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Destination Spotlight - Cape Town, South Africa
Cape Town South Africa
Local Beaches Garden Route Activities Driving Tips

How to get there, General and Climate

How to get there
Direct flights to Cape Town are available from London Heathrow with BA, Virgin Atlantic and South African Airways.  Flights are available from Manchester with KLM (via Amsterdarm) and Lufthansa (via Frankfurt).  Qatar Airways also offer flights from Gatwick, Heathrow and Manchester to Cape Town via Doha

Car hire in South Africa is available from a number of pick-up points  including Cape Town Airport, Cape Town City Centre, Cape Town Waterfront and Fish Hoek.

General
South Africa is 2 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time
Flight time is approximately 12 hours from the UK
The currency is the South African Rand (£1 is currently equal to about 14 Rands).

Climate
With warm, dry summers and mild winters, the climate is often described as Mediterranean. Daily temperatures in the summer average around 25ºC which drop to around 15ºC in the winter.  Winter is the rainy season and the southeasterly wind can be strong (known as the Cape Doctor)

Click here for up to date weather forecasts

Where to stay

There is a vast array of accommodation in and around Cape Town. The following are some popular choices:

Cape Town:
Table Bay Hotel - a contemporary resort-style hotel situated on the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront.
Radisson SAS Waterfront - a convenient location on the waterfront close to the Victoria and Alfred complex.
Victoria & Alfred Hotel, Pierhead - converted from a former warehouse, this colonial-style hotel offers spacious rooms and a convenient location.
Arabella Sheraton Grand Hotel - a fantastic location on Cape Town’s foreshore with views of the ocean and Table Mountain.
An African Villa, Tamboerskloof - a small boutique hotel offering excellent service and a warm welcome.
Cape Heritage Hotel - this intimate hotel is located within the historic Bo-Kaap area of Cape Town.
Metropole Luxury Boutique - located on the legendary Long Street, great views, an urban edginess and a big dose of romance, elegant M-Bar and Lounge is situated on the 1st floor of the Hotel, fitness centre, tennis court, beauty treatment

Constantia:
Steenberg Hotel, Steenberg Estate - this seventeenth century colonial hotel is situated approximately 20 minutes drive from Cape Town, offering an elegant base from which to explore the wine country.
Cellars-Hohenort Hotel - this seventeenth century building is located on the site of the estate’s original wine cellar.

Bantry Bay:
Ellerman House - this small and intimate hotel offers fantastic ocean views.

Stellenbosch:
Spier Hotel - designed to recreate the intimate and relaxed atmosphere of a small village, the hotel is centred around six private courtyards and swimming pools, and connected by indigenous gardens and walkways. Emphasis has been placed on maintaining the ecological integrity of the area, and where possible, natural materials and resources have been used.

For more accommodation choices in South Africa, please click here.

What to eat
  • Fresh fish is readily available in Cape Town - try kingklip or snoek
  • Mild and semi-sweet curries with a strong Indonesian influence 
    “Bredies” (stews)
  • “Malva pudding” which is a rich combination of milk, sugar, cream and apricot jam.
  • “Biltong” is a popular dried meat snack, usually made using beef but ostrich and other meats are available too
  • “Boerewors” or “Farmers sausage”
  • Ostrich steaks

Travelling to South Africa this year? Don't forget, Car Hire 3000 offer car hire from locations across South Africa, including car hire Cape Town, car hire Johannesburg , car hire Pretoria and car hire Bloemfontein - as well as 4000 other locations across America and the world!

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