CAPE TOWN
Cape Town is the oldest city in South Africa, with Table Mountain as a dramatic backdrop, it is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Founded in 1652 as a victualling station for ships of the Dutch East India Company on their way to and from the East. It has now grown into a modern complex, with its suburbs, busy harbour of Table Bay, fishing villages, extensive vineyards, a spectacularly beautiful marine drive, innumerable beaches along its two shorelines, several nature reserves, including Cape of Good Hope Reserve, Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens and the newly developed Waterfront district.
The Western Cape is one of South Africa’s premier tourist attractions, and for good reason. From the famous icon of Table Mountain to vast Winelands and exquisite beaches to world-class restaurants and cosmopolitan entertainment haunts. For its exquisite scenic beauty - the province is renowned for being the favourite playground of fashion and film crews the world over. Cape Town also boasts a myriad of cultures and tourist treasures that are just waiting to be discovered.
Location: Situated on the south-western tip of Africa, the Western Cape is the meeting point of the cold Atlantic and the warm Indian Oceans. Its capital city Cape Town, dominated by the flat-topped bulk of Table Mountain. Area size of the province is 129 370km².
Climate/Weather: There are three climatic regions in the Western Cape. The Peninsula and the Boland enjoy Mediterranean-type conditions with dry summers and a winter rainfall. Moving up the west coast towards George and the Garden Route, rainfall is year-round. Towards the interior, the semi-desert of the Karoo experiences dry winters and low summer rainfall.
The ‘Cape Doctor’ is the name given to the south-easterly wind that visits the Peninsula with little warning, blowing with a force that clears the air of all pollution and leaves Table Mountain draped in a ‘tablecloth’ of snow-white cloud. Cape Town Accommodation Guide
WESTERN CAPE: Towns A - Z
It was the Cape Peninsula - first known as the Cape of Storms which was a critical landmark for early explorers during their intrepid voyages but the full history can be traced in the rock paintings of the original inhabitants, the San or Bushmen, which date back approximately 7 000 years. With the arrival of the Dutch in 1653, however, colonization began in earnest. These settlers were soon followed by the French Huguenots and the British - nations which have all played a part in shaping the province as it is today. Cape Town is the centre of activity with a busy international airport, well-developed port facilities and the landmark splendour of Table Mountain. Scenic drives to be enjoyed include Cape Point Nature Reserve, Simon's Town, Hout Bay (where the original Dutch settlers harvested their timber - 'hout' being the Dutch word for wood), Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, Signal Hill, Boulders Beach (known for its penguin colony) and other places of natural and historical interest.
Home of the world-renowned South African wine industry, Cape Town is also the place where you will find the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront harbour development with its shops, hotels, theatres, museums and amusements equal to any in the world. Robben Island, a World Heritage Site, can be accessed via ferry from the harbour. Interestingly, Table Mountain boasts more endemic species of flora than the total number of indigenous flora species of the entire United Kingdom.
Inland from the West Coast are the wheat farming and wine producing areas of the Swartland, the Boland and the picturesque university town of Stellenbosch. Across the Hottentots Holland mountain range lies the Overberg area, an intensive wine and farming region nestling within wide valleys and mountain ranges.
Along the southern Cape coast is the area known as the 'Garden Route', epitomized by breathtaking sea-views and lush vegetation which reaches down to secluded beach coves and up to cliffs which are traversed by the Blue Train.
The town of Hermanus is famous for its seasonal visits by birthing whales, which hug the coast on their journey north, while Knysna and Plettenberg Bay are two of the country's prime coastal holiday spots. Inland from here is the Klein Karoo area, where populations of ostrich thrive in a dry, hot climate. This is also the location of the Cango Caves, a spectacular and accessible cave system regarded as one of the wonders of the world. Western Cape Accommodation Guide
EASTERN CAPE
From the Tsitsikamma National Park in the south to Port Edward in the north, this province features 800km of pristine natural and cultural attractions. The home territory of the Xhosa nation - from whose family former president Nelson Mandela is the most famous descendant - this area features the cities of Port Elizabeth and East London, both commercial centres famous for their tourist facilities and warm water beaches. But don't ignore the smaller towns like Port Alfred with 30km of navigable river, Bathurst with its English country ambience or the university town of Grahamstown where the premier contemporary cultural event on the South African calendar takes place every July, the National Arts Festival. For naturalists, the Addo Elephant National Park in the Sundays River Valley is an essential stop where you can find elephant as well as black rhino, Cape buffalo and numerous antelope. For the wild at heart, Jeffery's Bay is one of the world's great surfing sits where, its is said, you can find the 'perfect right-hand wave'.
