10 reasons why you should travel to Cape Town instead of Johannesburg

Africa. Talking of Africa, many choose to travel to South Africa due to its extraordinary and attractive cities. You can travel to Cape Town, Johannesburg, Durban, Pretoria, and other cities. Among these cities, it is highly recommendable to travel to Cape Town because there are more wonderful places to visit in Cape Town. Cape Town is a city of dreams. The location at the foot of Table Mountain and Table Bay means that you can enjoy a beautiful view of your travel to Cape Town every minute. Although it is the second-largest city in South Africa after Johannesburg, there are many reasons for travelling to Cape Town instead of Johannesburg. In fact, the city lacks nothing: cosy shops, architectural highlights, multicultural neighbourhoods, bustling entertainment districts, good restaurants, picturesque mountains, and beautiful sandy beaches. It is not for nothing that it has been repeatedly labelled as the best holiday destination in the world and, thus, a great starting point to travel to South Africa. When you decide to travel to Cape Town on your next vacation, you may ask some questions such as: how to travel to Cape Town, what is the best time to travel to Cape Town, how safe is it to travel to Cape Town South Africa, which places to visit in Cape Town, what are the best places to stay in Cape Town etc. You can find answers to all these questions and the reasons why you should visit Cape Town.

How to travel to Cape Town?

Cape Town is a city on the shores of both the Indian and Atlantic Oceans, and it is one of the three most important cities of South Africa, which have an international airport that travellers use. Therefore, you do not need to think about how to travel to Cape Town because it is quite easy to access. How safe is it to travel to Cape Town South Africa? Well, South Africa is one of the safest and peaceful countries in Africa. The only safety issue can be regarding the weather. Indeed, if you visit the city in summer, there will be no worries during the best time to travel to Cape Town, and you will definitely enjoy your trip.

1. Cape Town has a better city centre

In Cape Town, you can find one of the oldest buildings in South Africa: the Castle of Good Hope. The imposing building was founded to replace an older fort, and the pioneer history is still in the air. A must is a key ceremony, which takes place daily at 10 a.m. and 12 p.m. The castle is symbolically opened up to the sound of cannon shots. On the Grand Parade, you will also find an enormous City Hall, whose tower has 39 bells. Cape Town is the right place for exceptional architecture. What makes Cape Town especially attractive is the pleasant city life. Be sure to walk past Greenmarket Square, famous for its tourist market. If you are looking for a souvenir, you will no doubt find it here. African masks, colourful shawls, traditional drums, and handmade jewellery - you will be amazed. This lively activity continues on Long Street, the heart of Cape Town. Here you can stroll past attractive shop windows of clothing, book, or souvenir shops or settle down on one of the terraces under beautiful Victorian verandas.

2. The Cape of Good Hope

It is not Cape Town in itself, but it is impossible not to mention this little piece of the world. Go there and discover the penguins, some baboons in Boulders Beach, where the vegetation is low and yet rich. It takes at least a whole day to discover the Cape of Good Hope. You can also discover unique corners like False Bay in Muizenberg to see great white sharks. An incredible impression of the end of the world, dizzying at this point where the Indian and Atlantic oceans meet with a crash. Note that the Cape of Good Hope is not the southernmost point of Africa nor the point of division between the Atlantic and Indian oceans. The southernmost point is 149 km east-southeast, at Cap des Aiguilles, located west of Struis Bay.

3. Victoria & Alfred Waterfront

The V&A Waterfront is a completely renovated harbour district with countless bars, restaurants, shops, boutiques, discos, pubs, etc. The waterfront in Cape Town is one of South Africa’s greatest tourist attractions, but it is certainly also one of the most beautiful because it is an active port. The large container ships now call at a different port, but not the smaller ships and the typical smell of salt water and diesel in the air.

4. Nelson Mandela Prison

The political history of South Africa is one of the most important things and one of the major achievements of African culture around the world. Nelson Mandela represents the union of a country that has become an example to the world, where differences of class, colour, and culture have disappeared thanks to a great man’s good work. Located north of Cape Town, the Robben Island declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1999. It was used as a prison during colonial times and the apartheid years. The most famous prisoner here was Nelson Mandela, who was imprisoned there for 18 years. A painful story that was overcome by Mandela himself, which you can learn a lot about here.

5. Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens

Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden is a huge place where tourists, sightseers, and residents of Cape Town meeting. Tours of this botanical garden are wonderful in the spring when the plants are in full bloom. It is surely one of the most famous botanical gardens in the world and among the best places to visit in Cape Town, as it is possible to walk for hours while meeting only greenery and mountains. Note that during the summer, concerts are offered, too.

6. Delicious Wines

Cape Town is also highly recommended for wine lovers. You will like a glass of African wine. You can, of course, spend the night in the middle of the wine region, but if you have Cape Town as a base, it is ideal to book a day excursion through the Cape Winelands to see where grapes are produced.

7. Camps Bay Beach

Unfortunately, with icy water, like 11 degrees in Celcius, you cannot swim here. It is only for the pleasure of the eyes. Beach is bordered by the Twelve Apostles. There is Bloubergstrand, too, with its long unspoiled beach offering stunning and beautiful views of Table Mountain and Cape Town. On surfers and kite surfers in action, too.

8. How safe is it to travel to Cape Town South Africa?

South Africa is indeed considered a safe travel destination in African comparison. Nevertheless, crime rates are significantly higher here than in other developed countries. This is especially true for the major cities of the country. You should, therefore, strictly follow some safety tips. For example, avoid the inner city areas of large cities after closing time, and on Sundays, do not use lonely hiking trails in the country’s national parks, be particularly careful when withdrawing money from ATMs, always carry a mobile phone with you. It is better not to accept food or drinks bought by strangers in bars and restaurants. Maybe, some of these tips are banal and true for most countries, but you should follow them to have great memories from your trip.

9. Table Mountain

It is certainly far from the original, but how can you not visit South Africa without its most representative summit? Take the small blue cable car to climb up to these 1000 meters of altitude, which come to overhang the whole city and start the few proposed hikes. The Mountain was named one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature. Take the time to observe this fantastic panorama with a surprising and plunging view of the city and also of the surrounding beaches. On a clear day in summer, during the best time to travel to Cape Town, you will even see the Cape of Good Hope.

10. There are many best places to stay in Cape Town

You can find world-known hotels, local chains, rent flats, and many other accommodation types in the cities of South Africa, but especially in Cape Town. Atlanticview Cape Town Boutique Hotel, Dorp Hotel, and Compass House are the best hotels in Cape Town. In Johannesburg, you can stay at the Four Seasons Hotel or The Winston Hotel.