Cape Town is a wonderful port city in the South Western coast of South Africa which attracts a lot of visitors. Cape Town tourism has grown each and every day. With such an influx of large scale tourism, it can get difficult to decide exactly where to stay in Cape Town and find cheap accomodations in Cape Town can be difficult!.
Where to stay in Cape Town
Popular areas with Active Nightlife
Cape Town City Centre
Cape Town Central Business District (CBD) is the lower half of the city and stretches from the Cape Town Convention Centre all the way up to the Company Gardens. There are three major street which encapsulates CBD are Long Street, Bree Street and Adderly Street and are quite popular among locals and visitors for both business as well as parties.
The area is loaded with some amazing and varied coffee bars, restaurants, craft markets and theatres which easily blends tradition into the modern world. Cape Town Central is one hot spot for everyone to discover for sure and get a feeling of the whole country.
This area can be explored on foot or by car, but by foot is probably better as you can take things at your own pace. The variety of shops, markets and restaurants is enough to keep you busy for days. Cape Town also offers a variety of museums and the world famous coloured houses of Bo Kaap close by.
On a nice day make sure to visit the Company Gardens. This is a big park in the centre of Cape Town filled with beautiful flowers and plants, museums, heritage buildings and squirrels that like to be fed nuts (although its probably not advisable to feed them..).
Where to stay in Cape Town City Centre
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Observatory
Observatory or ‘Obs’ is a student suburb in Cape Town. Observatory offers a wide range of entertainment. Especially during the nights, plenty of bars are open and some of them offer live music. The variety of people in Obs is amazing, most of the youngsters are students or artists dressed in hippie clothing.
The area is filled with bars, restaurants and shops on the streets. If you are looking for nightlife, there is a bit here but you will probably want to go into the city. The bars are filled with all types of people; backpackers, students, hippies and artists. It is hard to leave the bar without new friends!
Just out of Observatory, in Woodstock, you can find one of the most popular food markets in Cape Town.
Where to stay in Observatory
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Protea Hotel by Marriott Cape Town Mowbray
DoubleTree by Hilton Cape Town
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Quaint Neighbourhoods
Gardens
Gardens is one of the most popular areas in Cape Town. The central location and the variety of bars and restaurants make this place popular amongst both tourists and locals. Gardens is the suburban version of the Cape Town city centre. You get all the nice bars, restaurants, malls and sightseeing without all the noise and raucousness of the city centre. You are still able to walk into the city centre in about 10 minutes.
Kloof Street is a must and is pretty much the same as Long Street, just safer and less rowdy. This street is filled with boutiques, bars, restaurants, beauty shops and many more shops. If you are done with this vibrant street and you want a place to relax you can go to De Waal Park. For enjoying the nightlife of Cape Town it is advisable to walk from Kloof Street all the way to Long Street and party the night away.
Ideal for adventure seekers, Gardens is located pretty close to all the major attractions that Cape Town has to offer such as The Table Mountain, Signal Hill and Lion’s Head. If you go all the way to the top of Gardens you will find yourself at the beginning of both Signal Hill Road and the road leading to the Table Mountain Cable Car.
Where to stay in Gardens
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Beach areas & Laid-back Neighbourhoods
Sea Point & Green Point
Sea Point and Green Point are two different parts of Cape Town that are often mistaken for each other due to them being so close to each other. These two neighbourhoods that are located between Signal Hill and the Atlantic Ocean are filled with stunning apartment buildings, parks, cool bars and restaurants. A major attraction is the Promenade, a picturesque walkway and park along the water that is popular among both Capetonians and tourists alike.
The promenade is a beautiful place to walk on a sunny day. If you keep the ocean on your left hand side and keep walking you will find yourself going around the Cape Town Stadium. You can do a tour through the stadium if you would like to see it from close up of even attend a match.
If you keep walking along the water you will find yourself at the V&A Waterfront. While this isn’t in Sea Point or Green Point anymore it is close enough to walk. From the Waterfront you can also take a boat tour to Robben Island. During this trip they will teach you about the history of the island. Make sure to book the trip beforehand, because it can be really busy and only a certain amount of boats leave each day.
If you are looking for a beach to spend your day at, just take a taxi to one of the four Clifton Beaches. This trip will take you around 10 minutes. Make sure to bring some food and drinks, because there are no shops available at the beach.
Where to stay in Sea Point & Green Point
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Atlantic Affair Boutique Hotel
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Muizenberg
Muizenberg is considered to be the best area for water sport enthusiasts as the sea provides ample opportunities for surfing among other sports. The area is popular among surfers from all parts of the world and a walk along the beach can attest to that. With beach shops that rents out surfing and other water sport equipment, also provide for surfing lessons.
Although a popular area, the beaches here are not crowded even during the tourist season which makes it an ideal destination. People who do not want to indulge in water sports or beach activities can always explore the area and enjoy its eye-catching scenery and architecture. The view over the False Bay from the Muizenberg Mountain top is one spectacular sight. It is a tough hike to the top of the mountain but the reward is worth it. The mountain provides an uninterrupted and beautiful view of the longest beach in Cape Town. It is of paramount importance that you make sure your fitness levels are up to the mark. There are a few trails to choose from where the shortest being 90 minutes and the longest can take up to 5 hours depending on your fitness levels.
The Muizenberg boulevard is filled with shops selling surfing stuff, but there are also ample restaurants and bars to choose from. If fresh seafood is what you are craving for then it is advisable to visit one of the popular fish restaurants where you can choose the exact species of seafood you want. Apart from seafood restaurants, the area is also loaded with some unique burger joints serving unusual and different kinds of burger along with bakeries, ice cream parlours and juice bars.
Locals here recommend Kalk Bay for up market and decadent lunch or dinner.
Muizenberg is the perfect suburban area to relax and chill before heading out to the most densely populated area of Cape Town Central.
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A must do activity in Cape Town:
Drive along the beautiful coastal road to scenic Cape Point. The highway will take you through historical Hout Bay and Sentinel Peak and to the winding Chapman’s Peak Road. Cape Point is located in the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve and has dramatic views of the ocean, a charming historical lighthouse, and dangerous rocks that have led to many a shipwreck in olden times.
