Cape Town is a fascinating impressive city, Africa’s oldest city and one of most beautiful worldwide.
Cape Town lies on the Cape Peninsula, having near an important city mark: The Table Mountains.
Table Mountains really look like a table, and have also a tablecloth.
The Peninsula gets frequent strong winds from South East, which are known locally as The Cape Doctor, because clean the air and keep the pollution away. It is a kind of impressive natural ventilation, the air here is very clean.
Today Cape Town proudly counts 3 500 000 inhabitants, being the South Africa second most populous city, behind Johannesburg. Cape Town was founded at 1630 as a supply harbor for the Dutch ships sailing to India, East Africa and Far East ( do not think at Suez Canal, it was not build at that time). Following english-boer wars, Cape Town was governed by the British, starting the second half of the XIXth century. In 1948 South Africa became independent, and the National Party won the elections, based on an apartheid platform. That means racial segregation and was a shock and scandal for the XXth century. Because of the apartheid South Africa was internationally isolated. Inside, the black people had very tough times. They had to go to bantustans and were not allowed to study. The demolition of District six from Cape Town and the deportation of 60 000 people was a huge scandal at its time. Who disobeyed, could go in the jail from Robben Island, near Cape Town. Nelson Mandela did it, but was strong enough to defend his convictions, and was elected as the first black South Africa’s President. It was also a turning point for Cape Town: ever since the city is booming, specially the tourism and the real estate business.
In Cape Town you have the unique possibility for bathing in Atlantic or Indian Ocean. The Atlantic beaches are better with cafes, restaurants etc, but the water is usually much colder (10 degrees) as the water of Indian Ocean in False Bay. At Boulders beach there is an important colony of african penguins
Surfing is very popular on all these beaches.
If you are a marine freak, do not miss the Two Ocean Aquarium. You can even dive there.
Another entertainment possibility is going on the Table Mountains (by cable or by your own) and getting a wonderful panoramic sight.
Eating and drinking opportunities - you have a lot in Cape Town. You can even take part to organized tours for wine tasting, as not far from the big city there are many famous wine yards.
For shopping I can recomend you Victoria and Albert Front with its Nobel Front, where you can see the four peace Nobel prize awarded south africans. You have here many shops, malls, supermarket, and you can also watch the coming and going ships in the harbour.
Watch carefully the older buildings from Cape Town: it is an impresive Dutch architecture, with other western influences.
Enjoy your trip to Cape Town! Sounds exotic, not exactly like Kuala Lumpur, but nevertheless is an interesting beautiful city.
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Very impressive photographs..esp the man sitting in the long boat.
Thanks for sharing the great shots and the information. I have always dream of going there for a visit some day.
Cape Town worths a visit for sure.
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Hi there,
I’m a Capetonian and, after living in Paris, and seeing other Euro capitals, agree that it is one of the most fascinating and versatile places to stay in. Thanks for the thumbs-up!
Please, however, check your information about South Africa’s history:
- the area where CT is located was occupied by the Dutch in 1652, not 1630;
- the city was governed by the British for the second time from 1806, not from the second half of the XIXth Century; self-rule in SA, with the white government at the helm, began in 1910 with the birth of the Union of South Africa. The National Party government came to power in 1948, elected by whites only and went on to establish the tyrannical apartheid system over the course of their minority rule for 46 years, leading to immense problems, suffering for its marginalised masses and international isolation for the country. They declared full independence from Britain in 1960 and established a republic.
- People other than white in SA received inferior education opportunities and could only study at “white” universities with special permission. A few, but much poorer, universities e.g. Fort Hare and the University of the Western Cape, were established to cater specifically for population groups other than white. However, executive careers were generally not accessible to people other than white: the highest most could achieve was studying to be a teacher, a nurse, doctor or lawyer serving only non-white people. So while people other than white were severely handicapped by apartheid and the far majority only had access to poorer education, it is not entirely correct to claim that they could not study while the country was under apartheid.
The only difference between South Africa and the rest of the world: Apartheid was written on the LAW BOOKS…and in other countries NOT…but racism was HIGH the SAME time it was in SA in OTHER COUNTRIES too!!! Check America…the 1960′s…..RACISM….more than in SA…but it was easy for them to hightlight SA as it was a LAW, but not in America…so, it is the SAME! My contacts with Americans at the moment: JUST THE SAME! as in SA…still racists…why was there not a SINGLE gun shot in 1994???? because we are PEACEFUL people…. and not racists…. a SMALL number of people were REALLY racists…and to vote for the National Party..DIDN’t MEAN YOU WERE A RACIST!!!