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Table Mountain
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Table Mountain Ariel Cableway is part of The Table Mountain National
Park and therefore has beautiful indigenous flowers, plants and
trees, that can be seen from the cable car or on a guided plateau
walk. The walks starts daily at 10am and 12pm from the upper cable
station and are free of charge. You will also find a self-service
restaurant and “Shop at the Top” curio shop where you will find
interesting souvenirs and gifts from Cape Town, situated in the
original Stone Cottage. Enjoy magnificent views of the Atlantic
seaboard, Lion’s Head and the Mother City. The Cableway is open
daily, weather permitting. Weatherline: 021-424 8181.
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The Castle of Good Hope
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The Castle of Good Hope was built by the VOC between 1666 and 1679.
It is the oldest building in South Africa that Jan Van Riebeeck
built upon his arrival to act as a replenishment station for ships
passing the coast around the Cape. The castle was declared a
National Monument in 1936. It was also used as the local head
quarters for the South African Army in the Western Cape. Today it
houses the Castle Military Museum and ceremonial facilities for the
traditional Cape Regiments. You will also find a collection of
antique furniture, ceramics and paintings belonging to William Fehr.
Tours are available and you have a feel of what the holding cells
and dungeons were like in those days as it has had extensive
restorations in the 1980’s. The Castle is open daily from 9am – 4pm.
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Bo-Kaap
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Bo-Kaap is situated in the heart of Cape Town and is walking
distance from the V&A Waterfront and just minutes away from Camp’s
Bay and Table Mountain. Bo-Kaap is a unique historical village with
several Mosques and colourful houses and buildings and attractive
architecture. You will find the oldest Dutch house in the area, the
National Monument strip, cobble stones streets and Shrines of Saints
and political exiles.
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The V&A Waterfront
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The V&A Waterfront is situated at Cape Town’s harbour. It houses 400
stores, art and craft markets, where you will find exclusive South
African clothing and shoe stores, souvenirs, hand crafted ornaments,
book stores and kiosks with a variety of interesting gift ideas. It
also has 70 restaurants, coffee shops and pubs, as well as 17
cinemas and 7 hotels.
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The Two Oceans Aquarium
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The Two Oceans Aquarium has over 3000 living animals including fish,
invertebrates, reptiles and birds. If you dare, then dive with the
sharks or feed the fish in the Kelp Forest. Experience copper helmet
diving or just enjoy the exquisite views at the Shoreline Café while
having a bite to eat. There are also conference and function
facilities available. The Aquarium is open Mondays – Sundays from
9:30am – 6pm
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Robben Island and Nelson Mandela Gateway to Robben Island
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Robben Island is situated 12 km away from the Cape’s coastline. It
was first inhabited thousands of years ago by Stone Age people.
Since the end of the 17th century, the island has been used to
isolate certain people, mainly prisoners. In the 20th century it
became infamous as a gaol for political prisoners under apartheid.
Notable amongst these were Nelson Mandela, Walter Sisulu, Tokyo
Sexwale and Govan Mbeki. Today the island is visited by tourists
from all around the world. It was declared a World Heritage Site in
1999. The land is owned by the State except for the islands’ church.
The Nelson Mandela Gateway to Robben Island is an interactive,
multimedia exhibition found at the Waterfront which will orientate
you as to what you will be experiencing on the island. It also
houses the ticket office, information office and museum shop. Open
Mondays – Sundays from 9am – 6pm and ferries to the island leave
every hour from 9am – 3pm. Bookings should be made in advance and is
also weather permitting.
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Chapman’s Peak Drive
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Chapman’s Peak is the name of a mountain on the western side of the
Cape Peninsula about 15km south of Cape Town. The top of Chapman’s
Peak consists of flat sedimentary rocks related to those that form
Table Mountain. The base of the mountain, however, consists of Cape
Granite and the two formations meet at a geological unconformity
that is world famous amongst earth scientists. Chapman’s Peak Drive
is a spectacular road that hugs the near-vertical face of the
mountain from Hout Bay to Noordhoek. Between 1915 and 1922 the road
was regarded as a major feat of engineering. It was closed in the
1990’s for re-engineering to protect motorists from falling rocks,
which was a common problem until then. It is now open again for
motorists to enjoy the scenic and most relaxing drive around the
Cape Peninsula. There is an old, abandoned manganese mine on the
north western slopes of the peak. The remains of a jetty from which
the ore used to be shipped is directly below the workings.
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Hout Bay
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The working harbour was built in 1930 and still continue to operate
but many more activities has been added to just fishing. There are
daily trips on several charters to Duiker Island where you can view
the seal colony. You will find a number of fine restaurants and the
ever popular “fish and chips” take–aways. Mariner’s Wharf, South
Africa’s oldest waterfront emporium boasts beautiful nautical shops
and an excellent restaurant. Fresh fish and seafood can be purchased
at various food outlets as well as crafts on sale either from a shop
or from the piers. There is now also a harbour tour that includes
the history and workings of the harbour done by a tour guide. This
vibrant fishing village is surrounded by mountains and is an
extremely popular tourist destination. There are plenty of horse
riding, cycling, walking, running and hiking routes as well as a
museum that depicts the history of this lovely place and is well
worth a visit.
The enormous and colourful “World of Birds” has attracted people
from all over the world and houses a vast number of birds and other
small animals including squirrels, monkeys and tortoises. The number
of whales visiting the bay increases every year and is fast becoming
one of the most popular places to view these giant mammals.
