Cape Town Overview
Voted Favourite Foreign City by the UK Telegraph in2004, Cape Town is one of the places you just hav
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In and Around
Cape Town
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Who is that dude with all those eggs on his head? Egg Man appears at Greenmarket Square come rain or shine and at all the hottest festivals in South Africa, adding an air of Rio-style festivity wherever he performs. His name is Gregory da Silva - a comedian artist, storyteller, dancer and live street performer. Egg Man was born in Benin West Africa, which is Voodoo Country. He speaks French and English and is living in the Mother City.
Wearing an invincible smile and a twenty five kilogram headdress, he always turns heads as he strolls around Greenmarket Square. Each day his outfit sports a new feature, presenting the city centre with a new display of his symbolic African art and culture. His body is armoured with artefacts and his face painted with tribal patterns. Gregory's warm voice is lively and he repeatedly offers phrases and words in French.
Gregory performs at the Grahamstown National Arts Festival, the Hermanus Whale Festival, Klein Karoo National Kunstefees and many others. He has been hired to receive guests at hotels and airports and appeared on SABC 2 and E-TV News. His dream is to impart creative knowledge to South African youth, giving them the power to create beautiful things and also to support themselves, all part of his ultimate venerable ambition to "bring Africa together to make one". Bravo!
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Visit a sparkling, colourful Alladin's Cave with your little ones. The Scratch Patch and Mineral World Gemstone factory-shop is an awesome spot for young and old to relax while foraging for your own gemstones. You can also purchase fabulous, affordable gifts at the shop. Topstones is also worth a visit - see how rough stone is polished at the world's largest gemstone tumbling factory.
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Kalk Bay Harbour
is a picturesque but thriving fishing harbour where members of the local fishing community are out daily in their traditional fishing boats earning their living.
Take a stroll along the harbour wall to check out the colourful vessels.
Bright blues, reds and yellows are the norm.
Names like Star of the Sea, Amber Rose, Gold Pearl and Antoinette tell of the high regard with which these sailors hold their vessels. The majority are wooden creations.
Learn how to fish from real fishermen - those who make a living by catching Cape fish.
Apparently, there is still a loyal market for fresh fish.
Witnessing this is a cultural experience.
Kids love to look at the harbour seals waiting for scraps of fresh fish.
Kalk Bay is also a hub of outdoor action – from sea fishing to harbour wall angling. Kalk Bay has one of the best reefs in Cape Town for surfing and the fascinating Kalk Bay caves for landlubber adventures.
While out for a fishing boat tour you will have the opportunity to observe seals, dolphins, Great White Sharks and in season Southern Right Whales in their natural habitat.
These giants come to calve in False Bay between June and October each year.
It’s hard to believe that retro Kalk Bay is actually part of Cape Town. The pace differs – colourful folk stroll along the wharf and browse the quirky shops, others sip on superb Cape Wines and cold beers while surfers ride the breakers.
Nestled between the mountains and the sea, is just a 30 minute drive from the centre of Cape Town yet a world away from the hustle and bustle of the city.
For scuba divers the harbour wall offers an interesting dive, but there're plenty more spots in the area. Popular restaurants to suit all pockets are right on the water's edge.
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One of Cape Town’s oldest living traditions is the Noon Gun, fired every day at 12pm sharp (except Sundays and public holidays). The 18-pounder, smoothbore muzzle-loaders are still in use today! These are the oldest guns in daily use in the world.
There are actually two cannons on top of the Signal Hill overlooking Table Bay. This is so there is a back-up should one misfire.
The Noon Gun originated so that ships which had been at sea and lost track of the correct time could re-set their clocks. Even quite far out at sea they could hear the sound, and if not, they would still see the puff of smoke and could work it out from there.
Today the sound of this daily Cape Town tradition echoes through the City Bowl, and Capetonians check their watches and smile. You can watch the daily ritual up on Signal Hill at Lion Battery, from 11:30. To get there head up Military Street in the Bo-Kaap to the Noon Gun. Look for for the sign-post on Buitengracht Street.
