Destination Cape Town
There is nowhere quite like Cape Town. It is in Africa, and of Africa, but yet so
different. Perched between the ocean and the mountain, and with a national park
as its heart, it's wild and wonderful. But it's also the oldest city in our country, and
it has a cultural heritage spanning more than 300 years.
It is in Cape Town that the Rainbow Nation really covers the spectrum, as nowhere
else in the country do we have such cultural diversity.
Between beautiful Cape Dutch homesteads, elegant Georgian townhouses, traditional dancers with painted faces performing in the city streets, the smell of spicy Malay cooking, the tang of a well-made wine, and the sound of the snoek horn advertising the wares of fish vendors, this city will fill your senses.
The bells of St George's Cathedral
alternate with the plaintive tones of the muezzin calling the faithful to prayer. Visitors give a startled jump, and Capetonians calmly glance at their watches, when the noon gun booms above the city - a relic from the days of sail when sea captains had to check their chronometers.
You will never be bored in Cape Town. Table Mountain offers some of the best
climbing in the world, and it's right here in the city. The surfing is fantastic; the
diving is cold but good. You could go mountain biking, or try sandboarding. Go sea
kayaking - you may see seals, dolphins or penguins.
A great thing to do on a full moon summer's night is to walk up Lion's Head before dark, watch the sun set on one hand and the full moon rise on the other and then walk down in the silvery light.
Or, if the wind is right, you could fly off Lion's Head with a qualified tandem paraglider pilot, and land on the beach in time for sundowners. You'll never be bored.
If all this sounds
too gung ho for you, don't worry. You can shop till you drop at
Cavendish, Canal Walk or the Waterfront, where you'll be spoilt for choice. There is
so much live music, so many temporary and permanent art exhibitions, so many
movies, plays and even opera, ballet or symphony concerts, that you will have
absolutely no excuse to stay in your hotel room.
Of course, you'll just have to find the time to sample some Cape wine. You could visit a different museum every day for a week, and you just have to see Robben Island.
Cape Town is probably the most popular backpackers destination anywhere, with
more hostels than any other city worldwide. It's also the home of the backpackers
special, the Baz Bus.
Source: South African Tourism
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