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Welcome to our August Newsletter
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Cape Town is a spectacular city to visit in all seasons. In winter, the spotlight falls on the senses: the Mother City is the perfect place to relax and unwind, be wined and dined or be pampered and entertained in style.
Cape Town winters are quintessentially cool and can be loads of decadent fun if you’re privy to the secrets of the season.
August and September are perfect months for a vacation to Cape Town, with accommodation available at discounted rates, and activities to suit adults and children.
Our winter campaign provides information about what your clients can do in Cape Town during the winter months, as well as restaurant specials and tours.
There are also scores of accommodation specials to browse through, which include everything from backpacker rooms to luxury hotels and lodges.
The city is still glowing after the success of the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ last month. Thousands of visitors discovered what a wonderful winter destination Cape Town really is.
Why not show your clients why Cape Town is cool this winter?
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Cape Point is a spectacular, narrow rocky finger of land that forms the most southerly point of the Good Hope section of Table Mountain National Park. It is home to a famous lighthouse, picturesque bays, various animals, including chacma baboons
, and is one of the richest plant areas in the world.
Visitor facilities include the Two Oceans Restaurant, a funicular and curio shops. Cape Point is located approximately 60km (37mi) from the city centre. Many visitors take a half- or full-day tour passing through some picturesque seaside villages, including Kalk Bay, Simon’s Town
and Hout Bay.
Excellent shore- and boat-based whale watching is available from June to November.
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Once incarcerating South Africa’s most famous political prisoners, including Nelson Mandela, the Robben Island World Heritage Site is one of South Africa’s most visited tourist attractions. Visitors should not leave Cape Town without catching the ferry to the island and taking the tour – it is likely to be one of the highlights of their trip.
Tickets for the three-and-a-half-hour tour can now be booked online and cost R200 for adults and R100 for children under the age of 18.
Robben Island also has an interesting mix of flora and fauna and Murray Bay, Robben Island’s small harbour, is home to 140 000 African penguins.
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Keeping children occupied over weekends and during holidays is always a challenge, but those on holiday in Cape Town have a wide choice when it comes to entertaining both little ones and teenagers.
Recommend a visit to the Iziko South African Museum and Planetarium where kids can view dinosaur models, explore reconstructed whales and watch the museum’s “theatre of stars”.
For kids with adventure on their minds, why not recommend a ride on a camel in Kommetjie, a mountain bike in Tokai forest or a surfboard at Surfers’ Corner, Muizenberg.
Indoor options for guaranteed family fun include the MTN Sciencentre at Canal Walk and ice-skating at the Grand West Ice Station.
Read our Cape Town Kids section for more.
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Winter is when Capetonians and visitors gather in cozy bars, theatres, nightclubs and restaurants to enjoy wine, food and entertainment.
Advise visitors to try an authentic township braai (barbeque) experience at a venue such as Mzoli's in Gugulethu or sample traditional spicy and slighltly sweet Cape Malay cuisine. This signature Cape culinary style includes dishes such as curries, sambals and a variety of fish stews.
Ensure that visitors are prepped to look out for fresh seafood, including prawns, mussels and oysters, as well as local fish such as kingklip and snoek.
A visit to at least one Cape Town wine estate is highly recommended. Most have excellent restaurants with winter specials.
See our events guide for an up-to-date list of theatre, live music and other winter events.
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In this section we focus on questions that we are often asked by the travel trade. Please email any questions to wendy@capetown.travel.
Is there public transport between the airport and city centre?
A new shuttle bus operates daily between Cape Town International Airport and the Civic Centre Station in Hertzog Boulevard between 04h00 and 23h30. The one-way journey takes approximately 25 minutes, although you should tell clients to allow up to 60 minutes during peak traffic (07h00 – 09h00 and 16h00 – 18h00).
A one-way ticket costs R50.
Visitors can call the 24/7 public transport call centre on 0800 656 463 or e-mail transport.info@capetown.gov.za should they have any transport queries.
What is the Cape Town weather like during winter?
Although Cape Town’s winter has had some bad press in recent years, visitors in the past few months have remarked on how pleasant the weather has been, even in comparison to their summers back home.
While it is advisable to pack for cold and wet weather, day temperatures in Cape Town during August are usually around 19°C (64.4°F), and evenings are typically not colder than 8°C (46.4°F).
Are there tours of Cape Town Stadium?
The Cape Town Stadium Visitor Centre is open on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Hour-long tours of the stadium built for the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ commence at 10h00, 12h00 and 14h00. Ticket prices are R60 for adults and R30 for pensioners and children under 12.
For more information, call +27 (0)21 430 7346.
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Cape Garden Route and Klein Karoo
The incredible contrast between the Cape Province’s verdant Garden Route and the adjoining desiccated Klein Karoo reflects the influence of South Africa’s topography and climate on its vegetation.
The semi-arid Klein Karoo is characterised by ostrich farms, spectacular mountain passes, hot springs and world-renowned caves.
Along the Garden Route, the mighty Atlantic and Indian oceans pound the coast, whales and dolphins frequent sheltered bays, waterfalls feed lush forests, mountains circle the surrounding landscape and lakes and rivers run into the sea.
Read about other destinations beyond Cape Town.
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Price of a reasonable bottle of wine: R50 (€5, £4.55, $6.75)
