Cape Town - Kaapstad

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Cape Town, nicknamed the Mother City, is the capital of the Western Cape-province. It is the legislative center of South Africa.

Info

Cape Town and Table Mountain, seen from Blauwbergstrand.

Cape Town is part of the Cape Town Municipality, which has a population of approximately 3.74 million (2011). Cape Town, along with Pretoria and Bloemfontein, is one of the capital cities of South Africa. It is, by population, the second largest city in the country. The nature and location at the foot of the famous Table Mountain make Cape Town a popular international destination for tourists.

Cape Town grew from a small port city to the largest city in South Africa. Later, in 1887, it lost this place Johannesburg, through the gold rush to the Witwatersrand.

A 2001 census found that Cape Town was the largest African-speaking community in South Africa with 1.2 million people. Afrikaans is a language that evolved from 17th-century Dutch.

Arrive

By plane

The Cape Town International Airport (IATA: CPT – ICAO: FACT) is the main airport for Cape Town and the surrounding area, it is the second busiest airport in South Africa and the third busiest in Africa. The airport is about 20 kilometers away from the city center. The airport opened in 1954 to replace the previous airport in the eastern suburb of Wingfield. KLM flies from Schiphol (Amsterdam) to Cape Town.

By train

The railway to Simonstad runs right next to the ocean, which makes for beautiful pictures.

Cape Town station is located in the city center on the corner of Adderley Street and Strand Street.

There is a well-organized suburban rail network with over 80 stations mainly used by the local population. Operator Metrorail has done a lot to increase safety and comfort on board the trains, but they still do not meet European expectations. So make sure you buy a first class ticket.

A beautiful scenic drive is the one south to Simon's Town, which takes you along the entire east coast of the Cape Peninsula. Just make sure you don't take the train after dark (see safety).

By car

Due to its central location in the south of Africa, Cape Town is an important transport hub and the terminus of many regional and (inter)national connecting routes. The Cairo-Cape Town Highway, which in Cairo starts, ends in Cape Town and is more than 10,000 kilometers long.

By bus

All major bus companies offer Intercity connections in Cape Town, which will take you to other major cities in South Africa and to wind angle in Namibia. Up to 6 buses depart daily to certain cities.

By boat

Most large cruise ships, such as those of shipping company Princess Cruises [1] offer Cape Town as one of their destinations.

Travel around

To look at

  • For football fans, a visit to the Green Point Stadium a real must to relive the atmosphere of the football world cup. The surroundings are also breathtakingly beautiful, it is located in one of the most beautiful locations in Cape Town, close to the sea and with the mountains in the background.
  • The Great Church stands on a plot where South Africa's first church was established in 1678. The current building is the third and dates from the year 1836.
  • On the square between Herengracht and Adderley Street in Cape Town is a statue of Mary opposite the statue of Jan van Riebeeck, founder of South Africa. This statue was donated by the Dutch state in 1952 to commemorate the arrival of Jan van Riebeeck at the Cape of Good Hope (1652).
  • Victoria & Alfred Waterfront located on the waterfront, the main draw of the city with shops and other tourist attractions.
Victoria & Alfred Waterfront.

Squares and streets

Some of Cape Town's main streets and squares:

  • Adderley Street - Main street between the station and Parliament.
  • St Georges Shopping Center (St Georges Mall)
  • Vegetable Market Square (Green Market Square)
  • Die Parade (Grand Parade) - This is where Jan van Riebeeck had the first houses built after arriving at the Cape.
  • Long Street (Long Street)

To do

Cape Town is an interesting city, but the absolute highlights can be found in the area.

  • The more active fellow man can use the table mountain or the lion head climb, which promises a beautiful view of the city. Table Mountain is also the center of the city.
  • Take the boat to Robben Island and visit the prison where Nelson Mandela spent much of his life.
  • Drive the car to the Cape, the point where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans meet.

To learn

  • The University of Stellenbosch[2] (email: [email protected]), Tel. 27 (0)21 808-4514, fax: 27 (0)21 808-3822). Stellenbosch University was originally the university for African-speaking whites, located in nearby Stellenbosch.
  • The University of Cape Town (UC) was originally the university for anglophone whites.
  • The University of Western Cape (UWK) was founded in 1960 as a university for 'colored people' in Bellville, a suburb of Cape Town.

To work

To buy

Food

Budget

  •    Tiger's Milk, 44 Long Street, ☎ 2721 4220700, e-mail: . 12:00-late. Tasty food for little money. Varying from salads to burgers and pizza to steak. The drink comes in a bottle (alcohol) or can with a separate glass. The music is quite loud, but that doesn't spoil the atmosphere at all. The food bar is located in one of the older and more atmospheric buildings on Long Street. It is not wheelchair accessible.

Average

Expensive

  •    Karibu Restaurant, 156 The Warf Center, ☎ 2721 4217005, e-mail: . 11:00-23:00. Good food with good wines. The restaurant is located on the waterfront, so there is also a view of Cape Town's harbor from the terrace. It is possible to eat exotic types of meat here for European standards.

Going out

Local musicians

stay overnight

Budget

  • 33 South Backpackers, 48 Trill Road, Observatory, Cape Town, ☎ 27 21 447 2423, fax machine: 27 21 447 2423, e-mail: . 33 South Boutique Backpackers Cape Town, this backpackers hostel means traveling and backpacking in style. Voted by The Guardian as one of World's Best Boutique Hostels. From R120 per person including a fresh breakfast with muffins..
  • African HeART Backpackers, 27 Station Road, Observatory, ☎ 27 21 447 3125, fax machine: 27 86 556 0277, e-mail: . African HeART is a work of art in progress. A small, beautifully appointed backpackers that aims to offer the alternative side to traveling in Cape Town" from R120 per person including light breakfast and free internet..
  • Saasveld Guest Lodge73 Kloof Street, Gardens, 8001, Cape Town, Tel: 27 21 424 6169, email [email protected]. Affordable housing for students and businessmen are comparable. Neat and clean, yet not affordable.
  • House on the Hill, 25 Leinster Road, Greenpoint 8001, Cape Town 0027-214-393902. Rooms available from 250 Rand, a 3-minute walk from the Greenpoint stadium in the middle of the city.

Average

Expensive

  • The Lost Farmer (private villa & guesthouse with Dutch management. #1 on Booking.com and #1 on Tripadvisor), 10 Monterey Drive, Constantia (in the middle of the oldest wine region of South Africa, 10 minutes drive from Cape Town center), ☎ 27 21 794 1501, e-mail: . De Verdwaalde Boer has 7 suites and can also be rented as a whole villa. from R700 p.p.p.n.

Safety

Although Cape Town gets its share of violent crime in South Africa, it's safe to use a little common sense. For example, tourists in the townships have less chance of problems if they are accompanied by a local resident during the visit. The safest are the official township tours and they reveal a very interesting lifestyle to the curious tourists. The central business district has been cleaned up over the years, but some vigilance is still required there too. Avoid walking openly on the street with valuables, but also don't leave anything valuable lying around in the hotel rooms.

Always pay close attention to ATMs, never let a stranger help you with transactions. If your bank card gets stuck in the ATM or if you want to block your bank card, you must call the helpdesk number that appears on the screen.

Tourists should not hitchhike. It is also better not to use public transport when it is (still) dark.

Health

Contact

Phone

Important numbers:

  • 107 - In case of emergency.
  • 10111 - Law enforcement. [4]
  • 10177 - Patient transport.

cell phone

Internet

  • m@in internet cafe, Kloof street.

Daily life

all around

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