Cape Town is a bustling city with enough attractions to keep you going for weeks. Cape Town has every thing, scenic outings to Table Mountain, Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, beaches such as Clifton and Camps Bay, shopping for curios at the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront and so much more. Here are some details about some of the main attractions that Cape Town has to offer. Table Mountain is a good start on any trip to Cape Town; it dominates the skyline and is an absolutely beautiful site that every one who visits the city can't wait to see. The upper part of the mountain consists of Ordovician quartzite sandstone, which is highly resistant to erosion and forms characteristic steep grey crags. Below the sandstone is a layer of basal shale, which erodes easily. The base of the mountain is made up of heavily altered Precambrian Malmesbury shale, as well as Cape Granite. The basement rocks are not as opposed to weathering as the rocky crops you see at the top of the mountain. Table Mountain is home to some 1500 species of plants and fauna, that is more that can be found on the British Isles and so is an essential place for plant lovers to visit. Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens are also great for plant lovers with over 9000 plants grow in the gardens and you can walk through the 528 hectares that make up Kirstenbosch. There are several restaurants and cafes as well as a Garden Centre where you can purchase bulbs, shrubs and souvenirs. Robben Island is the famous prison where Nelson Mandela was held along with alleged political criminals as well as other criminals. The Island offers a boat trip and bus tour of the Island, which provides an insight into how life on this Island must have been when it was run as a prison. Victoria and Alfred Waterfront is a busy tourist centre, with guided hop on, hop off bus tours of the city offered each day. There are many shops and restaurants which offer all sorts of curios and almost every kind of food you can think of. Boat trips to Robben Island also depart from the V&A each day dependant on weather, be warned that when the wind blows in Cape Town, it really blows. The Castle of Good Hope is also worth a visit as there are many maps and artefacts to view throughout the castle. There are often concerts held within the Castle round. Look closely at some of the paintings in the Castle and you will see that it used to sit on the sea shore! The whole are between the Castle south westwards to the sea has been reclaimed, Strand Street in the city makes approximately where the sea shore used to be. The District Six museum offers a shocking insight into the days of Apartheid in South Africa, and don't go there short of time, as there is so much to see and read that you will need a good few hours in this museum. Although Cape Town has a whole lot more to offer, these are just a few of the main attractions that you should definitely include in your visit to Cape Town. |