The Best 1 Full-Day Tours

COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL 8

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C W H a r m a k 7 Clock Tower p Bay s 8 Gateway TableTa b l e MMountaino u n t a i n to 39 Paulaner Bräuhaus 10 his ‘greatest hits’ tour takes in ’s most popular Tattractions. Begin with a dizzying cableway ride up to the top of Table Mountain, followed by a glimpse of ’s fascinating marine life in the aquarium. After a stroll around the historic V&A Waterfront, take the ferry to Robben Island for a look at South Afri- ca’s somber past. START: Lower Cableway Station. Full-Day Tours

1 ★★★ = Table Mountain Cableway Station, Tafelberg Rd. National Park & the Aerial y 021-424-8181. www.table Cableway. Although the Table mountain.net. Return/single R145/74

The Best Mountain National Park covers the adults, R76/38 (under-18s), R370 whole to Cape family ticket, 2 adults, 2 kids. Daily, Point, in the city center it includes times change monthly depending on the top of Table Mountain. Rising a times of sunrise and sunset. The first sheer 1,073 m (3,520ft) above the car up is usually at 8–8.30am, the coastal plain, with a perfectly flat last car down is as late as 9pm in top and occasional ‘tablecloth’ of summer and as early as 6pm in win- swirling white cloud, this is perhaps ter. Closed 2 weeks in July/August the most evocative backdrop of any for maintenance. city in the world, and a beautiful wil- Take a taxi back to the V&A. derness bang in the middle of a bus- tling city. The cable car takes 10 2 ★★★ = V&A Waterfront. minutes to ascend. Once at the top Named after Queen Victoria and her allow some time to follow the net- son Alfred, this harbor was origi- work of paths to the viewpoints. The nally built in 1860, after Alfred cere- vegetation is mostly fynbos (‘fine moniously poured the first load of bush’ in ), a sort of heath- rubble into the sea. In 1992 it was like plant, and in summer there’s a completely refurbished and is now profusion of wild flowers. You may South Africa’s top leisure, shopping, see dassies (rock hyrax), creatures and dining attraction, receiving in that look like large guinea pigs. excess of 10 million visitors a year. @ 2 hrs. Take a taxi or a City Sight- Many of the Victorian warehouses seeing bus (see p 12) to the Lower and dock buildings have

Victoria Wharf shopping mall at the V&A Waterfront. 11 The Best Table Mountain Facts & Figures

The Aerial Cableway, originally opened in 1929, takes less in One Day than 10 minutes to ascend Table Mountain and has taken some 18 million people to the top to date. Today’s cableway, installed in 1997, has floors that rotate allowing a 360° view, so it doesn’t mat- ter where you are standing. Always phone ahead or check the website to see if it’s running, because it can close in misty or windy weather without notice. As such, you can’t pre-book, which can mean lengthy queues in summer. Check the website because there are often specials; for exam- ple in summer it’s half-price after 6pm, or in winter two children under 18 can travel free with one adult. To walk up to the top from the Lower Cableway Station, allow at least 3 hours and you need to be fit and prepared for rapid changes in weather.

been wonderfully restored and the 5 Union Castle Building. This modern Victoria Wharf is the city’s imposing structure was built in 1919 premier shopping mall. @ 2–3 hrs by the acclaimed architect Herbert to take in the attractions listed. Baker (1862–1946) as the HQ for Alfred and Victoria Basins. y 021- Union Castle, the company that ran 408-7600. www.waterfront.co.za. mail ships between South Africa Shops daily 9am–9pm. and Britain between 1900 and 1977. Upstairs, it now houses a (free) 3 ★★ Quay Four. This is a socia- small, mildly distracting Maritime ble family pub with a large outdoor Centre museum with some model deck and great V&A Waterfront ships, photographs, and memorabilia views. Grab a good value seafood from the mail ship era. @ 20 min. combo lunch served in a cast iron fry- ing pan or a pot of creamy mussels, Quay Four restaurant. and look out for seals swimming in the water below. Quay 4. y 021-419- 2008. www.quay4.co.za. $$.

