Cape Town South Africa Travel Guide
Cape Town South Africa Travel Guide
Cape Town is the second largest city in South Africa and is the capital of the Western Cape Province. Cape Town is a port city on South Africa’s southwest coast, on a peninsula beneath the imposing Table Mountain. Slowly rotating cable cars climb to the mountain’s flat top, from which there are sweeping views of the city, the busy harbor and boats heading for Robben Island, the notorious prison that once held Nelson Mandela, which is now a living museum.
It is located in the south-west corner of the country near the Cape of Good Hope, and is the most southern city in Africa. It is a stone's throw from South Africa's world-famous Cape Winelands around Stellenbosch, Paarl and Franschhoek. The Cape Town metropolitan area covers a large area, from Durbanville and Somerset West in the east to Cape Point in the south and Atlantis in the north. The city centre is located in a relatively small area between Table Mountain and Table Bay.
Bo-Kaap located on a hill south-west of downtown, is the area historically inhabited by mainly Muslim descendants of slaves from South-East Asia. The Castle of Good Hope is South Africa's oldest surviving building. It was built between 1666 and 1679. Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens is one of the worlds most stunning gardens in possibly the most stunning location set below the Castle Bustress cliffs of table mountain.
Robben Island is located just off the coast from Cape Town, this was the location used during the apartheid days to hold political prisoners, including Nelson Mandela and the late Walter Sisulu. wo Oceans Aquarium has an extensive series of events calender for each month. Victoria and Alfred Waterfront is a huge shopping and entertainment area at the slopes of Table Mountain, next to the harbour. It is very popular with tourists.
Almost everything is possible in Cape Town, from a nice guided city tour through an adrenaline kick in an old fighter jet. The easiest way to get an overview on things to do, nice restaurants, clubs, tours etc is to walk into one of the visitors' centres which can be found in several areas. (V&A Waterfront, City Bowl, Green Point etc). A good option to consider is to make use of a reputable tour guiding company. They will be able to provide you with a knowledgeable tour guide, who will ensure that you get to see all the popular features of the city, as well as show you many of the often missed, hidden attractions.
Cape Town is one of the best places to surf. Muizenberg is a good place for beginners to learn to surf, Gary offers reasonably priced lessons from a shop facing the beach. Cape Town is the perfect base for exploring the eight protected areas of the Cape Floral Region, inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004, including the Table Mountain National Park and the beautiful Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden.
Cape Town is one of the premier recreational cold water freediving locations in the world. The Atlantic side of the peninsula boasts wrecks, caves and seals, while the warmer False Bay side has sharks, rays and a wide range of reef fish. Most dives sites are easily accessible from shore and range in depth from 5m to 15m. Climbing Lion's Head, Signal Hill Road. Within easy reach of the city centre, Lion's Head can be summited via 4 routes. The popular and recommended route is to hike up the Circular Route offers increasable views. The Non-Circular Route is more difficult and takes a more direct approach.
Beaches on the False Bay side of the peninsula are the most popular with swimmers as the water is warmer. St James has the most picturesque tidal pool on the stretch between Muizenberg and Kalk Bay, while Clovelly and Fish Hoek beaches wrap around a sheltered bay with soft, white sands. Platteklip Gorge is the most accessible and therefore the most popular route for climbing up Table Mountain. You start from Tafelberg Road and proceed up a steep gully to the top of Table Mountain. It's a steep 2 hours but well worth the effort and you can jump in the cable car back down to spare your knees. Cable Car to the top of Table Mountain is an amazing option. There is a cafe with a limited range of snacks, coffee, beer and wine at the top. Table Mountain is the home of a small animal, the rock rabbit (known locally as the 'Dassie') whose closest relative, DNA-wise, is the elephant, and you can see them running around on the rocks at the top of the mountain.
Food in Cape Town is generally of high quality. However, do not buy fresh fruit from street vendors, as it commonly makes travelers sick. The wines are much celebrated, but the surrounding region is also a major fruit producer, and the Karoo lamb is widely regarded. Seafood caught locally is superlative, but ironically much of it goes internationally (e.g., tuna for sushi) because of the prices that can be achieved. Ask about the local linefish -- yellowtail, cape salmon, kingklip, kabeljou and others are great eating. Oysters in season are also exceptional, farmed and wild from Knysna or wild flown in from Namibia.
As one of the main tourist spots is the V&A waterfront, you will find a broad range of restaurants, but they are often crowded and expensive. Another highlight is the area around Long Street with its many cafés and restaurants (frequented by a multi-ethnic clientèle), while the trendy area of De Waterkant between Bo Kaap and Green Pointabove Somerset Road also boasts good food and a great vibe. Dine with supermodels and other beautiful people in Camps Bay, which has many hip eateries and nightspots overlooking the beach along Victoria Road. The Old Biscuit Mill, in the center of Woodstock, is a lovely Saturday market teeming with quality drinks and foods for a friendly price.
Accommodation in Cape Town ranges from hostels (of which there are many) to luxury accommodation. Actually, there are so many hotels, B&Bs and guest houses that it can be difficult to decide where to stay. Staying in city centre can often work out cheaper as obviously all the attractions are to hand, but stick to one of the neighbourhoods next to the central area for better prices and a quieter nights sleep. The area around vibey Kloof Street in Gardens/Tamboerskloof with its young cafe culture and hip shopping is a good choice. You could consider sleeping in one of the suburbs. It is normally quieter and there is less traffic than in Central Cape Town. The suburbs in the south, like Muizenberg, Fish Hoek or Simon's Town, or near the winelands.
A lot to see in Cape Town South Africa
Table Mountain
Cape of Good Hope
Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden
Boulders Beach
Robben Island
Cape Point
Table Mountain National Park
V&A Waterfront
Cape Peninsula
Lion's Head
Bo-Kaap
Chapman's Peak
Constantia, Cape Town
Signal Hill
Castle of Good Hope
Two Oceans Aquarium
Clifton, Cape Town
V & A Waterfront
District Six Museum
Table Mountain Aerial Cableway
The Company's Garden Restaurant
Camps Bay Beach
Silvermine Nature Reserve
Cape Town Stadium - Green Point Stadium
Groot Constantia
Iziko South African Museum
Devil's Peak
Seal Island, South Africa
Platteklip Gorge
Greenmarket Square
Boulders Penguin Colony
Chapmans Peak Drive
Rhodes Memorial
World of Birds Wildlife SanctuaryClifton 4th
Duiker Island
Table Bay
Sea Point Promenade
Bo-Kaap
Greenmarket Square
Bay Harbour Market
Skeleton Gorge
Sandy Bay, Cape Town
The Nelson Mandela Gateway To Robben Island
Table View
Newlands Forest
The Neighbourgoods Market
South African National Gallery
GrandWest Casino and Entertainment World
Babylonstoren
( Cape Town - South Africa ) is well know as a tourist destination because of the variety of places you can enjoy while you are visiting Cape Town. Through a series of videos we will try to show you recommended places to visit in Cape Town - South Africa
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