It's holiday time in Cape Town, it's summer and the festive season has begun. Our magical city, welcomes visitors from all over the planet. Cape Town's star attractions are in high demand. Her accommodation establishments, her restaurants, her wineries, her beaches, her mountains and her roads are lively, and the city is bustling with energy and smiles.
Capetonians themselves love summer and relish their mountain walks, watery activities and their beach days (with granadilla lollies!) and sundowners. The majority of Cape Town's population is Christian so visitors will find many Christmas traditions are observed. Official public holidays over the season are Reconciliation Day on Fri, 16 Dec 2016. Christmas Day on 25 Dec, Day of Goodwill on 26 Dec. As Christmas falls over a weekend in 2016, Tuesday the 27th has been proclaimed a public holiday. New Years Day (01 Jan) is a public holiday, but as it falls on a Sunday, Monday 2 Jan 2017 is also a public holiday.
Chapman's Peak Drive is open all year, 7 days a week, 24 hours a day (even on public holidays) unless there are adverse weather conditions or reasons beyond our control. The toll plaza office is open from Mondays to Friday from 08h00 - 17h00 except on the public holidays noted above.
Chapman's Peak Drive wishes all Capetonians and all our visitors a wonderful festive season and a fantastic summer. Here is our list of Top Tips for the Holiday Season in Cape Town.
- Check the weather
Cape Town is traditionally warm and dry over the summer holiday period, but sometimes it can get really windy. Plan your activities accordingly and note that it is often a good idea to get out early before the wind picks up which is usually in the afternoon....and more often than not you will beat the crowds. - Sun and Sea
It gets hot in Cape Town and the sun can be vicious. Drink lots of water to stay hydrated especially if you are hiking on the mountain, preferably in a group. Don't forget your hat and sunscreen when you are out and about - and do reapply! At the beach, please use safe beaches and respect life guards on duty. - Getting Around
With the increase of holiday makers, the roads in Cape Town are busy. To our foreign visitors we drive on the left hand side of the road and we work in kilometers when it comes to speed and distance. You can hire a car, take a metered taxi/cab (average R10/km) or use the Uber service (download the app). The Myciti bus operates on various routes and is a good public transport option (purchase a pre-paid myconnect card), or try the Red City Sightseeing Bus for major tourist routes. Various tours can take you by vehicle to key attractions and there are more options to tour by bike or on foot. Trains follow major commuter routes, one particularly popular route is the Southern Line from Cape Town to Simon's Town. - Safety
These may seem like common sense, but sometimes in holiday mode we can forget to be conscious of our safety and security.
Take care of your personal belongings and your cash- don't let strangers help you at the ATM machine and don't flash cash around (or expensive jewellery). Stash don't flash!
Don't hike or walk alone at night.
Cape Town's festive season coincides with our long dry summer, so please make sure any cigarette butts and/or fires are put out properly to prevent an unnatural cause of Wild Fires.
Wildlife - please respect all wildlife and do not approach or feed any birds or animals. Chacma baboons can be dangerous, snakes are usually more frightened of you and you should know the shark spotting flags at certain beaches - A white flag with a black shark, along with a loud siren, means a shark has been sighted and bathers should leave the water immediately.
When driving buckle up and stick to the speed limit and please don't drink and drive. We recommend avoiding peak travel periods where possible. - Have fun
Cape Town must be one of the finest destinations to combine summer with Christmas festivities and yearend holidays. The city is filled with heaps of land, air and sea outdoor adventures; fantastic tours; brilliant food and wine and some incredible summer events - from the Christmas Markets to Christmas concerts, Carols by Candlelight and the Festival of lights, tons of live music, dance festivals, shows, dining extravaganza's and nightlife. Cape Town averages 11 hours of sunlight over this period, so you can pack in a multitude of activities and still party the night away with the friendly locals. There is so much to see and do so enjoy our city this festive season, have fun, take lots of photographs and make lots of memories.
Useful Numbers in case of an emergency
- Ambulance – 10177
- Fire Department – 021 535 1100
- South African Police Services (SAPS) – 10111
- Cape Town emergency – 107 from a landline OR 021 420 7700 from a mobile phone
- Table Mountain National Park emergencies – 0861 106 417
- Visitor Safety and Support Programme – 021 487 6552
- Tourism Victim Support Programme – 021 487 4820
- Cape Town Tourism – 021 487 6800
- Dial 911 from a mobile phone and receive emergency help
It is our pleasure at this holiday time to thank our frequent users for your continued support and to wish all of you compliments of the season.
Entilini Operations, and all the staff at Chapman's Peak Drive, wish you and those close to you a joyous holiday season, a new year of happiness, and we hope for a world at peace.
Chapman’s Peak Drive Toll Plaza Office Hours:
The Toll Plaza is open Monday - Friday from 08h00 - 16h30 for registration as a Frequent User.
Address: Toll Plaza, Chapman’s Peak Drive, Hout Bay, Cape Town
Plaza Tel: 021 791 8220