4 ★ Nobel Square. Stop here to admire the four life-size statues of South Africa’s Nobel Peace Prize laureates: (1960), (1984), and FW De Klerk and Nelson Mandela, who jointly won in 1993. Stand back and take a photo of the four of them with Table Mountain in the back- ground. @ 5 min. Alfred Basin. www.nobelsquare.com. 12 is the massive predator tank where you can watch ragged-tooth sharks, manta rays, and barracudas glide past in the neon-lit blue water. Qual- ified divers can dive in the tank (see p 75, $). Also look out for the giant kelp tank—watching the slithery

Full-Day Tours kelp swing drunkenly among the colored lights is quite mesmerizing. @ 1 hr. Dock Rd, V&A Waterfront. y 021-418-3823. www.aquarium.

The Best co.za. R82 adults, R65 kids (aged 14–17), R38 (aged 4–13), free for under 4s. Daily 9.30am–6pm. 7 Clock Tower. This bright red, octagonal clock tower is reached by crossing the swing bridge that links with Alfred Basin and opens to allow yachts out to sea. It was built in Statue of Archbishop Desmond Tutu at 1882 as the port captain’s office. Nobel Square. Adjacent is the Clock Tower Centre (see p 31), with its many shops Alfred Wharf. y 021-405-2880. and restaurants, a VAT Refund desk www.iziko.org.za. Daily 10am–5pm. (see p 66), and a helpful branch of Cape Town Tourism (see p 42). 6 ★★★ = Two Oceans @ 15 min. Alfred Basin. Aquarium. This critically acclaimed aquarium is home to 8 ★★★ Nelson Mandela Gate- more than 3,000 marine species, way to Robben Island. Robben with the focus on the unique under- Island is today a World Heritage water environment created by the Site, but from the 17th century, meeting of the Atlantic and Indian when it was a leper colony, to 1966, oceans in the Cape. Look for wild when the last prisoner left the noto- seals in the bay through a glass rious maximum-security prison later panel, and take youngsters to the located here, it was a place of ban- touch pool where they can pick up ishment. It’s best known for being starfish and sea slugs. The highlight the place where political prisoners

City Sightseeing

City Sightseeing (y 021-511-6000; www.citysightseeing.co.za) runs a fleet of smart, red, hop-on hop-off open top buses that oper- ate on set routes around the city and is one of the best ways to get between key tourist sites. Buses come by every 30 minutes on the Red Route and every 60 minutes on the longer Blue Route. One-day tickets are R120/60 for adults/kids (under-15s), two-day tickets are R200/120. The booking office is outside the Two Oceans Aquarium at the V&A Waterfront. 13 The Best Nelson Mandela

As leader of the banned African National Congress (ANC), in One Day Nelson Mandela was arrested in 1963 and sentenced to life impris- onment on Robben Island. He was transferred to other prisons on the mainland from 1982 until he was finally released in 1990. With then President FW De Klerk, he negotiated the dismantling of apart- heid, for which they jointly earned the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993. Democratic elections were held in 1994 and Mandela became the country’s first black president. Affectionately known as Madiba (his clan name) and adored by all South Africans, he stepped down as President in 1999 but continued as an activist for many causes, namely the fight against HIV/AIDS. He retired from public life on his 90th birthday in 2008.

were jailed during the apartheid era, tour around the island, which visits the most famous of whom is Nelson the leper graveyard, the limestone Mandela. Ferries take 30 minutes quarry where Mandela and other and leave from the Nelson Mandela prisoners crushed rocks all day, and Gateway at the Clock Tower. Take a the village where the wardens lived. look around the small museum Inside the prison, you can peek into while waiting to embark. Once out Mandela’s tiny cell and try and imag- to sea enjoy magnificent views of ine how one of the world’s greatest the city and Table Mountain. The statesmen lived here for the major- excursion includes a guided bus ity of his 27 years of incarceration. Book this excursion well in advance Two Oceans Aquarium at the V&A in high season and always phone Waterfront. ahead first because this is an activ- ity that is weather-dependent. @ 3½ hrs. Clock Tower. y 021-419- 1300. www.robben-island.org. R180 adults, R90 kids (under-18s). Ferries depart daily at 9am, 11am, 1pm, and 3pm.

