"Cape Town" Top 5 Page for this destination Cape Town by mvtouring

Cape Town Travel Guide: 2,631 reviews and 6,065 photos

City lights - Cape Town
City lights
Cape Town

Cape Town, the mother city of RSA. A lot of new things are happening in and around Cape Town for which we have to thank the 2010 Fifa World Cup. Living in Cape Town, probably makes me one of the luckiest people alive. Although I have not been born here, I grew up not far from the city, I just love this vibrant city with all its diversity. It has so much to offer visitors and locals that it is impossible to ever get bored or lonely in this place. Living in this diverse places makes one interested in the various different cultures both here and abroad. Even though RSA is a third world country, our cities are first world with excellent shopping malls.
Cape Town earns the name mother city in more way than one. Table Mountain is steeped in legends old & new, Hoerikwaggo, Adamsator, heart chackra, spinner wheel of earth energy. It is a place where natural sacred sites and spiritual shrines are found. You can do a lot of soul searching here in the mountains, at the ocean, in the forests or the magnificent gardens. Various spiritual groups practise regular medication. Many spiritual films are screened in a number of venues around the city. We have a number of holistic fairs. We have many world class health and wellness centres and spa's where you can go to get pampered, healed and natured.
So if treating your body, expanding your mind and celebrating your spirit, and connecting with your soul is what you are after then Cape town is the place to visit, where it is all on offer.
Cape Town summers is the high light of our year. We have some of the best beaches and the people is just great.

Tourist info
Strolling thru the garden - Cape Town

Strolling thru the garden

Time:-
Cape Town's Standard Time: +2 hours (ahead of GMT). f*

Telephone Dialling codes:-
- Cape Town: National: 021
- International +00 f*


VAT Refund

South Africa has adopted a Value Added Tax system of 14% on purchases and services. If you are a foreign visitor to the Cape, you can reclaim your VAT on purchases over R 250, 00 that are taken out of the country unused. There are a number of VAT refund offices. You may find it convenient to use Airport offices or the VAT Refund kiosk at the V&A Waterfront or at Cape Town Tourism in Burg Street, Cape Town. Leave yourself enough time to do this – you’ll need your original tax invoice and your passport, and will need to fill in a form and have the goods you bought available for inspection. For more information see www.taxrefunds.co.za
f*


Driving:-
An international driver's license is required and it must include a photograph as well as the signature of the holder . Like the UK and Asia, we drive on the left hand side of the road and speed limits should be adhered to. Remember that it is law to wear your seat belt and it is against the law to talk on your mobile whilst driving. Heavy fines are posed. Distance and speed are measured in kilometers.f*

Electricity:-
220/230 volts, 50Hz, single phase. Currently we have a major electricity problem and have what they call load shedding. This might not affect you as most hotels have generators, but driving it could affect you as the traffic lights are not working.f*

Emergency numbers:-
Flying Squad: 10111
Ambulance: 10177
Crimestop: 0800 11 12 13
f*

Languages:
We have 11 official languages in SA. English is the language of administration and is widely spoken. Other languages include Afrikaans, Nebele, Northern Sotho, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa and Zulu. f*

Tipping:-
It is customary to tip depending on service received, the amount should be around 10%. However check your bills that they have not added a service charge already.f*

VAT:-
Currently at a rate of 14%, is levied on most items and services, it can be re-claimed when you leave the city at the VAT booth @ international airport. f*

Water:-
Tap water throughout Cape Town is safe for human consumption. Recent studies done here showed that it was purer than most bottled water..

Nice websites:
http://capetown.cityguidesa.com
http://www.tourismcapetown.co.za/f*

Banking
Banking - Cape Town


The South African unit of currency is the Rand (R), which is divided into 100 cents.

The coin denominations are; 1c, 2c, 5c, 10c, 20c, 50c, R1, R2 and R5. The notes are R10,00, R 20,00, R 50,00, R 100,00 and R 200,00. They are in the process of removing the 1 & 2cent pieces.

Banking Services
South Africa’s banking system is extensive, efficient and easily accessible. Banks offer a wide range of services, including cash withdrawals, foreign exchange, electronic transfers (wiring), cashing of traveller’s cheques and PIN withdrawals. If your card belongs to the worldwide Cirrus network, you should have no problem using your card.

