# Advice for staying at Strand Pavilion outside Cape Town?



## Judith Frye (Aug 3, 2010)

Hi everyone.  We are actually going to use our Strand Pavilion week for the first time in November.  Any advice about:
- is it OK to rent a car at the airport and drive between there and the resort?  (driving on the left is fine with me)  Any recommendation of car rental companies to use or avoid?
- specific wineries to visit in the area? worth heading to Stellenbosch?
- seeing penguins, baboons nearby?
- going into Cape Town itself - for Robben Island, specific restaurants or sights?

Thanks for your help!  Judith  PS I've been to Africa several times but hubby has not.  We're not going to get to a game park in S. Africa, we'll save that for East Africa on some future trip.


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## Carolinian (Aug 3, 2010)

That is a beautiful part of South Africa, although it has been years since I have been to Capetown.  I rented a car and had no problems.  The baboons at the Cape of Good Hope park are worth seeing.  They will walk right up to your car, and are not afraid of people at all. Be careful if you wear glasses, however, as they are fascinated by glasses and will pull them off of your face and go running off with them.  Chapman Peak Drive, if I recall the name correctly, is a very scenic drive high up the cliff face along the ocean.  The Victoria and Alfred Waterfront in Capetown is a nice place to spend an evening.  The castle, the old Dutch fort, is also an interesting place to visit.  If you want to get out on the beach, the Atlantic side is more upscale, but the water is very cold.  The Indian Ocean side has warm water and a more family atmosphere.  Unlike Durban, there is not a shark problem at the Indian Ocean beaches near Capetown.  Not far from the airport, the main road goes fairly close to a large rural slum, but it did not seem to pose any danger.


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## tedk (Sep 22, 2010)

I would agree with the previous post apart from one thing, if you are near the baboons do not have any food on you. They will try and get it from you. Last time we were at Cape Point a man had food in his back pack and the baboon was hanging on despite being swung round trying to get at it. Also do not leave car windows open or they will get into your car. They may look cute but beware of them. The obvious things to do are Table Mountain weather dependant, if its clear go up as tomorrow it may not be and maybe closed. Lots of wineries that will let you go round, tourist information best place. Plenty of eating places around the Waterfront and finally Cape Town is the most beautiful city i have been to.
                   Ted


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## BondGuy (Oct 9, 2010)

I stayed at the Strand in 2005 or so and had no problems

they offer secure parking so no problem with the car
beaches are very nice and are (were back then) safe, although you have to be 
'smart' about things
they have (or at least had) a nice lounge on the roof; great place to watch sunset

driving into CT was easy as was parking

Robbens Island is well worth the day; bus tours on the island are all escorted by former inmates (my firebombed a police station 'back in the day')

definitely go see the penguins at Boulders Beach

echo the sentiments about baboons at Cape Point Nat'l Park can be a problem IF you let them; they are NOT afraid


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## fishingguy (Oct 9, 2010)

The baboons stole our gas cap and windshield wipers from our rental the time we were there. They got angry when we wouldn't feed them.  That cost us dearly when we returned the rental, but they had vehicles returned like that before -- go figure.

Penguins, shark boat trips and cape to the south; wineries and game parks to the north.  The local wines are excellent! Carboard City is what they called the slum outside the airport as we drove by; very depressing to see.

We didn't have a problem with driving the rental, although traffic can get very congested at times in CT. The staff at the Pavillion desk gave us good info on some local restraunts and tips on CT.  Security can be a problem after dark, so we didn't venture out in the evening much.


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## Judith Frye (Oct 22, 2010)

*Thanks for the tips!*

We will be at the Strand Nov. 5-12 and are really getting excited.  I never imagined the baboons taking a gas cap or windshield wiper from a car!  I appreciate all the info.  

If anyone has a favorite winery we should visit, we're open to ideas.  Beaumont has been highly recommended.  And I've read on TripAdvisor about taking a tour through a township (Langa) with a resident of it - I don't suppose anyone has experience with that type of thing??   Judith


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## fishingguy (Oct 22, 2010)

We were impressed with Steeburg and Buitenverwachting farms, they are much smaller and lesser known than Beaumont at the time we went. However, you might check the The Constantia Valley website for the current wine route. It changes from year to year and they often add new and upcoming winery to the route.