9 ★★ Paulaner Bräuhaus. This popular German beerhouse is a hop, skip, and a jump away from the Nelson Mandela Gateway. Drink a cold one here while reflecting on your Robben Island experience. Beers are home brewed—try the yeasty Weissbier—and food is all things sausagey. Clock Tower. y 021-418-9999. $$. 14 The Best in Two Days TABLETABLE BBAYAY 1 Green Point 1 Goodwood Belleville 2 GreenGreen Sea Point SeaSea M6 Kensington PointPoint PointPoint 3 Clifton ATLANTICATLANTIC Tiger Valley Belleville 2 SignalSignal CapeCape WoodstockWoodstock South Kuilsrivier 4 OCEANOCEAN HillHill TownTown Elsies River Full-Day Tours CliftonClifton Pinelands Epping Industrial BeachBeach 3 M4 5 CliftonClifton Langa Athlone Delft 6 Chapman’s Peak Drive CampsCamps TableTable BayBay 4 MountainMountain Bridgetown 7 Cape Town Blackheath

The Best TwelveTwelve International Nature Reserve ApostlesApostles ClairemontClairemont Airport 38 Lynedoch Black Marlin M6 Nyanga TableTable MountainMountain Lansdowne Eersterivier 9 LogiesLogies NationalNational ParkPark KennilworthKennilworth BayBay LlandudnoLlandudno WynbergWynberg 10 Simon’s Town ConstantiaConstantia Philippi SandySandy Mandalay 11 BayBay Ottery Plumstead Faure 12 DieprivierDieprivier 13 HoutHout BayBay M4 5 Mitchells HoutHout Plain BayBay TokaiTokai Macassar TableTable MMountainountain RetreatRetreat NationalNational ParkPark Strandfontein WestlakeWestlake Wolfgat 6 Nature Reserve Minandi Chapman’sChapman’s M6 Macassar PointPoint Strandfontein Beach Beach NoordhoekNoordhoek MuizenbergMuizenberg SilvermineSilvermine 13 Sunrise SanSan MichelMichel NatureNature RReserveeserve West Beach Beach SunSun DangerDanger ValleyValley ClovellyClovelly 12 BeachBeach M65 KalkKalk KommetjieKommetjie FishFish HHoekoek BayBay M6 11 SlangkopSlangkop OceanOcean ViewView GlencairnGlencairn GlencairnGlencairn BeachBeach

M4 LongLong BeachBeach WitsandWitsand SeaforthSeaforth FA L S E B AY BayBay Simon’sSimon’s TownTown BeachBeach ScarboroughScarborough 10 9 MosselMossel BayBay Stoney SwarzkopSwarzkop Beach ATLANTICATLANTIC MountainsMountains Rumbly 38 Bay OCEANOCEAN GrootklipGrootklip M65 OlifantsbosOlifantsbos TableTable MountainMountain BayBay NationalNational ParkPark Smitswinkel Bay SmitswinkelSmitswinkel MastMast FlatsFlats BayBay BatsataBatsata CoveCove

7 0 4 mi MuishondMuishond BayBay BuffelsBuffels BayBay 04 km CapeCape ooff GoodGood hopehope 15 The Best

TABLE BAY MilnertonMilnerton GoodwoodGoodwood BellevilleBelleville

Green in Two Days Sea KensingtonKensington Point Point ATLANTIC TigerTiger ValleyValley BellevilleBelleville Signal Cape Woodstock SouthSouth KuilsrivierKuilsrivier OCEAN Hill Town ElsiesElsies RRiveriver Clifton PinelandsPinelands EppingEpping IndustrialIndustrial Beach Clifton LangaLanga AthloneAthlone DelftDelft Camps Table Mountain BridgetownBridgetown Bay N 2 CapeCape TownTown BlackheathBlackheath Twelve InternationalInternational Apostles HeideveldHeideveld Clairemont AirportAirport NyangaNyanga LyneLynedoch Table Mountain LansdowneLansdowne EersterivierEersterivier Logies National Park Kennilworth BlueBlue DDownsowns Bay Llandudno MfuleniMfuleni Wynberg Constantia PhilippiPhilippi Sandy MandalayMandalay Bay OtteryOttery PlumsteadPlumstead KhayelitshaKhayelitsha FaureFaure Dieprivier Hout Bay GrassyGrassy PParkark N CapeCape FFlatslats MitchellsMitchells 2 Hout ZeekoevleiZeekoevlei PlainPlain Bay Tokai MacassarMacassar Table Mountain Retreat National Park StrandfonteinStrandfontein Westlake WolfgatWolfgat NatureNature RReserveeserve Chapman’s MinandiMinandi MacassarMacassar Point StrandfonteinStrandfontein BeachBeach BeachBeach Noordhoek Muizenberg Silvermine SunriseSunrise San Michel Nature Reserve WestWest BeachBeach BeachBeach Sun Danger Valley Clovelly Beach Kalk Fish Hoek Bay Slangkop Ocean View Glencairn Glencairn Beach

