A popular sightseer’s destination across Africa, the main economic hub of the Western Cape Province, the City of Cape Town is the conventional favourite recommended for all tourists for a scenic vacation. Its scenic location, lying right at the feet of flat coasts stretching in front of lush green mountain ranges, hallmark it as a tourism paradise, starting off from the very prominent Table Top Mountain, developed with amenities, facilities and services ranging from restaurants, terraced platforms to dedicated cable car services from the city itself. Other trekking opportunities range among the Lion’s head, the Hottentot’s Holland range, the Klapmuts hillstation and the Karbonkelberg Peak just beside the coasts. With the mountaineous landscape bordering the open sea, beaches of white sands, there are notable spots like the Steenbras Dam, the Grotto Bay, Kegelberg rocks, Clifton beach and the Boulders Beach. The Victoria & Alfred Waterfront is one of the oldest notable spots of commerce, combining nightlife, cuisine and shopping within one area. Water access to bodies of land right beyond the coasts can allow for local getaways to Robben island, Druiker Island and the Seal Island, creating a series of opportunities for pursuing water sports and exploring marine life like seal snorkelling, kite surfing, freediving, yatching, deep sea fishing and to top it all, shark-cage underwater tours. A contemporary mode of availing an opportunity for exploring marine life is the Two Oceans Aquarium, hosting a habitat of local marine life of all scales. Public landmarks at the national scale are also present in Cape Town, like the National Parliament Building, the Parade Square, the Afrikaans Language Monument as well as the famed Rhodes Memorial dedicated to Sir Cecil Rhodes, preserving his favourite spot of park bench. Recognizing culture and history, there are numerous formal institutions established for the purpose. The Slave Lodge, the Castle of Good Hope, Maritime Museum, the Museum of the Bo Kap neighbourhood community, the Iziko South African Museum and the Hout Bay Museum play their role in representing the roles played by Cape Town’s community along different phases of time through its settlements. Special attention towards all forms of arts is highlighted with the help of numerous established theatres and the South African National Gallery.
You can fly to Cape Town from major cities of UK with the following airlines: Turkish Airlines, Air France, Egypt Air, KLM, Virgin Atlantic, Emirates, SAA, British Airways and Ethiopian Airlines.
British Airways offers direct flights to Cape Town from UK.
The approximate flight time from London to Cape Town is 11 hours 35 minutes when flying direct to Cape Town from London. Otherwise, indirect cheap flights usually take 14 hours of flight time apart from a single stopover.
The Cape Town International Airport is located about 22 kilometres from the city centre. It takes you about 20-25 minutes from the airport to reach the central city.
My CiTi bus rapid transit system provides a shuttle service which connects the airport with the Civil bus station—city centre. Buses depart every 20 minutes from 04:20 to 22:00, transporting passengers to and from the airport. Metered taxis are also provided to facilitate airport transportation.
You can travel within the city on two types of taxis: metered taxis and minibus taxis. Minibus Taxis are more in frequency as they are used for local commute by the general community. Two main bus companies operate complete networks with schedules and routes through the motorways and expressways. A trend of hiring scooters and motorcycles is also present for commuting within the city for tourists. Metrorail transport is also operational for connecting nearby towns as well as the suburbs with the central commercial area. Otherwise for domestic long distance travel, Cape Town has the top-class luxury train tour companies across Africa. Cruise companies are also operational along the coasts, operating alongside ferries to nearby islands.
December and January are the months of exotic summer holidays to spend on lovely beaches here. While, the autumn months May and June bring the balmy days and cool nights-- a perfect time for hiking. Best time to visit this city is spring and autumn.
You may find a number of accommodations from hostels to luxury hotels while in Cape Town. Varying from region to region, there are different preferences for each area and zone opted for a stay. Staying in city centre is always cheaper, for most of the attractions are within reach. Along the beaches, there are resorts, guest houses and apartments focusing on the view over the coasts as well as the serenity of the beaches. Complementing the excessive greenery and mountain ranges, there are numerous backpacking companies for a stay out in the wild along the trails, while a few options for luxury lodges are also present. Luxury suites and international hotel chains are mainly focused towards the central business districts, where there is a booming trend of new hotels springing up with contemporary architecture and ambience, hosting exquisite lounges, lobbies and cafes. Settling in with the taste of every tourist whether they want to opt for natural scenery, the active bustle of the city, some old refurbished accommodation from or even lounging along the beaches, a complete tour would include going through the entire checklist of all these categories.
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