Somewhere For The Weekend: Cape Town

Where?

Where?

Tacked onto the bottom of Africa, Cape Town is the living embodiment of the Rainbow Nation - part African, part European, with a vibrant Cape Malay Muslim population, a lively gay scene and arguably the best nightlife in Africa.

Since its humble beginnings as a Dutch supply station in 1652, Cape Town has exploded across the Cape Peninsula. The old part is squeezed between Table Mountain and the sea, but new suburbs sprawl north and east along the beach-fringed shores of Table Bay and False Bay. It can take a while to get your bearings so pick up a city map when you arrive. Cape Town international airport is south-east of the centre on the way to False Bay, and the town centre is over on the Atlantic coast at the foot of Table Mountain. The swish Victoria and Alfred (V&A) Waterfront at the harbour is the main area for upmarket shops and restaurants, while the bus and train stations and most of the museums and galleries are clustered around the Company's Garden in City Bowl, the old part of downtown.

Where you stay in Cape Town will depend on whether you want shopping, nightlife or history on your doorstep. About 1km west of the V&A Waterfront, Winchester Mansions Hotel (00 27 21 434 2351; www.winchester.co.za) is an attractive haven from the crowds, set around a plant-filled courtyard; standard rooms cost from R1,100 (£98). Travellers on a budget should head for one of the B&Bs and backpacker hostels in Gardens or City Bowl. Table Mountain Lodge (00 27 21 423 0042; www.tablemountainlodge.co.za) is a hidden gem; charming wood-floored rooms cost from R768 (£68). Alternatively, Cape Town Lodge (00 27 21 422 0030; www.capetownlodge.co.za) is a smart business-class hotel in the heart of the CBD. Some rooms have jaw-dropping mountain views and rates start at R895 (£79).

The easiest way to get around town is by taxi or the Cape Town Explorer, a hop-on, hop-off bus service that visits most tourist sights; the R90 (£8) fare is valid for the whole day. Golden Arrow (00 27 80 121 2111; www.gabs.co.za) runs local buses and Metrorail (local call 0800 65 64 63; www.capemetrorail.co.za) runs trains around the Cape.

Why?

There are few places as distinctive to fly into as Cape Town. How many other cities have a 1,073m mountain bang in the centre of town? After years of inequality, Cape Town is spearheading the movement for national unity and the cultural mix is one of the most vibrant and varied you'll find in Africa. The centre of Cape Town is packed with museums, galleries, restaurants and bars and a short drive away in the hinterland are vineyards, mountains, national parks and historic Dutch-era villages. Throw in white-sand beaches and it's easy to see why Cape Town is South Africa's most popular tourist destination.

What?

Whether your tastes run to hiking up mountains, touring museums or shopping, you'll find something in Cape Town to keep you amused. Table Mountain looms over Cape Town, challenging all to come up and admire the view. Unfortunately, the peak can be clear at breakfast and shrouded in mist by lunchtime - call the cable car station before you set off to make sure the peak is open. The exhilarating Table Mountain Cableway (00 27 21 424 8181; www.tablemountain.net) runs from a station off Kloof Nek Road to the summit of Table Mountain from 8.30am to 6pm daily (till 7pm in November and 9pm from December to January). A one-way ticket costs R57 (£5) but services only run if there is no cloud or wind on the peak.

Alternatively you can hike up in three to four hours from the cable car station or Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens. Whichever way you come, there's a restaurant and bar when you reach the summit and the views are their own reward.

On the far side of Table Mountain, Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens (00 27 21 799 8800; www.nbi.ac.za) showcases hundreds of varieties of native plants and is the starting point for several wild hiking trails through Table Mountain National Park. Gates are open from 8am to 6pm daily (till 7pm from September to March) and entry costs R22 (£2).

Right in the heart of downtown, the Company's Garden is ringed by museums and galleries. The South African Museum (00 27 21 481 3800; www.museums.org.za/iziko) has whale skeletons, a planetarium and excellent anthropological displays. It's open 10am to 5pm daily and tickets cost R8 (70p) for adults (free on Sunday), and free for children.

Nearby, the South African National Gallery (00 27 21 467 4660; www.museums.org.za/iziko) is full of outspoken colonial, African and modern art. Tickets cost R10 (90p) and the gallery is open from 10am to 5pm Tuesday to Sunday. Also close by is the former Slave Lodge (00 27 21 460 8242; www.museums.org.za/iziko), built in 1679. Today it houses an uplifting museum celebrating the human spirit, using thought-provoking quotes from human rights activists. The museum is open 8.30am to 4.30pm Monday to Friday and 9am to 1pm Saturday and tickets cost R7 (60p).

A short stroll north is Greenmarket Square, the most culturally-mixed part of central Cape Town. Traders from across the Cape fill the cobbled market square from Monday to Saturday, selling tribal masks, decorated ostrich eggs and other bits of Africana. Nearby is the Bo-Kaap district, full of vividly-painted Cape Malay Muslim houses.

South-west of the centre, the excellent District Six Museum (00 27 21 461 8745; www.districtsix.co.za) tells the moving story of the black and coloured residents of District Six, who were evicted to the Cape Flats when the area was declared whites-only in 1966. The museum opens 9am-4pm Monday to Saturday; entry is R10 (90p).

To experience township life, join a tour. Half a dozen operators run tours of township landmarks and community projects and your money goes to the people who need it most. Grassroute Tours (00 27 21 706 1006; www.grassroutetours.co.za) runs half-day tours of Khayelitsha township for R290 (£26).

At the other end of the scale, the Victoria and Alfred (V&A) Waterfront is an upmarket wharfside development at Cape Town harbour. It's packed with brand-name shops, upmarket restaurants, expensive hotels and tourists, but Cape Town fishermen still come here daily to unload their catch.

The most interesting activity at the Waterfront is the boat tour to Robben Island (see p4 for details), where Nelson Mandela was held as a political prisoner. It's an interesting and challenging experience. Also at the V&A Hotel, Green Dolphin (00 27 21 421 7471; www.greendolphin.co.za) offers grown-up jazz and the food and ambiance match the mellow mood. There are more bars and restaurants along Long Street and Loop Street in the centre. Probably the best night out in Cape Town is Madame Zingara on Loop Street (00 27 21 426 2458; www.zingara.co.za), a gypsy-themed bar and restaurant spread over five Cape Malay houses. The nightly floorshow features palm-readers and contortionists and a meal with drinks costs around R150 (£13). It's open from 7pm to 11pm nightly.

Wow!

Table Mountain: the definitive Cape Town landmark, with panoramic views over the Cape peninsula. You can hike up or take the cable car, sip a cocktail on top and abseil down after admiring the view.

Top Five

Baia (Victoria Wharf, V&A Waterfront; 00 27 21 421 0935) Elegant seafood restaurant with the best mountain and harbour view in the Cape.

Bukhara (33 Church Street; 00 27 21 424 0000) An atmospheric Indian restaurant in the heart of downtown, offering exquisite Mughlai cuisine.

One.Waterfront (West Quay, V&A Waterfront; 00 27 21 410 7080) Stylish restaurant at the Cape Grace Hotel with harbour views and excellent seafood.

Jo'Burg (218 Long Street; 00 27 21 422 0142) Long Street's most popular DJ bar and dancefloor, frequented by celebrities and movie stars.

Po Na Na (100 Shortmarket Street; 00 27 21 423 4889) Arabic-themed bar with hookah pipes, cushions and Persian rugs.

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