| Cape Town, the "Mother City", is the oldest city in country and has a cultural heritage spanning more than 300 years. It also has the top five national attractions in South Africa that should appear on every visitor´s itinerary all year round. Cape Town (Afrikaans: Kaapstad; Xhosa: iKapa) is the second most populous city in South Africa, forming part of the metropolitan municipality of the City of Cape Town. It is the provincial capital of the Western Cape, as well as the legislative capital of South Africa, where the National Parliament and many government offices are located. Cape Town is famous for its harbour as well as its natural setting in the Cape floral kingdom, including such well- known landmarks as Table Mountain and Cape Point. Cape Town is one of the most popular South African destinations. Victoria & Alfred Waterfront: This Cape Town landmark is home to the Two Oceans Aquarium, numerous shops, superior hotels, a craft markets, museums, the BMW Pavilion and a myriad of restaurants and tourism facilities.Robben Island, once the place of incarceration of former President, freedom fighter and Nobel Peace prize, Nelson Mandela. Cape Point: The Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve, at Cape Point, makes for a spectacular outing. The reserve is known for its floral diversity.Kommetjie: Only 45 minutes away from the city centre, Kommetjie is a small village with a rural feel on the way to the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve.Constantia Wine Route: One of the first wine- producing areas of the Western Cape, with a host of estate restaurants and tasting venues. Simon's Town: Situated on the False Bay side of the Cape Peninsula, is about 35 minutes south of Cape Town. Also known as "The Historic Mile", this area, steeped in history, boasts a great variety of interesting buildings including a nautical museum detailing the town's history. Rhodes Memorial: Built in 1912 on the slopes of Devil's Peak by Sir Herbert Baker, This memorial to Cecil John Rhodes resembles a Grecian Temple. Cape Town is an affordable shopping destination with a wide variety of goods on offer. From hand- crafted jewellery, intricate beadwork and traditional African art to designer labels, diamonds and precious stones, Cape Town has a shopping experience for everyone. Visit one of the trendy shopping malls or scour the local flea markets and streetside stalls for gifts, souveniers and a piece of Cape Town to take home. Cape Town is home to many up market shopping malls most of which include big chain stores and smaller boutiques as well as banking facilities, restaurants and coffee shops and movie theatres. Depending on their locations, some malls also offer antique shops. Cape Town's cultural mix strongly affects its cuisine; various European influences blend with African ingredients and Eastern traditions brought by slaves to this South African city. Chefs also follow the latest Asian and Pacific Rim trends, with a focus on Thai and North Indian cuisine as well, making it possible to try food from a different culture every night. It's important to try truly local delicacies, such as biltong (dried meat), which you can get at specialty shops or even the supermarket. Much of the local street food is Indian- based since there is a sizeable Indian population in Cape Town. Curry dishes like bunny chow and routi are a must, More traditional dishes found in restaurants include bobotie (kind of like Shepherd's pie, but spicy - of Malay origin), boerewors (sausage - - from the Afrikaaner kitchen), bredie (meat- based stew - - Cape Malay), and briyani (rice dish - - Cape Malay/Indian). |