Long Beach Witsand Seaforth FALSEFA L S E BBAYAY Bay Simon’s Town Scarborough Beach Mossel Bay StoneyStoney Swarzkop BeachBeach Information Mountains RumblyRumbly ATLANTIC BayBay Town OCEAN Grootklip Train Station Olifantsbos Table Mountain Airport Bay National Park SmitswinkelSmitswinkel Beach BayBay Smitswinkel Vineyard Mast Flats Bay Batsata Peak Cove Lighthouse Camp / Caravan Muishond Bay Buffels Bay Diving Cape of Good hope 16 he Cape Peninsula stretches from Table Mountain down to Tthe tips of and the Cape of Good Hope. A day’s driving tour will take in all the beauty of this area, from the ritzy Atlantic Seaboard suburbs, to quaint fishing towns, gorgeous beaches, and the penguins at Boulders Beach. This is an easy self-drive tour, or book with a tour operator. START: M61 Somerset Road. Full-Day Tours

1 = Green Point. The main 3 = ★★★ Clifton. Now you’ve attraction here is Green Point Sta- reached the stomping ground of the

The Best dium (see walking tour on p 50 for rich and famous where the most more details). As Somerset Road expensive real estate in Cape Town leaves the city, you first pass is found. The beaches here are through , a pictur- spectacular and there are sweeping esque quarter with historical, char- ocean views. To your right as you acterful artisan houses that are for drive along are the four Clifton the most part smart holiday cot- Beaches (p 70): First Beach is the tages. As you drive down the main largest, and popular for games of road, the stadium is to your right soccer or volleyball; Second Beach and high-rise apartment blocks on is where the beautiful people pose the lower slopes of Lions Head are in their Prada sunglasses; Third on your left. @ 20 min to drive Beach is a gay venue; while Fourth through. Beach is favored by families. @ 10 min to drive past. 2 = Sea Point. Main Road (M61) continues through Sea Point, Now take the M6 to: again a crop of high rises and one of 4 = ★★★ Camps Bay. After the most densely populated areas in you’ve passed Clifton, the stunning the city. Many hotels and guest- half-moon beach at Camps Bay houses are located here and it has a comes into view. With its line of res- holiday atmosphere. @ 15 min to taurants and bars along Victoria drive through.

The beautiful beaches at Clifton. 17 The Best Cape Peninsula Practicalities

After a full first day in Cape Town, this is an easy one-day self- in Two Days drive tour, but I recommend you leave the city center early enough to get to Hout Bay to catch one of the morning boats if you want to see the seals on —a 45-minute straight drive without stops. Plan where you want to go for lunch too—many restaurants on the Peninsula are listed in Chapter 6, The Best Dining (see p 79). Alternatively, you can join a tour, which costs in the region of R600. Daytrippers (y 021-511-4766; www.daytrippers.co.za) and Downhill Adventures (y 021-422-0388; www.downhilladventures. com) also include a couple of hours of cycling on mountain bikes in the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve. The more sedate can opt to go with Cape Rainbow, (y 021-448- 3117; www.tourcapers.co.za), Hylton Ross (y 021-511-1784; www.hyltonross.com), or Springbok Atlas (y 021-460-4700; www. springbokatlas.com).

