Bookstore
Available as paperback
and as e-book.
Cape Town Attractions
From ascending its famous flat-topped mountain to indulging in the sybaritic pleasures of the Winelands, Cape Town has much to offer sightseers. You could cover the top attractions in 3 days, but to really get a sense of how much the city and surrounds have to offer, you'll need to stay at least a week.
Big 5 in 1 Day -- Those unable to go on a proper safari can still see the Big 5 on a day-long safari (or longer stay) at Aquila Private Game Reserve (tel. 021/431-8400; www.aquilasafari.com; near Touws River), which is less than 2 hours from the city. The lions are in a separate area, so this is not comparable with safaris east and north, but at least you're guaranteed to see them. There are game drives (or horseback safaris), and the 4,500-hectare (11,120-acre) reserve does have some attractive, thatched premier chalets. They're not cheap, starting at R6,080 for a double, but there are standard cottages available for half that price. Day trips cost from R1,220 per person.
13 Results
- Landmark
Boulders
A few minutes from the center of Simons Town, on the way to Cape Point, is the turnoff to pretty Boulders (signposted PENGUIN VIEWING), named after a cluster of large granite boulders that form a number of small sheltered bays, providing sanctuary for a breeding colony of African… - Zoo/Aquarium
Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve
Best known for Cape Point, the farthest tip of the Cape Peninsula, this is an unequivocally striking slither of protected reserve that horns its way into the ocean. Various scenic drives and picnic sites put you in the midst of a fabulous terrain that's home to baboons, zebras,… - Landmark
Castle of Good Hope
Built between 1666 and 1679, the castle -- really a pentagonal fortress typical of the Dutch defense system adopted in the early 17th century -- is the oldest surviving building in South Africa and marks the original shoreline. Once the hub of civilian and administrative life, the… - Museum
District Six Museum
After touring historic Bo-Kaap, a predominantly Muslim quarter of cobbled streets and brightly hued Georgian-era houses on the slopes of Signal Hill, this compact museum is one of the best places to get some sense of the unsettling racially divided history of South Africa's oldest…$The Fringe/City Center
- Attraction
Groot Constantia
Established in 1685 by the then governor of the Cape, Simon van der Stel, this wine estate's globally renowned dessert vintages were enjoyed by Napoleon, Bismarck, and Jane Austen. Vine-killing disease put paid to the farm right up until 1975, when the vineyards were replanted for…$Constantia - Museum
Iziko South African National Gallery
This small but illuminating state-owned gallery is arguably the most important art repository in the country despite its limited physical dimensions. Only a small portion of the 8,000-strong collection is displayed at any one time. To make up for the lack of space, there's an…$City Centre - Park/Garden
Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden
Established in 1913, Africa's most beautiful garden spread is filled with indigenous wonder—7,000 plant species, many of them rare or threatened. A showcase for prolific members of the Cape Floral Kingdom, the gardens are part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and superbly laid…$Newlands - Landmark
Rhodes Memorial
Designed by Herbert Baker and Francis Macey, this monument -- inspired by a Greek temple -- was erected in honor of Cecil John Rhodes, the man who, incidentally, donated the land for Kirstenbosch Gardens in 1902. Rhodes made his fortune in the Kimberley diamond mines and became prime… - Museum
Robben Island Museum
While Robben Island remains an iconic reminder of South Africa's complex history, visits to the prison are not always as satisfactory as one might hope. This was where the late Nelson Mandela spent 18 of his 27 years of imprisonment, but aside from the heart-wrenching moment when you…$$$V&A Waterfront - Natural Attraction
Table Mountain
This huge, time-sculpted slab of shale, sandstone, and granite that rose from the ocean some 250 million years ago is Cape Town's most instantly recognizable feature. A candidate for selection as one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature (www.n7w.com), the flat-topped mountain dominates the… - Attraction
The Old Biscuit Mill
Neighbourgoods Market spawned a revolution when it launched, revitalizing Woodstock, once a written-off, near-forgotten part of the city. Lodged in The Old Biscuit Mill, a Victorian-era factory, today the jam-packed market is one of Cape Town's hallowed…$$Woodstock/Salt River - Historic Site
The Slave Lodge
Built in 1679 to house the Dutch East India Company's slaves, this building is just meters away from the very spot where people were once inspected by potential buyers before sold off to the highest bidders. Slated to become a world-class memory bank that honors the slaves who have… - Zoo/Aquarium
Two Oceans Aquarium
This is by far the most exciting attraction at the Waterfront itself. From the brightly hued fish found on coral reefs to exhilarating encounters with ragged tooth sharks, more than 3,000 live specimens are literally inches from your nose. Besides the Indian and Atlantic underwater…
Cape Town Shopping
Greenmarket Square within the city centre sells hand-crafted African gifts, including wooden masks and near life-size wildlife. The quaint Bo-Kaap area specialises in local beadwork, while the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront mixes classic with cutting-edge international retailers. Shop all day at Canal Walk, Africa's biggest mall, or go window-shopping at Platandia, one of Cape Town's most exclusive diamond shops. On Saturday most street shops close at lunchtime.
