Cape Town is the heart of the South African coastline, a world-renowned metropolis with so much to offer. It has unforgettable trails filled with unique wildlife and flora, colorful architecture, and an exciting food scene.
There are so many reasons to visit the city, but you must do it carefully! All cities have the capacity to be dangerous, those in South Africa happen to be famous for it. Safety is always going to be a topic when discussing this country and it’s one that I weighed carefully before visiting, scouring online accounts of muggings and murders. After experiencing the city, these tips are the best way I can offer you to keep safe:
- Stay away from townships. An unfortunate fact of visiting South Africa is seeing a direct result of its cruel history – apartheid. Whether or not you know anything about it, driving around the country its effects are unavoidable. Right beside major cities, generally hidden below a hill in plain sight, townships are extremely impoverished neighborhoods that lack amenities where people of color were forced to live prior to the 1990s. They are shocking to see, clusters of makeshift shacks so close together filled with litter, often no electricity or paved roads, and tons of people walking, walking, walking. It is the worst poverty I have ever seen, and with poverty comes desperation, and then crime. Nyanga is touted as the most dangerous of all townships, just east of Cape Town located near the airport. Like an eye is drawn to a car crash, it’s hard to look away – but these are peoples lives. Leave them be, stay away, and be safe.
- Don’t walk alone, don’t walk at night, don’t walk in the city, period. This is coming from a person who loves to walk all over cities. If you’re renting a car like I did, drive from destination to destination – no matter how close. The one time I parked at one restaurant and decided to walk to a bakery a quarter of a mile away, I immediately felt it was a huge mistake – in the middle of the day. Of course I didn’t know where I was going in a new city, so I wanted to use GoogleMaps. You never want to have your phone out, so looking at the walking directions was difficult. Also, I didn’t know what route it was going to take me on – and I ended up walking through a street that was very uncomfortable. Extremely impoverished protesting refugees lined the sides of the street. Coincidentally, it was probably the worst block in the city. Learn from me, and every local who will tell you in Cape Town, don’t walk in the city. Just drive. Or Uber!
- Don’t flash your belongings, as you wouldn’t in any city. Looking around the city, no one has their phone out which is a huge difference from where I come from in New York – where everyone is walking with their phones in hand. Cape Town has a huge poverty rate, so wearing expensive jewelry or waving around electronics could make you a target.
- Be in after dark. Nothing good happens after dark! If you want to go to a restaurant later in the evening, uber directly there and back. If you want to have a nightly drink, why not get it from the grocery store and bring it back to your place.
My trip was blissfully uneventful in the safety department, and most travelers do not run into any problems. That’s why so many people keep visiting Cape Town – because they have a wonderful time and love what they’ve seen. Just be a bit more self aware than you would in any other city.
Good to know:
+Driving around Cape Town is just like any other major city. The roads are paved, there are many gas stations, just remember driving is on the left side of the road.
+Grocery stores are plentiful and have everything you are used to, SPAR was the chain that I used most frequently.
+Accommodations range from fancy hotels to hostels, I personally used AirBNB and was very comfortable with all of my various stays. You can use my referral code to get a discount on your first stay by clicking the link above.
Hiking in Cape Town
+Table Mountain defines the landscape of Cape Town, there are many trails to its summit. No matter which route you take to the top it won’t be easy (unless you hop on the cable car!), but the views, environment, and sense of accomplishment are .
+Lion’s Head is a seriously scenic shorter hiking option with some fun ropes to scramble up to its summit.
+Signal Mountain sits beside Lion’s Head and you can take an easy trail to reach it, or drive all the way to the viewpoint.
+Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden is a lovely and safe place to stroll through amazing flora, and also offers intense hiking trails including one which reaches the top of Table Mountain (paid parking).
+Tygerberg Nature Preserve is not a hike typically taken by tourists, but it felt safe and was a relaxing walk with many birds (small entrance fee).
Colorful Neighborhoods
+Bo-Kapp is the Malay quarter filled with colorfully painted houses like you’d see on a tropical island.
+The Muizenberg Beach Huts aren’t visible from the board, but a quick walk onto the sand will reveal a rainbow of merriment.
Foodie Finds
+Eastern Food Bazaar in the middle of downtown offers a regional cuisine called bunny chow, a hollowed out loaf of bread stuffed with delicious curry. Other Indian staples are available as well.
+Biesmiellah has an array of Cape Malay dishes that are popular in South Africa. Here you can find bobotie, salomies, koeksisters, and malva pudding. I had the best chicken curry and roti in the whole country at this restaurant located on the edge of Bo-Kapp.
Daytrip to the Cape Peninsula
+Boulders Beach has a captivating penguin colony where you can get up close and personal with these quirky birds in a gorgeous setting.
+The Cape of Good Hope isn’t the southernmost point of Africa (that’s Cape Agulhas), but it is steeped in wildlife and natural beauty perfect for a day of hiking and sightseeing.
Cape Town is a great jump off for visiting other cities like Hermanus, or taking an amazing coastal road trip called the Gardens Route.