​CAPE TOWN

Hello, ​Cape Town.

Hemmed in by the harbor and the curve of Table Mountain, Lion’s Head and Signal Hill, Cape Town is a city that’s buzzing with color, creativity, culture and music.

The cosmopolitan city has numerous sites of historical significance, and a lively night-life, as well as a large gay community.

Challenge yourself with a hike up one of Table Mountain’s 900 routes; if you are traveling solo, there are various companies in Cape Town that offer guided hikes up the mountain. Another alternative is to take the cable car up to the summit.

If you really decide to head up Table Mountain by yourself, the Platteklip Gorge route is the easiest hike and follows a well formed path. It is easily the most popular route, so for solo travelers nervous about making the hike alone, this is the best bet.

If you love adrenaline, you can go shark cage-diving in Gansbaai, outside Cape Town, where the cage is only thing standing between you and a professional diver, and the sharks in the water.

South Africa as a whole gets a bad rep for crime, ​and women travelers ​should ​follow universal common sense. Do not roam around after dark alone, an avoid entering the poor township areas.

Networking opportunities are great in Cape Town. The Mother City is fast cementing itself as the biggest continental hub for tech startups. There are also many co-working spaces in Cape Town for visiting women digital nomads. Internet, though, could be much faster (average 1mbps).

The best time to visit Cape Town would be October and November, when the weather is getting warmer. Spring is in the air, but it is not as hot as mid-summer yet.

December to February are the prime summer months of long hot days. The sun sets late in the evening (it stays light up until about 8:30PM in December) and there is generally a lot going on. You will fight for space on the beach around New Year's with all the local tourists but it is still a great time to visit.