Cape Town: Travel guide, prices and free housing · 2026

АМАнгелина Мардоянmardoyanal · Feb 24, 2024Read

A bit of history. Cape Town was discovered thanks to the search for a new trade route from Europe to India in the 15th century. The name Cape Town translates to "cape-city," located at the edge of the Cape of Good Hope. Today, more than 4 million people live in Cape Town. It is a port city in the southwest of the Republic of South Africa, situated on the Cape Peninsula, washed by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. Table Mountain towers over the city, with a cable car leading to its flat summit. From there, you get a stunning view of the city, the harbor where yachts dock, and Robben Island, famous for its museum in the building of the infamous prison where Nelson Mandela was once incarcerated. My favorite activity was going to the shopping mall; you can have a delicious meal there, exchange money safely, and, of course, go shopping. There are 2 large malls in Cape Town: Victoria Wharf Shopping Centre and Canal Walk. I recommend visiting both, and the first one is located by the port, offering a gorgeous view of the ocean. Once, we were lucky enough to catch a Maroon 5 concert at the Cape Town Stadium (the very stadium where the 2010 FIFA World Cup took place)! Also, during my stay there, I managed to visit The Cape of Good Hope, Boulders Beach (a beach where penguins have lived since 1982), and Bo-Kaap (a neighborhood of colorful houses in Cape Town).

АМАнгелина Мардоянmardoyanal · Feb 24, 2024Read

The African continent is bordered by two oceans: the Atlantic and the Indian. Camps Bay is the most popular beach in Cape Town, offering views of Table Mountain and the Twelve Apostles. It is washed by the Atlantic Ocean, so the water is cold and the waves are huge. However, it is the perfect spot for surfing. For swimming, it is better to choose beaches along the Indian Ocean, as the water there is warm. I recommend visiting the seaside suburb of Hout Bay; it offers a stunning view of the bay. Definitely take a drive along Chapman's Peak Drive—it is the most beautiful rocky road in the world, with views of the blue ocean. I didn't want to leave at all; these were the best, brightest, and most fulfilling two weeks of my life. During this time, I met so many people, heard accents from all over the world, and my spoken English became better and more confident. I gained experience in a field that interests me. If you are still thinking about whether to participate in the Stay Africa volunteer project, just do it—you won't regret it!

