About Cape Town : Cape Town is visited by over 50% of all tourists visiting South Africa, and is a gateway to many of the most scenic natural beauty sites on the Continent.  It is regarded as one of the most beautiful cities in the World, and is instantly recognisable with its backdrop of Table Mountain.  Cape Town lies in the Western Cape which is home to Table Mountain, Winelands, the Overberg, Klein Karoo, West Coast and part of the Garden Route which stretches into the Eastern Cape.  Tourism is a huge growing force which is vital to the economy of Cape Town, and the level service and variety of facilities awaiting the International and local visitors is usually excellent. 

The entire story of the Republic of South Africa began in the Western Cape over 350 years ago, when it was inhabited by the San, Khoi and Bantu speaking tribes.  In the late 1600’s, Europeans arrived in search of a halfway stop on trade routes to the East, changing the direction of South African history.  The Portuguese used the Cape as a postal station, leaving letters under stones off the coast, but it is possible they did not settle because of the number of shipwrecks they suffered on the Cape.   The Dutch East India Company under Jan van Riebeck built the first fortress, and the English later colonised the area as a strategic tactic when at war with France.  This sparked a building boom and the development of some of the finest wine farms in the world.  Cape Town was proclaimed a municipality in 1840 and the town burgeoned from there on.

From Cape Town there are easy routes to the rest of the attractions of the Western Cape, including the West Coast Flower region with the most beautiful mountain & oceanic scenery; the dry Klein Karoo with its amazing rock formations and home of the Cango Caves and Ostrich farms; the Overberg Region with mountains and small coastal towns including Hermanus, famous for whale watching; The Garden Route, stretching from George, Wilderness, Knysna and Plettenberg Bay; The Winelands with gracious Cape Dutch homesteads and magnificent valleys of vineyards and the Central Karoo with ancient fossils, rock art and stone age sites.  There are so many places of interest in the Western Cape that it keeps visitors coming again and again. 

Major attractions in Cape Town include the following:

Table Mountain : Table Mountain is Cape Town’s most famous landmark.  The whole of Table Mountain is a nature reserve, with countless footpaths up and along the slopes, and a revolving cable car which sweeps visitors to the mountain top from the cableway station on Table Mountain Road.  Lion’s Head is connected to Table Mountain by a saddle of land known as Kloof Nek.  Devil’s Peak is on the eastern end of Table Mountain, which offers various walks.  Newlands Forest, Kirstenbosch Gardens, Tokai Forest, Silvermine Nature reserve are all on the slopes of the mountain, with beautiful walks, streams and views.  One can also see South Africa’s own Alcatraz – Robben Island.   It is unusual to find such wild terrain so close to a major city.  Baboon, porcupine, antelope dassies and a wealth of bird species are to be found on the Table Mountain reserve.

Kirstenbosch Botanic Gardens : Covering 560 hectares, Kirstenbosch was originally owned by Cecil John Rhodes, and was proclaimed as  National Botanic Garden in 1913.  There are several walks through the gardens, where 9000 southern African flowering plants are cultivated in a setting of rare fynbos species, mountain streams, lawns and pools.  One can still see the remains of Jan van Riebecks wild almond hedge around the first Dutch settlement.  Evening classical music concerts are held frequently marking the end of a perfect Capetonian day.

Robben Island : A 30 minute boat ride from the V&A Waterfront takes you to Robben Island, the most famous (former) prison in South Africa, where many apartheid dissidents and freedom fighters were incarcerated, the most famous of which was Nelson Mandela, who was imprisoned for 27 years.

Cape Point : This is the most southern point of the Cape Peninsula, and experts also believe that this might be where the two oceans, the Indian Ocean and Atlantic Ocean have their true meeting point, as the fish life on either side of the Peninsula is dramatically different, as is often the case with the water colour.  The Mozambique current extends past Cape Agulhas (officially the Two Oceans meeting point) and ends in False Bay, on the eastern side of the Cape Peninsula which explains the dramatic differences.  There were 26 shipwrecks at last count, some of which are now good diving spots.

Bird Watching : There are many places of note for bird watchers, such as The Rondevlei Bird Sanctuary which is one of South Africa’s leading ornithological research stations with observation platforms and waterside hides.  The Rietvlei Bird Sanctuary in Milnerton and the World of Birds in Hout Bay contain huge collections of birds from throughout the world.  The nature reserves around Cape Town and on Table Mountain also provide good birding opportunities. 

Castle of Good Hope : The Dutch East India companiy sent three small ships to establish a postal station under the command of Jan van Riebeck, who built a mudwalled fortress.  The Castle of Good Hope was built between 1666 and 1679 to replace the original building and still stands today as the oldest surviving building in South Africa.  This fort was used by the British as a strategic area whilst at war with France.  Today it houses the regional headquarters of the South African Defence Force in the Western Cape, and a military and maritime museum. 

The V&A Waterfront : The V&A Waterfront is the most visited attraction in Cape Town, with a huge variety of world class shops, intimate boutiques, eateries, entertainment and sightseeing facilities which are all set in a working harbour.   One can also enjoy a variety of activities including a boat ride to Robben Island, a visit to Two Oceans Aquarium, playgrounds, bustling night life with clubs, pubs and live music venues. 

Shopping : In addition to the V&A Waterfront, Cape Town has many markets and impressive shopping centres and malls. One of the more impressive centres is the 400-outlet Canal Walk Century City.  It also boasts a 20-theatre cinema complex, good restaurants and adrenaline-pumping entertainment.   Cape Town has a huge well-developed fashion industry, with many local designers of fashion, furnishings and jewelry, and has been discovered by many famous world-wide personages. 

Nightlife : Cape Town city centre is known to many as the party capital of Africa, down just a few streets in the Mother City there are hundreds of bars, restaurants and clubs just waiting to be explored through to the wee hours of the morning.  Concerts, Theatre productions, Ballet extravaganzas and Cabaret performances are all found in this artistic city.  Cape Town is also known as a pink city, offering a warm welcome to the gay and lesbian community.

Sports & Adventure : Cape Town is a sporting City with world-class facilties.  The climate is also perfect during summer for most sports and cricket is a national favourite, and in Cape Town cricketers must enjoy the most attractive grounds in the world in Newlands,.  Rugby is played to huge crowds at Newlands stadium and other hugely supported events are marathons (Two Oceans) and triathletic competitions such as Iron Man.  Every extreme sport imaginable is available near to or in Cape Town, including hang gliding, paragliding, bungee jumping, rock climbing, abseiling, scuba diving, surfing, boardsailing, water skiing, horse riding, 4 x 4 trails, sandboarding, yachting, fishing, etc.  Ratanga Junction, a 30-attraction theme park with and the glitzy Grand West Casino & Entertainment World is also a huge attraction.

Beaches : Cape Town has wonderful selection of world-class beaches to choose from, from Clifton Beach and Camps Bay beach where the rich and famous congregate, and those wanting to be spotted by the former are often found, Sandy Bay for nudists, Hout Bay with its colourful fishing harbour and craft market, Boulder’s Beach with its colony of Jackass penguins, Kommetjie for watersports, etc etc.  The False Bay coast has a string of popular beaches for swimming, surfing and diving as the waters are warmer on this side of the Cape Peninsula.   There are also natural sea water swimming pools suitable for children and amusement parks.

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