Areas of Cape Town: Devil’s Peak

On the Eastern slopes of Devil’s Peak you will find the Rhodes Memorial, to Cecil Rhodes, and the University of Cape Town. From these points there are fantastic views over the Southern Suburbs of Cape Town, all the way to stellenbosch and the Boland mountains. Other landmarks on the Eastern slopes are Mostert’s Mill, Groote Schuur Hospital and the Groote Schuur estate, including a number of presidential and ministerial residences.

Whatever the area western cape property is always in high demand and for good reason. Whether it be through online real estate or other means, people will always find a way to move into these beautiful locations. 

Areas of Cape Town: Vredehoek

Vredehoek is a suburb of Cape Town located in the City Bowl on the slopes of Table Mountain, between Devil’s Peak and Oranjezicht. The name directly translated means “peaceful corner”.

The suburb was proclaimed after the first world war and expatriates from many European countries settled here after peace was declared. The area has since been going through a revival, with old blocks being redeveloped into high quality apartments. The centre of town is close by with Long Street just a short walk away. Staying in Vredehoek makes some of the best views of the city available to residents, overlooking  the waterfront, harbour and Table Mountain.

Whatever the area western cape property is always in high demand and for good reason. Whether it be through online real estate or other means, people will always find a way to move into these beautiful locations. 

Areas of Cape Town: Tamboerskloof

Tamboerskloof lies between Gardens and the Cape Peninsula National Park, a short walk from Long Street and the foot of Lions Head Mountain. It is one of the oldest areas in Cape Town, with many old Victorian style buildings and streets lined with old Oaks. Tamboerskloof boasts an eclectic array of restaurants, book shops and boutiques which are strewn along the famous Kloof street, an extension of Long street. Residents in this area enjoy fantastic views of the bay and Lions Head, which ensures that this will always be a popular area in which to live.

Whatever the area western cape property is always in high demand and for good reason. Whether it be through online real estate or other means, people will always find a way to move into these beautiful locations. 

V A Waterfront Information

No visit to Cape Town can be complete without a trip to the V&A Waterfront. A significant portion of the historic harbour quays have been redeveloped and restored, and many of the Victorian buildings now serve as restaurants, hotels and offices. The magnificent shopping centre, the V&A Waterfront, is the home of some of 400 shops, jewellers, boutiques, designer labels and restaurants.

Every year 22 million people visit this icon and even those returning are still spoilt for choice. There is just so much to do. Whether shopping, or booking a sunset cruise, a helicopter tour of Cape Town, visiting the Two Ocean’s Aquarium, or just enjoying a meal, the V&A Waterfront has so much to offer.

The V&A is named after Queen Victoria and her second son, Prince Alfred, who initiated construction on the Port of Cape Town in 1860. Over the last 150 years the harbour has been growing, developing and adapting. Now it is alive with the pulse and rhythm of Cape Town.

The Marina is an exclusive residential development which has just recently been completed and the property prices attest to that exclusivity. Many businesses have ther office space at the V&A and it is also the home of the UCT’s Graduate School of Business.

The Waterfront’s hotels offer outstanding 4-, 5- and even 6-star service, and can be found in and around the V&A Waterfront precinct. The new Cape Town Stadium is also minutes away, while the Cape Town City Sightseeing Bus departs from just outside the Two Oceans Aquarium, which will get you to many of Cape Town’s top attractions including Table Mountain. The Robben Island Ferry also departs from the Nelson Mandela Gateway.

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Cape Town Team Building Boat Cruise

Car Rental South Africa companies operate with you in mind

Travellers approaching car rental South Africa companies need different things. There are those who are able to splurge on their choice of car rental South Africa vehicle. Others must be more careful. Some are inclined to explore the country’s wilderness in their car rental South Africa vehicle, while a different group may enjoy the buzz of driving around the major cities. Thus, here at the tip of the continent, where car rental South Africa companies are familiar with all of these people and their preferences, the car rental range on offer is extensive.

As regards markets, car rental South Africa companies cater for travellers wishing to see lots of the country on a conservative budget. By way of example, consider the case of the students who, at an average age of 21 and travelling with limited means, heard five of South Africa’s official languages spoken in their native regions. That’s a lot of driving in their car rental South Africa vehicle. But necessary for a trip which they might never forget.

Car rental South Africa vehicles which favour this sort of traveller include car brands like the Opel Corsa, Ford Fiesta, and City Golf. And the price for these car rental South Africa vehicles is somewhere between R200 and R250 per day.

