We get quite a high percentage of foreign guests inquiring for accommodation or staying at our affordable self catering accommodation in the peaceful and quiet Noordhoek valley. They often ask about personal safety and crime in Cape Town before venturing into the big city.
I think it fair to say that every big city is troubled by crime to one extent or another. I can recall being warned by the police against walking in Long Beach California more than twenty years ago and similarly being cautioned in downtown New Orleans by police to go straight back to my hotel in the French quarter for my own safety. Let me reassure visitors that you will find that Cape Town is a safe and friendly city and one in which you can happily spend the day walking and window shopping. You will find its streets vibrant with an eclectic mixture of African and European cultures. Many of the streets have been turned into delightful, picturesque pedestrian malls where you can mix with the locals, purchase African handicrafts and art works from little stalls and sample all kinds of wonderful street food from almost every corner of the globe. It is an unhurried city, and unblighted by heavy traffic, except at morning and evening peak hours.
In fact I can hardly think of a better way to spend a day than walking the streets of Cape Town with its wonderful mixture of architecture ranging from eighteenth century Dutch through to ornate Victorian and twentieth century modern. Having lived here on and off most of my life, I still never tire of walking in the city. You may well be gently accosted by the odd street urchin looking for a handout or one of the quite harmless vagrants who often take shelter on the mountain and on known locally as “bergies”. One should bear in mind that unemployment in our country is high and therefore there are many people struggling to make ends meet and to find a way to put bread on the table. Whether you help out is up to you, but unlike many other international cities we seldom find that those looking for handouts adopt any sort of aggression.
Whilst the entire city, including the beautiful gardens established by the Dutch East India company, at the top of Adderley street are interesting, perfectly safe and very inviting to wander during the day, it is not a good idea to do this at night, although there would be no problem traveling to and from a specific destination such as a restaurant in the city.
Regrettably Tourists are particularly vulnerable to petty crime, including purse snatching and pickpocketing as they are in any large city. Visitors to Cape Town have generally traveled internationally and would know that it is not a good idea to be too obvious as a tourist and to avoid flaunting expensive jewelry, carrying large amounts of cash or very expensive camera equipment. If you are driving a car, I do suggest that you should keep the doors locked while driving and do not leave obvious temptation such as a handbag, purse, laptop computer or camera visible on the seats because snatching from cars, whilst not common, is not unknown. If you do have such things in the car and stop at a shopping mall, I suggest that you stow and lock them securely in the boot (trunk) of your car.
The city of Cape Town is very aware of how important tourism is and has developed an extensive safety plan in partnership with business aimed particularly at providing a secure environment for the 2010 World Soccer cup. Cape Town's Central Business District and major malls have made considerable efforts to safeguard tourists against crime. Surveillance cameras now monitor activities in the Central Business District and security guards watch over the major shopping centres. The opening matches of the Indian Premier Cricket league have been hosted in our beautiful city at short notice with no incidents reported in spite of 1000,s of foreign visitors arriving for the matches.
The U.S. Foreign Policy (FP) recently announced the names of five cities that stand in a class of their own when it comes to brutal, homicidal violence, with Cape Town regrettably high on the list. To put it in perspective however, it also found that the city's homicides usually take place in suburban townships rather than in the more upscale urban areas where tourists visit. According to the South African Police Service, most of the Cape Town area's violent crimes happen between people who know one another; this is a consequence of unemployment and drug abuse , but will not impact upon tourists.
It is a good idea if you decide to hike or walk up Table mountain to hire a guide, particularly for women on their own. Larger groups are much safer.
Noordhoek, where you will find our secure, comfortable and affordable self catering holiday accommodation is a peaceful country valley, just 30 minutes from the big city. Here we have very little traffic and if your personal safety is a concern this best kept secret destination of Cape Town is the place where you and your family can stay with confidence. People walk the streets, sharing with joggers and cyclists and crime is amongst the lowest in South Africa. Our guests enjoy strolling to the nearby shoping mall and exploring the long stretch of beautiful white sand that makes up Noordhoek’s Long Beach. It is an ideal venue from which to explore all of the attractions of Cape Town, the wind lands and go on to other destinations in the Western Cape.