The former Transkei region is known for its so-called Wild Coast, which is stormy and windswept. This is where many famous shipwrecks have occurred, even in these days of modern seafaring technology. It is also one of the world's most picturesque and untouched shorelines. EASTERN CAPE ACCOMMODATION
NORTHERN CAPE
A semi-desert area which stretches from the Karoo in the south to the Kalahari in the north, this is South Africa's largest province but most sparsely populated area. The main city is Kimberley, famous for the largest diamond rush in history, which took place from 1871 until mining was strictly controlled in 1914. The Big Hole was the main excavation, where some 30 000 men moved 25 million tons of earth to produce 14,5 million carats of diamonds. Today, the 365m deep pit remains as a monument to these hard and hopeful days. The southern region is the Karoo, a giant semi-desert, not unlike Australia's Outback, where sheep farming is also the main industry. The Vaalbos National Park is where large herds of game survive on the water-storing local plant life and is the traditional territory of the San (previously known as the Bushmen), some of whom can still be found here, along with many rock paintings left by their ancestors. In the interior lies the Richtersveld National Park and the region of Namaqualand. The landscape is stark and rugged and the climate is hot and dry, but when the seasonal rains come in spring, the area is miraculously transformed into a carpet of colours, an annual event which lasts for only a couple of weeks. People from all over South Africa travel to Namaqualand to witness the botanical metamorphosis, which starts in a matter of hours after the first rains have fallen. In the northern extremity of the province is the Kalahari Gemsbok National Park which shares an unfenced border with the adjoining National Park in neighbouring Botswana to allow free movement of migratory animals and the wandering families of San. The Orange River - South Africa's largest - plummets 56 meters over the Augrabies Falls, a National Park area where plentiful wildlife thrive along its banks. Some distance below the falls, the river passes through an unusual channel with sheer, black walls made from cooled magma. This area, known as the 'Alleyway', boasts some spectacular scenery through which white-water rafting trips can be arranged. ACCOMMODATION
THE GARDEN ROUTE
The Garden Route is the stretch of land and coast line that runs between Mossel Bay and Storms River, which features lakes, mountains, golden beaches, cliffs and dense indigenous forests. The Oudtshoorn area in the Little Karoo is famous for its ostrich show farms, Cango Caves and Cheetah Ranch. The Knysna - Plettenberg Bay area has attractions such the Knysna Lagoon, Tsitsikamma Forests and Featherbed Nature Reserve, Outeniqua Tjoe choo Steam train, that runs between Knysna and George. The garden route in general is host to lots of intimate little country inns, lodges, guest houses and hotels making this a delightful area to spend a few days pottering around.
BEST TIME TO GO
South Africa is an all year round destination, however there are some places more popular at certain times. The northern regions are good destinations in the winter months (May - August) as game viewing is at its best and temperatures are very mild (20-25 deg Celsius). It is dry during the winter months, that there increased visibility through the bush and limited surface water in the bush, hence this time of year being slightly better for game viewing. The Southern regions are summer destinations with low summer rainfall and temperatures reaching (28-30 deg Celsius) or higher on beautiful days. Summer is between Nov - March. It is recommended that you reserve all your accommodation as far in advance as possible, since availability is at a premium. BANKS
Banking hours at most commercial banks are:
Mon - Fri 09h00 - 15h30
Sat 08h00 - 11h00
Automatic tellers are open 24 hrs and are located in most towns and cities. Major hotels have foreign exchange facilities and most shops, lodges and travel agencies take travellers Cheques.
HEALTH REQUIREMENTS
There are no compulsory inoculations. However travellers from a yellow fever zone must have a valid yellow fever vaccination certificate. Anti malaria prophylactics are recommended for Mpumalanga and northern Natal it is best to consult your pharmacist or doctor in this regard. Do not underestimate the effects of the African sun. Bring plenty of sun cream, a good sun hat and gradual adjustment is recommended.
MEDICAL SERVICES
Medical services are readily available. Visitors are advised to secure medical insurance before arriving in the country. Major hotels have contracts with physicians and dentists. You are advised to bring supplies of specialized medication you may require during your stay. Other medication can be obtained at pharmacies and emergency pharmacies open all night, in major centres.
