Bo Kaap is one of Cape Town’s oldest residential areas, home to many of the descendants of the Dutch imported slaves and full of 19th century Dutch architecture.  Sign up for a walking tour of the area and explore the many alleyways of the Muslim quarter as well as the Bo Kaap Museum.

Since the Dutch colonization in the mid 1600s, Robben Island has been used as a leper colony, hospital and wartime defence station but it is probably best known as the prison where Nelson Mandela spent almost 20 years.  Nowadays, the Robben Island Museum is open to visitors who want to learn more about the island’s history and the abolition of Apartheid in South Africa.

The South Africa Museum and Planetarium is a great family excursion with a unique collection of whale skeletons, giant squid and “Shark World”.  There are social and natural history exhibits including the fossilised skeletons of long-extinct reptiles that ruled the land some 50 million years before the dinosaurs.

Telkom Exploratorium is an interactive telecommunications discovery centre which takes the visitor from early communication techniques such as smoke signals through to modern day technologies such as virtual reality

Situated in the heart of Cape Town’s working harbour, the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront is an outstanding regeneration project which offers a variety of shopping, dining and entertainment choices as well as lively street performers and events.  Attractions here include a variety of sea excursions and boat charters, the BMW Pavillion (with all the latest models), Mineral World and the passenger terminal for the RobbenIsland ferry alongside the “Nelson Mandela Entry to Robben Island Museum”.  Also here is the Two Oceans Aquarium which offers visitors the opportunity to get a closer look at the marine life from both the Atlantic and Indian Oceans.  Here you can visit a penguin colony, find Nemo, explore a Kelp forest and dive with predators such as sharks.

The Castle of Good Hope is the oldest building in South Africa, built by the Dutch East India Company in the 1660s to protect their interests against the British.  Declared a national monument in 1936, restoration has been a continuous process and the fortification now houses a military museum and visitors can enjoy guided tours of the torture rooms, forge, bakery and banquet hall.

The impressive Table Mountain must be one of the world’s best known sights and a trip to the top is an essential part of any visit to Cape Town.  A cable car was opened in 1929 and has since taken over 16 million visitors to the top of the mountain.  The revolving cable car usually leaves every 5 to 10 minutes, the 10 minute journey offering visitors a unique, panoramic view of the city.  At the top you will find a restaurant, guided walks and a choice of short trails.  Opening hours vary by season and the weather can affect operations so it is always best to check before you leave.  Look out for the dassies (rock hyrax) at the top.  Although they resemble a rodent, I have been told they are anatomically related to the elephant!

Founded in 1913 and covering 528 hectares on the eastern slopes of Table Mountain, the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens grow and display a wide variety of indigenous South African plants.  September and October are the most colourful months to visit whilst the arrival of the South African summer in December heralds the flowering of the Cape Chestnut and striking Lampranthus.  Other seasonal highlights include impressive floral displays of agapanthus and lilies or the bright berries of the Transvaal Hard Pear Tree.  There are many scenic walks around the gardens, some suitable for prams, children and the blind (with a range or aromatic and textured plants).  There are also exhibitions, seasonal events, picnic spots and themed walks. The open air concerts held here in the summer are extremely popular.  However, women are asked not to venture alone on the quieter paths of the upper slopes. 

If it’s thrills you’re after, a visit to the Ratanga Junction theme park may be called for.  With more than 30 attractions ranging from the white knuckle “Cobra” ride to the more gentle “Crocodile Swamp” for the under 3s, there is plenty here to amuse the whole family.  The park is open throughout the summer with selected winter opening dates in November, December and January.

Cape Town is surrounded by beaches.  One of the most famous is Boulders Beach, approximately 25 miles south of Cape Town.  Its sandy beaches, small coves and calmer waters make this beach popular with families but many people come simply to see the resident African Penguin colony.  It is often best to go early in the day when there is still some shade offered by the surrounding granite boulders and the beach is less crowded.

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