KSKristina Sabelnikovasabelnickova.kristina · Feb 2, 2015Read

South Africa is out of this world. No, really. It’s just trendy to say that about something that really hits you hard. Africa hits you in every sense of the word. I don't want to bore you with descriptions of nature and my sighs about how beautiful it is here, because you, my dear reader, will understand it yourself as soon as you arrive. I will be tactless at times, please forgive me in advance, for by nature I am extremely emotional and bipolar: either happy and cheerful, or in complete apathy. South Africa is also bipolar, but more on that later. I want to make this blog as useful as possible for those who are just planning to come here. You will learn all the realities of this country and this magical city - Cape Town. Briefly about me: my name is Kristina, I am 22 years old, I am from a small village of Novoorst in the Orenburg region, but I studied in Chelyabinsk. Last year I received a linguist diploma at South Ural State University, and over the last 3 years I spent 8 months in America and 8 months in Italy. Work, exchange studies, travel, you name it, and now it's time to challenge myself, to see the world beyond the beaten paths like America and Europe... Just kidding, I just went to my favorite IEC and asked them to send me somewhere, I wanted new sensations, adventures, and another dose of adrenaline. And here I am, two months later. I am starting this blog 1.5 weeks into my stay in Cape Town, because only now did the inspiration and time come to reflect on things and draw some first conclusions. But even such a short time here has been so intense that one could write about it endlessly. Cape Town makes you fall in love at first sight. Johannesburg, for instance, didn't make me fall in love, because we (I was flying with a girl named Irina, also from Chelyabinsk, we live together here now and are becoming friends) first flew there and had a crazy 1.5-hour layover (I beg you, don't repeat this, it's almost impossible to make it). Plus, before that, there was a 14 (!!!) hour layover in Abu Dhabi, and we weren't just tired, we looked like zombies. Irina's luggage arrived in Cape Town two days after us. Things like this happen often here. Welcome to South Africa. Next, you must follow this, my dear reader, when you find yourself at the airport in Johannesburg: DO NOT GIVE YOUR BOARDING PASS TO ANYONE, EVEN IF THE PERSON IS IN UNIFORM AND RESEMBLES AN AIRPORT EMPLOYEE. The head of our IEC, Ksenia, is an amazing woman; she prepares you for the trip better than I've ever been prepared for anything in my life. That's why I knew about such people who take your boarding pass, walk you to the gate, and don't give it back until you pay. This is Africa, baby; to them, you are a light-skinned tourist with your mouth open from African beauty and a full wallet of money (even if that's not the case, I flew here myself, I know). Locals will try to make money off you in any, believe me, ANY available and unavailable way. They couldn't squeeze money out of me, I am a tough Russian person ;D especially since you don't need any help at this airport if you just look at what is written on the signs. At the airport in Cape Town, everything wasn't as "fun," and a man with our names on a sign delivered us safely to the hostel. And at that moment, when we were driving from the airport to the city late at night, I fell in love with Cape Town. Sia – Chandelier was playing full blast on the radio, and we saw the lights of night-time Cape Town for the first time... Such moments are etched in your heart forever. Even now, listening to this song, I get goosebumps and see night-time Cape Town before my eyes... I’m gonna liiiiive like tomorrow doesn’t exiiiiiiiiist... Yes, that is exactly how Cape Towners live - one beautiful sunny day at a time.

ККсенияTrix33311 · Aug 30, 2012Read

On Saturday, I realized how great it is to have friends. With a car. And connections)) First, the German girl, the Spanish guy, and I headed to the Neighborhood Market. It's this place where people sell homemade (and other) food. And most importantly - they give you samples! You try so much that you're not hungry anymore) I tried the most delicious cheese of my life there. The cheese is actually French, but it's sold here in Africa) It melts in your mouth... divine! We also tried a bunch of strange products. It's an interesting place, I tell you. There's everything there) And everyone. People from all over the world. After the market, we headed to one of the most interesting places in Cape Town. I should mention that the Spaniard rented a car and drove us all for free) So, we picked up a South African who promised to show us this place. Now, a little about Townships. South Africa is the richest country on the continent. And the most prosperous. But even here, there are areas with absolutely poor people. They don't even live in shacks, but in something resembling garages. So, in Cape Town, such areas are called Townships. There are several of them. And we visited one of them because our South African friend's friends live there. It's called Guguletu. We arrived at some strange street, drove almost into the house. Externally, the building reminded me of dachas near Zlatoust) We went into the house, I asked to use the restroom... well, what can you do? After the restroom, a black guy, a neighbor apparently, started talking to us) He asked where we were from. Spain, Germany, and Russia, as you remember. Russia caused the brightest emotions. The neighbor said that locals call this area Russia! Because it's colder here than in others, and everyone drinks rum (!!). Well, as always) Then they took us into the house. And a wave of nostalgia washed over me because it smelled just like our village houses back home... I shared my feelings with everyone, and the guys started looking at me like one of their own. Moreover, there was a guy in a Russian hat! An ushanka! Such things!)) They gave us brandy and showed us the area. Then the Spaniard made me show a traditional Russian dance and teach the guy in the Russian hat how to do it. He filmed everything, and later I'll show you my shame)) Then we went to a club, but that's another story...