CURRENCY
The currency unit is Rands and Cents. 1 Rand = 100 cents. Major credit cards are accepted at most hotels, restaurants and stores. To convert this into your own currency, please just click into our currency converter for up to date rates of exchange: http://www.africantravel.com/currency.html
LANGUAGES
Although the new 'South Africa' boasts 11 official languages, the major languages spoken are still English and Afrikaans. The other major languages are Ndebele, Northern Sotho, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa and Zulu.
CULTURE AND RELIGION
With nearly 400 years of association with colonial settlers, most communities are very westernized, with only some African traditions being preserved in more remote country areas. Among the English-speaking community there are still many reminders of the days of the British Empire, as well as a fairly large Indian community to be found in KwaZulu-Natal and a small population of colored people in the Cape. Friendliness and an outdoor and sports orientated way of life are hallmarks of the population. Most sectors of the community are well educated and there is a thriving local arts and culture scene.
Christianity, mainly Protestant, is the dominant religion but there are large Jewish, Muslim and Hindu communities in some areas. Most people in country areas also follow African traditional ceremonies in addition to other religious practices.
SHOPPING
Most shops are open from 08h30 to 17h00 Monday to Saturday and on Sundays until 13h00. Most major cities boast magnificent flea markets over weekends. Indigenous crafts such as wood carvings and beadwork are sold on the roadside and also at the country's many craft markets. Furs, suede, crocodile skin handbags, designer labels, diamonds, gold and semi precious stones - anything is available for purchase. The Cape province is renowned for its investment wines and antiques.
LOCAL FOOD AND WINE
Most of the dishes served in restaurants are similar to those of Europe and America, but typical South African dishes include sosaties (a type of kebab), bobotie (a curried dish), various bredies (meat and vegetable casseroles), crayfish (or rock lobster), and many other seafood dishes traditional to the Western Cape produces very fine wines, ranking among the world's best.
ELECTRICITY
In South Africa current is 220/240 volts at 50 cycles per second. Please note that some game lodges do not have electricity and run on generators. Plug points have three points, so you will need an adapter for appliances requiring 2 point plugs, such as battery chargers.
WATER
Water is plentiful and safe to drink in all but the remotest rural areas of the country. Swimming in some areas where there are large numbers of cattle or wildlife is not advised as there is a risk of bilharzia. Such areas are generally well posted with cautionary signs.
SAFETY
When self driving in Southern Africa, please bear in mind that the standards of driving are not as high as the average road user in places like Europe, Britain and North America. The roads are generally good and well marked, but one must drive defensively, always anticipating the worst from your fellow road users. It is advisable to carry cash (of the local currency) with you as there are toll gates on certain national roads where you will need to pay a fee. DO NOT try to bribe a traffic official in the event you are stopped for a speeding fine or anything of the sort.
While crime has been a much reported evil of certain areas in Southern Africa, particularly the big cities. We have had no problems of this nature happen to any of our clients. The hotels we suggest are in good areas and you are invariably out of the "rough" city centres. However we do urge guests to exercise the same common sense they would whilst in any other big city of the world, and not to openly display cash and valuables whilst out on the street. If you will be self driving in a section of your itinerary, don't pick up any hitch hikers, or stop near informal settlements (shanty towns), unless you are with a guide who will have good local knowledge. Western Cape Towns A - Z Atlantic Seaboard
Cape Town’s most fashionable location and her own Gold Coast, the suburbs of the Atlantic Seaboard, include some of the most expensive real estate in Africa. It’s a lively, trendy part of the city where the beauty of the surroundings is matched only by the beauty of the people. It’s an ideal holiday destination with astonishingly white and sandy beaches edging the soaring Twelve Apostles (the buttresses of Table Mountain) – and it’s only minutes away from all the attractions of the V&A Waterfront, the City Centre, Hout Bay and the Northern Suburbs.
