I’ve been to Africa several times, and I’ve purposely avoided traveling to South Africa. I dunno, the country just didn’t interest me. I used to have this impression that South Africa doesn’t represent the real Africa, and if I’m going all the way to Africa I’d want to have an authentic experience. Why did I use to think that South Africa isn’t authentic? Maybe it’s because it seems to be more developed compared to many other countries in the continent. Or maybe it’s because there’s a sizeable white population in the country… all right I have to admit, that’s basically it. 😂 I didn’t want to go to Africa and feel like I’m in Europe lol. But for the past two years a number of my friends have visited the country, and every one of them kept hyping it up— how it’s the most beautiful country they’ve ever set foot on, among many other superlatives. When I kept hearing so many good things about the country in succession, that made me think… maybe I am missing out on a lot. So a few months back, I’ve decided it’s time to visit South Africa. I needed to see what all the fuss was about.

Now before my trip, I did a lot of research. I’ve been hearing about how the crime rate in the country is really bad. Everything I’ve read online on different blogs and online forums seem to confirm this. And yeah, after visiting the country I’ve realized that it can be as bad as they say if you’re not careful. It’s a really beautiful country so it can be easy to let your guard down. I’ve been to many developing countries, and I’ve never been to a country wherein I’ve met so many people staying at the hostels who’ve gotten their phones or wallets stolen. Either they’ve been a victim of pickpockets, or they’ve been robbed at knifepoint. One guy staying at the hostel a month before i arrived even got stabbed because he refused to give up his phone— and this was in a relatively “safe” area. Going in a huge group doesn’t even guarantee safety. 5 people from the hostel decided to walk all the way back after a hike. They thought there’d be safety in numbers. Too bad they got surrounded by 12 men. When locals driving cars would stop and shout at you to keep your phones in your pockets whenever you bring them out, you should take notice. All those warnings aren’t exaggerations. The unemployment rate in South Africa is more than 34%— that’s really high, one of the highest unemployment rates in the world. Currently only Sudan has a higher unemployment rate— understandable since there’s a conflict going on. Times are hard for many locals, so many of them resort to doing such things to make ends meet. Tourists naturally have a huge target on their backs. South Africa isn’t a country wherein you could keep your guard down. That’s one thing you should be aware of. As long as you’re taking all the necessary precautions and you’re always keeping an eye out, you should be (mostly) fine.

There are two major international airports in South Africa. Cape Town International Airport in Cape Town, and O.R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg. O.R. Tambo is busier and that usually means it’s cheaper to fly there, but when i was searching for flights prices were about the same. The best advice I’d give is to plan your route. I decided to start in the south and make my way to the north, so I decided to fly to Cape Town. The weather was the deciding factor. This trip was in the middle of May, and I’ve been told that it rains a lot in Cape Town from June onwards. As you go north, there’d be less chances of rain. So for this trip it made more sense to start south.

Whenever I travel I would usually take the cheapest way to head to the city center from the airport i.e. public transport. Sadly, there’s no mass transportation options from Cape Town International Airport— quite puzzling since it’s the second busiest airport in South Africa. Apparently, the bus service (MyCiti Bus) was suspended last December 2022 due to financial constraints. Because of the pandemic, the low demand for the bus service couldn’t justify the cost of operations. Passenger traffic seems to be back up, but for some reason they haven’t resumed operations (as of May 2025). Good thing Uber is relatively cheap, and it’s easy to get one from the airport. You just have to wait at the designated pick up spots. One ride would cost about 200-300 South African Rands (ZAR), depending on the distance and time of day. That’s about USD 11-17. For the record, I stayed at Green Point. I arrived at around 1 PM, and I paid ZAR 235 for the Uber. Heading back to the airport a week later, I left at 5:30 AM and the Uber cost ZAR 270.