ККсенияTrix33311 · Aug 24, 2012Read

Guys! Yesterday I finally climbed the main attraction of Cape Town. I'll start my story by complaining to you - there were two of us, even though three different people promised to be our guides. And all three broke their promises) So, Sonya, a German girl, and I set off to conquer the summit as a girls' team. We caught a taxi and reached the foot of the mountain for 100 rubles. There are cable cars there that can take you to the top in 3 minutes. It costs 400 rubles. As desperate and brave tourists, we rejected even the thought of using those devilish machines. Enjoying nature and sports was our motto yesterday! The weather turned out to be exceptionally good. There were almost no clouds. So, we started the ascent. As soon as I looked at the mountain trail, I remembered "The Lord of the Rings". How poor Frodo and Sam climbed the mountains to destroy one important thing. Our path was a pile of stone steps, sometimes small and slippery, sometimes huge and scary. We often encountered small waterfalls, and streams flowed down from the rocks. The German girl, like a true European accustomed to comfort, could not climb quickly and cheerfully in such conditions. So she fell behind, and I was alone for almost the entire way. Continuing the comparison with Tolkien's book, I will write that the ring in my case was the camera! Which weighs a lot and takes up a ton of space. And I had to somehow drag it to the top to capture Cape Town from a bird's-eye view. The ascent takes about two hours on average. That's if you don't rush, take breaks, and take photos. Maybe a bit longer. The climb isn't very difficult. However, your legs get tired)) It's interesting that on the way we met many people from all over the world. Some were coming down, some were overtaking us on the way up. And everyone said hello! That's the rule. If you go to the mountains, say hello to everyone you meet. By the way, it works in Russia too. The beauty is indescribable! We heard the silence... The view of the city is incredible... but more about that in the next chapter)

ККсенияTrix33311 · Aug 20, 2012Read

My German friend Sonja loved the condensed milk so much that the next morning we whipped up a plate of oladyi! We bought condensed milk, chocolate spread, and invited Ilyukha over. In short, everything was just right) We ate like horses! And then we went for a walk, feeling happy. First, we visited the Catholic cathedral. There was a service at 1:00 PM, and we wanted to see it. Before that, we went to the national library. We found Dostoevsky, a guide to Moscow, and Chelyabinsk on a world map. The Catholic cathedral is very beautiful. The service was short but pleasant. I definitely want to visit an Orthodox church in Cape Town. There is a large university in Cape Town, consisting of various campuses and buildings. Free buses for students run between the buildings. Today we pretended we were studying in Africa and took a ride around the different campuses) It's beautiful, of course. You can see that Europeans had a hand in it here; everything is orderly, clean, and just right! Like real students, we visited the most important place at any university - the canteen! The prices are low, and the food is tasty. It's winter in Cape Town now, as I already wrote, so everyone is studying! Students are wandering everywhere, and lectures are going on. We found an amphitheater-style lecture hall and had a photoshoot) In short, walking around local educational institutions is a pleasant thing to do! Later, we climbed a mountain, admired the view, caught the bus, found a strange pinecone, and a bunch of other interesting little things) But the photos will tell you more about that.

ККсенияTrix33311 · Jul 25, 2012Read

I've been in Cape Town for two days now. Today I walked so much again that I feel like my legs are about to fall off) I have a new roommate now, a sweet girl named Anna from California. She's cheerful and kind. I made chicken soup! We have a shared kitchen in the hostel where we can cook. And now I have some soup)) Prices here aren't too high. Some things are more expensive, some are cheaper. I couldn't find any cucumbers! But there is some kind of dumpling-like thing with an Italian name, and it doesn't seem to have meat in it.. Nothing special happened today. I'll try to make up for the lack of written information with photos that were missing from the previous pages! I finally brought my camera with me... no words needed here! Enjoy!

АМАнгелина Мардоянmardoyanal · Feb 24, 2024Read

I have been a volunteer for over a year now, but I have always wanted to gain such experience abroad. My choice fell on South Africa. Quite unusual, isn't it? But there were reasons for that. Our university has many international students, including those from Africa. I have been their mentor for 2 years, I enjoy working with them and helping them adapt, which is why I became interested in Africa specifically. Besides, Russian citizens do not need a visa to go there, and the costs are much lower compared to Europe. It is also a great way to practice English and gain teaching experience! The journey is very long; unfortunately, there are no direct flights from Moscow to Cape Town, so I had to fly via Qatar.