Cape Town City Centre (CBD)
Cape Town is one of the most scenic cities in the world and is the second largest city in South Africa with about 3 million inhabitants. English, Afrikaans and Xhosa are the predominant languages spoken but most locals will be able to communicate in English.
The centre of Cape Town has been revitalised with many new residential complexes taking the place of previous commercial buildings in amongst the corporate head quarters of many businesses in their distinctive sky scrapers. There are beautiful pedestrian malls in the centre of town, with the Gardens that also house the National Art Gallery, the National Museum and the Planetarium.
There are very quaint suburbs including the Waterkant where many vibey designer boutiques and restaurants are located, Bo-Kaap with the very colourful Cape Malay style houses, the City Bowl suburbs with superb views of the harbour, Century City - which is a mixed use precinct containing residential, commercial and retail components in a well designed beautiful setting surrounding the biggest shopping mall in the Southern Hemisphere, with over 300 shops and restaurants as well as the Ratanga Junction Theme park.
The Atlantic Seaboard
This is the "Riviera" of Cape Town which nestles on the coast line of the City flanked on one side by the sea and the other by the mountain and which houses some of the world's finest beaches and most expensive South African real estate. The Soccer Stadium is located at the beginning of the Atlantic Seaboard on the edge of the City Centre.
Southern Suburbs
The suburbs lie south east of the City Centre and, for the most part, lie at the base of Table Mountain National Park. The leafy suburbs span out towards Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens and houses one of the most exclusive addresses in Cape Town, namely Bishopscourt.
Northern Suburbs
These suburbs boats the Grand West Casino, the airport, some beautiful real estate in the rolling hills including spectacular wedding venues in the surrounding Winelands. There are other huge shopping malls in this area that are well worth a visit including the Tyger Valley and the adjacent Willowbridge shopping malls.
Southern Peninsula
Home of the most scenic drives, harbours, beaches as well as Cape Point Nature Reserve and some very expensive real estate by South African standards.
Blaauwberg Coast
This is one of the fastest growing areas in the province and hosts the most spectacular picture card views of Table Mountain across the bay. A surfer and kite surfer mecca with a very vibey cosmopolitan experience at Big Bay where one has the best views of the mountain while sipping a cappuccino and watching the surfing.
West Coast
The towns of Langebaan and Saldanha and their adjacent bodies of secluded waters are rich in history with Langebaan and its lagoon having been preserved as the West Coast National Park. The main feature is the shallow lagoon that is extremely popular with fisherman, sailors, kite surfers, kayakers and wind surfers alike. The quaint sea side towns of Yzerfontein, Paternoster, St Helena Bay, Port Owen, Veldrift, Elands Bay to Lamberts Bay are very popular holiday towns all year round but especially in spring when there are blankets of the most amazing coloured flowers as far as the eye can see.
Langebaan also boasts an open air beach restaurant where you sit with your feet in the soft white sea sand and eat course after course of sea food and home-made breads and listen to the in-house guitarist.
Cape Winelands
The Cape is synonymous with South African Wine and this region is famous for its quality wine production and has its roots deep set in the South African wine industry with a rich 350 year history. The area claims its place amongst the top wine producing regions in the world and its wines are much loved by connoisseurs and novices alike for their unique tastes and strong flavours, especially the local South African cultivars. Taste locally produced cheeses, olives and export quality fruit and organic produce.
There are many clearly demarcated wine routes that are a "must" to experience - the ambiance of the Cape Dutch and French Huguenots still abound in the wine valleys of Stellenbosch, Franschoek, Paarl and Wellington.
The Winelands also boasts world-class golf courses and endless kilometres of cycling, walking and hiking routes.
Helderberg
The Helderberg basin is one of the most beautiful areas in the Cape with the Hottentots Holland and Helderberg Mountain ranges as a backdrop against which the valley descends into the vineyards and onto the coastline swept with sandy, white beaches.
The quaint harbour of Gordon's Bay is nestled at the foot of the pass along the coast with the protected Bikini beach on one side of the harbour and adjacent to the wide soft sandy swimming beaches of the Strand where the water is much warmer than on the Atlantic seaboard. There are world famous golf courses in this area as well.
Swartland
The Swartland (Black Lands) is the gateway to the West Coast where high quality wheat, wines, olives, art and culture as well as lots of outdoor activities are on offer. The Swartland is also known as the rooibos (red bush tea) and wheat-producing area of the Western Cape.
