Text and photos by Mary L. Peachin
March, 2013 Vol. 17, No. 7
Orographic clouds, created by moist air, frequently cover or create a “table cloth” over all or part of the 3,500 foot flat topped Table Mountain. Cape Town’s stunning backdrop comprises almost 15,000 acres of sculpted shale, sandstone, and granite. It is a landmark that dominates the landscape of a city wedged between it and Table Bay, which opens into the Atlantic coastline.
This gorgeous setting makes it easy to understand the South Africa city’s many accolades of being the “World’s best city, most beautiful and visited, livable and romantic.” To many visitors, the southern tip of the world may be a cruise ship port of call or a gateway to Kruger National Park safaris. Savvy travelers will agree that Cape Town is a city that can hold its own, one of being a designated destination.
Yes, it can be a long haul to get there, but Cape Town’s is well worth the jet lag. Touring the Cape of Good Hope or the infamous Robben Island is simply an amuse bouche, a small taste of what South Africa has to offer.
During our October visit, we had the opportunity to experience Cape Town’s strong and relentless winds. Known as South-East winds, they conversely blow from land to the sea. Locally this phenomenon is referred to as the “Cape Doctor.” Cleaning the air makes the city glisten. While the wind may result in a canceled Table Mountain gondola ride or visit to Robben Island, there are so many additional activities, a visitor can easily work their schedule around tour cancelations.
We did just that by enjoying a day long tour to the Cape of Good Hope. South along the Atlantic coastline, the road connects the wide sandy beaches of Clifton, Camps Bay, Llandudno, surfers’ paradise, and Sandy Bay.
Simon’s Town, one of South Africa’s oldest Cape naval settlements, primarily attracts visitors to its nearby Boulders Beach. Sheltered by large, rounded rocks, the beach is home to a protected colony of endangered African penguins.
Hout Bay offers the opportunity to take a ferry to view a colony of Cape fur seals lying on Duiker Island. Aboard the 82 foot Calypso, a former WWII converted air-sea rescue, we steamed beyond the jetty of Flora Bay to Duiker’s “Seal” island to observe the seals. Prey to the great white shark, Duiker does not have the dive facilities of Gansbaai’s Dyer Island, along the western cape, a noted destination for shark divers.
The journey along Chapman’s Peak Drive is considered a spectacular marine drive. Within its five mile route, 114 curves follow a rocky coastline. Sheer drops make it a popular location for television car commercials.
Entering the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve, which dates back to 1939, wild zebras, ostrich, and baboons can be sighted. The area is uniquely landscaped with fynbos, a colorful, flowering collection of short shrubbery.
Legend has it that the Cape of Good Hope, a rocky promontory, was discovered by Portuguese navigator Bartolomeu Dias in 1488. It is alleged that Dias named it the Cape of Storms. A superstitious King John II of Portugal renamed it the Cape of Good Hope. The King was hopeful that Dias’ discovery was a good omen that India could be reached by sea from Portugal.
The signage at the Cape, in both English and Dutch, is always windy. Fortunately, it was not at its worse velocity of 130 knots.
Our return to Cape Town included a visit to the 1,300-acre Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens. Originally the gardens belongs to the Cecil Rhodes estate. Named after J.F. Kirsten, a garden manager in the 1700’s, Kirstenbosch has been owned by the government since 1913. The gardens are dedicated to indigenous plants of South Africa including traditional African medicinal plants, a perfumery garden signed in Braille, cycads, and proteas.
Since 1997, Robben Island Prison has been both a museum and heritage site. It is most noted as being the prison where South Africa’s first democratic President Nelson Mandela and the founding leader of the Pan Africanist Congress, Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe, were imprisoned.
Robben Island has been inhabited for thousands of years including a time when the ocean channel separating it from the Cape mainland was dry. When the Dutch occupied the Cape in the mid-1600s, Robben Island became a prison. In the 1840s, because of its isolation, Robben Island was converted into a leprosy colony. During World War II, it served as a training and military base.
During our visit, the cable cars to Table Mountain were not able to operate due to the high winds. The two mile high sandstone plateau, is edged by steep cliffs. A plateau, located between Devil’s Peak to the east and Lion’s Head to the west, serves as Cape Town’s dramatic backdrop. Signal Hill, also known as Lion’s Rump, is a favorite place for sundowners or evening cocktails.
Our resort, One & Only Cape Town, offered captivating views of Table Mountain from its location adjacent to the Victoria and Alfred waterfront, the town’s working harbor, shopping mall and Two Oceans Aquarium. Two of its restaurants offer the cuisine of Nobuyuki “Nobu” Matsuhisa and Reuben Riffel.
One & Only is the first luxury hotel to open in Cape Town in the past decade. It was built to celebrate the city’s culture while maintaining an authentic South African style.
Looking back on our visit to Cape Town, we feel that we only saw a small portion of what the city has to offer. It is truly worth a longer stay or destination visit.
Part I of a series
myafricavacation.com, South African Vacations
Flysaa.com, South African Airways
www.capetown, www.southafrica.net, One & Only Resort, oneandonlyresorts.com