In order that you should be prepared for any eventuality, the following phone numbers will be useful and should be programmed into your mobile phone.
Emergency Services Contact Numbers:
Ambulance: 10177Flying Squad: 10111Mountain Rescue: 10111Police: 467 8000Police (Tourist Assistance Unit): 418 2852
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Cape Town in Winter – our Secret Season
In these recessionary times everyone is shopping around for a good deal. Some people are searching in Google for cheap accommodation. We noted the definition of “cheap’ as “of poor quality; inferior” Our self catering Western Cape accommodation is certainly not cheap as defined, but it is very affordable.
Now we have made it even more so with our winter low season offer ; For every 4 nights booked , we will give you one free night in any of our self catering accommodation units. This offer is valid right until end November, but excludes school holidays.
If we had 100 cottages, we could let them fully in the peak summer season in Cape Town, as the December/January period is the most popular time of the year with both locals and foreigners. February and Easter are also popular months.
Cape Town has been rated as one of the top 10 tourist destinations cities in the world, and although it attracts most of its tourists during "peak" summer months, bargains are to be had in the Autumn and winter months. Cape Town has a Mediterranean climate which is temperate for most of the year. Many overseas tourists are not aware of the Western Cape's best secret - Cape Town is frequently at its best in the traditionally low season from April to October! Coincidentally, this coincides with our prime safari seasons in Southern Africa, so if you are planning a safari in the Winter or Spring, include Cape Town in your itinerary.
It surprises us that those who live in the Northern Hemisphere where the summer season in their traditional holiday resorts are packed out, don’t take the opportunity to visit Cape Town, which at this time of year is green, quiet, beautiful with temperate weather. Yes Cape Town does have a winter rainfall , but rainy days are interspersed with lovely wind free sunny days and daily temperatures warm by European and North American standards, averaging 16 degrees C or more, and can reach up to 26C (80F). To visit Cape Town in winter is to see it at its most beautiful and, in addition, you will find many bargains- accommodation is at its cheapest rate, restaurants and tourist attractions are never busy.
The added attractions of visiting in the off peak season is that one can view the Spring Wild flowers and take the opportunity to view the whales basking in our bays.
Local often joke that Cape Town does not have a climate but just “weather”- one can experience all 4 seasons in one day. A good site to check out the weather is http://weather.24.com
Horizons self catering holiday accommodation is near Cape Point, and this really useful weather site allows on to select Cape Town or Cape point just to check out any differences, even though we are just 30 minutes from the city and the famed Cape Town Waterfront
Cape Metropolitan Tourism http://www.gocapetown.co.za/ recently launched a new “Secret Season" campaign-an integral part of the Campaign has been the identification and promotion of specific tourism routes, all of which are in easy reach of the centre of Cape Town. The Western Cape has a wealth of history, beauty and culture to boast, and these routes reflect that diversity. The routes that make up the Secret Season Campaign include a Whale Route, a Floral Kingdom Route, an Adventure Route, a Wine, Beer and Cheese Route, a Ghosts Route plus a Shipwreck and Lighthouse Route.
Remember that the rainy days need not be wasted- Cape Town has many interesting museums and then of course, there is the opportunity to relax indoors with a good bottle of the Cape's finest vintage red wine at prices that are unequalled anywhere in the world.
We look forward to seeing you soon
Now we have made it even more so with our winter low season offer ; For every 4 nights booked , we will give you one free night in any of our self catering accommodation units. This offer is valid right until end November, but excludes school holidays.
If we had 100 cottages, we could let them fully in the peak summer season in Cape Town, as the December/January period is the most popular time of the year with both locals and foreigners. February and Easter are also popular months.
Cape Town has been rated as one of the top 10 tourist destinations cities in the world, and although it attracts most of its tourists during "peak" summer months, bargains are to be had in the Autumn and winter months. Cape Town has a Mediterranean climate which is temperate for most of the year. Many overseas tourists are not aware of the Western Cape's best secret - Cape Town is frequently at its best in the traditionally low season from April to October! Coincidentally, this coincides with our prime safari seasons in Southern Africa, so if you are planning a safari in the Winter or Spring, include Cape Town in your itinerary.