There are as many landscapes as there are seasons in this area and the blazing wheat is interspersed with wine, olive and fruit plantations that result in a patchwork of colour after the winter rains where these same fields turn black - hence the name.
Cape Overberg
The Cape Overberg region lies on the southernmost tip of Africa and is an untouched haven of mountains, ocean, rivers and spectacular nature that is a perfect holiday destination.
The Overberg is dotted with villages and towns filled with character and friendly locals. As you drive over the Hottentots-Holland Mountains from Cape Town, the peace and tranquillity almost becomes tangible. This area of the Western Cape is a relatively undiscovered travel destination and lends itself to outdoor adventure as well as peaceful rejuvenation.
Shark Cage Diving - Hermanus Whale Watching - Hermanus
Cape Flats
The large area of windblown flatlands that lie to the north of Cape Town are known as the Cape Flats home to over a million people who manage to eke out an existence in a combination of townships and informal settlements. It is an extensive wetland.
Visit the most popular local restaurant in Cape Town called Mzoli's - where they serve meat and beer and where tourists and white Capetonians can hang out with people with whom they may never have otherwise socialised.
A tour through Langa, Gugulethu, Khayelitsha, Crossroads, Mitchells Plain and Mannenberg offers an opportunity to mingle with the residents, learn more about their vibrant culture and support their enterprising small business ventures.
Cederberg Wilderness Area
The Cederberg Wilderness Area boasts an immense stretch of land extending from Citrusdal's Middelberg Pass right to just beyond Clanwilliam's Pakhuis Pass. Taking in some 71,000 hectares of stunning rugged terrain, the Cederberg Wilderness Area opens up a vast hiking landscape as well as the unique opportunity for wilderness donkey cart rides and 4x4 tracks. Incorporating a section of the Cape Fold Mountain Series, the area is a magical wilderness area that locals and tourists alike should experience.
Cederberg Wilderness Area's ground is chiefly Table Mountain sandstone and, as such, a number of interesting formations can be found. Amongst the most impressive sandstone formations are the Maltese Cross and the Wolfberg Arch.
Activities in this area include the magnificent flower spectacle in spring, the Bushman's Cave theatre, bouldering & climbing, wine-tasting, a magnificent wedding venue and birding.
The following are the top attractions in Cape Town:
Table Mountain
This is the most visible landmark in Cape Town and provides the most exquisite views from the top which you can reach either through climbing up the mountain or taking the cable car. There is a very picturesque walk on the top from where you will even be able to see False Bay. This is a must!
Robben Island
The most well known prison island where the first South African President after the abolishment of Apartheid, Mr Nelson Mandela, was incarcerated. You can take a tour of this museum and nature reserve by ferry from the V&A Waterfront.
Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden
The world's first Botanical Garden established in 1913, Kirstenbosch was established to protect the local fauna and flora - well worth a visit
The Castle of Good Hope
The fort built between 1666 and 1679 is the oldest building in South Africa and is now a museum.
The V&A Waterfront
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The magnificent working harbour and well maintained and preserved historical buildings make up what is the leading shopping destination in Cape Town. This is the place for that true Cape Town experience sipping a coffee or having a meal with the harbour, boats and sea gulls in the foreground and the majestic mountain in the background - a truly magnificent experience!!
The aquarium is well worth a visit and houses all the local sea life and plants in very large tanks - you can even go dive with the sharks if you are so inclined.
Green Market Square
Curios from all over the African continent can be viewed and purchased here in an ambient open market located in the very heart of the City Centre.
The Cape Town Soccer Stadium
Construction of this magnificent stadium started in March 2007 specifically for the "2010 FIFA World Cup"™. It was designed to replicate the cloud over Table Mountain.
Cape Town's Wine Routes
Some of the country's best wines come from the slopes of Table Mountain Constantia as well as Durbanville and the Cape Winelands
Boulders Beach
This secluded enclave is located just outside of Simon's Town and is the home to a colony of an endangered species of African penguin.
Cape Point
This southernmost tip of the Cape Peninsula is home to the chacma baboons and the rich diversity of the Cape Floral Kingdom.
Chapman's Peak
This is one of the world's most visually beautiful scenic drives reminiscent of the Californian coast line and links Hout Bay to Noordhoek.