For a quick tour of the Atlantic Seaboard, follow the M6 – a scenic coastal drive between Granger Bay and Hout Bay that traverses West Coast. The West Coast offers some of the greatest of small town South Africa. This is a region that needs to be savoured, slowly, and therefore road trips along the West Coast are a firm favourite with locals and international visitors. Not only does the area offer some of the most beautiful scenery in the world – mountains, oceans and views that go on forever, this coast is also a haven for the finest South African hospitality. The West Coast National Park (close to Langebaan) is where 50 000 migratory birds can be seen in the summer, and at Bird Island at Lamberts Bay, an unobtrusive viewing platform affords close-ups of a jam-packed breeding site. The national park also contains 40% of the earth’s remaining strandveld fynbos, while the West Coast at large really blooms in the spring months of August – October, even the roadsides bursting forth with lilies, vygies and daisies. Endemic Clanwilliam ceder and snowball protea can be sighted in the Cederberg Wilderness Area, which also claims unusual rock formations and well-known hiking trails. The West Coast has two official wine routes, the Swartland Wine Route and the Olifants River Wine Region. West Coast seas also produce a bounty of quality seafood and line fish to accompany the fruit of the vine and some of the country’s finest restaurants can be found along this coastline. Overberg. An hour east of Cape town `over the mountains’ is the Overberg with a coastline of holiday-friendly beaches, picturesque seaside towns, an ancient lighthouse that has witnessed many a shipwreck (at Cape Agulhus) and a whale route that draws more whales and more watchers each year. Between June and November crowds flock to Hermanus and its surrounds to watch the great mammals court and cavort. In the interior, wheatfields are broken by Morovian mission towns such as Elim and Genadendal, agricultural museums (Grabouw and Swellendam) and a new casino, hotel and spa resort at Caledon. Ecotourists can plan an itinerary around the fynbos route that includes nature reserves and wild flower gardens. The Klein Karoo: One of the most geologically interesting parts of South Africa is the Klein Karoo with its towering mountains and sheer gorges. A geological feature of note is the Cango Caves, a series of caverns and chambers naturally hewn out of limestone, outside of the city of Oudtshoorn. The caves fall in the top ten most visited South African attractions.
Oudtshoorn itself, the heart of the ostrich feather industry when it was at its zenith in the late 1800s/early 1900s, is worth a visit. The grandiose, old feather palaces are still to be seen, while ostrich farms, now involved in the commercial production of meat, leather, eggs and feathers, can be toured, with the possibility of riding an ostrich. The town also hosts an annual music and theatre fest – the Klein Karoo Kunstefees. The Central Karoo: The semi-arid Karoo derives its name from an indigenous word meaning ‘thirstland,” but the starkness this implies is deceptive. Dig a little below the surface and you find fossil-rich terrain, fascinating rock art, ancient stone-age sites, one of the largest varieties of succulents on the planet and star-filled skies to thrill the astronomer, no matter how amateur.
Peaceful Prince Albert at the foot of the spectacular Swartberg Pass makes a convenient base from which to venture out and explore. It’s close to Gamkaskloof or Die Hel (The Hell), once home to an isolated farming community that for a century was accessible only by foot or horseback.
The Karoo National Park, as the largest ecosystem in South Africa, reveals how fauna and flora have adapted to their harsh environment. False Bay. The False Bay coastline ranges from Muizenberg through Kalk Bay and to Simonstown, along the site of a major British naval base. This coast was Cape Town's first fashionable bathing area, particularly because the water here is 5-7 degrees warmer than on the Atlantic Coast. There are several magnificent beaches in the area, such as St James with its brightly colored bathing booths and tidal pool, Fish Hoek and Boulders Beach just beyond Simonstown. Cape Winelands. Just a 45-minute drive from Cape Town and you’re in the mountains and valleys of the Winelands – all gracious gabled Cape Dutch homesteads, cask-lined cellars, oak-treed towns and ultra fine restaurants. The towns of Stellenbosch, Franschoek and Paarl are delightful and beg to be explored and savoured….like a good wine, very slowly. There’s quite of choice of routes to amble leisurely along, calling in at historical homes, partaking in the ceremony of wine-tasting and sampling traditional fare such as bobotie and waterblommetjie stew. Breede River Valley. Some 15 attractive small towns have the good fortune to nestle in the fertile Breede River Valley, wall-to-wall in orchards and vineyards. There’s Ceres, aptly named for the Roman goddess of fertility; Tulbagh with 32 historical buildings making for the largest concentration of national monuments in the country; Montagu, home of hot mineral springs famed for curative powers; Worcester and Robertson known for their noble vintages. Attractions in the valley include one of the largest brandy distilleries in the world (KWV Brandy Cellar), game reserves, tribal art and museums (try Kleinplasie Living Open Air Museum which revives early settler days with demonstrations of candle making, sheep shearing and harvesting). Activities to sample include hiking, and mountain biking. Atlantic Seaboard It has long been a world favorite because of the sandy beaches and the close proximity to all the major tourist attractions. Use the buttons on the left to select your area. The cosmopolitan beachfront is vibrant throughout the year and people throng the pavement cafes and restaurants enjoying the ambience. All the attractions of Cape Town are close at hand; the V & A Waterfront, the Table Mountain cableway and the City centre. |
