|
Cape Town is the oldest European settlement in South Africa, and remains one of the most beautiful and distinctive cities in the world. At the heart of the city’s celebrated buildings is the Castle of Good Hope, a national landmark on Buidekant Street and now a captivating museum. In fashionable Adderley Street, a large exquisite garden complex houses several significant buildings including the elegant National Gallery, the South African Museum with its domed Planetarium, the Cultural History Museum in the old slave lodge and the Tuynhuys, the current residence of South Africa’s state president. The premier waterfront development of Victoria and Alfred at Table Bay Harbour is a cosmopolitan promenade of entertainment, shopping and markets, first class accommodation, magnificent restaurants and the massive Two Oceans Aquarium on Dock Road.
The flat-topped Table Mountain with its massive vertical sandstone cliffs is one of the most famous landmarks in the world and a national monument. Travel in style by cable car to the summit for awe-inspiring views of the coastline and the magnificent landscape surrounding Cape Town. Drive along the Table Mountain circular drive, where you can take in breathtaking vistas of Camps Bay beneath the impressive rock formations known as the Twelve Apostles. Together with Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens and the rest of the peninsula, Table Mountain forms part of the Cape floral kingdom, one of only six such kingdoms in the world.
Lovers of fine food and wine will adore the Western Cape’s rich vineyard country. Sample a fine variety of reds and whites while indulging in the magnificent scenery and warm atmosphere of the Western Cape wine routes. Along Table Mountain’s Peninsula Circular Drive, visit the oldest wine estate in the country, Groot Constantia. Beyond Cape Town, Stellenbosch is the second oldest town in South Africa and was founded by Governor Simon Van der Stel in 1679. Originally intended as a vineyard settlement, Stellenbosch is today a picturesque university town. Further afield you can discover Paarl, home to the famous granite domes and the Nederburgh Wine Estate. The Cape of Good Hope with its celebrated nature reserve is around 70 kilometres from the city centre, and a scenic drive to Cape Point reveals breathtaking vistas of pristine beaches, rugged mountain passes and extraordinary native flora.
The Western Cape Province offers a fantastic climate and world of attractions, from first class shopping in Cape Town to an ostrich ride at Oudtshoorn!
|