Road, well-toned bodies playing vol- and below the road and with 114 leyball on the sand, and a clutch of bends, this dramatic 9km (5.6 miles) white-washed mansions with glitter- road passes over the rocky outcrop of ing swimming pools climbing up the Chapman’s Peak. In parts the road hill, Camps Bay has a wonderful Cali- has, incredibly, been carved into the fornian feel. @ 10 min to drive mountain. Pull over at one of the look- through. outs as you descend for views of wide and sandy Noordhoek Beach. The 5 = ★★ Hout Bay. The road road frequently closes in bad weather from Camps Bay to Hout Bay has so check it’s open before departing. the magnificent Twelve Apostles (a @ 45 min to drive through. y 021- chain of mountains that make up the 790-9163. www.chapmanspeakdrive. spine of the peninsula) on the left and co.za. R24 per car. the crashing waves and boulder- strewn coastline of the Atlantic on the Boats in Hout Bay harbor with Chap- right. Park at Hout Bay’s harbor and man’s Peak Drive in the background. admire the colorful fishing boats, and take a 35-minute round boat trip to Duiker Island, where thousands of Cape fur seals bask. Be warned, they can be a bit smelly. @ 1 hr. Drumbeat Charters, Hout Bay Harbor. y 021- 791-4441. www.drumbeatcharters. co.za. R50 adults, R25 kids. Boats depart daily 8.30am, 9.15am, 10am, and 10.45am. 6 ★★★ = Chapman’s Peak Drive. With sheer cliffs both above 18

Head 15 minutes along the M4 to Miller’s Point:

8 ★★ Black Marlin. This is a popular late-lunch stop for seafood on the Cape Peninsula tour. Start with prawns or calamari and then Full-Day Tours ask about the catch-of-the-day. The lovely outside terrace is a good van- tage spot to watch whales in season (June to November). Main Rd, Mill-

The Best er’s Point. y 021-786-1621. www. blackmarlin.co.za. $$$.

9 ★★★ = Boulders Beach. Look a penguin in the eye and Statue of Just Nuisance at Simon’s Town. watch these comical little charac- ters surfing in the waves, waddling From Chapman’s Peak, follow along the beach, or simply standing the M65 via Kommetjie and alone on a rock contemplating life. Scarborough to: A visitor’s center tells you all you 7 ★★★ = Cape of Good need to know about African pen- Hope Nature Reserve. Part of guins and a boardwalk takes you the Table Mountain National Park down to the beach to see the little (see p 10, 1), this reserve encom- fellows. Rather staggeringly, the col- passes 7,750 hectares (19,150 acres) ony has grown from just two breed- of low-lying fynbos vegetation, ing pairs in 1982 to more than 3,000 y deserted beaches, storm-battered penguins today. @ 1 hr. 021- cliffs, and jaw-dropping ocean views. 786-2329. www.sanparks.org. R30 Animals found here include a number adults, R10 kids. Daily Oct–Mar of species of antelope, Cape moun- 8am–6.30pm, Apr–Sep 8am–5pm. tain zebra, ostriches, and baboons. At 0 ★★ = Simon’s Town. the southern tip is the beach at The Established in 1743 as an alternative Cape of Good Hope. You’ll see it to port to Table Bay during windy Cape the right of the road, and it was so winters, this town features an named by early Portuguese sailors attractive line of Victorian buildings because rounding it was seen as a milestone on a voyage to the Far East. colony at Boulders Beach. At the very end is Cape Point. Walk up the series of paved footpaths or ride the funicular railway to the light- house at the top for sweeping views of False Bay. In the car park are some souvenir shops and the Two Oceans Restaurant. The Cape Point Ostrich Farm is near the entrance. @ 2 hrs. y 021-701-8692. www.sanparks.org. R70 adults, R10 kids (under 12). Daily Oct–Mar 6am–6pm, Apr–Sep 7am– 5pm. Funicular railway R32 return, R24 single. 19 The Best in Two Days

