Things to Do in Western Cape

Llandudno Beach is one of those beautiful beaches that seem to have it all. Parking is a bit of a headache, so it never gets tooooo crowded. The white crescent shaped beach lies at the base of the steep slopes of the Twelve Apostles and is flanked by massive granite boulders. One of the most popular chilling and romantic sundown picnic spots in Cape Town, Llandudno Beach is also the haunt of photographers, surfers, surf skiers and an active lifesaving crowd. The boulders at the northern side offer some great walking with awesome views and so does the stretch along Sunset Rocks past the wreck of the Romelia to Sandy Bay. Llundudno is regarded one of Cape Town's most desirable residential areas.

Get the real Karoo farm experience! Magnificent views, bird-watching, horse riding, baboons and antelope to be seen. Bushman paintings are within walking distance. Group lunches or dinners can be arranged. The Weltevrede valley lies 25 km from Prince Albert and is surrounded by the Swartberg Mountains. Weltevrede is a working farm and the main crop is Adam's figs which are sun-dried. Visit during the harvesting and drying season (from January to May) and see how the figs are picked, processed and packed. The owners also grow oranges and naartjies and rear ostrich. Visitors are most welcome to view all the farm activities. Guided hikes over the Swartberg Mountain from the farm into "Die Hell" are on offer during the cooler months.

To the east of Misty Cliffs is the popular kiting, surfing, stand up paddling and windsurfing spot called Witsands by locals. This lovely beach is long and sandy, has great winter surf, some lovely walks and is a great place to spot whales in season. There are no facilities and parking is on the main road. The approach to Witsands Beach is via a steep stone stairway.

Uniting the world's most wanted brands with shopping convenience, leisure and superb entertainment and a magnificent setting, Canal Walk Shopping Centre attracts millions of visitors every year.Over 400 stores offer the hottest local and global brands and the widest selection of speciality stores in the southern hemisphere. Grandiose architecture, spacious interiors and a vast array of exclusive retail opportunities make it a very persuasive choice for lifestyle shopping experience.Visitors can enjoy stunning views of Table Mountain, Robben Island and the Grand Canal from the trendy outdoor terraces of Canal Walk's restaurants, cafés and coffee shops.After doing some serious shopping, guests can relax at one of the numerous eateries serving a wide range of delicacies. The Skywalk and Food Court also provide a good selection of speciality stores. La Piazza offers destination dining with superb views.Getting there is easy. It’s just a 10-minute drive from Cape Town’s City Centre and has direct access from the N1 highway. 6 500 parking bays provide secure parking, mostly undercover. Canal Walk is open daily from 09:00 – 21:00.

Bayside Mall Shopping Centre is your one stop shopping mall with free parking. Here you will be able to shop for all your requirements from groceries to fashion, movies to perfume, restaurants to jewellery - all under one roof. Bayside Mall's fashion offering includes most of South Africa's major retailers, as well as a number of quality speciality stores. Bayside Mall offers a large variety of eateries, including loads of coffee shops and restaurants. Ster-Kinekor, situated at the heart of the food court, offers 8 spacious cinemas and the latest sound technology.

Duckitt Nurseries is the largest orchid nursery in South Africa, if not the southern hemisphere. They specialise in growing Cymbidium orchids as cut flowers, mainly for export to Europe and the USA while many other varieties and hybrids are sold as pot plants in South Africa.  The nursery is open to the public on the first Saturday of the month from May to November from 09:00 to 12:00, where visitors will experience a spectacle of incredible flowers. Entrance is free, and plants and flowers are for sale in the pack-shed. The green house with the most spectacular display of flowers is also opened to the public.  Don't miss the annual Orchid Show on Oude Post Farm on the third weekend in September (which takes place at the same time at the Darling Wild Flower Show). This is a fully landscaped show with a tea room and sales area. Many popular and interesting new varieties of orchids can be purchased.

