Holiday in Cape Town

by Celeste Y
Cape Town is one of the top 5 destinations to visit before you die, and there is a reason why. There are plenty of activities and beautiful sights to see in the Mother city. Cape Town, for most of the year, has exquisite weather.

If you wish to take full advantage of the gorgeous day, taking a picnic is a wonderful way to do it. There are numerous picnic spots in Cape Town. Chapman's Peak is one of the more popular ones, as you can just stop the car on the side of the road.

Chapman's Peak Drive between Noordhoek and Hout Bay, on the Atlantic Coast on the southwestern tip of South Africa, is one of the most spectacular marine drives in the world. It is opposite the inlet on which the town of Hout Bay is centred. While the eastern flank of the mountain rises fairly gradually, the western flank falls sharply for hundreds of metres into the Atlantic Ocean.

Kommetjie is another stunning option to enjoy the day at. Isolated by majestic mountains, it is delightfully rural and unspoiled. Although being conveniently close to Cape Town, the atmosphere of Kommetjie, even in peak season when holiday resorts are bustling, is one of peaceful isolation and tranquillity.

Cape Point is a gorgeous nature reserve,, at the tip of the Cape Peninsula - 60 km south-west of Cape Town - the rugged rocks and sheer cliffs cut deep into the ocean to split False Bay from the colder waters of the western seaboard. This outcrop of the Table Mountain National Park is called Cape Point.

In the afternoon, you can take a trip to Simons Town for a magnificent guided cruise. Simons Town is nestled on False Bay within easy distance of Cape Town International Airport. The village is rich in history, character, atmosphere and lots of warmth. Simons Town's neighbours are whales, penguins and seals with world heritage status bird life, famous deep-sea fishing and the beauty of Table Mountain and Cape Point.

Situated on the eastern side of the Cape Peninsula on the shores of False Bay, Simons Town remains an important naval base to this day, and the town which rises steeply above the harbour up the mountain sides is rich in both architectural and natural beauty, as well as Cape history and strange legends and tales.

A famous resident of the town was Able Seaman, Just Nuisance, RN, the only dog ever to be enlisted in the Royal Navy, to whom a statue has been erected in Jubilee Square. The sailors' had a favourite Great Dane who was a resident in the town, and a request was sent to the British parliament asking for him to be enlisted in the Navy. Permission was granted and the dog was brought to the Recruiting Officer, who inquired: "Name?" "Nuisance, Sir", the sailor replied. "First name?" "Just Nuisance, Sir," the sailor stated, giving birth to a great legend.

One of the popular activities is taking a trip to the beautiful World of Birds. The World of Birds is the largest bird park in Africa and one of the few large bird parks in the World. Over 3 000 birds (and small animals) of 400 different species are uniquely presented in more than 100 spacious landscaped walk through aviaries, allowing you the most intimate closeness with nature.

A tropical garden setting in the Hout Bay Valley is the environment in which the aviaries are spaced over 4 hectares of land, framed by the back of Table Mountain, the Twelve Apostles, Constantiaberg, Chapman's Peak and Little Lion's Head. A paradise for nature lovers and photographers, the World of Birds is one of Cape Town's premier tourist attractions, which no visitor should miss.

Accommodation is easily found in Cape Town, with some beautiful villas nestled against signal hill in the city itself. Villa's and apartments can be found with ample space for you to feel at home within the warmth of the city. From this point, the magnitude of Table Mountain can be seen. During season, the mountain is lit up with exquisite calming blue lights, creating a festival feel to the city. Just around the corner is the ocean, with the waves crashing on the boulders at Clifton beach, and rolling on to the sand at Camps Bay.
Link