Is Cape Town Safe For Solo Tourists?

Safety is of great concern when one is traveling to African countries & South Africa is also not left behind such impression. Before planning a trip to Cape Town, I learned that it is also not that suitable for solo traveling. After reading this, I was a bit skeptical about touring this place. But, everyone kneels before the thrill of a place & with all the courage I booked a ticket to Cape Town. As you can assume I am still alive. But, how did my travel went? So, here is a post on Is Cape Town Safe For Solo Tourists?

My plane landed at Johannesburg airport & the moment I landed, I was a bit nervous. Even though the people were ready to help me. I reminded myself of using one. Wherever I sat down, I keep a close watch on my luggage; I was having so much of negative thoughts.

From the airport, I took a myciti bus to my hostel in the long street. But, there was a catch. I need to change bus in between. After reaching the Civic Centre, it was time to take my bus. I checked on the map which showed approx 2 km & rather than waiting for the bus I planned to walk. But, before taking this decision I asked a police officer if it is safe to walk to long street & with a plane face she said, “No, it is not safe to walk at this point of time.” (time was approx 8 pm). Taking her advice I stayed at the bus station & took a bus to my place.

Day time is usually safe at almost most of the places. But, what about the night? I would like to share one instance which happened while I walking through one of the busiest lanes in Cape Town; Long street. I planned to walk to the neighborhood to get the feel about the place. I was walking & suddenly 6 footer colored people stopped me.
This is how it all went.

They: Hey man! from where are you from?
Me: India
They: Great man, so what are you doing here?
Me: I said just roaming around.
They: Wait, Lemme show you something.
Action: They snipped my mobile from the pocket in seconds.
Me: (I am nervous & little scared. What if they don’t give me my mobile) I tried to get my mobile back with my hand.
They: (Laughing like anything) Don’t be nervous man, here take your mobile. Take this (mobile handed to me).

Although, for them it was fun. But, for me, it ringed a few bells about the safety. So, after that night, I tried to stay near public places & run whenever I feel there is some danger.

I was staying in the hostel & there was a group of 3 girls traveling. They were from Brazil, which is also in the list of most notorious countries in the world. I asked them about their experience in Cape Town. They said, that they are not comfortable roaming around the city during the night. It is not safe, they have been to many places but they feel this is not among the best of the places to travel to.

It is strange to see how people feel even though 2 policemen are guarding the lanes every 100 meters. People are still unsure of the night. I hope soon things will get good for the tourists.

Once you are traveling to such places, take note of the following points

Make sure you are not carrying any valuables with you.

Don’t flash luxurious items in rural areas.

Don’t walk in empty lanes until you are sure of it.

Take uber during the night.

Be aware of your surroundings.

Being said that, apart from the one instance, there were no such problems in Cape Town. So, if anyone asks me is Cape Town safe for solo tourists? My answer would be of course. But, keep the safety points in mind. Mishaps can happen to anyone at any place; you need to be aware of your surroundings & act wisely.

Below are the few resources you should check before making an itinerary.

Cheap Internation Flights: Best place to find cheap international flight tickets.

Best Deals On Hotels: Places to find best deals on hotels.

Amazon: Best place for all your needs. Also, find best travel accessories.

Agoda: Best place to book hotels of your liking. Agoda provides the best solution & great offer while booking a hotel.

Skyscanner: Skyscanner compares various sites & sort the flights based on the rates. A great way to check flight cost. Although the only drawback is that rates are flexible. Hence, the cost might change while you are making the payment.

Jetradar: Jetradar is a comparing site which is just like Skyscanner. But, is much more accurate & much more handy in use.

Booking: Best place to book hostel rooms. There are plenty of options available & with so many properties booking becomes much easier.

Couchsurfing: Best place to find free accommodation. It is as easy as filtering people & messaging. If you will get lucky you will find free accommodation in local resident house.

Travel Insurance: There are numerous options available to get one. So, you can choose anything which suits your requirement. Make sure you read the terms & conditions before buying one.