Fishing boat in Kalk Bay. along the main street, and the Quay- # = Muizenberg. This is the side Centre is a modern mall with last town on False Bay, but it is a shops and restaurants. Look out for faded, scruffy resort without much the statue of Just Nuisance—a Great appeal. However the beach (see Dane dog who, in the 1930s and p 71) is magnificent, with powdery 1940s, would guide inebriated sail- white sand sloping down to the roll- ors home and would get in the way ing waves. Look out too for the by lying across gangplanks. He is famous, postcard-pretty row of the only (sea) dog in the world to brightly painted beach huts. It is a have been given a military funeral. popular surfing spot; so much so @ 30 min. that a shark-spotting team is deployed here. From Muizenberg ! = Fish Hoek. There’s not it’s a 30-minute drive back to central much to detain you in Fish Hoek, but Cape Town on the Highway. the beach here has fine white sand @ 15 min to drive through. and is good for swimming. Sea temperatures here are lower than Muizenberg Beach. the Atlantic Seaboard. @ 20 min to drive through. @ ★★ = Kalk Bay. This is one of the most attractive fishing vil- lages on the False Bay coast. Many of the Victorian buildings have been converted into shops selling antiques, gifts, furniture, books, and bric-a-brac and are well worth a browse. There are also a number of cafés and restaurants to be found here. Between Kalk Bay and Muizen- berg (see #) look out for the sign on the left to Boyes Drive— this road takes only 10 minutes to Muizenberg and, as an alternative to the often- busy lower coast road, offers great views of False Bay. @ 45 min. 20 The Best in Three Days

1 0 3 miles 32 Rhodes Memorial Restaurant 0 3km MontagueMontague 3 Irma Stern Museum GardensGardens 4 Kirstenbosch National Full-Day Tours Botanical Garden MilnertonMilnerton 35 Fynbos Deli TABLETABLE BAYBAY 6 GreenGreen PointPoint N 7 Klein Constantia 1 The Best M6 KensingtonKensington 8 Constantia Uitsig CapeCape TTownown SignalSignal WoodstockWoodstock SeaSea HillHill PointPoint Information PinelandsPinelands CliftonClifton CliftonClifton Beach BeachBeach M3 Diving CampsCamps TableTable 1 32 Lighthouse BayBay Bridgetown MountainMountain 3 Peak Camp / Caravan TwelveTwelve ApostlesApostles ClairemontClairemont 35 M6 TableTable MMountainountain 4 M3 LansdowneLansdowne KennilworthKennilworth LogiesLogies NationalNational ParkPark M63 BayBay LlandudnoLlandudno ConstantiaConstantia WynbergWynberg 6 SandySandy 7 OtteryOttery M63 BayBay M41 PlumsteadPlumstead 8 DieprivierDieprivier GrassyGrassy HoutHout BBayay ParkPark

M42 HoutHout M3 BayBay TableTable MMountainountain TokaiTokai RetreatRetreat NationalNational PParkark M6 WestlakeWestlake

Chapman’sChapman’s PointPoint MuizenbergMuizenberg NoordhoekNoordhoek SilvermineSilvermine Sunrise SanSan MichelMichel NatureNature RReserveeserve WestWest BeachBeach Beach

DangerDanger SunSun BeachBeach ValleyValley ClovellyClovelly KommetjieKommetjie FishFish HoekHoek KalkKalk BayBay OceanOcean M6 SlangkopSlangkop ViewView GlencairnGlencairn GlencairnGlencairn BeachBeach 21 The Best his tour is best taken on a sunny day, when you can really Tenjoy the scenery at Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden and the wine estates in Constantia Valley. The vineyards here were origi- nally planted to provide wine for sailors on passing ships—red wine Montague in Three Days Gardens was drunk to fight off scurvy. START: Take the M3 out of the city.

