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Good morning! I have read several threads on accommodation advice for Cape Town which have been helpful but none answer my specific question. We are staying for 3 nights next September. Our plan is to land late morning, transfer to hotel, hike Lions Head, casual dinner then sleep. The next day we will visit The Cape of Good Hope and spend all day there. The next day is a sunrise hike up Table mountain followed by an afternoon visit to Robben Island. Is there anywhere we can stay that would allow us to walk directly to Lions Head and Table Mountain without having to drive? And also have a few restaurant options nearby? We were hoping not to hire a car for such a short time there. Thank you all!
Camps Bay may be your best bet as it is close to both, but you would probably still need to take an Uber for your hikes – easy to get and cheap. Lots of good restaurants in walking distance. The Lion’s Head hike is quite difficult!
Thanks JDB. We have lots of hills around us that we do regularly so will hopefully manage…..however we have no Uber here (‘in the sticks’ area of Scotland) so I have never used it. Will do some research!
@Jo if it helps we were Uber newbies until our first trip to Cape Town last week. Found Uber very easy (and cheap) to use and clocked up 20 trips. Never had to wait for more than 5 minutes for a car
Hmmm, ambitious and full-on plans, @Jo – I hope you’re young and fit, have a very restful night’s sleep on the overnight flight, and that the Cape Doctor looks kindly on you and doesn’t scupper your optimistically articulated plans (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_Doctor)
The definitive website to consult is https://hikelionshead.co.za/
I really would read it carefully if I were you and consider especially using its advice on Hotel Accommodation which directly answers your question, including those that arrange transport to and from Lions Head Hike starting point, and also its piece on late afternoon hikes.
Please do seriously consider paying extra for a professional guide, or at very least hook up with a local group – do not undertake the hike as a couple alone, especially if you plan on staying there for sunset sundowners and making your way back after dark, this is very important.
It also has good advice about what to bring with you, best site/app for hourly weather updates (and why these are infinitely more useful than multi-day weather forecasts) as well as signposts to the FaceBook Group “Hike Lions Head”.
Please connect up with local knowledge, there is no substitute. A professional guide with good references is first prize, otherwise accompanying an experienced group is a good compromise. If you know where to look, you will be reassured that many will carry concealed weapons and will be well trained in how to use them. You, on the other hand, will probably dress as sensible UK hikers and in so doing will reveal to any opportunistic criminal that you are an easy, unarmed target.Personally, I would never consider staying one day in Cape Town without car hire – it really is essential in the absence of any safe or reliable public transport. I’ve never tried Uber, so comments from others who have experience are obviously helpful. But there are still safety and reliability risks attached to Uber, not least as a target from the mafia-type minibus taxi cartels who abhor competition, see for example
https://www.thesouthafrican.com/news/watch-they-are-waiting-to-burn-our-cars-uber-drivers-on-taxi-strikers-breaking-04-august-2023/Having your own hire car immeasurably enhances your chances of independent travel freedom and choice, especially if a cold front sweeps in while you’re there. These can easily last three or four days and will disrupt any high altitude activity including cable car operation, and potentially also Robben Island boat trips. Your best bet in such circumstances is to drive out of Cape Town – a road trip up the West Coast towards Langebaan can be spectacular in such weather. There are some nice venues from which you can safely and cosily observe spectacular seas and strong winds sipping warm drinks and enjoying good food behind floor-to-ceiling plate glass windows, but you need your own hire car to get there.
Accommodation-wise, if none of the options on the Hike Lions Head appeal, then I would consider looking at a B&B with on-site host and good references somewhere in the suburb of Higgovale, above the Gardens area of the city. That’s close to the Kloofnek parking and tourist bureau and possibly walking distance to the Sanparks Visitor Centre. The other option is similar B&B in the Camps Bay / Bakoven area above Glen Beach, as mentioned by @JDB. This Bakoven option is on the other side of Kloofnek, the Atlantic Ocean side rather than the Harbour side, and will need a longer walk to the starting point.
Do your research (see below), stay alert and enjoy a wonderful and uniquely spectacular back-to-nature experience.
https://www.sanparks.org/parks/table_mountain/tourism/safe_hiking.php
https://www.sanparks.org/parks/table_mountain/tourism/attractions.php
https://www.sanparks.org/parks/table_mountain/tourism/activities.php@agroves – thank you that is reassuring that an Uber novice like me will be ok!
@WaynedP – wow that is brilliant information and resources, much appreciated. We do a lot of hiking in Scottish hills that are also challenging in bad weather so are fairly happy with that side of it but are now a tad terrified of other possible safety issues! Will get reading, thank you.Don’t be terrified, @Jo, Africa is a continent of extremes and thousands of people visit and enjoy it safely every year.
Like travel anywhere, just be sensible and alert to and aware of risks and you’re unlikely to become a statistic.
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