It surprises us that those who live in the Northern Hemisphere where the summer season in their traditional holiday resorts are packed out, don’t take the opportunity to visit Cape Town, which at this time of year is green, quiet, beautiful with temperate weather. Yes Cape Town does have a winter rainfall , but rainy days are interspersed with lovely wind free sunny days and daily temperatures warm by European and North American standards, averaging 16 degrees C or more, and can reach up to 26C (80F). To visit Cape Town in winter is to see it at its most beautiful and, in addition, you will find many bargains- accommodation is at its cheapest rate, restaurants and tourist attractions are never busy.
The added attractions of visiting in the off peak season is that one can view the Spring Wild flowers and take the opportunity to view the whales basking in our bays.
Local often joke that Cape Town does not have a climate but just “weather”- one can experience all 4 seasons in one day. A good site to check out the weather is http://weather.24.com
Horizons self catering holiday accommodation is near Cape Point, and this really useful weather site allows on to select Cape Town or Cape point just to check out any differences, even though we are just 30 minutes from the city and the famed Cape Town Waterfront
Cape Metropolitan Tourism http://www.gocapetown.co.za/ recently launched a new “Secret Season" campaign-an integral part of the Campaign has been the identification and promotion of specific tourism routes, all of which are in easy reach of the centre of Cape Town. The Western Cape has a wealth of history, beauty and culture to boast, and these routes reflect that diversity. The routes that make up the Secret Season Campaign include a Whale Route, a Floral Kingdom Route, an Adventure Route, a Wine, Beer and Cheese Route, a Ghosts Route plus a Shipwreck and Lighthouse Route.
Remember that the rainy days need not be wasted- Cape Town has many interesting museums and then of course, there is the opportunity to relax indoors with a good bottle of the Cape's finest vintage red wine at prices that are unequalled anywhere in the world.
We look forward to seeing you soon
Sunday, March 29, 2009
SA to host the Indian Premier Cricket league
Fortune smiles on our county with the news that SA beat the UK to host the 2009 Indian Premier League cricket tournament, due to start on 18 April 2009, and lasting until 24May. The opening game will be held at Newlands in Cape Town, and the final will be contested at the Wanderers in Johannesburg. There will be a total of 59 matches in the 2009 IPL to be held in eight cities: Cape Town, Johannesburg, Durban, Pretoria, East London, Kimberly, Bloemfontein and Port Elizabeth.
It is unfortunate for India that security issues have made it difficult to put this prestige event on in their own country- what with elections looming and problems with neighbouring Pakistan. South Africa stands to gain so much as this event will be seen by the world as a precursor to the 2010 Soccer World cup, and we can show them just how good we can be at hosting this sort of event. South Africa will get a massive amount of International exposure, and local fans will be treated to the glamour that accompanies this prestige tournament. Lalit Modi, Chairman and Commissioner of the IPL stated when he announced the news that the entourage would require 30,000 bed nights. This is great news for the hospitality industry in these depressed economic times. Imagine, too, the knock on effect of spending by the teams and the fans that will follow them. When the UK was front runner it was reported that it would have boosted the British economy by up to $100-million – wow, a billion Rands ! We may benefit less, because we are a more affordable destination, but it will still be a Godsend at this time.
Our country has won the privilege over the UK thanks to a number of factors; much better weather, and a time difference several hours less than would have been the case if the UK had been chosen. This will allow the cricket mad Indian fans to watch their teams and matches at a reasonable time. Undoubtedly it must also be considerably cheaper for the IPL to move to SA than to the UK. South Africans, we are winners, and all the fans who follow this event will score too. Book your accommodation now to take advantage of the cheap rates that you can expect out of peak season. Satour acting chief executive Didi Moyle said in a statement.
"The Indian Premier League comes with multi-billion dollar television broadcast rights and will be screened into millions of homes, giving destination South Africa outstanding exposure not only in India, but in many of our other key target markets as well," she said.
We in the affordable accommodation industry look forward eagerly to this event and also the 2010 World Cup, but most realise that the event in itself will not bring a bonanza- what we look forward to is the visibility of our Country and particularly the fairest Cape, creating the desire for overseas tourists to visit us in the future, and boost our tourism industry.
