Cape Town City and Hotels Guide

Image by Xevi V

South Africa’s “floral kingdom”, Cape Town, is one of the country’s most popular tourist destinations. Located smack on Table Bay, Cape Town is the cultural and economic capital until the Witwatersrand Gold Rush took people to Johannesburg.

Today, Cape Town is a multi-cultural Mecca for arts, sports and culture from all over the world. The city has come through numerous struggles, building its way up to the top of the world’s premier destinations for business & pleasure.

Weather

Cape Town is cool throughout the year. The summers are mild and dry while the winters are quite mild with a lot of rain. While the winter minimum hits around 7⁰C, the maximum in the season is around 17⁰C. The city is quite windy, receiving a fair-share of battering from the Cape Doctor winds. In summers, things are quite comfortable with about 26⁰C being the average maximum. Rainfall, in winter, is quite heavy between April and August, although the city is quite adept at handling the excess water.

Being the Tourist

Cape Town is a tourist’s delight, combining fantastic food, shopping and entertainment with the beauty of nature in all its abundance. Cape Town lies in the City Bowl, a natural amphitheatre-like setting created by the Table Mountains, Devil’s Peak, Signal Hill, Lion’s Head and the beautiful Table Bay. To add to all this natural beauty are Cape Town’s fantastic man-made attractions.

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Table Mountain National Park is one of the biggest attractions with its wide variety of flora and fauna wowing tourists from all over the world. There are some wonderful roads that have created a fantastic driving experience for those interested in just looking around and taking in the sights.

There are some fantastic coastlines that not only lead to beautiful beaches but lend a unique dimension to this wonderful city. With so many fantastic sights and sounds around Cape Town, it is quite easy to forget the arts & culture. The Artscape Theatre Centre is one of the biggest performing arts centres in the city while other attractions like the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival and the thousands of world-class restaurants & stores are a part of the wonderful world in Cape Town.

Image by Ricardo Duek

Popular Hotels in Cape Town City

The Urban Chic Boutique Hotel

Right next to Cape Town’s city centre, the Urban Chic Hotel is a fantastic hotel to stay in irrespective of whether guests are travelling on business or pleasure. Right in the heart of Cape Town’s commercial district, the hotel is also quite close to the major shopping districts as well as some fine restaurants. The Urban Chic Hotel is just a few miles from the airport, making it perfect for all those quick trips in and out of town. The hotel has some fantastic amenities including a lounge & bar, plenty of conference and meeting rooms, a host of fitness equipment in their fitness centre as well as access to a golf-course. The hotel provides a shuttle service to the airport while guests can also hire a car or cab from the concierge’ s desk.

Holiday Inn

The Holiday Inn, in Cape Town, is one of the most well-placed hotels that allow you to have a fantastic Cape Town-experience. Overlooking the Table Mountain, the Holiday Inn is just a couple of kilometres from the Victoria and Albert Waterfront as well as a host of other attractions such as the beaches, shopping & entertainment centres and the restaurants in Cape Town. The hotel is well connected, by public transport, to the rest of the city while there are plenty of amenities within, such as work stations within each room, Internet and Wi-Fi facilities. The hotel is place right on Saint Georges Mall, making it ideal for shoppers while business travellers only need to walk across the be in the middle of the business district.

The Cape Town Lodge

Amidst the most popular tourist attractions, of Cape Town, lies The Cape Town Lodge, a hotel that puts the Kirstenbosch Gardens, the Winelands, the Victoria and Albert Waterfront as well as the Cape Point within touching distance. With the convention centre just about a kilometre or so away, The Cape Town Lodge is a wonderful stop-over for business travellers on short trips as well as leisure travellers on long vacations. The hotel has a bar and restaurant to go with its breakfast room. There are extensive business and meeting facilities with fitness & relaxation being given equal importance.