| If you have have ever traveled to Africa and | | | | winelands consist of very fertile and beautiful |
| visited some of its main cities, you will easily | | | | valleys planted with large vine fields. The green of |
| agree with other Africa travel enthusiasts that | | | | the valleys and the beauty of the surrounding |
| Cape Town is indeed the greatest of all African | | | | mountains give the Cape Winelands a very |
| cities. On the contrary, if you have never visited | | | | romantic aura, the kind that is hard to describe |
| the city before, you may think all these | | | | with words. Most of the best South African |
| descriptions you read about it's beauty are a bit | | | | brandy and wines are produced from these vines. |
| exaggerated. Several travelers who have been | | | | Though the winelands are not really within the city |
| there claim to fall in love with the city on their | | | | itself, they are only a few minutes to one-hour |
| first visit, almost to the extent of being seduced | | | | drive away. There are a number of smaller towns |
| to stay forever. | | | | and villages in the Cape Winelands, with |
| Table Mountain | | | | Stellenbosch being the most renowned. |
| Nature endowed Cape Town with many splendid | | | | Robben Island |
| gifts, the most outstanding of which is the Table | | | | One other great attraction that you will find near |
| Mountain. Towering right behind the city at 1086m | | | | Cape Town is the infamous Robben Island. This is |
| above sea level, the Table Mountain is the pride of | | | | the Island mostly remembered as the prison |
| Capetonians, so much that they consider it the | | | | Island where Nelson Mandela spent about 18 of his |
| "spirit of the city". Without this flat-topped | | | | 27 years prison term. From the V&A Waterfront, |
| mountain, much of the city's splendour would be | | | | Robben Island is only about 12 kilometers away, a |
| gone. | | | | trip of roughly 40 minutes by boat. In fact, Cape |
| For starters, Table Mountain forms the | | | | Town and the Table Mountain are seen clearly and |
| ever-present gorgeous backdrop that makes | | | | perhaps more beautifully from Robben Island. The |
| Cape Town a photographers' paradise. But | | | | Island is today an important icon of South Africa's |
| beyond that, the mountain is at the center of | | | | struggle against apartheid, with the former prison |
| most travel activities in in the city. Lovers of | | | | having been made a museum. Robben Island is |
| adventure have a great time trekking in the | | | | also a UNESCO world heritage site. |
| many world class hiking routes up and on top of | | | | Other Attractions |
| the mountain. If you enjoy mountain climbing and | | | | By many other merits, Cape Town is a lovely |
| mountaineering, Table mountain has several | | | | city. For the business and luxury traveler, the city |
| reasonably challenging abseiling crags you may be | | | | boasts of having some of the best golf courses |
| interested in. And when you don't want to break | | | | and tourist resorts and lodges in Africa, and |
| a sweat, you can ride on a cable car to the top | | | | indeed in the world. You can still go on an amazing |
| of the mountain and enjoy the great scenery | | | | African safari from here. The nearby Solole Game |
| below. | | | | Reserve for example is one good destination for |
| Cape Town Beaches | | | | wildlife safaris. Adventure travel in Africa cannot |
| Besides the Table Mountain, the beaches near and | | | | be any better than in this great African city, what |
| around Cape Town are another major attraction. | | | | with shark-cage diving, lots of other water sports |
| Two oceans meet at the cape peninsula: the cool | | | | activities, mountain climbing, and great trekking |
| Atlantic Ocean and the warmer Indian Ocean. The | | | | trails in Table mountain. |
| result is two different, but equally fascinating | | | | Culturally, Cape Town is as interesting as it can |
| styles of beaches. Many fashionable travelers | | | | ever get. Capetonians are some of the friendliest |
| prefer the beaches on the western side of the | | | | and most fun-loving people in Africa. The city has |
| peninsula, i.e. the cooler Atlantic Ocean side. This is | | | | a lot to offer in the form of music and |
| mostly because these beaches enjoy longer hours | | | | entertainment, art and craft, and great night-life. |
| of sunshine and do not experience the sometimes | | | | The Cape Town carnival (to be launched on March |
| irritating "Cape Doctor" wind. The Atlantic | | | | 18 2010) and the annual Cape Town Jazz Festival |
| Seaboard is arguable most popular of these | | | | are just some of the activities that indicate that |
| beaches. Its a long stretches from V&A | | | | the city is full of life. If you have not traveled to |
| waterfront in Cape Town to Hout Bay. | | | | Cape Town before, you should consider taking |
| The Winelands | | | | that trip today, and I assure you, it will be an |
| The famous Cape Winelands are yet another | | | | unforgettable experience. |
| reason you should visit this great metropolis. The | | | | |