Arts & Crafts Cape Point Cape Town-Fun City Cultural Entertainment Getting Around History Kirstenbosch Nightlife Outdoor & Adventure Robben Island Table Mountain Wine Routes
Wining & Dining

Cape Town, South Africa, is one of the finest cities in the world. The impressive Table Mountain stands majestically behind the city centre which looks north out to see beyond the port. Although dotted with many new buildings, a lot of the architecture of the last three hundred years has been preserved and restored with pride. All roads north out of the central area lead to the V&A Waterfront (view photo), a state of the art waterfront residential and shopping area built around a working harbour - a major attraction for both visitors and locals. The beach road from the Waterfront takes one west to the Atlantic Seaboard areas. Passing Sea Point and Fresnaye to Clifton and Camps Bay which is a holidaymakers paradise. Here one finds beautiful white beaches overlooked by many apartment buildings, fine Cape Town villas and luxurious homes. World-class restaurants are in abundance and the atmosphere of Clifton and Camps Bay in summer resonates leisure, activity and millionaire lifestyle. The sunsets are sublime whether watched from a pavement café sipping cocktails, strolling on the promenade or lying in a hammock on the balcony of a luxury vacation rental apartment. The views from most Camps Bay and Clifton homes are awesome with sea views as well as views of the Twelve Apostles mountains. Continuing along the coast one passes the seaside residential areas of Bakoven, Oudekraal and Llandudno, arriving in Hout Bay, a sprawling residential area with beautiful beaches and a working fishing harbour. The winding mountainside road around Chapman's Peak (soon to be re-opened) is the most scenic drive in the world – a famous location of many well-known movies.

To the north of Cape Town lie the mountainous country towns of Stellenbosch, Franschhoek and Paarl where the prestigious vineyards of the Cape are to be found. A pleasant day can be spent visiting several farms where the restaurants are superb and one can taste the wines and place orders for fine wines to be shipped back home.

The southern coast line takes a winding drive to the Cape Point nature reserve, along the way passing English-style seaside towns of Muizenberg, St James, Kalk Bay, Fish Hoek and Simons Town, the naval harbour. This coastline also has homes covering the mountainside offering exquisite views of the ocean. Kalk Bay is a colourful fishing harbour with a main street offering many pavement cafes, antique and décor shops and some good restaurants.

A helicopter flip or harbour cruise allows visitors to experience the Cape as seen by its early pioneers arriving by ship. Majestic mountains dissolving into clear blue ocean and pristine white beaches with the stunning spectacle of Table Mountain in the distance.

Attractions
Table Mountain

Castle of Good Hope – Darling Street

Company's Gardens
Between Government Avenue and Queen Victoria Street

Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens
Rhodes Drive, Newlands, 7735 Cape Town
Tel: +27 21 762 1166

Mitchell's Waterfront Brewery
Dock Road, Waterfont, Cape Town
Tel: +27 21 419 5074

Rhodes Memorial
Off Rhodes Drive, Rondebosch, Cape Town
Tel: +27 21 689 9151

Simon's Town
On the M4 25 miles south of Cape Town

South African Cultural History Museum
49 Adderley Street, Cape Town
Tel: +27 21 461 8280

South African National Gallery
Government Avenue, 8000 Cape Town
Tel: +27 21 451 628

Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve (Cape Point)
7995 Cape Town, (Take the M65 or M4 south from Cape Town

Robben Island Museum
11 kilometres off Cape Town in Table Bay
Tel: +27 21 411 1006

Facts
Cape Town Population – 3,092,000 (Source: UN Population Division 2000 estimate).
South Africa Population – 46,257,000 (Source: UN Population Division 2000 estimate).
Currency – South African Rand (ZAR).
Time Zone – 2 hours from GMT, 7 hours from Eastern Standard Time and 10 hours from Pacific Standard Time.
Language – English, Afrikaans and assorted African languages, predominantly Xhosa.

Climate
Situated between the Indian and Atlantic Oceans, Cape Town enjoys mild winters and pleasantly hot summers. Summer temperatures in December to February range from around 15 to 30 degrees Celsius (60 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit), whilst in the winter months of June to August average temperatures are between 7 to 20 degrees Celsius (45 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit). Rain falls predominantly in the winter months although there are many fine sunny days to be enjoyed. In Spring and Summer the cooling breezes of the South East can become quite strong, however many areas are completely wind free.

Value Added Tax
14% VAT (Value Added Tax or sales tax) is included in the marked price of most goods and services in South Africa. Visitors can claim back VAT can be claimed back on items with a total value exceeding R250 on production of a Tax Invoice (ask for one when you shop). Claims are processed at the VAT office at the Airport, or in Cape Town at the kiosks at the V&A Waterfront Shopping Centre.
Commercial service companies charge VAT on the few areas of a budget that they cannot claim back, or alternatively they charge VAT on the entire production and refund the client on receipt of the repayment from the VAT office after they have submitted their claim.

Health
Travellers from the USA, Britain and Europe do not require any vaccinations. First-world hospitals and medical facilities are available in all South African towns and emergency services are on-hand to fly visitors to local private hospitals if necessary. Travel health insurance is recommended. Visit http://www.travelclinic.co.za/ or chat to your local production company. Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg and Windhoek are malaria free.

Accommodation
There is a huge variety of accommodation on offer in Cape Town. Contact Us to find out about our self-catering, luxury vacation rentals and accommodation for holiday makers, corporates and film crews.