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Cape Town city tour rip off
"Dave Patterson" wrote in message ... Mike Potts wrote: I was there in March. Cape Town has become a TOTAL RIP OFF. Just one example: I wanted to buy some South African wine. The price in Cape Town was DOUBLE what I pay here in the USA. Seafood prices were mostly HIGHER than what I would pay here in the USA yet it costs over there are a fraction of what we pay over here. Americans will find that costs for most everything are much the same as they are here in the US. Why? The dollar is weak against the rand, price inflation has affected costs in South Africa, and there is a big VAT percentage attached to virtually every transaction. But wine is NOT expensive. Where did you shop? Supermarkets have extensive wine selections with many good wines priced from $4 to $10 a bottle. The wine estates sell their own wines at normal prices, and are not expensive - except for the 'marquee' names such as Kanonkop or Hamilton Russell. Upmarket seafood restaurants are priced about the same as here. But the seafood chains (Fishmonger, Ocean Basket) serve big fresh seafood meals with salad and fries for $6 to $9.. and daily specials are even less. Neighborhood cafes are even cheaper - and this is true in Cape Town or anywhere in the country. South Africa is only a RIP OFF for travelers who expect it to be some sort of fantasy world where you can have a 5-star life for 3-star prices. Dave I love Cape Town but now I only visit there on business. It has become much more expensive there than say Jo'burg or Durban. I suppose because it is full of "touristy" and trendy "places". The Hotel prices are substantially higher and well discounted rack rates are just not available unless you have high level contacts. Where tourists go the prices become inflated, I see the other great attraction "Kruger Park" is going the same way. But now we have the 2010 bid Joey's will start catering for the lion's share of the business. As we have the better infrastructure for soccer and the contractors up here are still prepared to work for reasonable profits. We will of course become the nations center of activity again, with all the benifits attracted theretoo, muggers, pickpockets, rapists, highjackers and all the local informal traders that are attracted to wealth. Come to think of it please keep the money and tourists down ther it's been much quieter here for the last couple of years. Richard |
#12
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Cape Town city tour rip off
"Mike Potts" wrote in message news:1WNpc.11872$qA.1349271@attbi_s51... The locals, in a bout of heady greed, converted their prices into straight dollar equivalents, with total disregard to what these goods and services cost - it is a simple case of price gouging. Now that the dollar is weaker, the effects are far more pronounced yet the prices have not been adjusted accordingly. What really set me off about Cape Town is when I queried the wine store clerk about the price of that bottle of wine - $60 in Cape Town, instead of the usual $30 per bottle that I usually pay, I was told something to the effect of: "Well, that's the price and if you do not like it I'm very sorry for you". Ah the famous Capetonian hospitality it's well known. I saw the same price gouging at the duty free shops in Johannesburg International Airport. It was beyond the pale of decency - local music CD's were being sold for up around $30/copy. Of course, these are CD's not available here in the USA so they obviously decided to gouge visitors (but only if those visitors are willing to pay). Must dissagree here "only the visitors that can afford to pay" the local SA's which means Yanks, Brits, Japaneese etc., the locals can't afford those prices. Cape Town is aimeded at the foreign visitor. Also, we had a few minor items stolen from our checked baggage. South African airways has yet to offer me the courtesy of a response. Delta was decent enough to send me a claim form. Ah the joys of traveling in Africa, at least you didn't get mugged. I could go on and on with examples where pricing has gone way into gouging territory, but I don't have the time. I used to visit Cape Town once every two years but not any more. I hope that wont put you of SA we have lots of places that are still reasonably priced but just don't have the reputation of Capetown. The Eastern Transvaal, KZN, Wid Coast, North Western Cape, Eastern Cape and Gauteng all heve great holiday destinations. As for your suggestion that I visit one of the seafood chains - that's not exactly what I want - I am not a travelling student and prefer to eat at places equal to or better than where I eat at home. Besides, those same places had fairly REASONABLE prices two or more years ago. What happened is that greed set in. "Dave Patterson" wrote in message ... Mike Potts wrote: I was there in March. Cape Town has become a TOTAL RIP OFF. Just one example: I wanted to buy some South African wine. The price in Cape Town was DOUBLE what I pay here in the USA. Seafood prices were mostly HIGHER than what I would pay here in the USA yet it costs over there are a fraction of what we pay over here. Americans will find that costs for most everything are much the same as they are here in the US. Why? The dollar is weak against the rand, price inflation has affected costs in South Africa, and there is a big VAT percentage attached to virtually every transaction. But wine is NOT expensive. Where did you shop? Supermarkets have extensive wine selections with many good wines priced from $4 to $10 a bottle. The wine estates sell their own wines at normal prices, and are not expensive - except for the 'marquee' names such as Kanonkop or Hamilton Russell. Upmarket seafood restaurants are priced about the same as here. But the seafood chains (Fishmonger, Ocean Basket) serve big fresh seafood meals with salad and fries for $6 to $9.. and daily specials are even less. Neighborhood cafes are even cheaper - and this is true in Cape Town or anywhere in the country. South Africa is only a RIP OFF for travelers who expect it to be some sort of fantasy world where you can have a 5-star life for 3-star prices. |
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