wanted to thank all you guys for a wonderful review of cape town. went to capetown Dec 6 - 9th. short trip - i admit but well worth it.
stayed at this small hotel Ikhaya lodge. it was quaint with a tropical feel to it. it is not a good recommendation for a long stay. need more comfort. used one of your recommendations and had dinner at MANOLO EATS. Grrrrreat food. ambience was fantastic. the bar area reminded me of any bar in NYC. dinner was mid priced and very very nice. the service was top class.
one thing to let people know is that if you are coming to cape town and plan to go to RObben island, you might want to book ahead of time..... email for tickets. they were sold out when we went but our tour guide was able to score us some. we also did the township tour with rainbow tours and Cinga was our guide. love him...love him. only regret was the shortness of the trip but i will be back.....

Having just returned from a trip to cape town wanted to share our experience. We were independant travellers i.e. booked our own flts, accom, car hire and had no problems, we had no plan just sort of knew where we wanted to visit. We had 3nights in CapeTown from there we decided a base would be easier then keep moving to different hotels (I am very fussy aswell) so we based ourselves at Table View where the beach and views were excellent and access to the Wetern Cape easy. We found an excellent guest house Villa de la Shore where the hosts Elaine And Conrad were very friendly and accomadating to the point of making us feel it was home from home. We visited all the normal tourist haunts ie Franschoek, Hermanus. But found a little gem the Riebeek Valley where we stayed in a great all be it unusual hotel Travellers Rest, the area should not be misssed great wine tasting and a lot less touristy then the normal wine route, the scenery was breathtaking. We would encourage anyone to visit the Cape Town independantly there is so much to see and it is lovely to choose when and where you want to go. We were always met with a warm smile and friendliness. We will return in the new year.

I have just returned from a 9 week volunteer project in Cape Town and when I wasn't working hard, I was experiencing the delight that is Cape Town. From Robben Island to Table Mountain and everything in between, there is so much to see and do in this city that you can be there for 9 weeks and never get bored.
The scenery is beautiful and there are numerous tours that you can organise to experience all the different views. Take a trip to the Table Mountain Nature Reserve or visit the most southerly point on the continent of Africa. There is ample oppotunity to swim, surf, hike, and for those with a bigger appetite for excitement, you can abseil, skydive or dive with great white sharks.
For those who prefer slightly less adrenalin-inducing activities, you can go whale watching, enjoy the beautiful beaches at Camps Bay and Simonstown or go shopping at the Waterfront. Spend a day in Greenmarket Square, bartering with the locals for their hand carved treasures while listening to the drumming and general buzz around you. You must also take the time to do a township tour and see the other side of Cape Town. These poorer neighbourhoods are also very welcoming to tourists and the differences between the standards of living is something that has to be seen to be believed.
Take a stroll down Long Street where you can stop and have almost anything from a plain coffee to a cocktail, from a sandwich to tapas. For dinner, you can sample worldwide cusine at the food court down by the Waterfront, or any other number of restaurants around Long Street. For great food and service at an extremely reasonable price, I recommend Arnolds Restaurant on Kloof Street. Those guys go out of their way to ensure that you have as pleasant an evening as possible. For nightlife, Long Street again comes out tops, with a great mixture of clubs and bars to suit most tastes.
All in all, the "Mother City" as it is affecionately known as (some people say that because it takes 9 months to get anything done) has been my favourite holiday destination to date. It's a beautiful, easy going city with wonderful people who make you feel at home within a day.

Having seen the occasional program about Cape Town on TV, I decided to see it for myself. Wow!, is only one exclamation I could use. Seeing is believing is another. From the moment I left the airport, heading towards the city in my hired car(very reasonably priced),I could see Table Mountain towering over the city centre. There is a landmark of majestic proportions and beauty. My Guest House in the suburb of Tableview, some 8km out of the city was luxurious,and soon I found myself in the pool washing away the weariness of a 12 hour flight from London. The owners supplied me with maps and guides, and soon I was on the road to the famous Waterfront. 300 restaurants, 800 shops, countless craft stalls, and all at the waters' edge in a busy port. My ensuing days were filled with trips to the vineyards, only one hours' drive away, to Cape Point where the Indian and Atlantic Oceans meet, and many visits to exquisite restaurants in delectable settings.
In summary, here's a city which ranks amongst the worlds' best, but does so little to promote itself. Want to know more? Simply write to me via this forum.
Ulrich Dannecker