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Cape Point
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Situated on the southern tip of the Cape Peninsula, the Cape Point
has plenty of fascinating historic and natural places to discover.
There is a stone replica of the cross erected by Portuguese explorer
Vasco da Gama, who came ashore in 1497 en route to India. There is
also a lighthouse at the tip of the peninsula, the most powerful
lighthouse in South Africa that was originally built 238 meters
above sea level, but due to fog and low-lying clouds, it was
obscured most of the time and then was moved to 87 meters above sea
level. You can take a ride up to the original lighthouse with the
Flying Dutchman funicular or even take a steep walk if you’re
willing. The Two Oceans Restaurant offers a mouth watering menu of
local seafood and it can be enjoyed while watching the waves
crashing beneath you as well as taking in sweeping views of False
Bay. Alternatively, get light meals from the Deli for a picnic. Then
to keep the memories alive, stroll through the Cape Point Logo
Store, Cape Point Parks Shop or Lighthouse Five. On the way you will
also find the Cape Point Ostrich Farm where you can experience a
ride on the worlds’ largest bird. There is also the largest variety
of ostrich leather products in the peninsula and a wide choice of
plain, decorated and carved ostrich eggshells.
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Simon’s Town
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Simon’s Town is a naval base and a village located on the shores of
False Bay. For more than twenty years it has been an important naval
base and harbour, first for the Royal navy and now the South African
Navy. The land rises steeply from near the water’s edge and the
picturesque village is boxed in along the shoreline by the heights
above. Simon’s Town is now in effect a suburb of greater Cape Town.
It is a terminus of a railway line that runs south from the central
business district of Cape Town. In places, the railway line hugs the
steep eastern shore of False Bay quite spectacularly and in bad
weather, the foam from some heavy swells fly up and wet the trains.
One of the best beaches on the Cape Peninsula, Boulders Beach, is
located a few kilometres south from Simon’s Town. Here small,
secluded coves with white sandy beaches and calm, safe, warm,
shallow waters are interspersed between huge rounded boulders of
Cape Granite that forms low cliffs and small caves. There has been a
colony of African Penguins at Boulders Beach since 1985. There are
only three penguin populations in South Africa, be sure to see this
one.
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Kirstenbosch Gardens
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Kirstenbosch Gardens occupies 40 hectares of land on the lower
eastern slopes of Table Mountain. More than enough to keep you busy
for an entire day, but in actuality the estate occupies 532 hectares
of land. The land beyond the Kirstenbosch Gardens forms a nature
reserve that extends to Maclear’s Beacon (the highest point of Table
Mountain). The gardens has over 600 000 visitors annually from all
over the world. There are over 9000 plants in these gardens and a
vast majority of them are indigenous. You will find Fynbos, Ericas,
Proteas, Aloes Cape Reeds and many different plants and trees. In
the natural amphitheatre there is the oldest living plant
collection. The pond in the main lawn is home to Egyptian Geese,
ducks and Guinea Fowl; they are also fed by the natural spring.
There are also common bird species, as well as endemic birds and
even raptors. Before you leave, take a stroll though the fragrance
garden and take a look at the collection of medicinal plants. There
is also a restaurant, tearoom and gardening shop on your way out.
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Grand West Casino
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Grand West constantly offers unparalleled gaming entertainment; with
2500 slot machines and 70 tables. If you are in the mood for
entertainment, head over to the Grand Arena or Roxy Revue Club for
live shows and concerts or dance the night away at Hanover Street
Nightclub. Cinema Starz has all the latest and hottest big screen
releases. You can even bring your kids along as there is heaps of
entertainment for them too. Take them to the state of the art games
arcade, ten pin bowling, go-kart racing or even the Olympic sized
ice rink. There is even a crèche for the smaller kids. There are
restaurants to suit everyone and many to choose from. There is
Indian cuisine at Bukhara, Italian at Bella Gina, Seafood at Cape
Town Fish Market, Wang Thai for Thai lovers and plenty more take
aways too.
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Canal Walk
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Canal Walk is Africa’s most exciting shopping and leisure
destination catering for both the domestic and international
markets. It is situated 10 minutes away from both the Cape Town City
Centre and the Cape Town International Airport. Canal Walk attracts
thousands of local and international visitors every year with its
spectacular architecture, spacious malls and unparalleled array of
unique retail opportunities. With 400 stores representing leading
local and global brands, Canal Walk offers the most comprehensive
and compelling lifestyle shopping experience in South Africa,
including the widest selection of speciality stores in the southern
hemisphere. There are also 30 restaurants and coffee shops, 17
cinemas, entertainment centre, science centre, Place of Play for the
kids and plenty more. Canal Walk is open 7 days a week from 9am –
9pm.
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Constantia Wine Farms
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South Africa’s oldest wine estate is found in Constantia and is
known these days for its red wines, although its chardonnay has just
been honoured in France. There is a lot more to Groot Constantia,
though, than just its 86 hectares of vines. It has the finest
surviving example of Cape Dutch architecture in the country and has
two excellent restaurant, Jonkershuis, serving traditional Cape
Malay dishes and Simon’s.
The Manor House now houses a cultural history museum, which portrays
the early at Groot Constantia, with a superb collection of Cape
furniture, porcelain and maritime art. Most of the furniture was
made in the Cape. These farms are great to end off a visit to Cape
Town.
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