Cape Town Nightlife
See and be seen on the trendy terrace at Sand Bar in Camps Bay or at Asoka on Kloof Street. Greenpoint thrives with straight and gay late-night venues and a party atmosphere. Visit the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront for early evening art performances before hitting the dance floors in Zonnebloem and Gardens, where clubs liven up from 11pm. Cabaret, jazz and live bands perform in the city centre. Weekend-loving Capetonians treat Wednesday nights as mini-Fridays.
9 Results
- Bars & Pubs
&Union
Experience a true Cape Town trendsetter—a sleek beer and charcuterie establishment tucked into the belly of a grand old church. When owners Brad Armitage and Rui Esteves (the same guys who way back when kick-started South Africa's coffee culture uprising) began their craft beer…$$City Center - Bars & Pubs
Black Ram/The Power and the Glory
The kind of neighborhood bar where everybody knows your name (provided you're a regular), the Black Ram was started because owner Adam Whiteman claims he lost track of the amount of money he was spending funding his friends' drinking habits at his own home. So he moved his own…$Tamboerskloof - Dance Clubs
Fiction
On virtually any given night, the upper stretch of Long Street is laced with pubs, bars, and other places to lose yourself in a sweaty mob. The choice is relentless in its diversity, and can also feel overwhelming, particularly since there are quite a few dogs with zero personality…$City Centre - Coffee Houses
House of Machines
Some nights House of Machines is a glorious neighborhood-atmosphere bar crammed with hipsters and their tattooed friends. By day, however, it operates as one of Cape Town's most tantalizing cafés, with first-rate Brooklyn-style coffee from Cape Town's own Evil Twin. An uncomplicated…$$City Centre - Coffee Houses
Loading Bay
Attention to detail extends to everything in this impeccably designed corner of sociability, tucked away on De Waterkant's Hudson Street. Coffee is blended and roasted by Espressolab in Woodstock, and only the finest local and sustainable ingredients go into…$$De Waterkant - Bars & Pubs
Mzoli's
The very best time to hit this township shis nyama (literally "burn meat") joint is on a Sunday afternoon, since this is when you're most likely to see a broad cross-section of real Capetonians (along with tourists). Mzoli's provides the opportunity to sample a side of South African…$Gugulethu - Bars & Pubs
Orphanage
Done up as a bit of a tribute to Victorian times, Orphanage Cocktail Emporium does brain-zapping mixed drinks that keep to the theme. Shoot an Artful Dodger (tequila, elderflower, and grapefruit), but beware Raines Law (citrus-infused and pear-flavored vodkas with assorted fruit…$$City Centre - Performing Arts Venue
The Fugard
Occupying the historic Sacks Futeran building in the former neighborhood of District Six, entrance to this beautiful, privately owned theater is via the façade of a restored Gothic-style church hall. Named for a living icon of South African theater (Tony Award-winning…$$Fringe District - Bars & Pubs
Tjing Tjing
A sublime renovation has turned the loft-like space beneath the wooden rafters of an early 19th-century house into one of the most attractive bars in Cape Town. This is a sexy hangout for the after-work crowd, with every cool grownup in town trying to get in on the weekends. Styled…$$City Centre
