Camps Bay or City Cape town

[cruzadict]

We are looking to stay for 5 nights in Cape Town prior to our cruise. Which area would be safer - the City or Camps Bay. I was looking at Cape Cadogan in the City but haven't decided for Camps Bay. Any info would be fantastic.

[Omega1]

Hi Cruzadict. I wouldn't be happy staying in the city - except the Victoria & Alfred waterfront. We stayed at Hout Bay, which was excellent. We went through Camps Bay several times and seemed to be the kind of place we would stay in.

[dbccruise]

Personally, I would definitely stay in Camps Bay with the great sunsets over the Atlantic Ocean.

 

Unfortunately, I can't help with a hotel as I have always stayed with my grandparents or friends when I visit.

 

Hope you have a great time in Cape Town. It is an awesome city.

[nancycoop1]

We are also looking for a place to stay for several days after our cruise. We don't know yet what all we want to do, so need to plan that before our hotel reservations.

 

Camps Bay sounds like a nice place to stay.

[denfi]

We are looking to stay for 5 nights in Cape Town prior to our cruise. Which area would be safer - the City or Camps Bay. I was looking at Cape Cadogan in the City but haven't decided for Camps Bay. Any info would be fantastic.

 

A lot depends on what you want to do in Cape Town, whether you will have your own transport , how much you want to spend on accommodation etc. Greater Cape Town and its attractions and beaches are spread out over a large area...from the City to the tip of the Cape Peninsula is about 50 miles. There is a large variety of accommodation, from humble B+B`s to world-class hotels. Public transport is not very well developed, most locals have their own cars. Taxis are available wherever tourists tend to go.

 

If you are a first time visitor to Cape Town, I would suggest you stay in the V+A Waterfront area. The Cape Grace is the top hotel there, but there are cheaper ones. The Waterfront is geared up to tourism, there are numerous restaurants,shops, helicopter flights etc etc There is a Hop On Hop Off bus starting from the Waterfront , which will take you around some of the main areas.

 

Through your hotel you can organise tours around Cape Town, up Table Mountain cableway, into the Winelands etc etc. Once you have had a quick look around our beautiful city, you will want to come back, and you will have a better idea of where you want to stay and what to do.

 

Enjoy Cape Town, its the most beautiful place in the World!!

[Bramcruiser]

Thanks Denfi. We're heading to Cape Town in November and have been doing some research. From what I've researched I think you said it right - it all depends on a lot of factors.

 

So far we're leaning towards the V&A Waterfront but nothing definite yet.

 

Looking forward to our first visit to South Africa.

 

David

[cruzadict]

Thanks Demfi - We have decided to stay at either the Cape Grace or Cape Cadogan for our first five days and have now decided to extend our stay and drive the Garden Route so thought we may spend our last 3 days at Camps Bay. Haven't decided on a hotel there yet. Any suggestions? Think we would prefer a B & B rather than a large hotel. We are allowing 10days to drive the route - do you think that this will be long enough. Thought that if we were coming that far then we might as well make the most of it!!!

[denfi]

Thanks Demfi - We have decided to stay at either the Cape Grace or Cape Cadogan for our first five days and have now decided to extend our stay and drive the Garden Route so thought we may spend our last 3 days at Camps Bay. Haven't decided on a hotel there yet. Any suggestions? Think we would prefer a B & B rather than a large hotel. We are allowing 10days to drive the route - do you think that this will be long enough. Thought that if we were coming that far then we might as well make the most of it!!!

 

I personally do not know the hotels in Camps Bay.....when you live in a place you generally do not know that!!..... but I suggest you Google it, and look at the whole Atlantic coastline, (Sea Point, Clifton, Bakoven) not just Camps Bay.

Its a wonderful idea to drive down the Garden Route. The first bit out of Cape Town is less interesting, but I would like to suggest you branch off the National Rd (N2) and drive down to Arniston on the coast. On your way, stop at the quaint village of Napier. Overnight at the Arniston Hotel. (Google it for more info, and Book ahead!) You drive through the town of Bredasdorp (which has a candle factory making unique candles with African designs, and an interesting shipwreck musem) and its straight on for another 20km. to Arniston. Arniston has a preserved fishermans village with ancient white-washed cottages, a photographers dream! Next day explore the coastline as far as Agulhas the southernmost point of Africa, with a historic lighthouse. Then make your way back to the N2, and continue to Mossel Bay, worth a 1-night and 1-day stop. Google for B+Bs, hotels , etc. Then stop at the Wilderness for a look around. Its a Lake District, worth exploring. Continue to Sedgefield, and Knysna. The latter is worth 2 days visit, full of craft shops, potters, etc. Visit their info buro for more info. Theres even an abandoned gold mine in the forest nearby. Go to the Heads, the inlet into Knysna Bay, and you can view it all from clifftops. Oysters are cultivated in Knysna Bay....

From Knysna continue East to Plettenberg Bay. Its about 25km with interesting craft shops, a wolf sanctuary, an elephant sanctuary etc etc.along the road. In Plettenberg stay at the Beacon Isle Hotel (book well ahead) or The Plettenberg. Go whale and Dolphin watching in special boats. You may like Plett so much, you will be reluctant to leave. Theres a Game Reserve a few km outside Plett, where you can do a half-day game drive. Further East from Plett , at a place called The Crags, there is a Monkeyland, and a Bird Sanctuary, well worth visiting.

Further East drive to the Storms River Bridge, a unique construction. Walk across, on the pedestrian path.

Thats about as far along the Garden Route as its worth going. Retuning, turn off the N2 to the Storms River Mouth. You may be able to go up the river by boat. Its all a protected Nature Reserve

The coastline from Mossel Bay to Storms River is spectacular, every turn in the road brings new oohs and aahs, even to a jaded regular who lives in SA!!

 

Hope you enjoy it!

PS Its a good idea to get a good road map to explore Cape Town and the Garden Route. Arniston may be called Waenhuis , its alternate name, on some maps.

[denfi]

For all you folks proposing to visit Cape Town, I think I should mention that Cape Town has a Mediteranean climate. Spring and summer (September to March) can be very windy. December to February can be very hot.(typically 30 degrees-plus) Autumn ( around April) is beautiful, quiet days, but coolish , around 15-20 degrees C. Winter (May to August) has a series of cold fronts lasting 2-10 days with violent winds and lashings of rain. Not a good time to visit Cape Town, but beautiful days between the cold fronts.

 

Another factor you should consider in 2010 is that the Soccer World Cup is being held in 9 different cities around South Africa from mid-June to mid-July, at which time there will be a run on accommodation, and on domestic flights, car hire and so on. So plan accordingly, and book early....

[cruzadict]

Thank you soooo much Denfi for the details for the Garden route. It really is appreciated because I have spent quite a few days now trying to work out the best route and the number of days at each stop. You have just made my life so much easier and the headache is beginning to wane!!

 

Thank you yet again.