Milnerton 1 ★★ Rhodes Memorial. Built breakfast, light lunches, good cof- TABLE BAY on the spot where Cecil John Rhodes fees, and wine. The blueberry (1853–1902) used to sit and look over Green cheesecake is to die for, or ask the Point early Cape Town when he was prime waiter when the scones are coming Kensington minister of the Cape (1890–95), this Cape Town out of the oven. y 021-689-9151. $. Signal Woodstock impressive granite memorial was Sea Hill built by Sir Herbert Baker and Sir Point Pinelands Francis Macey in 1912. The 49 steps— On the other side of the M3: Clifton Clifton Beach one for each year of Rhodes’ short life—are flanked by four bronze lions 3 Irma Stern Museum. Located Camps with a statue of Rhodes on horseback in the house she lived in for 38 years, Table this museum displays paintings of Bay Mountain Bridgetown at the base. The views here over the northern suburbs and Cape Flats are acclaimed South African artist Irma Twelve outstanding and there are a number Stern (1894–1966), plus her fine Apostles antique furniture and tribal artifacts Clairemont of footpaths leading up Devil’s Peak. @ 45 min. Clearly signposted off collected from across Africa. Her por- Table Mountain Lansdowne Rhodes Dr (M3), . y 021- traits and landscapes are quite strik- Logies National Park Kennilworth 689-9151. www.rhodesmemorial. ing but you may find the religious Bay Llandudno co.za. Admission free. Nov–Apr paintings a little disturbing. @ 30 min. Constantia Wynberg y 7am–7pm, May–Oct 8am–6pm. Cecil Rd, Rosebank. 021-685-5686. www.irmastern.co.za. Admission R10 Sandy Ottery Bay adults, R5 kids. Tues–Sat 10am–5pm. Plumstead 2 Rhodes Memorial Restau- rant. This lovely spot behind the Back on the M3, take the turnoff Dieprivier Grassy Memorial has outside tables set on to the M63 to: Hout Bay Park among blue hydrangeas. It serves 4 = ★★★ Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden. Hout Cecil Rhodes presented the people Bay View from Rhodes Memorial. Table Mountain Tokai of South Africa with this land in 1895, Retreat National Park and the gardens opened in 1913. Westlake This is South Africa’s oldest botanical garden, in a delightful setting on the Chapman’s sheltered eastern contours of Table Point Muizenberg Mountain (see p 78, 6). The mani- Noordhoek Silvermine Sunrise cured lawns, flower and herb beds, San Michel Nature Reserve West Beach Beach orchards, and cycad and aloe gar- dens join seamlessly with forests full Danger of waterfalls and mountain fynbos on Sun Beach Valley Clovelly the higher slopes. During summer, Kommetjie Fish Hoek Kalk don’t miss the Sunday concerts on Bay the lawns (see p 111). There are two Ocean restaurants, and you can book guided Slangkop View Glencairn Glencairn Beach tours by golf cart. @ 2–3 hrs. Rhodes Dr, Newlands. y 021-799-8783. www.sanbi.org. Admission R32 adults, 22 sweeping driveway lined with oaks, all flanked by rows of grapes. Check out the visitor’s center, the museum in the manor house (which is full of period furniture), taste some of the wines, or go on a cellar tour. @ 1 hr. Groot Constantia Rd, Constantia.

Full-Day Tours y 021-794-5128. www.groot constantia.co.za. Admission is free to the estate, R10 museum, R25 wine tasting, R30 cellar tours. Sep–Mar

The Best 8am–7pm, Apr–Aug 8am–6pm. 7 ★ Klein Constantia. This attractive, hilly estate, which dates back to 1689, is famous for its des- Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden sert wine, which reputedly was on the eastern slopes of Table Mountain. Napoleon’s favorite tipple. Its tast- ing center has good views of False R10 children (aged 6–17), free for Bay. @ 30 min. Klein Constantia Rd, under-6s. Sep–Mar 8am–7pm (later Constantia. y 021-794-5188. www. for concerts), Apr–Aug 8am–6pm. kleinconstantia.com. Tasting R25. Mon–Fri 9am–5pm, Sat 9am–1pm.

5 Fynbos Deli. Grab a bite to Follow the M42 for 2.5km until eat at the Fynbos deli in the Kirsten- you see the sign on the right for: bosch gardens, and fill up before 8 ★★ Constantia Uitsig. This heading off to the wine estates, beautiful estate, where the lines of or pack a picnic to take with you. vines stretch up the mountainside, y 021-762-9585. $. was originally part of Groot Constan- tia (see 6). The Cape Dutch-style manor house was built in 1894, and Take the M63, going southwest, now, as well as wine tasting, it turn left onto M41 and follow offers luxury accommodation (see signs for: p 124) and the award-winning La 6 ★★★ Groot Constantia. Colombe restaurant (see p 90). Founded in 1685, this is South Afri- @ 30 min. Spaanschemat Rd, Con- ca’s oldest wine estate and one of its stantia. y 021-794-1810. www. most beautiful, with commanding constantia-uitsig.com. Tasting Cape Dutch-style whitewashed build- free. Mon–Fri 9am–5pm, Sat–Sun ings, established gardens, and a 10am–5pm.

View of the eastern side of Table Mountain from Constantia Uitsig.