Now it would be impossible to get an Uber if you don’t have internet access. WiFi is free and fast at the airport, so you can book a ride before heading to the pick up spot. If you prefer to buy a local SIM card, it’s easy to get one at the airport. I went with Vodacom. The prepaid plans offered at the airport cost the same as the ones sold in town so you might as well buy one here. It was quick. I was able to get an activated SIM in less than 10 minutes. They also accept credit cards so you don’t have to worry if you don’t have any local currency with you yet. Actually, Visa and Mastercard credit cards seem to be universally accepted in South Africa, at least in the cities. Heck, even in the rural areas I’ve visited, these credit cards were widely accepted. In Cape Town, I never had to pay with cash. Even on the tour I booked, the tour guide accepted credit cards for tips. That’s right, the dude had his very own portable card terminal. 😂 This is surprising for a developing country. There’s no surcharge if you pay with cards, and none of that “special discount” nonsense if you pay with cash. For the prepaid SIM, I paid 479 Rands (about USD 26) for the 10 GB plan with a bonus 10 GB “Night Owl” data bundle. So that’s 20 GB total. That’s a good deal if you think you’ll be using a lot of data after midnight because the “Night Owl” data is only valid from 12AM -5AM. International eSIM providers offer 10GB for about the same rate. South Africa is one of the few countries wherein local prepaid SIM providers do not offer much cheaper rates. So for convenience, you may opt to purchase an international eSIM as long as you don’t think you’ll be needing a local number to make calls and send text messages. In my experience, most businesses in South Africa can be contacted via Whatsapp so having a local number isn’t really necessary.

As I’ve mentioned above, I stayed at Green Point. I chose to stay here because it’s one of the relatively safe areas in Cape Town. It’s close to the waterfront and several beaches, and there are lots of establishments nearby. It’s a beautiful area and the atmosphere is really chill. I stayed at Never @ Home in Green Point and if you’re traveling on a budget, I can’t recommend it enough. The place is well maintained, the dorm rooms are spacious and clean, the staff were very friendly, there are kitchen facilities, there’s a small pool where guests can cool off on a hot day, and the restaurant/ bar serves cheap food and drinks. It’s also very social. They hold daily activities as well as nightly activities in the bar so it’s real easy to make new friends. There’s another Never @ Home hostel on Kloof Street. You may prefer to stay there if you want to party— it’s close to Long Street where a lot of bars in Cape Town are located. It’s also closer to Table Mountain and Lion’s Head so you’d see both from the hostel. I didn’t stay there so I can’t give my own opinion, but I’ve spoken to several travelers who’ve stayed in both hostels and they all say the one in Green Point is better. They also say you can’t really go wrong with either one. It would all boil down on which location you prefer.

I stayed for a week in Cape Town, and just my luck I came on a bad week. The previous week, it was sunny all throughout. I’ve been told the weather was perfect. When I arrived it was overcast, then it rained non stop for two days, then mostly overcast again. Good thing the next three days were sunny. I was able to do a couple of hikes, and I was able to take better pictures. Even though the weather wasn’t perfect for sightseeing, I did realize that what people were saying is true. Cape Town really is beautiful. The sights are mesmerizing, it’s easy to let your guard down as you take it all in.

I signed up for the hiking activities that the hostel provided and I’d highly recommend doing the hikes up Table Mountain and Lion’s Head if you’re able to. These hikes aren’t easy, but I’d say these are doable as long as you’re not totally unfit. You don’t even need to join a tour, it’s easy to do with a group of people. Together with the guides from the hostel, we took Ubers to the start of each hiking trail, then after the hikes we took Ubers again on the way back to the hostel for safety. Obviously hiking all the way up Table Mountain is free, but if you’re not up for the hike you can easily take the cable car. It costs ZAR 490 for a return ticket in the morning while it costs ZAR 420 for a return ticket in the afternoon. One way tickets cost ZAR 280. If you buy online in advance, it’s a little cheaper. Some people choose to take the cable car up and then just hike on the way down. We hiked up the Platteklip Gorge Trail and it took us a little more than an hour to reach the top. Since the weather in Cape Town can change rapidly it may be a good idea to wait until the sky is all clear and just take the cable car up if you’re after the views. Although the skies were clear when we started the hike, it became foggy and overcast when we reached the top and that really sucked. We spent an hour relaxing on top before heading down. When we got down, the skies became clear again. The Gods may have been pulling a prank on us. 😤

Hiking up Lion’s Head took about an hour too. I’d say it’s a little more difficult since you have to climb up some ladders. I would say the overall difficulty is about the same. Which offers better views? If the skies are clear, I would say Table Mountain offers the better view as you see Lion’s head in the background. The view from Lion’s Head is great too. You’d be closer to the ocean.

