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	Western Cape Accommodation
Cape Town Accommodation Cape Winelands Accommodation Cederberg Mountains / Clanwilliam Accommodation The Western Cape in South Africa provides the traveller with many different sights, activities and attractions ranging from the adventurous shark cage diving, to paragliding off Lionshead in Cape Town, abseiling from Table Mountain, whale watching from August to November each year, the beautiful beaches in and around Cape Town and the Garden Route, the spectacular Cape Winelands with their exclusive wine estates and the natural beauty of its coastline along the Garden Route (Mossel Bay, George, Knysna, Plettenberg Bay, Tsitsikamma National Park). Cape Town and surrounds Perched between the magnificent ocean and Table Mountain , and with the Table Mountain National Park as its heart, Cape Town is wild and wonderful. Among its attractions are climbing, surfing and diving along with vibrant nightlife, excellent wine tastings and endless shopping. In Cape Town and its surrounding areas, the characteristics of the Rainbow Nation are apparent: beautiful Cape Dutch homesteads, traditional dancers with painted faces performing in the streets, the smell of spicy Cape Malay cooking and the taste of a well-made wine make up for a great and diverse cultural mix. The bells of St George's Cathedral alternate with the plaintive tones of the muezzin calling the faithful to prayer. Cape Town features the top five national attractions in South Africa, all of which are of traveller's interests all year round. These include a visit up Table Mountain, either by cable car or climbing up the various routes, the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, which are internationally acclaimed as one of the great botanical gardens of the world, as well as Robben Island, which is the prison island of Nelson, Mandela and several other political prisoners who fought against the apartheid government. Visitors to Robben Island are taken on a tour of the old prison complex, as well as to a museum on the island. The Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, one of Cape Town's main tourist attractions, offers the visitor a unique shopping and holiday experience on a scenic working harbour. This popular shopping and entertainment complex features shops, restaurants, launch areas for short cruises and a variety of entertainment for those who flock through it by day and night. Table Mountain offers some of the best climbing in the world, body boarding, surfing and kite surfing are fantastic, diving is cold but good. Visitors to Cape Town can go mountain biking or sea kayaking where whales, penguins, dolphins and seals might be observed. Seapoint, Greenpoint, Bantry Bay, Clifton and Camps Bay provide the traveller with more of a beach holiday destination although the city centre can be reached within minutes. Sightseeing places and attractions in and around Cape Town: Table Mountain and Cableway Robben Island: the ferry departs from the V&A Waterfront Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens Cape Point and Table Mountain National Park, South African National Park Boulders Penguin colony Castle of Good Hope in Cape Town V&A Waterfront / Victoria & Alfred Waterfront Two Oceans Aquarium at the V&A Waterfront Rhodes Memorial World of Birds in Hout Bay Beaches: Clifton, Camps Bay, Hout Bay Wine tasting tours at wine estates in Constantia, Paarl, Wellington, Stellenbosch and Franschhoek Camps Bay Camps Bay is an affluent suburb of Cape Town in South Africa's Western Province. In the European winter it is a popular getway destination for European tourists as well as local South Africans. It hosts beach volleyball tournaments, many restaurants are available as well as exciting nightlife. The back of Table Mountain, the Table Mountain cableway and the magnificent Twelve Apostles Mountain Range form a backdrop to the Camps Bay family beach. The surf in Camps Bay is strong and there is no resident lifeguard, but a rescue helicopter patrols regularly. The grass verge flanked by the Camps Bay tidal pool offers shady, wind-free barbecue spots. Trendy Shops, restaurants, a hotel, chemist, banks and police station are close to the beach. Clifton The small, affluent suburb of Clifton is situated adjacent to Camps Bay and Bantry Bay. It is a very exclusive residential area and is home to some of the most expensive real estate in South Africa, with villas and modern apartment buildings nestled on the cliffs which provide sweeping views of the Atlantic Ocean. Clifton has a set of 4 beaches which are frequently used destinations for both locals and international tourists. The beaches, which are named from 1st to 4th, are separated by falls of granite boulders and have white granitic sand. The four beaches of Clifton are well protected from the strong South Easter winds . A fifth beach, before First Beach, called Moses, appears and disappears as the sand is washed in and out with the seasons. The water, although chilly (12-16 °C), plays host to many watersports, mostly surfing, both board and body. Yachts anchor off Fourth beach, especially on summer weekends. Third is the beach to which families and beach volleyball players gravitate. First beach, to the north, the largest beach, draws a mixed crowd. The Cape Winelands It is in the Cape where climactic and topographic conditions simulate those of the old wine countries, that