Cape Town & the Western Cape

The vibrant and cosmopolitan city of Cape Town combines a colonial past with a modern African future and you'll find plenty to see and do there. A favourite leisure area is the restored Victoria and Alfred Waterfront, with scores of shops, galleries, restaurants and bars, and a great place to stroll in the evening. In the city, the Castle of Good Hope and Company's Gardens are symbolic of days gone by and the excellent District Six Museum a reminder of the country's more recent history.

Wander through Cape Town's centre and you'll find delightful Victorian architecture, genteel lacy balconies and a distinctly European flavour, but with a splash of Africa. Long Street abounds with cafés, restaurants and lively bars. This is where Cape Townians come to play. Elsewhere explore the Bo-Kaap or Malay Quarter with its brightly painted houses lining the hilly streets.

Just a short drive from the Cape Town's centre lie the beaches of Sea Point and Camps Bay. They offer an alternative to a city stay and a great base for exploring the region. The stunning drive from Cape Town to the Cape of Good Hope is not to be missed. See where the Atlantic meets the Indian Ocean and travel back via Boulder's Beach famous for its colony of penguins or visit the stunning Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, with its beautiful native flowers and plants.

No visit to Cape Town would be complete without a trip by cable car to the top of Table Mountain, with its stunning views over the city and Cape. Or for a more thoughtful day out, take a trip to Robben Island where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 18 years.

Further afield consider visiting the Cape Winelands, an hour from the city and set in simply glorious countryside. Also within easy reach is the small coastal town of Hermanus from where whales can be spotted just off shore during certain times of the year.