Cape Town Culture and History
Cape Town has a cosmopolitan cultural mix which has been influenced over the years mainly by the Dutch, French and British, with a significant influence also having come from Malaysia. Cape Town is home to artists and performers of every description.
With a fascinating history going back 350 years, Cape Town offers a huge selection of museums and places of cultural interest to visit. Also to be considered are tours of the townships, a ferry trip to Robben Island or a wander through the District Six Museum.
Bo-Kaap
The so-called Malay Quarter (more correctly named the Bo-Kaap), hugs the lower slopes of Signal Hill and is a maze of narrow alleys and densely clustered flat roofed homes. The Bo-Kaap is home to a large Islamic community, many of whom are descended from slaves imported by the early European settlers from the Dutch colony of Java.
Company Gardens
The Company Gardens, located at the upper end of Adderley street, with its stately oak trees, shady paths, green lawns and lily covered ponds has a direct line of descent from the earliest settlers. When Jan Van Riebeck landed in the Cape in 1652, his first task was to plant a vegetable garden to supply the passing ships of his employers, the powerful Dutch East India Company. The modern Gardens are located at this spot and although much reduced from the original size are still a wonderful place to spend a few hours.
The Castle
Dating back to roughly the same period is the oldest European structure in South Africa, the Castle of Good Hope. The "castle" is actually a defensive fort, construction of which began barely 2 days after the arrival of the first Dutch settlers in April 1652. Although today the Castle is far away from the sea, it was originally built on the beach, Strand Street, which passes the structure is translated as "Beach Street". The area where the cape Town station now stands was originally under the ocean and has been built on land reclaimed over the years so that today the ocean is a couple of kilometres distant.
Historic Buildings
Cape Town is home to a number of historic buildings, many of them well preserved and can be visited by the public. Bertram House, in the city centre was built in the 1830's when anything much beyond Adderly Stret was farmland. The house is now a museum and gives a wonderful insight into cape Town life almost 200 years ago [Tel: 021 424 9381].
There are many more such gems to be found in and around the city, such as Koopmans De Wet House, the Groote Kerk (Big Church) in Adderley Street. Also worth a visit is the bustling open air market at Greenmarket Square, the Historic buildings and dusty book shops in Long Street (walk its length and find out how this street got its name), the huge underground Golden Acre shopping mall, the old Slave Lodge and the South African Museum .
Abseiling
Widely available throughout South Africa with Cape Town offering a 100m abseil on Table Mountain and an awesome hang from Chapman's Peak, South Africa's most famous and dramatic coastal drive.
Bungee Jumping
The Western Cape offers a 65m high jump and bridge swings at the Gouritz River bridge, the original African bungee site. The Eastern Cape offers the world's highest jump off the 216m high Bloukrans bridge - a must for all thrill seekers!
Climbing
There is a huge range of climbing opportunities in South Africa from scenic sport climbing to training and guided climbs. The Western Cape offers outstanding views, fantastic rock and routes to suit every standard. Table Mountain itself offers endless possibilities. There is also wonderful ancient rock art to be seen.
Scuba Diving
Coloured reefs and a coastline littered with shipwrecks make South Africa an interesting place to dive. The Western Cape offers some of the most accessible and varied diving in the country and diving with sharks is offered at the aquarium and at Gansbaai.
Fishing
Fly-fishing ( freshwater and seawater ) ..... rock and surf angling ..... spear fishing ..... bottom fishing and deep-sea fishing - South Africa offers it all from rainbow trout to big game fish! The Cape of Storms is notorious for yielding quality big game fish such as Marlin and Tuna, and the Cape also offers excellent trout and bass fishing around inland rivers and dams.
Hiking
A common pastime throughout South Africa and trails can be found almost everywhere you go including the Game Parks! There are unlimited possibilities ranging from gentle strolls alone to guided week-long hikes. The country's most famous route .... the Otter Trial is located in the Eastern Cape.
Mountain Biking
There are a variety of trails in South Africa with the Western Cape boasting leisurely trails through forests and winelands, as well as many popular mountainous climbs and descents.
Paragliding / Sky Diving
The Western Cape has an abundance of sites to suit both experience and weather conditions and the Garden Route offers one of the countries safest and most popular sites. Whether this is a first time alone, a tandem jump or an accelerated freefall, there are various schools throughout South Africa offering a full range of skydiving opportunities.
Surfing
South Africa is undoubtedly one of the major surfing countries in the world, with South Africans figuring prominently on the professional circuit and the country itself hosting a series of international competitions each year. There are many memorable surf spots throughout the country with the Eastern Cape being home to Jeffrey's Bay, one of the worlds' top spots. The Western Cape offers an abundance of varying waves suitable for those with experience and those without, with Cape Town and its surrounding area offering at least 50 spots. Big wave events have now come to Cape Town and is firmly on the international scene. |
