Search:

• home
• news
• services
• clients
• testimonials
• links
• contact us

Destination of the Week – Cape Town
November 6th, 2009

A bustling harbor front, a downtown steeped in history and Table Mountain as a backdrop, Cape Town seems like a world unto itself. Throw in 761 kilometers of Garden route filled with wine country, coastal scenery, wildlife parks and outdoor activities and you could easily spend several weeks exploring this region.

Spend the first day or two in Cape Town exploring the Harbor and downtown. Though it’s certainly popular with tourists, the harbor area isn’t simply tourist trap. It has some fantastic international restaurants popular with both visitors and locals, pubs, wine shops, a mall and local crafts.  A personal favorite feature are the groups of local teenagers who put on daily entertainment. As expected, they are looking for tips but their acrobatic stunts and a cappella performances are quite worth throwing a few rand (South Africa’s currency) in in their cup.

In contrast to the modern harbor, you can see the city’s history in almost every corner of the downtown. The city’s architecture, influenced by French and Dutch styles in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s take visitors back to a time when Cape Town was a very different city – both in appearance and attitude.

While downtown, visit the Company’s Garden, a beautiful respite which not only houses gardens and ponds, it also encompasses many of the cities important buildings include St. George’s Cathedral, National Library, Great Synagogue and Holocaust Center, Iziko Museum and Planetarium and the Parliament, where President Klerk announced the dismantling the laws behind apartheid.

Finally, the Bo-Kapp area is worth a visit. Originally the home of Southeast Asian slaves freed by the Dutch, this neighborhood is famous for it’s uniquely colorful houses and international cuisine.

Of course, no visit to Cape Town would be complete without a trip up Table Mountain. A cable car runs to the top daily (except in bad weather) or those looking for a little more activity can hike one of the several trails to the top.

Though Cape Town is very easy to explore on foot, there are a few tours worth taking:

• A tour including District Six and Robben Island, where Nelson Mandella was imprisoned. District Six was the notorious section of Cape Town where over 60,000 black South Africans were forcibly removed from their homes and sent to live in the very run down suburbs of the city. Today, the District Six Museum illustrates what happened during that time and commemorates those who suffered and even lost their lives. Many of these tours also take you to the region where those ousted from District Six were sent to live. Finally, the tour takes you via ferry to Robben Island, where former political prisoners (wrongfully accused) act as tour guides and tell you the story of the prison and their time there.

• Wine Tours – South Africa is the third largest exporter of wine in the world. Regions close to Cape Town (easily done in a day) include the notable Stellenbosch, Paarl and Constantia among others. Group or private tours can be arranged and often include bonuses such as cheese tastings or lunch at one of the wineries.

For more pictures of the Cape Town area click here.

2 Responses to “Destination of the Week – Cape Town”

1. Wordgathering says:

   November 7, 2009 at 3:29 am

   Another really interesting place to visit in a Capetown trip is Langa. It really helps you to understand the affects of Apartheid there.

   Log in to Reply
   • maya says:

     November 7, 2009 at 12:38 pm

     Very true! I visited there as part of the tour to District Six and Robben Island. They are now trying to make the most of their circumstances but you are right, it really does show the affect of apartheid.

     Log in to Reply