Car rental South Africa companies recognise that the country has a number of locations which may appeal to off road drivers and campers. There’s the dry, rugged Sekhukhune area in Gauteng; the lush bush of Chuenespoort on the northern side of the Olifants River; and the Lekgalameetse Provincial Park in the Drakensberg mountains.

Thus, car rental South Africa companies have vehicles which may appeal to this market. They include the Toyota Hilux Single Cab 4×4, and the Voyager Double Cab 4×4.

There are car rental South Africa vehicles available for those wishing to see the country in large groups; options like the Toyota Qantam eight seater.

Moving into the luxury car rental market, travellers wishing to experience the country in upmarket cars have a wide selection from which to choose. Their car rental South Africa options include the BMW 330Ci 3.OL, the Mercedes Benz SLK, and the Audi A3 convertible.

And lastly, car rental South Africa companies cater for travellers with particular tastes. These tastes may revolve around exploring Cape Town and the Garden Route, or visiting wine estates for picnics in vintage car rental South Africa vehicles.

This type of traveller will be able to choose from a number of car rental South Africa vehicles which include the 1980 Peugeot 504, the 1968 Jaguar 420, and the 1975 Alfa Spider.

So, with this extensive a range of vehicles, travellers in the country are more than likely to find a car rental South Africa option which suits their needs.

Source: Car Hire Cape Town

Cape Town; The Destination Of Choice For People Looking For English Language Courses

With Table Mountain reaching up to the African sky above and the sea stretched out before you an English school in Cape Town is a destination with lots to offer people looking to learn English. Cape Town is one of the most beautiful places in the world at which you can practice and learn English. Cape Town is a world famous holiday destination which makes it a great place for somebody looking to further their English language skills. With a large collection of English schools offering language courses combined with the beautiful setting it is unsurprising that foreign students are flocking to Cape Town to improve their English.
The last decade has seen an influx of immigrants from Northern Africa pushed from their home countries by violence and lured by the popular myth that the streets of South Africa are paved with gold. These immigrants are mostly French speaking and require, in order to integrate better into society and to find work, an English school. Cape Town unfortunately experienced, with the arrival of these immigrants, an explosion in less than scrupulous “English schools” in Cape Town that offered students the chance to learn English in Cape Town with no certification and often very little real teaching experience. That is why it is important that when you look for an English school in Cape Town you ensure that it is a member of EduSA [Education South Africa]and if possible certification by an International Organisation .This will ensure that you will not only receive quality English language instruction but also a certificate recognised internationally when you have finished your English language course. Should you wish to become a TEFL teacher , again it is imperative that you enrol for an internationally accredited course like CELTA , which is certified by the University of Cambridge.

The cosmopolitan nature of Cape Town allows students from all over the world to comfortably integrate into South African culture and make friends, especially when attending an English school. Cape Town has a diverse population which means that visitors whether long term or short term never feel like outsiders for long. Spend an hour during the day at one of the many cafes in the CBD and you will find yourself exposed to languages and cultures that range from Xhosa to German. A popular destination for both South Africans and foreigners Cape Town should be a serious consideration for anyone planning a change of scenery, whether it is to look for work or learn English in Cape Town.

There is a large choice of accommodation available and most visitors are able to find something that suits their budget, one thing you can be sure of is that almost anywhere in Cape Town that you choose to stay, you will have views of the mountain or the sea if you’re lucky you’ll have both. This natural setting makes Cape Town a stunning place at which to study, speak to any student and they’ll tell you about the calming effect that the proximity of this natural beauty can have at stressful times, such as when studying for exams. English school Cape Town is the ideal place to learn a strange language and experience a new culture.

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Cape Town English Language Courses

Green Point, Cape Town – From Racing Card to Red Card

When one looks now at the area that is officially the Green Point common it is hard to see why it is called such. The developments that took place prior to the world cup have turned the area into an ultra-modern suburb and a popular choice for people wishing to open a bed and breakfast in Cape Town, all indications are that the suburb will continue to attract tourist long after the sound of vuvuzelas has died down. The land that now holds, the stadium, Somerset Hospital, The golf course, Hamilton’s Rugby Club and the now defunct Fort Wynyard was once land that was vested by the Union Government as common ground to the City of Cape Town. Guest houses in the area are quick to point out the current attractions of the suburb but few understand the historical significance of Green Point in Cape Town’s sporting history.

