemberID-48.html

Africa Café located on Shortmarket Street is perfect for those looking to try traditional African fare. Booking info available from http://www.africacafe.co.za/start_index.html

Marco’s African Palace is found in the Bo-Kaap district and has many specialities including springbok and ostrich. Booking info available from http://www.marcosafricanplace.co.za/

The Green Dolphin located on the Victoria and Albert waterfront allows you to enjoy some Jazz music with your dinner. Booking info available at http://www.greendolphin.co.za/

Bars and Clubs
Caveau Wine Bar and Deli has over 300 wines from which to choose and they are even available by the glass. There are 2 locations in Cape Town one at Heritage Square and the other Newlands. Check out http://www.caveau.co.za/ for more info.

The Nose Wine Bar located at Green Point has local live entertainment to keep you amused while you sip at your tasty yet pricey glass of wine. Check out http://www.thenose.co.za for more info.

Mannenbergs Jazz Café another popular spot down at the Victoria and Albert waterfront specialising in coffee during the day and Jazz in the evening. Reservations are essential for this hotspot as some of the top jazz musicians perform here. Check out http://www.manenbergsjazzcafe.com for more info.

Blushlounge located at Greenpoint is a bar, lounge and nightclub for the young professionals. Very stylish bar with quality service. Check out http://www.blushlounge.co.za/ for more info.

Intercity Travel

The World Cup is going to be located in 9 different cities and unfortunately South Africa is much bigger than the UK which means that travelling times can be huge between different cities. There are a few different options when it comes to travelling.

By Train

Check out http://www.spoornet.co.za/SpoornetWebContentSAP/html/passengers.htm for train routes and times. The information on their will be more up to date than the information we have here as they have still to do many of the planned track upgrades.

By Bus
There are a few major intercity bus companies in Cape Town check out the links below for the route and pricing details:

http://www.greyhound.co.za

http://www.intercape.co.za

http://www.translux.co.za/

http://www.saroadlink.co.za/

Each of the companies above offer a comfortable air conditioned coach service to the various cities, make sure to have a look at all of them to check out the most direct route and the best price.

By Car
If you decided to hire a car (see link to available car hire companies above) then you can drive to the other cities. If you decide to do this make sure to get a good quality road map or indeed a sat nav unit with the South African Cities programmed into it. Your hotel should be able to advise you of the best route to take and what areas to avoid.

http://www.shellgeostar.co.za/ offers a map routing service which also points out the petrol stations etc. This is a good place to start if you are considering travelling by car between the cities.

By Air
This is by far the quickest way to city hop and isn’t as expensive as you might think. It is ideal if you are going to have to travel between different cities for the World Cup. There are a few major budget in-house airlines that are ideal for city hopping these are:

https://kulula.com/pages/flight/flightdefault.aspx

https://www.1time.aero/aqueduct/1time/Booking

http://ww6.flymango.com/

http://www.interlinkairlines.com/book.php

http://www.flynationwide.co.za/