“Today when I look at Robben Island, I see it as a celebration of the struggle and a symbol of the finest qualities of the human spirit, rather than as a monument to the brutal tyranny and oppression of apartheid. It is true that Robben Island was once a place of darkness, but out of that darkness has come a wonderful brightness, a light so powerful that it could not be hidden behind prison walls… ' Nelson Mandela This famous little windswept island has captured hearts and minds around the globe. Situated just a few kilometers from the glitzy Waterfront, it was “home” to Nelson Mandela for almost 20 years. The intention to silence anti-apartheid leaders by imprisoning them on Robben Island had the opposite effect. Instead, Robben Island came under the spotlight as a focal point for international resistance to the regime. Today it has become a symbol of freedom, the transformative power of forgiveness, and a place of political pilgrimage. The entire 6 square kilometer island is now a UN World Heritage Site. In 1961 an austere maximum-security prison was built on Robben Island. It was here that Nelson Mandela was sent after receiving a life imprisonment sentence in 1963. Political and common-law prisoners were initially lodged together. Contact with the outside world was limited to receiving and sending two letters a year. Beatings, hard physical labour in the lime quarry, prolonged solitary confinement and insufficient food, bedding and clothing were endured for many years. Hunger strikes, legal action and international pressure eventually brought better conditions. The prison even became an informal university behind bars, with prisoners tutoring their warders. 1991 saw the release of the remaining political detainees and in 1996 the common-law prisoners were transferred to the mainland. Daily tours depart by ferry from the Nelson Mandela Gateway at the Waterfront. The ferry trip takes 30 minutes to the tiny harbour. From there a bus ride takes one to historic places like the kramat, leper graveyard, a church designed by Sir Herbert Baker and the lime quarry where political prisoners endured lengthy hours of tough physical labour. Driving along the shipwreck strewn coast you can spot some antelope, plentiful seabirds and the lighthouse. The last stop is the maximum security prison. The guides are former inmates and will take you along the Footsteps of Mandela tour in the notorious B-section. Mandela’s sparse cell is open, the others locked and empty. The A-section houses the Cell Stories exhibition, evoking the meagerness of prison life. Former prisoners have loaned personal items including an amazing saxophone that works, crafted from found bits and pieces. Have a look at the interesting Smuggled Camera Exhibition in the communal cells. Prisoners managed to slip cameras onto the island in the late 1980s. The enlarged photos are heart warming, giving an indication of their solidarity, friendship and expectancy that it would soon be over. The entire trip lasts three and a half hours and costs around R150. Need to know? Ferries depart at 09:00, 11:00, 13:00 and 15:00, weather permitting, from Nelson Mandela Gateway, at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town. The standard tour to Robben Island is three-and-a-half-hours long, including the two half-hour ferry rides. For bookings: (0) 21 413 4200. Robben Island Museum Tel: +27 (0) 21 409 5169 Nelson Mandela Gateway Tel: +27 (0) 21 413 4200

Red Rock Tribal is not your usual curio shop! Supporting and empowering local artists throughout southern Africa, Red Rock is a treasure trove of interesting and eclectic art. Their mantra is 'the world is full of waste - but not all of it is rubbish!' Here you'll find innovative crafts that are humourous, clever as well as trendy and sometime carrying a social message. Red Rock Tribal are also specialists in old tribal artefacts that have been sourced from various African countries. Definitely worth a visit! Need to know? Shop hours are 9:30 - 5:30 7 days a week.

Explore Plettenberg Bay’s stunning coastline looking for whales, dolphins, seals, sharks, seabirds and other marine life from a twin-hull ski boat. Ocean Safaris offer exciting whale and dolphin watching trips guided by knowledgeable qualified skippers. They are permitted to conduct close encounters with whales and are Fair Trade accredited. Pop in to their interesting office in Hopwood Street to find out more. You'll find a warm welcome, reconstructed skeletons, whalebones, free Internet and coffee.