Well before the land was granted as commonage to the city it was used for general sports and recreation by the people living close by. Perhaps most interesting and surprising to current residents is the fact that it was used as a horse racing track before the establishment of the Kenilworth Race Course. The land now occupied by the symbol of the new colonialism, McDonald’s, was during the nineteenth century, the place that seated the original colonialists as the main stand at the horse races. Perhaps things haven’t changed that much after all. It’s ironic then that the original stadium development in Green Point Cape Town was used for events in which men were running around the track. If developers at the time had lacked foresight we may have been attending the J&B Met in Green Point Cape Point and watching the soccer in Kenilworth. The ground was used for the city’s earliest cricket and rugby matches and to this day is leased by Hamilton’s rugby club as well as used by local schools for sports practice and events.

These early developments were not enough to attract the mushrooming industry of Bed and Breakfast, and many guest houses chose to open their business’ in the trendier suburbs above the CBD or further down the Atlantic seaboard towards Clifton. The area along the main road had always been popular with the gay community as well as the young and trendy professionals, which meant it had some of the best night spots in the city, it was, unfortunately, also popular with prostitutes and drug dealers making it a less than ideal spot for a Cape Town guest house. When it was decided that Green Point stadium would host the soccer games in Cape Town developers and shrewd entrepreneurs were quick to get their piece of Cape Town. Guest houses opened their doors all over Green Point.

It was fitting that an area with such a rich tradition of sport and recreation in Cape Town would host the largest sporting event in the world and then subsequently uses this event to boost the tourist trade through bed and breakfast establishments and benefit Cape Town guest houses in general.

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Accommodation Green Point

Cape Town Living – A client’s perspective

When SA was first mentioned to us, we dismissed the very idea, but I can tell you we changed our minds within a few hours of landing here for a check-it-out visit and now we would love to stay here for many, many years.

Life here is rich, exciting and for the most part safe. The lifestyle with a young family is almost impossible to top. Your toddler could do every imaginable type of activity and have the choice of a huge selection of fantastic playschools. He will grow up outdoors, with no shoes on and you’ll be able to head off to the beach, climb a mountain or walk in a forest and still get back for the lunchtime nap. It’s a very child-friendly, family-focused environment.

Life here is rich, exciting and for the most part safe. The lifestyle with a young family is almost impossible to top. Your toddler could do every imaginable type of activity and have the choice of a huge selection of fantastic playschools. He will grow up outdoors, with no shoes on and you’ll be able to head off to the beach, climb a mountain or walk in a forest and still get back for the lunchtime nap. It’s a very child-friendly, family-focused environment.

Cape Town real estate is very well priced and you can buy great property for less than 50% of the cost in Europe, The cost of Property Cape Town is on of the main drivers of people wishing to live here with a wide and varied selection.

I have had several friends who have given birth here and the private health care system is fantastic – so as long as you have a health insurance, you will have a great experience.

Cape Town has a very European feel to it and has large ex-pat communities of English, French and Germans and actually most nations in the world. It is clean, has a good road system, most things work and the setting is stunning.

Walking the streets is very safe. The city centre spends a fortune on bibbed officials who are there to help you and there are car guards everywhere. I have NEVER felt nervous or threatened in any place in Cape Town and my work takes me into townships. The only theft we have encountered is baboons eating our picnic! So you will feel much as you would in a European city and take the same kind of precautions. You would need to be careful walking the mountain on your own and I wouldn’t go to a deserted beach alone either – but those are the same rules you would live by in London, Paris or New York. Driving standards are a bit dodgy, so the other greatest risk would probably be the road, but usually it is benign incompetence rather than dangerous driving.

The natural beauty of the place is breath-taking. If you are in any way outdoorsy there are SO many things you can do. The social history is fascinating. There is a good art gallery, good theatres and good music festivals.

I imagine I have communicated my enthusiasm for the place. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it for a young family. We used a relocation agent who was truly fantastic very details-orientated and knowledgable.