There are a number of branches of the major banks, and Automatic Teller Machines (ATM’s). ATM’s can be found in shopping centres, at some petrol stations, and in the centre of most cities and towns. Some rural towns do not have ATM's so please keep cash at hand when travelling to the smaller towns and villages in the Cape. If you need to go into the bank, withdrawals can be done over the counter using your passport. Many banks provide foreign exchange facilities. International electronic transfers are also available at most banks – enabling you to send or receive money from overseas. Banks also provide guidance, support and assistance with any banking questions you may have. South African banks also provide convenient and secure Internet banking services.
For more information on South African banks, visit the websites of South Africa’s major banks:
ABSA
First National Bank
Standard Bank
Nedbank

Hours of Business

Banking hours vary but are generally from 09:00 to 15:30 on weekdays. On Saturdays banks open at 09:00 and close at 11:00. Banks are closed on Sundays and Public Holidays. Some smaller branches have limited operating hours – if you’re going to a small village or rural area, check with the local banks to be sure of their operating hours. The majority of the province’s hundreds of ATM’s are 24-hour facilities, enabling you to do your banking whenever you choose. However, there are ATM’s that closes after 17h00 on week days and 13h00 on weekends. ATM's may not be available in small villages.

Travellers Cheques

Cape Town International Airport has 24-hour foreign exchange facilities. Cape Town and bigger towns have a variety of foreign exchange options to choose from. Rennies Travel is the agent for Thomas Cook and will also change other cheques. American Express has foreign exchange branches in Cape Town and other major towns. Most banks also do foreign exchange transactions. Generally, banks offer the most competitive rates. Many hotels and backpacker’s hostels also offer foreign exchange services.

Credit Cards

Credit cards, especially Visa and Master Card are widely accepted. Nedbank is the official agent for Visa and Standard Bank for Master Card. American Express and Diners Club are also accepted. Not all services have credit card facilities and credit cards cannot be used to pay for petrol (fuel). It is recommended that you keep some cash for these outlets and petrol stations.

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Pros and Cons
  • Pros:warm, friendly people, spiritual centre
  • Cons:street children & vagrants
  • In a nutshell:God's gift to mankind, treat it with respect
  • Last visit to Cape Town: Dec 2009
  • Intro Updated Jul 22, 2010
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Reviews (212)

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Comments (112)

  • Reply
    kenHuocj's Profile Photo
    Oct 29, 2012 at 7:59 AM

    when am i to visit the Mother City again? hopefully sooner than later ;-)))

  • Reply
    May 12, 2011 at 11:40 PM

    Yet you get a plate of food you cannot finish and its the best quality.

  • Reply
    CatherineReichardt's Profile Photo
    Jan 3, 2011 at 12:51 AM

    Hi Mariana Happy New Year and thanks for your tip on the excellent Florence Nightingale museum in London - a marvellous tribute to an amazing woman! Regards Cathy

  • Reply
    babar_1's Profile Photo
    Nov 25, 2010 at 11:02 PM

    I visited your beautiful country some time ago and spent a wonderful time there. Thanks for visiting my Bonn pages!

  • Reply
    Blombossie's Profile Photo
    Nov 25, 2010 at 1:55 PM

    Newcomer to VT, so busy reading what others are writing , your tips are fantastic and you have so many!

  • Reply
    patagoniapaul's Profile Photo
    Sep 11, 2010 at 1:23 PM

    This is also a place visited by Darwin - the road is built along the contact between the granites below (rounded rocks) and the much younger Tablke Mountain sandstone. It is a lovely drive!

  • Reply
    XenoHumph's Profile Photo
    Jul 18, 2010 at 2:12 PM

    What a beautiful place to live!! Very well done this page!

  • Reply
    traveloturc's Profile Photo
    Jul 18, 2010 at 7:59 AM

    Very useful information ..thanks Marianna

  • Reply
    joiwatani's Profile Photo
    Jul 11, 2010 at 9:05 AM

    Looks like this is one of the famous viewpoints of SA...

  • Reply
    Arkeolog's Profile Photo
    Apr 16, 2010 at 1:54 AM

    Wow! Table Mountain and your photo look impressive...

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