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Get aerial and go up in the cableway for awesome panoramic views of Cape Town - the most spectacular sights are seen from the top of Table Mountain. The Cableway takes you to the summit in under 10 minutes and the cable car's rotating floor ensure that all passengers get a 360 degree aerial view of the city. The cable cars depart every 10-15 minutes weather dependant.
What to see
Your ascent to the top of Table Mountain takes just under 10 minutes
and offers you a 360 degree view of the city. Once on top there are
over 2km of pathways leading you to views over Cape Town, Table Bay,
Robben Island the Cape Flats and the Cape Peninsula. There are also
short walks available or you can join one of free guided tours daily at
10h00 and 12h00.
Walks on top of Table Mountain
Dassie Walk Offers you spectacular views north, west and south.
Agama Walk This popular route has been specially chosen to give you spectacular 360 degree views of Cape Town and Cape Peninsula.
Klipspringer Walk This walk offers wonderful views, along the plateau edge to above Platteklip Gorge. In summer you can see the sunshine conebush in full
flower.
Table Mountain Café Situated right on top, Table Mountain Café offers a trendy menu that caters for the changing demands of the Cableway's visitors. Menu items include pizzas, gourmet burgers, and harvest rice bowls (meals of the day) that showcase Traditional South African cuisine. A selection of pre-packed light meals are available from the gourmet deli. Meals may be complimented with a selection of fine wines. A wide variety of pastries, speciality teas and coffees are also on offer from the coffee bar.
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The Mother City's 'One-Stop-Shop of Creative Excellence' is situated between Table Mountain and Table Bay. The Artscape Theatre Centre is home to the Artscape performing arts company and includes the Opera House, Theatre, Arena, Piazza and News Café.
Originally established 40 years ago as the official performing arts council for the Western Cape, Artscape has today developed into a vibrant, multi-functional creative arts centre, offering exceptional venue facilities and specialist theatrical services. With its close proximity to Cape Town's central business district, the new International Convention Centre and the V & A Waterfront, Artscape is ideally situated to serve the Cape's performing arts, film, tourism, entertainment, conference and exhibition industries.
Artscape Opera House auditorium is the largest theatre in the Western Cape and seats 1187 and offers a variety of productions from contemporary opera to ballet, large scale musicals to semi-staged orchestral performances.
Artscape Theatre auditorium seats 540 if the pit is not utilised. The size of the orchestra pit determines the number of seats.
The Artscape Arena theatre was originally the right side of Artscape Theatre.
The raked auditorium can seat up to 140 people. A cosy bar at street level offers opportunities for intimate art exhibitions and private parties.
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The Hout Bay Harbour is the main attraction in Hout Bay and also one of the busiest harbours in the Western Cape with a thriving tuna, snoek and crayfish industry.
Within the working harbour is the Hout Bay Yacht Club which provides moorings for recreational, fishing and sailing boats alike. Several seafood restaurants are situated within the harbour. Next to the harbour is a long white stretch of beach that is popular with tourists, locals (and their dogs) as well as horse riders.
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Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden is world-renowned for the beauty and diversity of the Cape flora it displays and for the magnificence of its setting against the eastern slopes of Table Mountain.
The estate covers 528 hectares and supports a diverse fynbos flora and natural forest. The cultivated garden (36 hectares) displays collections of South African plants, particularly those from the winter rainfall region of the country.
The Visitors' Centre includes an information desk and various retail outlets and a coffee shop. The Centre for Home Gardening has outlets for plants and other services to support the home garden. There are also several Restaurants at Kirstenbosch.
On Sundays during the summer months from December to March, musical sunset concerts are held on the lawns. Craft markets are also held at the Stone Cottages (opposite Kirstenbosch) on the last Sunday of every month (except June, July & August).
Physically challenged visitors should contact the information office in advance to book a wheelchair or one of the golf cart/shuttle tours.
A number of trails lead through natural forest and fynbos surrounding the developed garden. A map is obtainable from the Information Office for R2.
Need to know? The Garden is open 365 days a year from 08:00 - 19:00 (September -March) and from 08:00 - 18:00 (April - August). The entrance fee is R32 for adults and R20 for South African students with student ID cards. Fees for school children (6-17 years old) are R10. Children under 6 years old and Botanical Society members have free entry. SA senior citizens have free entry on Tuesdays, if it is not a public holiday.
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