Go zip sliding away above the Ceres Valley on a unique mountain adventure. This new ‘foefie’ slide experience is situated in the lovely mountains surrounding the Ceres Valley. It’s only a one-and-a-half-hour drive from Cape Town, the perfect breakaway from frenetic city life. The Ceres Zip Slide Tour is the longest tour in Africa, offering eight slides, totalling a length of 1.4 km! Amazing rock formations and a river form a stunning backdrop to a fun-adrenaline-filled adventure. Participants are kitted up in full body harnesses with state-of-the-art equipment. Accompanied by two fully-trained guides, they then depart on silent, battery operated carts up into the mountain. A short walk to the departure point at the first slide reveals the breath-taking view of the town of Ceres and the Ceres Valley. This is where the fun begins! Slides vary in length between 110 – 290 m. The highest point above the ground is 40 m. You’ve got to try it! Tours depart every half hour; the last departure is at 17:00. Rate: R400 per person. Price includes beverages during and after the tour. The Ceres Zip Slide operates in most weather conditions. Children from three years can participate. Open daily 08:00 – 17:00. 079 245 0354 info@ceresadventures.co.za

Trip up the spiral staircase of Cape Columbine Lighthouse and gaze at jaw-dropping views of the formidable Britannia reef and Atlantic Ocean. Fortress-like and spectacularly situated on a windswept headland, Cape Columbine Lighthouse is usually the first lighthouse sighted by ships coming from South America and Europe. The prominent rocky point is just five kilometres from the quaint fishing village of Paternoster and is definitely worth a visit. Not only to explore the lighthouse, but also for the stark beauty of the surrounding Columbine Nature Reserve. In spring the reserve is strewn with wild flowers and the coastline is renowned for its sea life, particularly crayfish and abalone. Built in 1936, Columbine was the first South African lighthouse to receive all three navigational safety features – a light, a fog signal and a radio beacon. The impressive lens system was also the first designed to use a 4kW incandescent electric lamp instead of wick or petroleum burners. Today it is one of the last manned lighthouses on the South African coast and offers interesting guided tours. Mondays to Fridays: 10:00 – 15:00 Weekends and public holidays: October to April 10:00 – 15:00; May to September by reservation only Entrance fee: adults R13.70; children under 12 R6.90.

Climb aboard Ocean Rhythm and explore the beautiful Plettenberg Bay coastline. Experience the power of the wind in the sails and the sound of the ocean lapping at the bows. Spot whales, dolphins and seals at play in breathtaking surroundings. Take the helm and learn the basics of sailing, put out a line and see what bites or kick back, glass of bubbly in hand. This Knysna-built 44 foot sailing catamaran offers a high level of luxury, comfort and space. Options include sunset cruises, day cruises, overnight charters, fishing, and exclusive parties and functions. For more info contact 082 881 2937.

Friendship, good food, wine and brilliant entertainment – this is where it all comes together. The Mother City's first Barnyard Theatre is situated in Willowbridge Shopping Centre. This is a dinner theatre at its best, offering excellent live entertainment including rock shows, musicals, bands and revues. The Barnyard started as a homely, rustic farm theatre in Plettenberg Bay where friends and family could be entertained and eat, drink and talk into the small hours of the morning. It proved to be such a winner that more Barnyard Theatres started popping up all over the country. There are currently 12 Barnyard Theatres in South Africa. While each theatre is a product of its individual setting, they all retain the quaint rustic charm of the original farm theatre’s humble beginning. To book, visit the bookings office at the theatre or call central reservations (0) 21 914 8898. Shop F09 1st Floor, Willowbridge Life Style Centre, 39 Carl Cronje Drive, Tygervalley.

Dinner theatre aficionados in George have a new state-of-the-art theatre to visit for good times, delicious food and quality entertainment. The Kalahari Restaurant and Theatre opened its doors in September 2010 to cater for discerning theatre fans and music lovers in the Garden Route. The 400 seater theatre will stage the latest productions from the main circuit in a warm and friendly environment. The theatre complex houses a separate bar and a 120-seater family restaurant with an outdoor deck. A beautiful grand piano mounted on a circular stage steals the limelight in the restaurant which also functions as a cocktail bar and entertainment area. Bookings for shows can be done at the theatre or through Computicket. Patrons are advised to pre-order snack platters and pizzas to enjoy in the theatre.

