Cape Town, South Africa
Posted by Laurentiu - Filled under South Africa, Southern Africa
Cape Town is one of the largest cities in South Africa and located in the Western Cape Province. 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.
Today Cape Town is a world-class cosmopolitan city with numerous sites of historical significance, and a lively nightlife, as well as a big gay community.
Thing to do:
- Hike Table Mountain. This is the mountain located in the center of Cape Town, part of the Table Mountain National Park (part of the UNESCO Cape Floristic Region World Heritage Site) running along the peninsula to Cape Point. Table Mountain is known for the unusual “table cloth effect.” That is, when the top of the mountain (which is relatively flat) is covered in clouds, the clouds drape down the side as a table cloth hangs over the edge of a table. The hike takes about 2 to 3 hours, depending on your fitness and enthusiasm, but is well worth the effort for the sense of achievement; there’s even a café at the top of the mountain to reward your quest. For those seeking less strenuous hiking, numerous other paths trace the contours of the mountain and wander through the protea bushes and fynbos, with breathtaking views. There is also a cable car that goes up if you prefer not to hike (which is how most people get to the top!). Both the cable car and the pathways on top of the mountain are wheelchair accessible.
- Township Tour. The townships are the places where people were forced to live (based on race) under the apartheid regime. To some extent townships continue to retain their apartheid-era racial makeup, for a variety of reasons. Townships have also grown to cover far larger areas of land than in the apartheid days. This is a result of urbanisation, especially over the past 10-15 years. Touring a township may seem strange, even inappropriate, but it is a good way to learn about South Africa’s history, and the poverty that many people continue to live in. People in the townships are friendly and the children love visitors. Some townships however can be dangerous (see the warning on the South Africa page) so don’t go alone unless you know what you’re doing. The townships tours are safe. If you want to bring sweets or gifts for the children, it is best not to give it directly to them, but to give it to the tour guide who will distribute them later. Tours can be booked directly or through one of Cape Town’s many booking agencies.
- Cape Peninsula. Go from Cape Town down to the Cape of Good Hope (stunning views and for sure you will meet one of the local baboons or ostriches) via Simon’s Town and the penguin colony at Boulders. Visit Cape Point and maybe have lunch there. Go back along the west coast through the exclusive suburbs of Camps Bay and Llandudno.
- Surfing. Cape Town is one of the best places to surf. Muizenberg is a good place for beginners to learn to surf. If you’re an experienced surfer, try the reef break at Kalk Bay, Outer Kom near Kommetjie or Misty Cliffs on the coast road near Scarborough. You could head up the west coast and sample Milnerton, Table View or Big Bay, although Big Bay is often crowded with people Kite Surfing due to the windy conditions.
- Kayaking in False Bay. Rent a kayak in Simon’s Town and see the False Bay from another point of view. Make sure to stop at the penguin colony at Boulders, where you can see the African Penguin (formerly called Jackass Penguin). September is the breeding season and you can see penguins hatching out of their eggs.
- Shark diving. Fancy a swim with the sharks? If you possess a valid diving license (PADI, CMAS, BASC et al) you can go to the two oceans aquarium and plunge in the 2.2 million liter aquarium along with the five ragged tooth sharks, several yellow tails, bull rays and a lonely turtle. The dive master Iain, a barrel shaped bearded little man with a distinct scottish accent, is both nice and knowledgable and accompanies you into the aquarium ready to fend off the sharks with his broomstick should they become cuddly.
- Winelands. Tour the Constantia Valley wine estates Groot Constantia, Buitenverwagting, Klein Constantia and Constantia Uitsig before checking out the Cape Winelands around Stellenbosch, Paarl and Franschhoek. Go to some of the vineyards for wine-tastings and enjoy a break at the beautiful old cities.
- Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens. View the hugely diverse and beautiful plants and flowers of the Cape flora in one of the most stunning botanical gardens in the world. Plants from all of the regions of South Africa are on display, including rare succulents from the Richtersveld, a giant baobob tree, and interesting medicinal plants. Numerous paths wander through the grounds situated on the back side of Table Mountain. Several restaurants, a gift shop and indigenous nursery are also available. At various times of the year concerts are performed in the open air amphitheater. Art is frequently on display, including large Shona stone sculptures from Zimbabwe. The gardens are also home to the National Biodiversity Institute.
- Visit Ratanga Junction in summer and enjoy a day with your kids at this theme park.
- Visit Melkbos to surf, windsurf, kitesurf and sunbathe on its wide sandy beach.
The world-famous Garden Route ranges from about Mossel Bay, via George and Knysna to the Tsitsikamma National Park on the south coast. This road will take you further on to Port Elizabeth, Durban and eventually Swaziland. Do not forget to visit the Karoo semi-desert and do an ostrich ride in Oudtshoorn.
Only two hours from Cape Town, along the south coast, are the Bontebok National Park and the De Hoop Nature Reserve, perfect for spotting bontebok and whales. The southern tip of Africa, Cape Agulhas is not far away and the Overberg region offers whale spotting and quiet towns to relax.
Best times to visit Cape Town are:
- October and November: The weather is getting good. Spring is in the air, but it is not as hot as mid-Summer yet. These months can be windy months. The South-Easter is known as the Cape Doctor as it blows away a great deal of pollution!
- December to March: These are the prime summer months, of long hot days. The sun sets late in the evening (it stays light up until about 20h30 in December) and there is generally a lot going on. February is the most reliable month for weather, with week after week of hot days and very little wind.
- April and May: This can change from year to year, but generally speaking although it starts raining, it is still warm. There are much fewer visitors around, and you can get excellent deals on accommodation, food and most tourism services.
Be sure to visit its famous landmarks Table Mountain and the Cape of Good Hope.
[Photo 1: The most popular view of Cape Town, from Bloubergstrand; Photo 2: West coast of the Cape Peninsula. Photos by Fluglotse2000. Photo 3: Tsitsikamma, Eastern Cape, South Africa Cooling off in the Indian Ocean, Storms River mouth in the background. Photo by: Nick Roux. CC. Some rights reserved. Text partly derived from Wikitravel. The post is released under the CC license]
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