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Introduction
Possibly the area most familiar to visitors to South Africa, the Western and Eastern Capes are rich tapestry of
agriculture, scenic routes, fascinating small towns, wonderful beaches, mountains, winelands and wide open spaces.
At the western extreme sits the "Mother City" of Cape Town, a rich blend of cultures, colour and sound.
The oldest city in South Africa, it mixes the historic with high tech and is without doubt one of the most attractive
cities in the world. Around Cape Town are magnificent mountains overlooking fertile valleys full of fruit trees
and vineyards. East of the Winelands, the Garden Route follows a beautiful coastline with sandy beaches, luscious
forests and many activities to attract the visitor. The eastern Cape is a varied area with Port Elizabeth at its
heart - an ideal base to explore an area of malaria-free game parks, rugged wilderness, the Tsitsikamma National
Park or the historic Rhodes University town of Grahamstown. Truly a region of exciting contrasts. |
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Cape Town
The city lies on a small peninsula at the southern tip of Africa (and much to
everyone's surprise actually faces North!!). Its cosmopolitan atmosphere is the result of a unique blend of cultures
including Dutch, English, Cape Malay, Indian and, of course, African. Its most famous landmark, Table Mountain
dominates the city, even when covered by its famous 'table cloth' cloud. You may be lucky enough to take the cable
car to the top on a clear day when the views are spectacular! There are excellent museums and art galleries to
be visited, often housed in beautiful historic buildings of which the Castle and City Hall are superb examples.
The Government Buildings set in an attractive park make a very pleasant 'wander'. The many open markets and informal
stalls full of life and colour (and usually music) are great attractions but the main visitor shopping/eating experience
has to be the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront where you can stroll through the shopping area - full of craft markets,
small boutiques and a huge shopping mall- and enjoy a good meal at one of the many waterside restaurants while
watching the daily working of the harbour. From here a boat trip to Robben Island where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned
is a must. A Cape Peninsular tour south from the city should include Chapman's Peak Drive - a scenic route that
took 7 years to build and is cut into the cliff face. The end of the peninsula, Cape Point, affords fantastic views
of False Bay and the Hottentots Holland Mountains. Simonstown and Boulders Beach - famous for its colony of Jackass
penguins (now called African Penguins) are an essential stopping off point on a peninsular visit. |
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Kirstenbosch
The Botanical Gardens at Kirstenbosch (Cape Town) are world famous and specialise in preserving and propagating
rare indigenous plant species. The gardens cover 2 square miles but only 7% of it is cultivated - the remainder
is covered by natural fynbos and forest - it is spectacular from August to October when Spring Daisies and Gazanias
are in flower. Having said that, there is always something of interest to the gardener/botanist as each season
has its own 'stars', including agapanthus, proteas, aloes, numerous cacti and huge ranges of fynbos (fine bush)
plants and flowers. |
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The Winelands
The appeal of the winelands is not just to sample several hundred different wines!. The towns of Stellenbosch,
Franschoek and Paarl are some of the oldest in South Africa. Their streets contain many fine examples of Cape Dutch
and Georgian houses but the real architectural gems are the manor houses on the wine estates - usually beautifully
restored and maintained and often used as wine tasting rooms. The towns of Worcester, Montagu and Robertson, centred
in the Breede River Valley are approached through majestic mountain passes. There are a great number of wine cellars
where tasting is possible throughout the week - sometimes a small fee is charged and many offer cellar tours too.
A few can only be visited by appointment and many are closed on Sunday so phoning ahead may be advisable. There
is such an abundance of good wine produced that giving guidelines on which vineyards to visit seems too limiting.
