Cape Town Travel Forum

I am thinking of going to Cape Town during January,
I am planning this break following the breakdown of a 26 year marriage so want lots of advice including is this a good location if on your own.
I would want to plan everything without the help of a travel agent so advise on flights accommodation etc would be great.
I would like to fly on to Mauritius for a few days can I do that directly from Cape Town is it easy to do and is it expensive?
I assume the climate is hot and sunny in January,is it expensive? my only other experiance outside europe was India where I have spent a great deal of time recently.

breakdown after 26 years??? thats was sad...But life is not a destination, its journey indeed...

On the lighter note, cheak flights at kayak.com to compare prices. SOuth Africa is definitely a little more expensive than India and it has its own demeanor.

All the best, and you know, Im just newly married, thats why I cant imagine after 26 years if waht wil happen..

You will love Cape Town and Mauritius. Look for places close to the V&A Waterfront. Some people say it is too commercialised but it has a stunning vibe. Even if you are alone you will never feel lonely. Up to the 7th of January there will be many holiday makers from the Gauteng area but after that is should be more quiet. The Cape Town schools normally starts a week later so from the middle of January it should be quieter. It's a very popular tourist destination so there are always tourists around. You can look at any of the Cape town pages here for things too do. There is too much to mention here.

Camps Bay is a lovely area to stay as well but a bit expensive.

For Mauritius you will have to fly either from JHB or Durban.

Weather wise it is normally quite hot in the Cape during Jan. Mauritius weather can be a bit unpredictable during Jan and very hot. Two stunning places you would just love it.

Hi Martin. I live in Cape Town and it is one of the best cities to visit in South Africa. You can book flights online at www.flysaa.com if you flying from the UK there are direct flights to cape town. It depends what you like yes the V&A waterfront but thats just shops. If you want to see more of the city you can go to Robben island from the waterfront which is the prison where Nelson Mandela was held for many years. The False Bay area is lovely if you take a first class carriage(train) from Cape Town train station to Simonstown all along the coast it is lovely. If you want to travel to Cape point you would need a car to get there. This is where the two oceans meet a must see. The public transport is not the greatest but you can hire a car for a reasonable price check out www.comfortcarehire.co.za and you can get their vehicles from the airport. The highways are very easy and accessable but using GPRS would help a great deal. Hotels to look for are City Lodge small rooms and reasonable prices, Southern Sun, Radisson they more expensive all close to the V&A waterfront(CPT CBD) area. The Vineyard Hotel in Newlands (Southern suburbs)& Southern Sun(garden Court) Newlands. Lots of great places to see and to many to mention. Check out www.cape.town.co.za Enjoy

I also am thinking of going to Cape Town sometime throughout the year but wondered if anyone could tell me how safe it is there? and how much R it is to the £? i've heard mixed comments from my friends who have been, so wondered if anyone could help me?

Hi
It sounds like you are travelling alone, but even then you will absolutely love Cape Town. Use your Hotel or Guest House as your first source of information, they are invariably very helpful and knowledgeable. Definate 'must see' places are the Waterfront, Cape Point, the Winelands ( vast area) with hundreds of superb Restaurants and breathtaking scenery. You must hire a car, as public transport is not very good or safe. At the Waterfront (google it) there is a good Info Center, with helpful staff, free maps and hundreds of brochures). Cape Town is cheaper than Europe, and expensive is not a description which is appropriate. Its hot in January, but the cool seabreeze helps a lot.
Make sure you take a video camera, its fantastic.
Enjoy!
Ulrich

You will absolutely love Cape Town! Once you get there, you probably will not want to leave and instead will want to see the rest of South Africa! :) There has already been some great advice posted, but let me give you just a few more resources. For some of the best rates on international flights, check out www.mobissimo.com. If you are coming from the U.S., make sure you fly direct on South Africa Airlines. These days, a direct flight using SAA can actually be cheaper than the long route through Europe. Cape Town is not expensive (Dollar, Pounds, and Euros are all strong compared to the Rand). The climate is hot and sunny spring to fall (remember, seasons are reverse in SA from Europe and US) though in the winter it is often rainy and can be a bit chilly. Also, here is an article called "16 Reasons Why You Should Visit South Africa" that you might find interesting: http://larktours.com/16-reasons-visit-south-africa.html

Hope this helps! Let me know if you need more info.