Cape Town, also called ‘the Mother City of South Africa’ is a place where the past and present coexist. Cape town offers immense natural beauty in the form of mountains, vineyards and oceans. The Cape of Good Hope, near which the Indian and Atlantic Oceans converge is in itself is a amazing place, offering breathtaking views. Whether it is your first trip to Cape Town or have been here before, you’re always sure to have a good time and find many things to explore.
For those of you interested in history, art and culture, Cape town has no dearth of historical monuments, museums and galleries. The famous ones are Castle of Good Hope, Rhodes Memorial, South African National Gallery, District Six Museum, Langa, Gugulethu and Khayehitsha. Head over to Robben Island to experience a part of South Africa’s darker past and visit the prison where ex-president Nelson Mandela was locked away for 18 years.
For nature lovers it offers many destinations like Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve, World of Birds Wildlife Sanctuary and Monkey Park, Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens, Silvermine Nature Reserve and Muizenburg – Rondevlei Bird Sanctuary. Other attractions include Company’s Garden, Table Mountain National Park, Rondevlei Nature Reserve andHermanus, best for whale watching. There are plenty of walking and hiking opportunities at Table Mountain, Devil’s Peak, Newlands, Tokai forests and Lion’s Head.
Beautiful beaches define the shoreline of this wonderful place where you can indulge in swimming and loads of other fun water activities, like surfing. The most popular beaches areBoulder Beach, where you can often spot penguins, Camp’s Bay, Llandudno and Long Beach.
Cape Town hosts number of events and festivals too like theCape Argus/Pick ‘n Pay Cycle Tour, Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon, North Sea Jazz Festival, Klein Karoo National Arts Festival and International Comedy Festival. There are food and wine festivals as well, like Cape Times V&A Waterfront Wine Affair and Cape Gourmet Festival. In 2010, Cape Town, among other cities in South Africa will be hosting the Soccer World Cup.
Many call Cape Town the ‘party capital of Africa’, where you’re sure to party till you drop. The nightlife is vibrant and pulsating- with bars, nightclubs, discotheques, clubs, restaurants, which are open till morning, guaranteeing you fun and entertainment.
Other major tourist attractions are Victoria & Albert Waterfront, Groot Constantia, Bo-Kaap, Koopmans-de Wet House, Winelands Old Town House, Two Oceans Aquarium and Green Market Square. For kids’ entertainmentthere is no better place than Ratanga Junction.
Cape Town has a Mediterranean climate with dry summers and wet winters. Thus it’s great all year round, with each season offering the best conditions for different attractions.
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