Appropriately named Buitenverwachting, which means "beyond expectations", this stunning farm is steeped in history and forms part of the original Constantia Estate which was founded by Governor Simon van der Stel. Buitenverwachting captivates with an alluring blend of the Cape, outstanding cuisine and handcrafted wines. Buitenverwachting’s internationally acclaimed wines boast great complexity with unique aromatic profiles. Overlooking the vineyards and Constantiaberg Mountains, Buitenverwachting Restaurant matches the winemaking excellence and is consistently rated amongst the top ten restaurants in South Africa. The menu changes daily and only the finest, fresh produce is procured. During the summer months visitors can indulge in a pre-booked picnic basket served under the old oak trees in the beautiful gardens. Wine tasting and sales: Monday to Friday 09:00 – 17:00 and Saturday 09:00 – 13:00.

Situated in Stellenboschkloof and flanked by the Bottelary Hills and Papegaaiberg Mountain, Neethlingshof is just outside Stellenbosch and is well worth a visit. Driving up the imposing stone pine avenue, a stunning vista unfolds complete with pristine Cape Dutch buildings, rolling green vineyards and a cosy cellar where the full range of wines may be tasted and purchased. Wine Tasting and Sales: Monday to Friday 09:00 – 17:00, Saturday, Sunday and Public Holidays 10:00 – 16:00. The estate closes two hours later in the summer months. Individual and group tastings are available for a fee. Charge for cellar tours – prior booking is required. For estate tours, contact Katrin Cross on +27 (0) 21 883 8988.

Founded in 1994, and the first of its kind in South Africa, the Knysna Elephant Park provides a home for orphaned elephants and offers visitors a glimpse of a bygone era when vast elephant herds once roamed. Join the elephants in their controlled free-range environment where you will be able to appreciate their magnificent presence up-close-and-personal. Whether you chose a daily tour, elephant back ride; exclusive safari or overnight accommodation; this is an experience that will stay with you forever. The Knysna Elephant Park is open every day of the year. Guided daily tours take you to the elephants every half hour from 08:30 to 16:30. Here you will have the opportunity to touch, feed and photograph these gentle giants. There are no barriers or fences to spoil your close encounter, and when the elephants chose to wander off again into the field, you are welcome to walk with them and watch them for as long as you wish. Elephant back rides offer the once in a lifetime opportunity to sit atop these incredible creatures. As you traverse through indigenous Cape fynbos, you will enjoy spectacular views of the Outeniqua Mountain range. Booking is essential.

If you’re travelling with kids on the Garden Route, wing them straight to Radical Raptors. Guaranteed to thrill the kids, a visit to Radical Raptors bird of prey sanctuary is a fun educational experience suitable for the whole family. Time your visit to coincide with the flying displays that take place three times a day. Several trained birds of prey are free flown around and to you. This presents a wonderful opportunity for you to watch, interact and photograph these amazing birds in the outdoors. Radical Raptors is a non-profit organisation and rehabilitation centre that focuses on community awareness and the rescue, rehabilitation and release of birds of prey. +27 (0) 44 532 7537 Show times – 11:00, 13:00, 15:00 Closed on Mondays except public and school holidays.

The Melting Pot is a cosy, colourful, vibrant live music venue and bar featuring the best of local South Peninsula original music. You can expect to listen to well-known local names from the Cape jazz, rock and folk scene - plus the odd visiting artist and stand-up comics. Jam sessions and open mics offer up-and-coming talent an outlet too. This is a real cultural and decidedly social experience not to be missed - in the heart of Muizenberg's "old village". A funky music studio built from recycled materials is right next door

Headquarters of the DHL Stormers and DHL Western Province Rugby squad, the grand old Newlands Rugby Stadium is one of the three oldest rugby stadiums in the world. Set in the ultra-green suburb of Newlands, Newlands Rugby Stadium has a capacity of 51 000 with steeply elevated stands affording maximum visibility and electrifying viewpoints. Cape Town's three Premier Soccer League clubs also utilize the facilities for their inter-club matches.