If you’re not into hiking, Cape Town has so much more to offer. Getting around the city is cheap. You can take the MyCiti Bus which has extensive routes in the city. You have to purchase a MyConnect Card at any MyCiti station kiosk or at their partner establishments. This card costs 40 Rands. Just top up with a minimum of 20 Rands and you’re good to go. The fare would depend on the distance and time of day. You’d pay a minimum of 13.50 Rands during peak hours (from 6:45 AM to 8:00 AM and from 4:15 PM to 5:30 PM), and just 10.50 Rands on off peak hours. You could also take an Uber, it’s real cheap. Trips usually cost just 50 Rands more or less within the city. Each neighborhood has a distinct character. Green Point and Sea Point have chill laid-back vibes. Kloof Street is a trendy area with lots of restaurants. Bo-Kaap is a majority Muslim neighborhood and is the oldest surviving residential area in Cape Town. Check it out for those colorful houses.

Farther from the city center, one spot I’d recommend checking out is Muizenberg Beach. If you plan on surfing, this is one spot that you shouldn’t miss. Even if you’re not into surfing, it’s a beautiful place to hang out and chill. The cheapest way to get here is to take the southern train line to Muizenberg Station. This trip only costs 8 Rands and takes about 40 minutes. You could also take the MyCiti Bus, but there’s no direct route. You have to head to Simon’s Town then make a transfer from there… Simon’s Town is farther from the city center so taking a bus would just needlessly complicate matters. If you prefer to take an Uber, it’s gonna cost around 200 Rands.

You can’t pay a visit to Cape Town without seeing the penguins on Boulders Beach. You can get here via public transport, but it’s not that easy. First you need to take the train and head to Simon’s Town. This takes 2 hours but it would only set you back 9 Rands. From the train station in Simon’s Town you need to walk for about 2 miles to Boulders Beach. Alternatively, you could take an Uber from the train station. Once you get there, just pay 190 Rands (for non South African citizens, about USD 10) to enter the beach and see the penguins. If the water’s not too cold, you could even swim with them!

An easier way to get to Boulders Beach is to take one of the tour buses to Cape Point. These make a stop at Boulders Beach along the way. This way, you’d also get to visit Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope. The only way to get to these places is to either join a tour or to rent a car. Keep in mind that some tours do not include the price of entrance tickets. An entrance ticket to Cape of Good Hope costs 455 Rands for non South African citizens (about USD 25).

For convenience, you could opt to join one of those “Best of the Cape” tours offered around the city. You’ll get to visit all the places I’ve mentioned in one day, along with several other scenic spots along the way like Chapman’s Peak and Hout Bay. You could join these tours for as low as 700 Rands (about USD 40) but keep in mind that tours this cheap do not include entrance fees nor do these include meals. This is a great option if you’re only spending a short time in Cape Town. You’ll be able to see so many places in one day and it’s not too expensive.

South Africa is also famous for its wines. Thus, there are popular day trips to several vineyards from Cape Town. Perhaps the most popular place for wine tasting is Stellenbosch. I’m not into wines so I didn’t do this, but I’ve met many people who did. If you plan on taking public transport, it could be complicated depending on the time of day. The fastest way is to take a train to Eerste River Station, then make a transfer from there to Stellenbosch Station. This takes about 2 1/2 hours if you time the transfers perfectly and it only costs about 23 Rands. Then from the station, take an Uber or a taxi to a specific vineyard. For convenience, you could always join a tour. The cheapest half day wine tasting tours from Cape Town cost about 900 Rands (USD 50).

Watching the sunset is always a great way to end the day, and there are lots of good spots to see the sunset in Cape Town. If you plan on hiking up Lion’s Head, that’s a good spot to watch the sunset. Signal Hill is also a good option. An easier spot to head to is “The Rock” by the end of Ocean View Drive. Just search for “The Rock” on Google Maps, it’s gonna show up. Just don’t keep bringing out your phone for directions! As always, if you’re heading to an unfamiliar place in Cape Town it’s best to just Uber if you think you’re gonna need to keep bringing out your phone for directions.

I loved the time I spent in Cape Town and I’m really glad I went. I’m thankful to all my friends who kept recommending it. Man, I would’ve missed so much if I refused to listen to them. I was careful throughout this trip— if my phone got stolen, this trip would have been miserable. 🤣 I only wish the weather was better. I imagine Cape Town is even more beautiful and vibrant during the summer when lots of people are out. I’ll definitely be back, hopefully sooner rather than later. Maybe at the end of the year during the South African summer? 🤔