Africa's finest wines are produced. The Cape's historic wine culture, which goes back 350 years, is one that both reflects the country's troubled colonial and apartheid past - but also shines with the potential and expectation of the modern wine world. From that long history comes a wine tradition of tastes and styles with its roots in the classic "Old World" of France, Germany and Italy, but also an acute awareness of the contemporary consumer, as has been defined by wine-making in the "New World" of California and Australia. Most of the wine estates in South Africa are located in Constantia, Paarl, Wellington, Stellenbosch and Franschhoek. Cabernet sauvignon comprises the majority of red varieties in present vineyards, followed by pinotage and shiraz. White varieties still represent more than two-thirds of the total, but this has moved from an imbalance of 15% red and 85% white in 1990. In 2000 more than 80% of all new plantings were red, with shiraz, cabernet and merlot at the top of the list. At the same time, 87% of all vines uprooted were white, mostly chenin blanc, white French and colombard. In 2000 the total grape crop was about 1-million tons in South Africa, from which 830-million litres of wine were made by 355 active cellars, of which 185 were non-estate "private producers", 92 registered "estates", 69 co-operatives and nine producing wholesalers. Franschhoek Franschhoek is a small town in the Western Cape Province and one of the oldest towns of South Africa. La Motte, La Cotte, Cabriere, Provence, Chamoniz, Dieu Donne and La Dauphine were among some of the first established farms in the Franschhoek region. These farms have renowned wineries and invite the traveller for wine tasting tours. The Huguenot Memorial Museum in Franschhoek commemorates the cultural contribution of French Huguenots which can be seen in this particular area of South Africa. This heritage is preserved today with the Huguenot Monument standing at the top of the village of Franschhoek. The museum nearby chronicles the history of the first settlers, with each of the original Huguenot farms having its own fascinating story to tell. Stellenbosch Stellenbosch is the second oldest European settlement in the Western Providen of South Africa after Cape Town. This picturesque town is located about 50 kilometers away from Cape Town along the banks of the Eerste Rivier. Stellenbosch became known as the City of Oaks or Eikestad in Afrikaans due to the large number of oak trees which were planted by the founder to grace the streets and homesteads. Stellenbosch in the Cape Winelands is renowned for its beautiful environment, many places of interest, wine farms, street cafes, restaurants, quality wines, historical buildings and excellent educational institutions. The major portion of the area is utilised for agriculture, wine production. This greater region includes the towns of Stellenbosch, Franschhoek and settlements such as Klapmuts, Koelenhof, Kylemore, Johannesdal, Pniel, Jamestown and Raithby. Stellenbosch is home to the University of Stellenbosch which is one of South Africa's leading universities. Stellenbosch means "(van der) Stel's forest". It is situated on the banks of the Eerste River ("First River"), so named as it was the first new river he reached and followed when Jan van Riebeeck sent him from Cape Town on an expedition over the Cape Flats to explore the territory towards what is now known as Stellenbosch. The Stellenbosch, Paarl and Franschhoek valleys form the Cape Winelands which are the largest of the two main wine growing regions in South Africa Clanwilliam / Cederberg Mountains Clanwilliam is situated at the foot of the mighty Cederberg mountain range approximately 230 km from Cape Town. This region in South Africa has lots to offer the tourists, such as the beauty of the mountains, rock art, bird-watching, historical buildings, the scenic beauty of the flowers in "Flower Season", as well as water sports. Various 4x4 routes and hiking trails are available in this area. Further more, Clanwilliam is situated in a part of the Western Cape which is the only place in the world where Rooibos is planted and cultivated. The factory can be visited for a video-show on the tea-proccess and products can be bought directly from them. Clanwilliam is also well-known for its "Veldskoene" (leather shoes), made by Strassbergers. A visit to the factory is worthwhile, and shoes can be bought from them in any size and colour. Each year during August and September, depending on the preceding winter's rainfall, this region of South Africa is transformed into a floral showcase. A large variety of wild flowers can be admired in all colours. The Ramskop Nature Reserve at the Clanwilliam Dam Resort is home to 250 indigenous species of wild flowers. About 360 species are exhibited by the Clanwilliam Wildflower Society, which is a fitting complement to the dignified architecture of the church. The pulpit has been quiet for many years, but the flowers offer a song of praise heavenwards. This flower fęte includes concerts, art and food stalls, and a street carnival. The greater part of Clanwilliam falls within the world renowned Fynbos Biome. Various endangered endemic fynbos species can be found in the area. The most notable of these are the Clanwilliam Cedar (Widdringtonia cederbergensis) and the snow protea (Protea cryophila) which grow exclusively in isolated sites in the Cederberg Wilderness Area. Buchu (Agathosma