Cape Town in 08

I know this is a bit early I will need time to plan this, Mrs B and me have been invited to a wedding in Cape Town early Feb next year, There will be a number of others family members going, We are planning to stay at least 3 weeks or longer. A large villa with pool and near beach can be arranged for a 2 week stay for everybody. Questions: Is this the way to go, rent a villa? Is this a safe town?, What sights not to miss? What else could we do? or would it be even worth staying longer? what could the 2 of us get up to after the main gang have gone? any suggestions, I would like to travel a bit when there (Still never been to a desert). Oh we had something similar a few years back, in NZ, We then spent 6 weeks away 3 in NZ 2 in AUZ another week hopping, K.Lumper etc.so I have a lot to live up to. Suggestions Please:

HI,
I'm from south africa but not originally from cape town. I did some study there some time ago. Was on holiday in cape town last year. We had a blast as usual. We stayed in Fishhoek, rented a car , did the wine route in stellenbosch again, visit wine farms like backsberg, nederberg and delhuim are a must. good shopping in the V&A waterfront but expensive, there's loads to do. great beaches like clifden, camps bay , kommetjie, scenic drives around ou kaapse weg and chapmins peak!! good markets, great food. Houtbay is nice with fish & chips at mariners warf and the brass bell in fishhoek. good place for a bite and a cold beer, the restuarant extends into the sea, the cedarberg mountain range is nice, slightly north of capetown, about 2hours drive that'll take you through the wine estates. you can watch sun downers on blouberg strand with table mountain as the back drop.. also the further north you go, the dryer it gets. why not catch a flight to Namibia from capetown and enjoy the desert sands up there. Spectacular!! Boat rides also leave from the waterfront which is a fun way of seeing the coast line. shark dives, whale watching, cable car ride up table mountain, You have to try snoek(fish) and have a real braai (bbq) .....to much to mention.

Safety is a big factor. Although Capetown is quite safe , its still important to have a bit of common sense. Dont carry cash, be carefull carrying mobile phones and cameras with you. Dont leave anything on value in the car.
One euro will buy around 9 Rand.

send a pm for more info if you wish.
enjoy!

www.sa-venues.com/accommodation/wc_fishhoek.htm
We stayed in makapa lodge. was nice and would use them again. they will arrange pick up from airport and car hire if you wish.
Also check out www.mweb.co.za click on travel to get some idea of south africa

There are a number of key posts on S Africa which could be useful for you look at.

Where abouts in Cape Town are you looking at basing yourself? What activities would you be most interested in? The Atlantic side has some great beaches, but the water is absolutely freezing. The Indian Ocean side of the peninsula is far warmer.

Things to do
Visit the penguins at Boulders beach
Visit the waterfront. Definitely take the time to go to the oceanarium.
Cable car up Table mountain
Wine estates - you have numerous options. Both the Paarl and Stellenbosch wine routes are in easy distance of Cape Town. I'd advise you to try and get a tour so that everyone in the group can taste the wine as you go. It's not much fun being the driver on a trip round the wine route.
If you want to do some travelling while you're there, head up the garden route. There are several posts if you do a search.
Deserts - you can head up to the Kalahari. It's about a 10 hour drive from Cape Town. If you do go there, try to get to Augrabies falls.

There is no shortage of things to do in and around Cape Town.