We just left Cape Town after spending two months in the city. It was our city stay that wasn’t supposed to be, but with each passing day in Africa, we became more and more hungry for our own car. Hence, the long stay in South Africa’s most popular city as we tried to find our wheels to tackle a safari across Africa.
Cape Town was our last stop in South Africa. We were told by Afrikaners that we were “saving the best till last.” Others just straight up told us to leave wherever we were at and head for the Cape immediately. When we arrived we knew we were in a completely different South Africa than before. It’s a place encompassed with natural beauty, while still maintaining that city feel. It is a vibrant city packed with things to do all year round. A place that experiences four seasons in one day, yet locals seem to walk everywhere in their bare feet.
When we stay in places for a longer amount of time we get worried our images will run dry, our Instagram will get stale. However, we hate leaving our camera anywhere inside when we travel around Cape Town, and even have found ourselves in a debate about how many Instagram photos we should post in a day – should we do two or three? We even stayed at one of our favorite hotels of all time just outside the city, and when you add the wine lands just outside Cape Town it is all the more appealing.
This is our collection of a September and October spent in and around Cape Town. Just remember to choose the best camera for your travel needs.”
Table Mountain From Lion’s Head
Looking out at the dramatic Sentinel mountain peak
Driving along the coast
On Top of Table Mountain
Kalk Bay Harbor
Atop Lion’s Head
Muizenberg Beach
The Boulders Beach Penguins giving us a show
Watching the clouds roll in
Sandy Bay
The colorful Cape Malay neighborhood of Bo-Kaap
Little Lion’s Head
Chapman’s Peak Drive
On top of Table Mountain
Hiking Lion’s Head
Cape Town from a Helicopter
A weekend spent in Muizenberg is a weekend well spent
The Iconic Table Mountain
Cheers to great sunsets
Exploring Cape Point
The beautiful Tintswalo Atlantic
Hout Bay from across the bay
Beautiful Days in the Cape
Wandering around Kalk Bay
Overlooking Cape Town
Table Mountain never ends
Camera Gear We Use
- Fuji X-T3 – Main Travel Camera // (on B&H)
- Fuji X Series Lenses
- Sony RX100 V // (on B&H)
- Fuji X-T20 – Backup Camera // (on B&H)
- GoPro Max // (on B&H)
- DJI Mavic 2 Pro Drone // (on B&H)
- Lowe Pro Whistler 450
- Peak Design Camera Sling
- Peak Design Travel Backpack
- Peak Design Clip
- Rode Video Mic – For Vlogging
- For Cinematic Shots: Zhiyun Crane V2
- Peak Designs Travel Tripod
- For Storage: LaCie Rugged 4TB USB-C
- For Editing: Macbook 15″ Pro Retina
Travel Tips for South Africa
- Languages Spoken: The most widely spoken language is Zulu, then Xhosa, followed by Afrikaans. However, just about everyone speaks English.
- Capital: South Africa has no legally defined capital city. Instead, there are three South African capitals. They are Pretoria (executive capital), Bloemfontein (judicial), and Cape Town (legislative).
- Currency: South African Rand 4 (ZAR) – $.
- Visa: Some nationalities are issued a 90-day visa on arrival. Check with your embassy for the best information. The visas are consecutive, not concurrent, don’t be like us and get kicked out.
- Weather: Hot and humid especially during the summer months.
- What to Pack: Depends on the season and where you are at. Definitely bring hiking shoes, a bathing suit, and a jacket.
- Malaria: Not a major threat in South Africa. In the rainy season, areas around Kruger and the north are at mild risk of malaria.
- Stay Connected: Vodacom, Telcom, OneCell, and MTN are the cell phone and internet providers. Check here for more information.
- Tipping: This is a tipping country and visitors should expect to tip for anything from a lunch out, to gas station attendants, to security guards in parking lots. Tips to car guards can be anything between 2 and 10 ZAR while 10% is the norm for waitstaff.
When is the Best Season to Travel South Africa?
High season (November and March)
This is the high season in South Africa, but that doesn’t mean that it’s the best time to visit South Africa. The weather in South Africa really starts to warm up starting in November, some may say it gets unpleasantly hot in some places. December and January are particularly busy because of the holidays. If you can manage it I would generally try to avoid travel during this time.
Shoulder Season (April-May and September-October)
The weather throughout most of South Africa is pleasant during this time. Not too hot and not too cold. April and May are some of the best times to go on safari in South Africa. Crowds are low, and the wildlife still gathers around the watering hole, which makes for easy viewing.
Low Season (June-September)
This is South Africa’s winter season meaning low numbers of tourists and cooler weather. We traveled around South Africa in August and September and still had a fabulous time. The weather was cool, but only really at night did we need a jacket. Winter means the middle of the dry season making game viewing on safari generally quite good. This is also the time when you’ll be able to score deals across the country!
Plan Your Trip to Africa
- Travel Insurance: We don’t travel without travel insurance and neither should you. You never know what can happen while traveling so it’s best to be prepared. HeyMondo provides excellent short-term and long-term travel insurance plans.Â
- Travel Waterbottle: When we’re uncertain about the water supply we use our Grayl Purifier. It’s come in exceptionally handy around Africa.
- Camera Gear: Chances are you’ll want a camera for your trip to Africa. We love the Sony RX100V for a pocket-size camera and the Fujifilm XT-4 for a professional camera. Check out our favorite cameras for Africa.
- Safari Clothes: Lightweight, beige, and moisture-wicking clothing are great for traveling Africa. See our favorite safari clothing here.
- Safari Hat: A good hat is both stylish and functional.
- Safari Bag: A durable bag is ideal for traveling around Africa.
- Safari Pants: We recommend neutral-colored pants as they’re great at hiding dirt and can match most shirt colors.
- Safari Shirt: Shirts like these are lightweight and keep the bugs away!
- Boots: While you don’t need to wear sturdy shoes every day, at least one pair of safari boots will make your trip nicer!
- Travel Adapter: You’ll need a special travel adapter for traveling Africa. Get one before you get there so you don’t pay a premium on the ground.
From Cape Town , what is the best day trip safari or overnight/2day trip