Cape Town Sightseeing

Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens

Found on the eastern slopes of Table Mountain, Kirstenbosch is one of Cape Town’s most visited attractions. These stunning gardens are characterised by sprawling lawns, beautiful streams and a seemingly endless amount of plant species (more than 22,000 different species in fact) including the rare fynbos plant and a giant baobab tree. To get the best out of a visit to the gardens, simply take one of the numerous designated walks. The gardens also have great dining facilities thanks to the Silver Tree restaurant, which serves a la carte meals.
www.nbi.ac.za, Rhodes Avenue, Newlands. Tel: 021 761 4916
Adults R27 (£2.00), children R5 (35p).

Castle of Good Hope

Built in the late 15th century, this pentagonal fortress is the oldest surviving building in the whole of South Africa. The castle is still the regional headquarters to the South African Defence Force, although the abundance of tourists are the only invaders they are every likely to encounter these days. Get to the castle before 10am to see the Key Ceremony between Monday and Friday, which is the equivalent to the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace. Whilst here, you may want to further your interest by visiting the Military Museum and also the William Fehr Collection. Fehr was an avid collector of paintings and materials which document the story of the early colonists to the country and how they changed the way people lived in the Cape. Some of the paintings are shockingly mesmerising, such as Thomas Baines’s ‘The Greatest Hunt in Africa’, which portrays the slaughter of 30,000 animals to honour the arrival of Prince Alfred.
Buitenkant. Tel: 021 787 1249
Adults: R20 (£1), children R10 (70p)

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Robben Island

Note: Tours of Robben Island are only available through booking via the Department of Arts who limit the visitors to the island at any one time due to the delicate ecosystem of the island.

To get to Robben Island, you take a high speed catamaran out of the harbor (which dons fantastic views of Cape Town and Table Mountain), which takes around 25 minutes. Once on the island, you take a 45 minute bus tour of the very island and prison where many political prisoners were jailed during the time of apartheid – most famously Nelson Mandela. Sights along the way include the lepers church and graveyard, Robert Sobukwe’s house where he was held under arrest for many years and a variety of antelopes, ostriches and African penguins which are all native to the island. The famous lime quarry where so many of Robben Island’s prisoners laboured is a haunting sight in its own right before you head to the prison itself. An ex-political prisoner conducts the tour of the prison and gives a first-hand account of what it was like to be jailed here, before leading you to the tiny cell where Nelson Mandela spent 18 of his 27 years at Robben Island. The tour concludes with a visit to the Robben Island Museum, which offers a detailed history of the prisoner’s personal and political struggles via artifacts and pictures.
Clock Tower Terminal, Quay 5. Tel: 021 419 1300
Adults R150 (£11.00), children R75 (£5.50)

South African Museum and Planetarium

The South African Museum and Planetarium ranks as South Africa’s oldest, founded back in 1825. The museum boasts an interesting collection of artifacts documenting South Africa’s colourful history. Included are the Lydenburg Head sculptures which date back to around 500 A.D. The hollow terracotta sculptures are amongst some of the earliest examples of African art, likewise the collection of San Rock paintings. On the natural history side of the museum, expect to see some truly fascinating exhibits including the fossil gallery, which prove life existed in Africa over 300 million years ago. Two huge whale skeletons hung from the roof are simply astounding, likewise the stuffed example of now extinct animals such as the Kwagga – a relative of the zebra.
Government Avenue. Tel: 021 481 3800
Adults R10 (70p), children R6 (40p)

South African National Gallery

Although rather small compared to some countries’ national galleries, the South African National Gallery is considered by many to be the best in the country, due to the amount of fantastic works which perfectly encapsulate South Africa’s often troubled and painful history. Expect to see items such as Ndebele beads and Knobkierries (wooden weapons) belonging to warriors as well as an exhibition which demonstrates the influence African art had on Picasso through several pieces of his work. One of the more intriguing exhibitions is that which tells of the ongoing problems and history South Africa has had to endure through the HIV and AIDS virus’s through an eye-opening photographic retrospective.
Government Avenue. Tel: 021 467 4660
Adults R10 (70p), children R5 (35p)

Table Mountain

This enormous flat topped mountain of sandstone, granite and shale rose from the ocean over 250 million years ago and is without question Cape Town’s most distinctive, if not defining landmark. The 14,820 acre mountain was recently incorporated into the Cape Peninsula Mountain Park and can be ascended via cable car or by foot. Maclear’s Beacon is Table Mountain’s highest point, with the cable car leaving you to the western edge of the peak where you will also find a restaurant. Here you are able to view the ‘Twelve Apostles’ mountain peaks in the distance, the ‘back table’ of the mountain and the reservoirs that supply water to Cape Town.

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