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## hiteklawyr (Oct 30, 2010)

We stayed at the Strand in May 2009 (we own a 1 BR unit - very small, but adequate for 2 people).  The front desk people were very helpful.  They suggested a private guide, which I would recommend highly.  

We used the guide (wish I remembered his name!) for 2 days ... on Day #1, he took us on a tour of Capetown, including Table Mountain (definitely use a private guide ... you bypass a very long line if you do so!), the "colonial era" section, and a great restaurant located in the neighborhood where he lived (he was Muslim & they served ethnic "halaal" approved food).  The next day he took us on a private tour of Lwandle Township & museum.  The museum curator gave us a good perspective on the Apartheid Era.  We would have liked to have gone to Robben Island, but the water was way too choppy to make the trip.  

Most of the roads were well maintained (but somewhat scary at night - there are no lights on them, so all you see is headlights coming at you on the "wrong" side of the road, which is somewhat harrowing, to say the least!).  

Also, many of the "highways" are only 2 lanes wide.  There are no curbs, emergency lanes, or places to pull over.  There are always people walking on the very edge of the highway, and they're virtually impossible to see at night until you've practically run them over (most of the time they're wearing dark clothing & it's pitch black outside!).  Bicyclists (without headlights or tail lights) also use the highways.  So be _very_ careful driving.

We toured the coast ourselves ... all the way down to the Cape of Good Hope (be prepared for almost gale force winds and spectacular scenery).  There's a penguin sanctuary/colony on the road between the Strand & the Cape ... my husband was quite enchanted by them, so we spent quite a bit of time there gawking & taking pictures.

We also drove ourselves "up" the coast (even more spectacular scenery ... reminded me of the California coast south of Carmel & up around Mendocino) and then over to the Stellenbach region.  We tried to do too much in one day & got to a very cute winery called "Goats-do-Roam" (which, indeed, has goats) a few minutes before closing time.  If you want to see some wineries, you might consider spending the night in the Stellenbach area so you have more time for touring (and don't have to drive back on the winding, very hilly roads after sipping wine all day).

I suggest that you bring a good GPS system with South African maps - it was quite reassuring to have along.

The Strand Pavilion itself was located about 4 blocks from a good-sized grocery store that was well-stocked with everything you'll need.  There was a "same day" laundry service (quite inexpensive) a couple of blocks away and an internet cafe (somewhat spotty service) across the street.  We ate at the hotel restaurant a couple of times, for convenience.  There's also a barbeque area, so we bought charcoal and grilled our dinner there one night.

During the day (dawn to dusk) there are a number of vendors on the beach, selling all imaginable items.

You should have a great time - but remember that unemployment in the area is over 40% and the crime rate is also very high.  So be careful.


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## LisaH (Oct 30, 2010)

Welcome, hiteklawyr and neighbor! 
I'm curious, did you stay at the Strand Pavilion as an exchange, or a rental? I always wanted to go to South Africa but still have not figured out the logistics (airfare, hotel/timeshare? driving...etc.) yet.


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## tedk (Oct 30, 2010)

I am off to South Africa next Tuesday for my annual visit. In 15 years of going to South Africa i have never had or seen any problems security wise, if you want to find it i am sure you will. Where ever you live there will be somewhere you should not go, so do the same there and you will not have problems. I think too many people have listened to what someone else has said and come up with the wrong conclusion. Personally i do not feel any more insecure there than i do in the UK.


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## hiteklawyr (Oct 30, 2010)

Hi Neighbor.
We own a 1 BR at the Strand that I purchased a number of years ago when it was considered a "hot" trader on TUG.  If you ever want to rent our unit, let me know ... we usually put it into the rental pool (and I think I'm supposed to do so again soon).  I'd also be happy to talk about the "logistics" - tey're not really so difficult, though.


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