Cape Escape
On the edge of the world
"Look, Ma, top of the world", you feel like shouting, Jimmy Cagney style, as you stand at the Cape of Good Hope, the most south-western point on the African continent. Stunning scenery and the eerie feeling of isolation, apart from the sneaky baboons who try to pick anything moveable from your person, make for a memorable visit. Okay it's not actually the most south-western point of the continent nor the point where Atlantic and Indian oceans meet – that honour belongs to L'Agulhas – but it really does feel like you're on the edge of the world. And there are plenty of photo opportunities to prove you've been there. Don't forget a good windcheater, as the elements can be strong.
www.capepoint.co.za
Keep on trackin
There are two ways to tackle Table Mountain on foot – the hard way and the …eh, not-so-hard way. By way of Platteklip Gorge, you need to be fairly fit but not necessarily a rock-climber. The well-maintained trail starts about 1.5km past the lower cable-car station. Pack water and a snack and take your time. It's about two hours to the top. Lion's Head is the easier option and ideally suited for young and old alike, with only a little bit of a scramble near the summit. As the path winds around Table Mountain, you get breathtaking views back towards Clifton and Camps Bay, and over the Mother City itself.
www.tablemountain.net
Lunch with Rosie
The fishing boat meanders into the harbour with its catch of the day and you know you are in the right place for lunch. Kalk Bay offers so much character: it is shabby, it is eccentric, with its rows of pastel villas overlooking the chugging train and the ebb and flow of choppy waters. Kalk Bay is also home to Rosie the Seal and if you're lucky enough to arrive as the boats do you will likely see trawler men dangle a fishtail, beckoning Rosie to the surface. Rosie is married to Robbie and they have two kids – Kosie and Dosie. Kalk Bay has become perhaps the best centre of antique, art and bric-a-brac shops with many outstanding restaurants who, with excellent food, maintain the unique and special character of this historic harbour village. At Kalky's chipper, enough fresh fish and chips for two will set you back about €2 (R28).
www.kalkbay.org
Peaks and Chapman
Convicts from nearby Robben Island were used to dig out, from the mountain's rock face, Chapman's Peak Drive which runs between Noordhoek and Hout Bay. This drive is one of the most spectacular marine drives anywhere in the world. The 9km route, with its 114 curves, skirts the rocky coastline of Chapman's Peak, the 593m high southerly extension of Constantia Berg. The drive offers stunning 180° views with many areas along the route where you can stop and take in the scenery or sit down for a relaxing picnic. The view from each of the curves and the sheer drop-offs is astounding.
www.chapmanspeakdrive.co.za
Hout Cuisine
Speaking of which, Hout Bay almost seems bursting at the seams as shacks and mansions in equal measure climb ever higher up the mountain slopes. But most of the action happens down at the harbour where curio sellers, street artists and carnival dancers compete for your attention. Hout Bay Manor, built in 1871, is the perfect resting place for your journey. Each of the restored hotel's distinctive 21 rooms has been individually designed with en-suite bathrooms, many with free-standing baths, wooden floors and decorative chandeliers.
The Sotho, for instance, features double rooms with an exotic private garden terrace and a refreshing alfresco shower. Bask in the mountain views upstairs in The Xhosa, beautifully crafted double rooms, or The Zulu, with its picturesque views of the exquisite gardens and sparkling pool. The food in its restaurant – 'Pure', set amidst a tranquil palette of creams, whites, marble and fine art – is beyond a gourmet's wish-list. Try cinnamon smoked raw tuna with avocado, Wasabi ice-cream and horseradish sauce for Starters! And pan-fried springbok with sweet potato nut crust, beans and fig-chilli jam or guinea fowl breast with chicken liver-apple crumble and sugar peas for Mains. Five courses with wine will set you back R465, about €35, a head. Leaves the renowned Cape Grace and the Nelson well and truly in the hal'penny place.
www.houtbaymanor.co.za
Shop till you drop
For the foreign tourist, shopping in Cape Town is relatively inexpensive due to the favourable exchange rate and comparatively low production costs. Jewellery is particularly inexpensive and, as many of South Africa's most talented goldsmiths and jewellery designers live in Cape Town, shopping for their sought-after creations will delight those looking for serious bling. Check out Juliana's one-off pieces at her Greenmarket Square stall. Textiles are well priced, in particular leather goods, sports and outdoor wear. The same applies to art works, antiques, books and wine.
For alternative souvenirs check out the African Music store, the African bead centre and the multi-storey Pan African Market on Long Street. The V&A Waterfront is South Africa's most popular shopping destination, offering a diversity of local and international brands that guarantee something for everyone, irrespective of taste or budget. Add to that the V&A Waterfront's sumptuous blend of Victorian architecture, maritime tradition, and African culture, and you'll find a one-of-a-kind shopping environment that is hard to rival.
www.waterfront.co.za
All that jazz
A fusion of American jazz, Totsi influenced, and blended with a heady mix of Malay influence constitutes Cape Town jazz. The Green Dolphin at the V&A is more than a sophisticated waterfront restaurant redolent with the maritime past of a great seaport; it is one of South Africa's few centres devoted seriously to the performance of that finest of all man's melodic creations. The tang of the sea air, the aromas of continental cuisine and the foot tapping thrill of jazz excellently performed percolates right through to the senses. And a couple of Mojitos at its friendly bar is a must.
Robben hoods
From the 17th to the 20th centuries, Robben Island served as a place of banishment, isolation and imprisonment. Rebel princes from present day Indonesia, convicts from the Cape, and defiant chiefs from the Eastern Cape were removed from society and brought to the island in chains. The notorious prison on the Island was also used to exile political prisoners of the apartheid era between the 1960s and 1991, its most famous inmate being the wonderful Nelson Mandela, first president of independent South Africa. Today it is a World Heritage Site and museum, a poignant reminder to the newly democratic South Africa of the price some paid for freedom. Boats for the island depart from the V&A every two hours. Adults pay R180 (€14) and ubnder-18s half-price.
www.robben-island.co.za
Little Bo Kaap
The variety of food on offer at the Cape never ceases to amaze and to tickle the taste-buds with cuisine courted by centuries of Malay and Indonesian influence – through the slave trade – is a must for any discerning foodie. Better still take in a Cooking Safari in the colourful and enchanting area of Bo Kaap where the food is as spicy and as exotic as you can imagine. There's a tour to acquaint you with the area's unique history, before a shop for the meal's ingredients and then lunch or dinner in a local home. Learn to fold samosas, mix massala and blend flavours for the perfect Malay curry. All in, it costs about €30 a head.
www.andulela.com
Travel File
South Africa Airways (SAA) operate daily overnight flights from London Heathrow to Cape Town from about €650.00 return – depending on currency exchange, season and special deals. Check the website for further details and special offers at www.flysaa.com
Slatterys Travel, the Kerry-based tour operators, organise direct Dublin – Cape Town charters up to three times a week depending on season. For prices and further details click on www.slatterys.com or phone their South Africa desk on 1890 200 525.
Cape Town winter is our summer so from the end of May until later September, weather, particularly on the Western Cape, can be cold, wet and windy.
It is advisable to check with your GP regarding what vaccinations you might need
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