Cape Town

Cape Town | South Africa

Cape Town is continuously rated towards the top of 'Favourite City' listings and with good reason. If you are looking to escape the European winter to a warm Mediterranean style climate, to visit a stunningly beautiful city with white sandy beaches, a vibrant culture, great restaurants and plenty of entertainment, you need look no further… With just two hours time difference on an overnight flight, it’s an easy journey to a wonderful long-haul destination.

Face Africa offers escape packages to Cape Town, staying in wonderful local guest houses such as Les Cascades de Bantry Bay, which can also include a few nights in the Cape Winelands or the pretty whale-watching centre of Hermanus. For those looking to scratch a little deeper, have a look at our Cape Town & Garden Route itinerary which combines the best of the Cape with selected Garden Route destinations and a safari (click here for a sneak preview of one of our favourite safari lodges!).

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Camps Bay Beach | Cape Town | South Africa

Beach Huts at Kalk Bay | Cape Town | South Africa

Dolphin jumping out of the water | Cape Town | South Africa

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The Sights

The city's central business district is its heartbeat, where Capetonians work and play - relaxing in the tranquil Company Gardens, at trendy sidewalk cafés, shopping at exclusive boutiques or browsing street stalls. A walk through Cape Town or a trip on the Cape Town Explorer Bus will give you a sense of the city. First-time visitors should definitely include a cable-car trip up Table Mountain.

The other political pilgrimage every South African ought to take, and many foreigners want to take is the trip to Robben island. This is a three-and-a-half hour tour that includes the ferry trip from the V&A Waterfront to Robben Island and a guided tour of the island.

A day trip down the Peninsula to Cape Point is well worth the drive. En route you can check out the Naval base in Simonstown and the colony of Jackass Penguins at Boulders Beach. Cape Point is the most south-western tip of Africa and offers spectacular views of the Peninsula. The Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve is an integral part of the Cape Floristic Kingdom - the smallest but richest of the world's six floral kingdoms. In the 7,750ha of the reserve, there are as many plant species as there are in the whole of the British Isles. Return up the west side of the Peninsula and experience the stunning Chapman's Peak Drive which leads past Hout Bay and the beautiful beach of Llandudno back to Camps Bay.

Activities

With its equitable climate and outdoor lifestyle, the range of activities and adventure sports in Cape Town is broad. There is a huge choice of activities, from relaxing boat trips to abseiling down Table Mountain. Diving, Fishing, Golf, Hiking, Horse riding & Sailing are all on offer, as are Kite surfing, Kloofing, Mountain Biking, Paragliding & Skydiving for the more adventurous.

Restaurants & Nightlife

Cape Town likes to eat out, a fact which is reflected in its multitude of restaurants, and the extent to which they get packed out. Whether you are looking for classic Cape Cuisine, exotic and intimate boutique restaurants, or maybe a gourmet burger, one thing you can be certain of is that, here, there is a restaurant to satisfy your every craving.

When Cape Town dims her lights after dinner, it's time for the real fun to start. Take your pick of the numerous nightclubs, discotheques, wine-bars, music pubs and cocktail lounges. The Waterfront, Sea Point, Camps Bay, Observatory and lower Cape Town buzz until the early hours.

Retail Therapy

Shopping is one of Cape Town's favourite pastimes, enjoyed by local residents and visitors alike, mesmerised by the sheer variety of goods to be purchased. One of the best things about shopping here, however, is the enjoyment to be had from browsing itself - the city's intricate streets, enticing markets and cool, glamorous malls offer a splendid way to wile away entire days!

The cosmopolitan city centre is alive with informal markets and pavement traders, selling a vast array of bargain items, original curios and collectables, clothes and food. The sound of djembe drumming or children singing often fills the air, giving one the sense that this is, indeed, the heart and soul of Cape Town.

Art & Culture

City of poets and poetry, and home to artists and performers of every description, Cape Town is indeed the erudite heart of South Africa. It's also a city warmly receiving those who seek to be inspired by her artistic wealth, offering a diverse range of these genres to be experienced and savoured - in historic or exhilaratingly modern galleries, open-air amphitheatres, concert halls and cinemas.

Cultural Tourism

If you want to explore and understand South Africa's past, you can take one of a number of organised tours. Typically, such a tour will take in the Bo-Kaap or Malay Quarter and its Museum, District Six and the District Six Museum, Langa, Gugulethu and Khayelitsha. South Africa's past and recent history make Cape Town a very interesting and informative cultural tourism destination. There are several general guided walking tours of historical Cape Town. The township tours in particular give a real understanding of Cape Town, are very interesting and are a highly recommended way to spend a morning or afternoon.

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Page last updated on 20 Nov 2009