A friend's upcoming wedding in late October presented the ideal opportunity for an extended visit to a city that had always piqued my curiosity, yet never found its way into my plans.
Plan ahead and avoid peak season in December and you should find an array of high-quality accommodations on Airbnb at reasonable prices.
Prices tend to rise sharply during the summer months, particularly in popular tourist areas like Camp Bay. Excellent deals can be found in the CBD, especially when booking for extended periods of a month or more.
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New legislation
Recent changes introduced by the Turkish government has made short-term rentals for under 100 days more restricted. Keep an eye on Reddit threads for up-to-date assessments of how the new legislation is impacting short-term rentals in practice.
Cape Town stands out among other cities with its vast array of coworking spaces, offering an unparalleled variety of options. Throughout the city, you'll find numerous high-quality spaces at affordable prices.
However, when it comes to coffee shops, few create an ideal serious work environment, with their early closing times and the possibility of power outages due to loadshedding.
With a favorable exchange rate against the rand, Cape Town offers exceptional value for travellers coming from abroad. The cost of food and drink is roughly half of what you would typically encounter in Western Europe for comparable meals and drinks.
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The yen is currently at a 34-year low
While this is undoubtedly a negative for the Japanese, it makes for an exceptionally good time to visit Japan from abroad. Although this trend is unlikely to reverse significantly in the short term, it's still worth checking before visiting.
Read moreIt’s challenging to provide a definitive verdict on Cape Town, as the experience can vary greatly depending on where you stay. The city undeniably offers a range of experiences, with enough restaurants, events, and world-class scenery to explore over several months. If I were to offer any advice, it would be to choose an area that aligns with your risk appetite.
The CBD bears little resemblance to a typical urban centre, with its omnipresent security being both intriguing and somewhat concerning. Areas such as the V&A Waterfront and Camps Bay are exceptionally safe and pleasant, though they lack some of the city's distinctive character and vibrancy.
A significant drawback is that, regardless of your location in the city, the streets become remarkably quiet after sunset. With most journeys undertaken by taxi, there’s a notable lack of nighttime ambience.
South Africa is two hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT+2); South Africa doesn't operate daylight saving time, so there's no time difference between the summer and winter months.
I've written a guide on how to structure your day to get the most out of the time difference.
Read articleClifton 1st is one of the best options for easy beach access within the city, just farther south from Sea Point.
Sea Point Promenade provides some of the best sunsets across the entire city. You can follow this path all the way from Bantry Bay down to the V&A Waterfront, and it offers one of the safest areas to walk throughout the city.