Cape Town, South Africa’s Mother City, is twinned with Nice in France, which makes sense because they both have the same climate and plenty of wine growing up the road. It is also twinned with St Petersburg in Russia, Hangzhou in China and Haifa in Israel.
Cape Town is South Africa&r ...
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Cape Town, South Africa’s Mother City, is twinned with Nice in France, which makes sense because they both have the same climate and plenty of wine growing up the road. It is also twinned with St Petersburg in Russia, Hangzhou in China and Haifa in Israel.
Cape Town is South Africa’s second largest city and regularly floats around the Top Ten in surveys of Favourite Everythings for its restaurants, history, multicultural atmosphere, weather, penguins, mountain, beaches, sea, birds, flowers and so on. And on.
Beyond the city, the Western Cape offers a huge variety to the tourist. What better backdrop to the so-called Tavern o’ the Seas could there be than one of the world’s prime wine-producing areas, with all those valuable grapes protected by two spectacular mountain ranges, the Hottentots-Hollands and the Helderberg?
To the north and to the east, the Cape Winelands are dripping not only with wine but also with a wide variety of heritage buildings and museums standing proud under impressive mountain ranges.
Almost all the wine estates offer some form of tour or tasting and many have restaurants and accommodation as well. Some of them are almost villages in their own right. Head off to the tourism office and find out who’s doing what, then pick a designated driver and do the rounds of the vineyards – with some history and culture thrown in.
Further out in three different directions, the West Coast, the Overberg and the Garden Route offer national parks for everything from bontebok to tea bushes blended with beaches, semi-deserts and spectacular mountain passes, hiking, canoeing, bird-watching and plenty of death-defying adventures from shark-diving to ostrich-riding.
Not surprisingly, the Western Cape receives many more tourists than any other region in the country. And very few are injured by sharks or ostriches.
Waterblommetjie Bredie - better described as Lamb Stew with small Pondweed Flowers but it is tastier than it sounds.
Bobotie - A delicious baked Cape Malay spiced fruit and mince dish with an egg topping.
Pickled Fish - often made with yellowtail. Served cold with a salad.
Dried Fruit - from Wellington and the Breede River Valley. Sultanas the size of plums.
- Mediterranean Climate 129 370 km2
- Population 5.5 Million
The Coon Carnival (2nd January) Yes, it really is called that. The minstrels take to the streets and strut their stuff UP THE CREEK (February) Breede River. Music and comedy. www.upthecreek.co.za
Kreeftfees (March) Lamberts Bay Crayfish Festival
Tulbagh Goes Dutch (April) in celebration of its Cape Dutch heritage
The KKNK (April) the Afrikaans Art and Culture Festival in Oudtshoorn
The Ceres Festival (May) a major Mountain Bike event just before the snow.
Knysna Pink Loerie (May) gay festival – all welcome
Knysna Oyster Festival (July) Nyphomaniacs Anonymous?
Bastille Day (14 July) in Franschhoek, inevitably (because it is so very French)
Calitzdorp Port Festival (July) Lovers of port unite. Bring paracetamol.
The Stellenbosch Young Wine Show (September) introduces South Africa’s answer to Beaujolais Nouveau
Hermanus Whale Festival (Sept) The only enviro-arts festival in SA. www.whalefestival.co.za
Features, creatures & Flower power
Fynbos – heathland vegetation unique to the Cape Floral Kingdom. 8600 species occur compared with 1500 in the British Isles, an area 3½ times the size.
Strandveld – consisting of scrubby bulbs, succulents and reeds – is found on the beaches and dunes of the West Coast Vines – just try to get away from them. Every mountainside is decked with trellises.
Mountain Cedar – the magically-named Widdringtonia nodiflora grows to 7m high between rocks in the Cederberg Conservation area. www.capenature.co.za
Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden, home to more than 5000 indigenous plant species and Sunday’s summer concerts. The garden has won 29 gold medals in 33 appearances at the Chelsea Flower Show. Open daily. Blooming marvellous! www.sanbi.org.za
Namaqualand in August and September is carpeted with one of the world’s most stupendous wild flower displays.
ADD FLAVOURS TO SAVOUR HERE....
Waterblommetjie Bredie - better described as Lamb Stew with small Pondweed Flowers but it is tastier than it sounds.
Bobotie - A delicious baked Cape Malay spiced fruit and mince dish with an egg topping.
Pickled Fish - often made with yellowtail. Served cold with a salad.
Dried Fruit - from Wellington and the Breede River Valley. Sultanas the size of plums.
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