Is Cape Town the Most Photogenic City in the World?

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.”

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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

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Travel Tips for South Africa

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• 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.

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When is the Best Season to Travel South Africa?

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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!

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