For details of the match schedules, click on this link:
http://content.cricinfo.com/ipl2009/content/story/396948.html
It is unfortunate for India that security issues have made it difficult to put this prestige event on in their own country- what with elections looming and problems with neighbouring Pakistan. South Africa stands to gain so much as this event will be seen by the world as a precursor to the 2010 Soccer World cup, and we can show them just how good we can be at hosting this sort of event. South Africa will get a massive amount of International exposure, and local fans will be treated to the glamour that accompanies this prestige tournament. Lalit Modi, Chairman and Commissioner of the IPL stated when he announced the news that the entourage would require 30,000 bed nights. This is great news for the hospitality industry in these depressed economic times. Imagine, too, the knock on effect of spending by the teams and the fans that will follow them. When the UK was front runner it was reported that it would have boosted the British economy by up to $100-million – wow, a billion Rands ! We may benefit less, because we are a more affordable destination, but it will still be a Godsend at this time.
Our country has won the privilege over the UK thanks to a number of factors; much better weather, and a time difference several hours less than would have been the case if the UK had been chosen. This will allow the cricket mad Indian fans to watch their teams and matches at a reasonable time. Undoubtedly it must also be considerably cheaper for the IPL to move to SA than to the UK. South Africans, we are winners, and all the fans who follow this event will score too. Book your accommodation now to take advantage of the cheap rates that you can expect out of peak season. Satour acting chief executive Didi Moyle said in a statement.
"The Indian Premier League comes with multi-billion dollar television broadcast rights and will be screened into millions of homes, giving destination South Africa outstanding exposure not only in India, but in many of our other key target markets as well," she said.
We in the affordable accommodation industry look forward eagerly to this event and also the 2010 World Cup, but most realise that the event in itself will not bring a bonanza- what we look forward to is the visibility of our Country and particularly the fairest Cape, creating the desire for overseas tourists to visit us in the future, and boost our tourism industry.
For details of the match schedules, click on this link:
http://content.cricinfo.com/ipl2009/content/story/396948.html
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Garden Route National Park
Garden Route National park : Great news for visitors to the Cape.
A new national park has been established along the Cape southern coast to boost tourism in one of the most visited parts of the country. Cape Town is the most favoured South African tourist destinations, but many visitors go on to the Game parks to our north. Now they can remain in the most beautiful part of our country and have a safari experience
The Garden Route, established on 6 March 2009 is located on one of the country's top tourist attractions, includes diverse and breathtaking scenery. The new Garden Route National Park, formed in part by incorporating existing smaller parks, includes indigenous forests, the Knysna estuary, the Wilderness lake areas, and protected marine areas around Tsitsikamma.
The geographical diversity of these various areas makes for an exceptional conservation model. There will be no other National Park in South Africa that will include the unique combination of marine, coastal, lakes, indigenous forests and mountain catchment areas. Now you can see bog Game, Knysna elephants and watch that massive visitor to our shore- the Southern Right Whale all in one park. This includes the otter trail, long regarded as a “must “ for avid hikers.
When staying at our affordable self catering accommodation we can provide you with further information.
A new national park has been established along the Cape southern coast to boost tourism in one of the most visited parts of the country. Cape Town is the most favoured South African tourist destinations, but many visitors go on to the Game parks to our north. Now they can remain in the most beautiful part of our country and have a safari experience
The Garden Route, established on 6 March 2009 is located on one of the country's top tourist attractions, includes diverse and breathtaking scenery. The new Garden Route National Park, formed in part by incorporating existing smaller parks, includes indigenous forests, the Knysna estuary, the Wilderness lake areas, and protected marine areas around Tsitsikamma.
The geographical diversity of these various areas makes for an exceptional conservation model. There will be no other National Park in South Africa that will include the unique combination of marine, coastal, lakes, indigenous forests and mountain catchment areas. Now you can see bog Game, Knysna elephants and watch that massive visitor to our shore- the Southern Right Whale all in one park. This includes the otter trail, long regarded as a “must “ for avid hikers.
When staying at our affordable self catering accommodation we can provide you with further information.
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