betulina) is a sought after medicinal herb which grows in the mountains around Clanwilliam. Located in the foothills of the Cederberg, 270km from Cape Town, the luxurious Bushmans Kloof Wilderness Reserve is a thriving wilderness which has been recreated from a derelict farm that now nurtures priceless wildlife, protects the history and culture of the San people who once hunted in the area, and secures the future of the unique botanical diversity of the region. This privately owned wilderness reserve is home to more than 150 bird species, 755 plant species, and 35 species of mammals that have been identified in the reserve, including many rare and endangered species such as the Cape mountain zebra. The 5 star Bushmans Kloof Wilderness Reserve in the Cederberg, Western Cape, has received international accolades, being voted one of the Grand Award Winners for 2004 in Andrew Harper's Hideaways Report, widely regarded as the connoisseur's guide to luxury hideaways and secret places worldwide. Bushmans Kloof, a South African natural heritage site, is described as "the world's largest open-air art gallery" for its wealth of more than 130 pristine rock art sites. Bushmans Kloof is a member of Relais & Châteaux, and in 2001 became the first game lodge in South Africa to receive a five-star grading. Garden Route South Africa's famous Garden Route has many attractions, sightseeing places and activities which attract the traveller. The Garden Route stretches all the way from Mossel Bay, George, Knysna, Plettenberg Bay to Port Elizabeth. The most popular South African National Parks which are situated along the Garden Route are the Knsyna National Park, the Wilderness National Park and the Tsitsikamma National Park. Knysna National Lake Area / South African National Park Knysna nestles on the banks of a beautiful lagoon in the heart of the Garden Route, South Africa. It is surrounded by a natural paradise of lush indigenous forests, tranquil lakes and golden beaches, making it a real natural wonderland. The exceptionally beautiful Knysna National Lake Area is home to the endangered Knysna seahorse and a large diversity of marine life. Sandbanks and salt marshes teem with life and in turn provide food to an immeasurable number of organisms. Dominated by the twin Knysna Heads, the Knysna lagoon has borne witness to centuries of trade in timber, ivory and gold. The Knysna Lake Area provides a temperate climate and visitors can enjoy the warm summer sun. Wilderness National Park / South African National Park Situated along South Africa's famous Garden Route, a captivating world of lakes, rivers, estuaries and beaches gently unfolds against a backdrop of lush forest and lofty mountains, this region is called the Wilderness National Park which is one of the South African National Parks. Nature trails wind through densely wooded forest and along tranquil rivers, affording travellers the opportunity to encounter the brilliantly coloured Knysna lourie, or one of the five kingfisher species that occur here. During spring, many flowers, further enhance the verdant beauty of the Wilderness National Park. Adventurers have many exciting activities to look forward to: experience whales and dolphins from Dolphin Point, hire a canoe or bicycle, go abseiling, kloofing, paragliding or hang-gliding, go boating, fishing at Island Lake or hike to the waterfall above Ebb & Flow Restcamp. The Wilderness National Park offers activities for young, old, energetic or idle: take a stroll along a forest path or visit the bird hide and discover the wealth of bird life, lie back in a canoe on a quiet backwater and watch the world float by, camp under the stars alongside the river or stay in log cabins on stilts. The magnificent Wilderness National Park at the Garden Route stretches from the Touw River mouth to the Swartvlei estuary and beyond, where it links with the Goukamma Nature Reserve, giving welcome protection to five lakes and the Serpentine, which is the winding strip of water joining Island Lake to the Touw River at the Ebb-and-flow Restcamp. Tsitsikamma National Park / South African National Park The Tsitsikamma National Park is characterized by temperate high forest and fynbos which roll down to the ocean in an unspoilt verdant carpet and by ancient rivers which carve their paths to the ocean down rocky ravines. "The place of much water" is called the Tsitsikamma National Park. The heartland of the park stretches some 5 km to sea, protecting a wonderland of inter-tidal life, reef and deep-sea fish. Dolphins enjoy the breakers, surfing and playing for the sheer joy of life, and the gentle giant of the ocean, the southern right whale visits here, coming inshore to breed every year from August to November. Five things to look out for when visiting the Tsitsikamma National Park, Garden Route: - Dolphins and porpoises - keeping vigil on the ocean produce sightings of schools of dolphins and porpoises frolicking in the waves - African Black Oystercatcher - this red data species is one of South Africa's most threatened bird species. Several pairs nest along the park's rocky coastline - Knysna Lourie - these beautiful birds with a gruff call are common in the forest - Cape Clawless Otter - the source of the name of the Otter Trail, this shy and elusive species hunts crabs along the park's coastline and rivers alike - Blue Duiker - this miniature antelope is found in the forests
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