Take a card from your Hotel in case you get lost.
If you are unfamiliar with a city or perhaps you are a first time traveller the travel tip is to take a hotel business card from Reception when checking in, which has the address and telephone number of your hotel so in the event you should get lost or forget the name of hotel you are able to get back without too much trouble.
This tip is particularly useful in countries where English is not that widely spoken and communication is often difficult with a cab driver like in places like Korea or Japan. Just show the hotel card to the cab driver, the card will inevitably have the hotel address printed in English and the local language.
If there are no hotel business cards record the address as a pin on Google Maps and save the hotels telephone number.
]]>Many major cities offer a hop-on hop-off buses for sightseeing with several different routes however these buses are often hugely popular and there may be a long line at some of the more popular tour stops. This is particularly true if the bus services a Cruise ship terminal or major tourist hub in a city.
If your group is small enough instead of waiting in the long line for the “hop-on hop-off “our tip is to take a Taxi or Uber to the next stop on the route and inevitably the line will be considerably shorter. Usually the stops between sites is relatively close, traffic is not an issue and there are no surcharges for “jumping the line”.
Buying a ticket online will usually also save you money and time. The “hop-on hop-off “bus is usually less popular in the afternoons but this naturally leaves less time for stops. It remains one of the best ways to see most of the sites in the city quickly and affordably within a day.
A great one for South Africa is City Sightseeing offering various routes daily with a main departure point being The Waterfront in Cape Town as well as Gold Reef City in Johannesburg.
]]>There is never a shortage of fun things to do in Cape Town, whether it’s Summer or Winter. And this weekend is no exception. Experience a little bit of France on July 15-16th at the annual Bastille Day Festival held in Franschoek.
An extravaganza of food and wine the place to be is the Food and Wine Marquee held in the beautiful grounds of the Huguenot Monument. A R280 ticket will buy you a complimentary tasting glass and booklet of 5 tasting coupons to be used on the day. A quick word of advice-the tickets sell out fast and no tickets will be sold on the day once the marquee is full. To avoid disappointment book early.
If you are not a fan of wine or simply want to give it a skip there is Franschhoek’s main road bustling with various eateries and curio shops for you to explore. This year the Porcupine Ridge Barrel-Rolling competition is back as well as the dedicated children’s corner and the Farmer’s Market is sure to be extra vibey with a host of musicians and carnival artistes ready to entertain.
So, dust off your berets and experience one of Cape Town’s hallmark festivals. For more information including accommodation, wineries and activities click here
B4i.travel simplifies your communication needs when travelling and takes the risk out of high international roaming costs. We offer a range of pre-loaded, pre-activated and pre-registered world travel SIM cards so you’ll be connected when you arrive in the country you are visiting. Tourists, students and businessmen have been talking like a local in South Africa, USA, Europe with B4I.travel since 2010. It’s time to ‘Explore your world’.
]]>B4i.travel simplifies your communication needs when travelling and takes the risk out of high international roaming costs. We offer a range of pre-loaded, pre-activated and pre-registered world travel SIM cards so you’ll be connected when you arrive in the country you are visiting. Tourists, students and businessmen have been talking like a local in South Africa, USA, Europe with B4I.travel since 2010. It’s time to ‘Explore your world’.
]]>1. Go up Table Mountain on the Cableway – Table Mountain sits majestically in the heart of the city and gives a panoramic view of The City, Table bay, Clifton and Camps Bay. Bring something warm to wear, the weather can change fast at the top and it is always cooler at the top of the mountain which is just over a 1000m above sea level.
2. Cape Point – Cape Point is located in the Cape Point Reserve (about 80km from the city)where you will find several species of antelope, Zebra and baboons. Absolutely worth the walk to the Point with its amazing views of False Bay and the Atlantic. There is a funicular up the hill (The Flying Dutchman) if you do not feel like the short hike.
3. Robben Island – The prison made famous by Mandela’s incarceration, Trips by boats leave from the Waterfront at the Clock Tower.
4. Seal Island – Boats leave from Hout Bay Harbour and travel around the Sentinel to the Island which is covered in Cape fur seals.
5. Penguins at Boulders Beach – In summer enjoy the opportunity to swim safely at Boulders just past Simonstown with a colony Jackass penguins.
6. Kirstenbosch – The Botanical Gardens at Kirstenbosch is the best in the world and absolutely worth a visit. In summer book for one of the many open-air concerts on the lawn, it will be unforgettable.
7. The Castle of Good Hope – located in the centre of the city, one of the oldest buildings in South Africa built by the Dutch settlers.
8. Visit Groot Constantia wine farm – built in 1685 and the oldest wine producing estate in South Africa.
9. The Waterfront – South Africa’s top tourist destination with all its restaurants and shops located in a working harbour and also home to Cape Town’s eye a revolving pod letting you see the city and beyond.
10. Lions Head by night – take a walk up to the top of Lion’s head with a torch on a full moon but expect crowds of people, the reward is a unique 360-degree breathtaking view, so worth it.
]]>Cape Town offers the traveling kite surfers everything that they could want for in a destination, and is one of the world’s best locations for kite surfing. It is also the home of the prestigious Red Bull “King of the Air” competition that attracts the world’s best kite boarders to these shores.
Strong prevailing South Easterly winds in summer with good size waves for wave-riding and flat-water areas to practice tricks and turns, are all close to the city.
The Kite surfing season in Cape Town starts as early as September and continues through to April with the peak months being November, December, January and February. During this peak period you are almost guaranteed to get good southeasterly winds at least 3-4 times a week. The swell size in summer is smaller than the winter season, where swells of 6m and larger can be recorded when the winter storms hit.
In summer the swell size averages around 2.5 m and can be a lot of fun on a twin tip or directional board.
Table Bay, with Table Mountain overlooking it, is the prime location and it stretches all the way from Milnerton Beach, through Sunset Beach, Dolphin Beach, Kite Beach, Tableview, Big Bay, Derdesteen, Haakgat, Melkbos and up to Yserfontein Beach.
Sunset Beach, Tableview and Blouberg suburbs are the hub of Kite surfing in Cape Town with great side shore southeasterly winds reaching speeds of up to 40 knots. Affordable accommodation in these areas is readily available and can be accessed on the internet via Airbnb etc.
In the coastal town of Langebaan, which is approximately an hour’s drive up the West Coast, the massive lagoon and main beach are the ideal spots to learn to kite board, or to practice flat-water turns and tricks.
Langebaan is situated in the heart of the West Coast National Park, a reserve area for fauna and flora and it is not uncommon to see an ostrich or a wild antelope on the road trip.
There are many kite boarding schools in the Sunset Beach / Tableview area and they cater for novice beginners right through to advanced riders. In most cases the lesson includes the rental of the necessary equipment.
The area also has many Kite surfing / Windsurfing stores that carry the latest equipment and they are always good for information regarding local knowledge of tides, beaches, safety and repair of your damaged equipment.
Cape Town is truly a kite surfers paradise and on the “off days” there is so much to see and do, there is nothing like kiting in great surf and wind conditions, with Table Mountain as your back drop.
You will not regret booking your trip to Cape Town today. See you soon !
B4i.travel simplifies your communication needs when travelling and takes the risk out of high international roaming costs. We offer a range of pre-loaded, pre-activated and pre-registered world travel SIM cards so you’ll be connected when you arrive in the country you are visiting. Tourists, students and businessmen have been talking like a local in South Africa, USA, Europe with B4I.travel since 2010. It’s time to ‘Explore your world’.
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