So! Cape Town.

[aithne]

[cross-posted from mholmesiv's journal.]

We're going to South Africa in December, and will be in Cape Town on the 8th, 9th, and 10th. (I think we get in on the 8th, so that day's likely to be pretty much a wash of sleep deprivation and jet lag.) So, questions:

1. Do we need a car, or is it easy to get to the tourist stuff on public transportation? (Thinking Cape Point, Table Mountain, The Castle... Any other suggestions welcome)

2, Can anyone reccommend a good place to stay?

Bonus round: Does anyone know when the Bathurst Ox-Braai is this year? The website doesn't appear to say.

(When I decide to become a world traveler, I don't mess around. I've never been off the continent before except for Hawaii which doesn't count. I'm going to Eurpoe and Africa in the same year.)

Comments

[miryai.livejournal.com]

I can't help at all because I've never been to South Africa, but I'm impressed with your trip! I can't wait for the day that I have enough money to be able to go on a world trip... one day, one day. :)

[lindito.livejournal.com]

you need a car. public transport in cape town is suboptimal at best. (you're lucky i know how busy you are, lady, or else i would say "don't you read my complaints?")

the castle is in the city centre. unless you stay at a CEO hotel, you will need a car for it, and even then you still might.

yeah, without elaborating, you need a car for everything. the lack of adequate mass transit is one of the reasons i was suprised that south africa was awarded the world cup. i will recommend drive africa www.driveafrica.co.za which means you get europcar for half the europcar price. they usually make you get a 4-day minimum, but tell them that one of their semi-regular customers recommended them, and they might be inclined to waive it.

a good place to stay? hm. what's your budget? depending on the hotel that is either right before high season (a lot of places have high season starting on the 15th) or just after the start of high season (almost all the others have high season starting on the first). because the dollar is tanking, even the crappy hotels will be around $100/nite. but your trip will either be during or after the ANC party conference, and if jacob zuma becomes president of the anc, the rand will go through the floor. cross your fingers.

[silenceleigh.livejournal.com]

See, public transportation for living somewhere and public transportation for visiting can be two completely different animals. :)

Coolness, thank you for the advice!

[zondrrrah.livejournal.com]

We stayed at a really cool hotel. Nice pool and grounds to walk on. I can't remember what it was. Jen might remember or have it written down, I will ask. Great restaurant for Kudo and kingclip.

[ikkeikke.livejournal.com]

I stayed at a youth hostel there, so I'm no help on the hotel front. And this doesn't answer any of the questions that you asked, but one of my favorite things in Capetown was the planetarium. (You can see stars all over in Namibia, but the constellations are of course all different and I didn't know what they were.)