Backpackers' Guide to Enjoying Cape Town, South Africa

Backpacking has become the "in" bohemian way to travel every year -- Cape Town, South Africa is filled with backpackers who are looking for fun and adventure. Life is spontaneous, so they say, but if you plan to go backpacking in Cape Town, South Africa for the first time, it might help if you're equipped with a few tips to make the most of your backpacking experience.

Where Do You Stay?

In Cape Town, South Africa, there are countless backpacker lodges all over the city to accommodate you, most of them located at the heart of Cape town and in the nearby areas of Gardens, Tamboerskloof, Sea Point and Green Point. For a dorm room, the average cost is between R60 and R90 a night, depending on the location and the facilities offered. Expect to pay between R180 and R280 for private rooms, depending on the number of people a room can accommodate.

How Do You Get Around?

If you've had advanced booking in a hotel or lodge, chances are great that you would get free shuttle service. However, you can avail of backpacker shuttle services that travel from the airport to about 40 lodges around the city.

You can also travel all over Cape Town via the Baz Bus, which operates all over the city. For the price of a ticket to one final destination, you can hop on and off the bus at different points along the way, stay at a certain point for as long you wish, then hop on again to resume your trip.

Another option is to hire a car. There are a variety of car-hiring companies all over Cape Town which offer a wide range of cars-for-hire to choose from. This would be a more practical, more affordable option if you're traveling as a group.

What Do You Do?

Sightseeing. You can go to Table Mountain, Cape Town's most prominent landmark. From Table Mountain you can see a sprawling bird's eye view of Cape Town. On the slopes of Table Mountain are the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, a park which is home to 28,000 various flora and fauna. During the summer this is the perfect spot for a picnic.