South Africa News, Travel and fun Blog

Cape Town is one of the most beautiful cities in the world and the breathtaking geographical scenery provides a stunning backdrop to the numerous cultures that are represented by the people of the Cape.

A group of amateur photographers who are passionate about their Mother City have put together an impressive exhibition which runs for a week this October at the popular V & A Waterfront’s Clock Tower. The images selected showcase the nature of Cape Town and feature places and people as seen through the lens of locals.

One of the organisers of the event, which is called Expressions of Cape Town, explains:

“These are all amateur photographers, hoping to get exposure for their photographs and to instil in you the beauty of Cape Town as they see it through their lenses…. we feel certain that this exhibition will promote our beautiful mother city to locals and visitors alike, and that it will demonstrate to anyone with a digital camera that photography is not just about recording images; it can become profoundly interactive, where the photographer’s deepest passions are sometimes reflected in his or her images.”

The geographical region depicted stretches from Hermanus in the Overberg to Langebaan on Cape Town’s West Coast, and everything in-beween.

Why not support local talent and enjoy viewing images of the greater Cape Town area? Contact details of the artists will be available should you wish to purchase prints of any of the photographs – a great gift idea for family who live abroad.

Dates: 12 – 19 October 2007
Venue: The Clock Tower, V & A Waterfront

Once a year during the height of the flower season along Cape Town’s West Coast a special rock music concert is held in the beautiful countryside around the town of Darling.

This year, Rocking the Daisies, the only Cape Town music festival on the local festival calendar, is set to supersede all previous years in terms of both an incredible line-up of local artists, as well as location.

What better way could there be to spend a week end than camping on a beautiful wine estate, soaking up the sun, lazing about in daisy-laced fields and enjoying live performances by some of South African’s hottest bands, cooling off in the dam and sipping fine wines sold on site?

With kids under twelve incurring no charge, this is a family-friendly festival which allows everyone to hang out together under the blue African sky.

This year’s line-up includes well-known acts such rockers The Dirty Skirts, funk-fusion band The Rudimentals and the hotter-than-hot Cassette who supported Pink during her recent South African tour. Other popular bands are Flat Stanley, Max Normal TV who have developed quite a cult following, Bed on Bricks and Love Jones.

Most of the bands are getting loads of airplay on Radio 2000 and Five F.M.

In addition, an impressive list of comedy acts will be keeping the crowds entertained between all the music.

Priding itself on being a ‘green’ event, the organisers are offering concessions to those who cycle from Cape Town to Darling for the weekend. In addition, no glass may be brought to the site and there is a park and ride system to lessen the impact of the vehicles on the land. So why not pack your tent and head off to Cloof Wine Farm this weekend (28 - 30 September 2007) for a rocking good time among the daisies?

The city of Cape Town has some of the most beautiful stretches of coastline to be found anywhere in the world. With the icy cold Atlantic on one side and the welcoming waves of the Indian on the other, Cape Town cannot be beaten for its variety of beaches. From powdery white sand to enormous smooth boulders, oval pebbles to rugged cliffs, this coastline is inviting and exciting, both treacherous and tame, and the perfect playground for activities from kayaking to kite surfing and beyond.

If you are visiting South Africa’s Mother City, chances are your Cape Town accommodation will be near the coast as these areas are the most popular for visitors.

Each Cape Town beach has an ambiance of its own. Here is our pick of the bunch.

Best Cape Town Beaches
 
Boulders Beach

Situated near the quaint naval village of Simons Town, Boulders Beach comprises a picturesque series of sheltered sandy spots scattered with smooth boulders. The water is great for gentle swimming for all ages, and the fascinating penguin colony that dwells among the rocks are the highlight.

Camps Bay

Possibly the most popular of all Cape Town’s beaches, Camps Bay is just 10 minutes from the V&A Waterfront and the CBD. If you like fine white sand lined with palm trees, plus a strip of funky cafes, bistros and winebars to eat and sip cocktails, then this is the beach for you!

Clifton

For the ultimate in beach glamour, try Clifton’s series of beaches where beautiful people are almost as decorative as the natural beauty of the powdery sand and aquamarine water. Enjoy the sites of paragliders landing nearby and yachts anchored in the calmer waters.

Fish Hoek

Fish Hoek is the perfect family beach, with its warm waters, gently sloping beach and on-the-beach restaurant and play park. Toddlers, teenagers, moms and dads and grandparents all enjoy this safe and appealing False Bay beach.

Llandudno

Undoubtedly the prettiest of all Cape beaches, Llandudno is a sheltered smile of soft white sand lapped by green blue waters under an azure sky. For picnics with the family or sundowners with friends, choose Llandudno for its scenic and idyllic beach paradise atmosphere.

Muizenberg

This is the beach to go if you want to learn how to surf in Cape Town. Numerous surf schools line the beachfront precinct and the waves are ideal for beginners to find their feet in. Local cafes and restaurants serving deli style food and awesome breakfasts add to the appeal of Muizenberg.

Long Beach

Nature-lovers will appreciate this unspoiled 8-kilometre stretch of pristine stretch of beach which is ideal for long walks, kite flying and horse riding. Experienced surfers also flock here when the conditions are suitable for some serious action.

 Cape Town has immersed itself thoroughly in the international coffee culture trend. And as with everything else in this vibrant city, the Cape coffee culture has its very own distinct flavour.
Cape Town is one of a handful of South African cities where the CBD is thriving – with more and more people working, living and playing right in the heart of the inner city. Demand for Cape Town accommodation through-out the year is booming and with the 2010 world cup looming more and more people are flocking to South Africa’s Mother City all the time.

The CBD of the city has close on 100 coffee shops alone (excluding the many restaurants that also offer coffee in-between meal times). Most of them seem to be thriving as locals and tourists spill out of open doors onto pavements, European style. More and more of these establishments are offering Internet access / wi-fi and the trend of taking work out of the office, catching up on correspondence and generally hanging out online has readily blended well with the Cape café society.

The annual Cape Gourmet Festival, which takes place each autumn, incorporates the Cape Town Coffee Route into its itinerary. This initiative is sponsored by the, among others, the Central Improvement District which aims to keep the city centre clean, safe and desirable as a location for shops and businesses as well as the general public and tourists.

The Cape Town Coffee Route is an enormously popular feature of the Cape Gourmet Festival. The majority of coffee shops involved are on or near Kloof Street. The festival promises ‘coffee and conversation on every corner’.
Among the best coffee shops featured in previous years at the event are…

Café Gainsbourg
Mugg and Bean
Boston Café
Café Bardeli
Seattle Coffee Company
Vida e Caffe
 Each coffee shop in Cape Town has its own ambiance – some are themed African, others Parisian. Some have buskers playing regularly on the pavement in between the tables. There are modern cafés and retro cafés, cafés with MTV, cafés that rent scooters out and cafés that double up as bookstores. You may find yourself daintily sipping a cappuccino from an antique coffee cup or slurping a steaming latte from an enormous utilitarian mug.
 

Whatever your style, whatever your brew of choice, you can enjoy excellent local and imported coffees all over Cape Town. A delightful way to spend the day – and you’ll certainly be set for a night out with all that caffeine coursing through your system!