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Cape Town Life and Cape Town Visitor Travel Tips
(Cape Town, Western Cape Province, South Africa, ZA)



Many people affectionally refer to the city of Cape Town as the 'Mother City', since it has become such as important metropolis and is very much a central part of life in South Africa. Cape Town has also successfully managed to establish itself as a major travel destination and its tourism industry is prospering.

The sea of Parliament and an important hub for travel, Cape Town is home to a major international airport, as well as a bustling seaport and an excellent network of roads and highways. Visitors will be drawn to the beaches, the museums and the very appealing Victoria and Albert Waterfront, together with the neighbouring mountain trails, vineyards and nature reserves. The following travel tips may be of use.




Cape Town Life and Travel Tips: Useful Contact Details - Cape Town, South Africa, ZA
The centrally located office of Cape Town Tourism is an impressive outlet where you will be able to book your accommodation, tours, rental cars and also for national parks and reserves, via Cape Nature Conservation. There is also a desk operated by Western Cape Tourism here, while an outlet of Cape Metropolitan Tourism resides close by and on the waterfront itself.

A further branch of Cape Metropolitan Tourism is conveniently located within Cape Town International Airport, offering travel tips and advice to arriving passengers.

Cape Town Tourism
Address: Corner of Castle Street and Burg Street, City Bowl, Cape Town, South Africa, ZA
Tel: +27 021 426 4260
Fax: +27 021 4266
Website: www.cape-town.org
Cape Town Tourism office open: Monday to Friday - 08:00 to 17:00, Saturday - 08:30 to 13:00, Sunday - 09:00 to 13:00

STA Travel
Address: 31 Riebeeck Street, City Bowl, Cape Town, South Africa, ZA
Tel: +27 021 418 6570

Rennies Travel
Address: St. George's Mall, City Bowl, Cape Town, South Africa, ZA
Tel: +27 021 423 7154

Visa Service
Address: 9th Floor, Strand Towers, 66 Strand Street, Cape Town, South Africa, ZA
Tel: +27 021 421 7826

Africa Travel Centre
Address: The Backpack Hostel, 74 New Church street, Cape Town, South Africa, ZA
Tel: +27 021 423 4530
Fax: +27 021 423 0065
Website: www.backpackers.co.za

National Library of South Africa
Address: Company's Gardens, Government Avenue, City, Bowl, Cape Town, South Africa, ZA
Tel: +27 021 424 6320
National Library of South Africa open: Monday to Friday - 09:00 to 17:00

Main Post Office
Corner of Darling Street and Parliament Street, City Bowl, Cape Town, South Africa, ZA
Cape Town Post Office open: Monday to Friday - 08:00 to 16:30, Saturday - 08:00 to 12:00

Department of Home Affairs (for Visa Extensions)
Address: 56 Barrack Street, City Bowl, South Africa, ZA
Tel: +27 021 462 4970

Cape Town Life and Travel Tips: Visa Information and Passports - Cape Town, South Africa, ZA
Visitors arriving in Cape Town from the majority of Western European and Commonwealth countries, along with Japan and the United States, will be automatically issued with entry permits, free of charge. Everyone is entitled to a 90-day visa, which will automatically expire on the date of your returning flight.

Cape Town Life and Travel Tips: Dos and Don'ts - Cape Town, South Africa, ZA

• Internet Access - you will have no trouble access the World-Wide Web virtually anywhere in Cape Town, including the National Library of South Africa, since this is amongst Africa's most wired cities. Many hostels and hotels feature Internet access, while there is also a very popular Internet cafe at the Cape Town Tourism office. Further cafes line the City Bowl's Long Street and Sea Point's Main Road
• Tour Bookings - the majority of accommodation provides some kind of tour booking service, although do bear in mind that this rarely features everything that is available
• Laundry - plenty of inexpensive launderettes are spread all around Cape Town. Many hotels also offer a laundry service, where your clothes are washed, dried and neatly folded
• Medical Services - if you are in need of medical attention, then the main hospitals include the City Park on the City Bowl's Longmarket Street, and the Groote Schuur Hospital, on the Main Road in Observatory. There are also a number of late-night pharmacies available, particularly around Sea Point
• Left Luggage - a convenient left luggage services is available at the main railway station, next to Platform 24 and open from 06:00 to 14:00
• Swimming and Surfing - all of the beaches around Cape Town have strong tides, which makes swimming potentially dangerous and only recommended in areas patrolled by life guards, unless signposts say otherwise. The strongest waves are really only suitable for the most experience of surfers
• Crime - whilst crime levels are actually fairly low in Cape Town, do always use common sense and try not to look like a tourist, never leaving belongings lying around and bearing in mind that there is 'safety in numbers'. Avoid stopping along the N2 highway, near the airport, since this stretch is known to be troublesome, and do keep car doors locked at all times when driving anywhere
• Mountain Climbing - even though the mountains are located in the very heart of Cape Town, the weather conditions are known to often change very quickly, so do bring warm clothing, a good map and compass, and also plenty to drink
• South Africa Currency - the currency of Cape Town is the South Africa Rand (R), which is divided into 100 cents, with coins being 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 cents, as well as R1, R2 and R5. The Rand notes are R10, R20, R50, R100 and R200, although do bear in mind that the R20 and R200 notes are very similar in appearance

 
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