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Cape Town city tour rip off



 
 
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  #11  
Old May 17th, 2004, 06:35 AM
Richard Bonnage
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Posts: n/a
Default 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  
Old May 17th, 2004, 06:47 AM
Richard Bonnage
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default 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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