Cape Town is a large and vibrant city where youll be sure to have the time of your life.
Bloubergstrand For the most beautiful view of Table Mountain you must go to the Cape Town suburb Bloubergstrand. Many of the typical picture postcard photos of Table Mountain are probably taken from the beach at Bloubergstrand. Well worth the 20 minute drive north.
Table Mountain The first thing that springs to mind when thinking of Cape Town is perhaps Table Mountain. This remarkable lump of rock right in the middle of town is hard to miss. There are several myths connected with Table Mountain. For example, legend tells of an old pirate, Jan van Hunks, who after ritiring spent most of his time smoking his pipe outside his house on Devils peak. One night a mysterious stranger came up to him and asked for some tobacco. After bragging a bit about their pipe smoking talents, they started a smoking contest thet lasted for four days. Van Hunks eventually beat the stranger. Unfortunately, that stranger turned out to be the devil, and they both dissapeared in a puff of smoke. The thick layer of smoke left over from their contest still covers Table Mountain on a regular basis and is called the Table Cloth.
The best way to get a great view over Cape Town and its surroundings is to climb Table Mountain. There is an easy way and a harder way to do this. The easy way is to take the cable lift up. Its relatively fast, and sweat free.
If you want a phisical challange as well as a good view, you can take one of the hiking tracks up the mountain. They can be found in several places, one of them right behind the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens. Its a pretty steep climb, but the path is very clear, and you wont easily get lost. Because its so steep you will have a beautifull view of the city and the sea for most of the way up. Depending on how fit you are, its a 1-2 hour climb. On top of Table Mountain, you can enjoy a cold drink from the bar, look at the klipdassies (hyraxes, small rodents) and take in the view.
Kistenbosch Botanical Gardens Kirstenbosch is a must-see for every plant-enthusiastic. It specializes on the indigenous flora of the Cape area. The Gardes consist of a large estate covered in the typical fynbos, a mixture of smaller shrubs and flowering plants, and a cultivated area, with theme gardens. These include:
A water-wise garden, that demonstrates how to create a garden in need of far less water and maintenance than conventional gardens, no luxury during the dry African summer.
A fragrance garden, with a selection of specially fragrant plants, and plants with special textures.
A medicinal garden, demonstrating the medicinal qualities of the plants of South Africa.
A protea garden, displaying many varieties of South Africas national bush. This part of the Garden is most magnificent in winter and spring, when the proteas, conebushes and serrurias are in flower.
In the conservatory you can find plants that cannot be grown outdoors in the Cape area. Plants that require dry desert air, cold mountain air, or a damp and shady atmosphere are grown here. The main attraction is a medium sized baobab tree (well, medium sized for a baobab).
The Kirstenbosch Gardens are open every day of the year. Special tours can be taken, theme walks, and guided tours.
Entrance fee R15 for adults and R5 for scholars. Botanical Society members have free entry and senior citizens have free entry on Tuesdays. Address: Rhodes Drive, Newlands
Opening Hours: daily from 08:00 - 19:00 (September -March) or from 08:00 - 18:00 (April - August)