Source: Cape Town Real Estate

Holiday accommodation in Cape Town, get the most out of the time you have

Choosing holiday accommodation in Cape Town should not be done solely based on budget. The attractions of Cape Town are not all focused in the city centre in fact many are to be found outside the city limits. As public transport cannot be relied upon it is imperative that you know in advance what you would like to see and then choose your holiday accommodation in Cape Town accordingly. Like all cities that are popular with tourists there are several major attractions that can distract potential visitors from the real beauty to be found not far from the busy centre.
Cape Town is often seen in terms of, Table Mountain, the V&A Waterfront, Cape Point and Camps Bay, and rightly so, they should be high on the list of things to see when visiting Cape Town they are not however the be all and end all of the tourist trail. There are many gems to be found not two hours outside of the city limits and when booking holiday accommodation in Cape Town it is important that you remember that getting to these places can be tricky and expensive, especially if it is just for a day trip. It’s worth considering your options for staying in these places for a couple of nights to give you the opportunity to explore them properly.
The wine routes around Cape Town offer a magical way to spend the day, if not two or three days.  Whether it’s sampling the local plonk, exploring the countryside and indulging in some of the many award winning restaurants that litter the region your days will be full. The small towns in the region offer spectacular options for holiday accommodation. Cape Town will soon seem like a secondary thought on your itinerary after a few days spent in Stellenbosch or Franschhoek. The region a couple of hours North of Cape Town also provides you with an opportunity to explore an area and culture that many tourists don’t know exist. During spring the fields around the town of Darling are transformed into an impressionist’s canvas as flowers, many of which are unique to the region bloom, covering the ground in a carpet of colour. This once a year explosion of nature is not to be missed if you’re in Cape Town at the time and by carefully planning your holiday accommodation in Cape Town you can ensure that you are nearby when it happens.
Public transport through most of South Africa is unreliable at best, so reaching the hidden gems outside of Cape Town may require a rental car. One doesn’t however want to waste days of their holiday driving from place to place. Planning your holiday accommodation in Cape Town properly can ensure that you are close to the places you want to see. Even if the attractions seem close to your holiday accommodation, a place like the Cape Point could take the best part of a day to see if you’re staying in the CBD. While the drive is lovely and well worth it, if one has evening plans or small kids it would be worth finding holiday accommodation on the southern end of the peninsula for a few day.
When planning your trip to Cape Town, holiday accommodation is obviously your primary concern with a little foresight and planning you can choose a place that will allow you to see the best of Cape Town.

Source: Holiday Accommodation Cape Town

Types of Transportation in Cape Town

Cape Town is an exciting city to explore and getting around shouldn’t pose too much of a challenge for those who study the bus and train routes in advance. However, traveling by public transportation comes with certain risks, especially at night, at first time visitors to the city often opt to travel by taxi or arrange car hire through their cheap Cape Town hotel.

Quick and Convenient
By taxi
Available to hire by phone or at special taxi ranks, metered taxis are monitored by the city council and are usually very safe and reliable. While the average rate is around R4.50 for each kilometer, those embarking on a longer journey should be able to set a fixed price with the taxi driver. Taxi ranks can be found all over the city and there is generally one within a few minutes walk of most cheap Cape Town hotel.

Car hire
The ideal option for those who put a premium on freedom, car hire in Cape Town can be arranged easily. The city is served by a large number of internationally recognized car hire companies, most of which have booths at the airport and at large hotels. Driving around Cape Town is fun as traffic density is low and this is a great way to really get a feel for the city.

Hiring motorbikes and bicycles
Popular with those who are traveling alone, bicycles and motorbikes can be rented quite easily from a large number of hotels and guesthouses in Cape Town and are also available for hire in special bike shops. While the vehicles on offer are usually in good condition, it is advisable to check them over thoroughly before signing any papers as existing dents that go unnoticed at the time may end up costing the driver a lot of money upon return of the bike.

Cheap and Cheerful
On foot
Wandering through the heart of Cape Town serves as a good introduction to the city. Although it is impossible to explore the whole of Cape Town on foot, those who want to take a tour of the center of the city should be able to walk around this area in a few minutes. Featuring pretty parks, bustling markets and world-class attractions such as the Natural History Museum, walking through the heart of the city is an uplifting experience.

By bus
Although not exactly extensive, bus routes cover most of Cape Town’s most prominent attractions, including Table Mountain and the main museums. The best place to catch a bus is at the terminal, which can be found on Grand Parade. Buses tend to arrive every ten minutes or so and while this may not be the most convenient way to explore Cape Town, bus travel is certainly cheap.

By minibus/Rikki
Hiring a Rikki is a good and also cheap way of getting around Cape Town. This open sided minibus travels from place to place very quickly, covering most popular places within the city. However, while Rikkis run regularly during the daytime, they don’t operate after dark and visitors who are exploring the city in the evening will need to search for an alternative form of transportation.

By train
While train travel in Cape Town has a reputation for being dangerous, those who take a few precautions will find that this is an interesting way to get around. It is best to stick to the scenic Simon’s Town line and avoid traveling by train after dark. In addition, visitors should avoid carrying anything of value with them and get belongings hidden.

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Car Hire Cape Town