Our advice would be - go and taste and if you like it buy a bottle or two!! (It is very acceptable to take your
own wine to a restaurant where a small corkage fee may be charged so you can enjoy the wine you buy at the vineyards)
If you do not have your own transport there are tours which visit various vineyards for wine tasting starting in
Stellenbosch and Cape Town. |
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West Coast
For many years the West Coast was rarely visited by overseas visitors. Most people tended to arrive in Cape Town
and then head straight for the Winelands and the Garden Route along the south coast. However, the attraction of
this part of the country is now being appreciated by a growing number of visitors. The beauty of the desert, the
annual stunning displays of wild flowers in Namaqualand, along with the contorted rocks of the Cedarberg, the flourishing
fishing industry of the Atlantic coast and the vast orchards of fruit make this area one of the most varied and
exciting to explore. Malmesbury is at the heart of the South African wheatland and its skyline is dominated by
grain sylos. Along the west coast many open-air seafood eating places(skerms) have sprung up where superb fish,
lobster and the like can be enjoyed. Beaches, lagoons and bird life are found in abundance. The rock formations
of the cedarberg are in an area of some of the best hiking country in South africa. Here one can interact with
some of the last remaining Bushman families and you may be lucky enough to be taken on a bush walk by one of them
to see examples of ancient wall paintings. |
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Garden Route
Backed by the Outeniqua, Tsitsikamma and Langkloof mountain ranges, the Garden Route stretches from Mossel Bay
in the West almost to Port Elizabeth in the East. Of special interest along the route are the forest walks, scenic
drives and beautiful coastline. The birdlife in the area is spectacular. Knysna alone has recorded 230 different
species (most famous of which is the Knysna Lourie). Along the route are many places worth a detour - Mossel Bay
with its Bartolomeu Dias museum, a full sized replica of his ship and the Post Office Tree; George with its challenging
27 hole golf course; Wilderness - an area of salt and fresh water lakes and beautiful white sandy beaches; and
of course Knysna where a boat trip out through the "Heads" is a must, and Plettenberg Bay known as the
playground of the wealthy. All of these towns have much to explore and depending upon your own interests you will
discover something new in each of them. The Outeniqua Choo-Tjoi (narrow gauge steam railway) runs between George
and Knysna, through gum tree plantations alongside the ocean. Sometimes a diesel engine is substituted if there
is a risk of bush fires but if you are lucky enough to have the steam engine you can enjoy a really nostalgic ride,
even includes sooty steam! The "Garden" of the route is the indigenous forest and lush vegetation so
different from the more arid interior on the other side of the mountains. Only about 20Km of the 200Km route is
still populated by indigenous trees as many fast growing exotic species such as slash pine, Monterey pine and gum
trees have been planted to feed the timber and paper pulp industries. |
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Oudtshoorn
One of the warmest places in South Africa - temperatures in January and February are often above 40 degrees centigrade.
Its main claim to fame is its reputation as the Ostrich capital of the country. Ostrich products include eggs,
meat and leather. There are a number of show farms in the town and surrounding area where visitors can see the
various stages of ostrich rearing and even ride an ostrich or watch jockeys racing the birds. There are some Bed
& Breakfast ostrich farms where guests can have a more private insight into the life of an ostrich farmer.
Only 30Km north of Oudtshoorn are the Cango caves deep in the foothills of the Swartberg mountains. An hour long
tour of Cango 1's first six chambers is not too physically demanding but for the really fit, a one and a half hour
long tour is available - with 416 steps! The caves contain spectacular dripstone formations in the 762 meter long
walk. Cango 2 and 3 are not open to the public in order to preserve the delicate crystals but a splendid film of
them can be seen at the Visitors' Centre. |
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Little Karoo
The semi-desert of the Klein Karoo continues west from Oudtshoorn and is linked to the coast by a number of dramatic
mountain passes - the stunning, winding road through Meiringspoort to De Rust and for the more adventurous, the
challenging Swartberg Pass offers spectacular scenery. The delightful Victorian hamlet of Prince Albert seems suspended
in a time warp of rural peaceful charm. The villages of the Klein Karoo are few and far between but each has its
own charm. Calitzdorp, famous for its port and wine, still retains many original buildings dating from the early
1800s. Barrydale with its acres of apricot, peach, mango and pear orchards is the centre of a huge dried fruit
industry and you may be lucky enough to see trays of fruit out in the hot sun drying naturally. Between the patches
of irrigated green, the Klein Karoo is a dry, arid bush area but its geography is dramatic - surrounded as it is
by huge mountain ranges. |
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Port Elizabeth
Now a major port and industrial centre, it is the fifth largest city in South Africa. It is surprisingly quiet
and peaceful for such a busy city. The warm water of Algoa Bay offers numerous water sports opportunities. Known
as "The Friendly City", Port Elizabeth has a host of well preserved historic buildings, many of them
in the Donkin Reserve - a public park situated on a hillside overlooking the city. City Hall, the Camponile and
Fort Frederick are all within walking distance of the park. The Museum Complex and Bayworld includes a snake park
and tropical house as well as displays of the Xhosa people and exhibits of the marine history of the area. Only
a short drive from Port Elizabeth is the world famous Addo Elephant Park. 232 square miles of reserve where you
can watch large numbers of elephants either from your own vehicle or on a guided park tour. Among many other game
animals in the reserve are black rhino, buffalo, kudu, impala and eland. The private Shamwari Game Reserve is also
within easy reach of Port Elizabeth. Here the Big 5 can be seen - twice daily game viewing drives are available
- pre-booking is essential. The park also houses the Born Free Lion rescue centre and a cultural native "village"
where regular events illustrate the Koi and Xhosa traditions and customs. |
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Grahamstown
The town of Grahamstown, home of Rhodes University, is only 80Km from Port Elizabeth and well worth a detour or
even a short stay.. The town was originally settled by 4,500 British families who were enticed to the farm lands
of the area with promises of a better life. However, the majority had no aptitude for farming and so returned to
their original trades - blacksmiths, carpenters, millers and gunsmiths. The resulting attractive buildings are
still much in evidence today, set in wide streets (where an eight-team ox wagon could have been turned round!)
the University buildings include the J.L.B.Smith Institute of Ichthyology where two coelacanths are displayed.
Visitors interested in African Music should visit the International Library of African Music. |
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