Equally exclusive is Camps Bay, which lies at the foot of the Twelve Apostles -the mountain rampart that constitutes the western front of Table Mountain. Hedged in by Granite Bay boulders at each extreme, the enclave that is Camps Bay embraces a palm-fringed expanse of pristine white sand which looks as if it has come straight out of a Caribbean holiday brochure.
Camps Bay History
Jan van Riebeeck arrived in the Cape in 1652, he was sent by the Dutch East India Company to establish a refreshment station for the ships passing the Cape on their new trade route with the East. As he settled down, he ventured forth to explore the surrounding territory.
He soon crossed over the Kloof and discovered a bay with a fine beach and big forest behind Table Mountain. This area behind Table Mountain was not utilised by the company for a long time as it had few attractions for early farmers and the line of breakers made it dangerous for shipping.
City of poets and poetry, and home to artists and performers of every description, Cape Town is indeed the erudite heart of South Africa.
It's also a city warmly receiving those who seek to be inspired by her artistic wealth, offering a diverse range of these genres to be experienced and savoured - in historic or exhiliratingly modern galleries, open-air amphitheatres, concert halls and cinemas. Occasions of note include an evening of world-class ballet or opera at the Nico Malan Theatre Complex, or listening to the best of South Africa's jazz artists performing live while basking on the sunny lawns of the Company Gardens.
The South African National Gallery hosts regular exhibitions ranging from contemporary African photography to globally-acclaimed artists. Festivals of the arts occur every summer at leading winelands destinations, while the Cape's "Secret Season" - over the cosy mid-year winter months - offers many a day's entertainment.
Cape Town, her fascinating history spanning back to the mid-17th century, offers a myriad museums and places of cultural interest to visit, scattered across the Peninsula. From tours of the townships, a ferry trip to Robben Island and a wander through the District Six Museum, to a sojourn around the Castle of Good Hope or the Cultural History Museum.
Cultural Tourism
If you want to explore and understand South Africa's past, you can take one of a number of organised tours. Typically, such a tour will take in the Bo-Kaap or Malay Quarter and its Museum, District Six and the District Six Museum, Langa, Gugulethu and Khayehitsha. South Africa's past and recent history make Cape Town a very interesting and informative cultural tourism destination. There are several general guided walking tours of historical Cape Town.
The other political pilgrimage every South African ought to take, and many foreigners want to take is the trip to Robben island. This is a three-and-a-half hour tour that includes the ferry trip from the V&A Waterfront to Robben Island and a guided tour of the island.
If you're in the city itself, you'll find walking about the easiest - and most pleasant - way to get around, especially owing to Cape Town's generally year-round gorgeous weather, and the fact that finding parking in "town" can be a tad frustrating!
Roaming the many curio and antique markets, or strolling through the city's oak-lined Company Gardens, en route to the National Gallery or Natural History Museum, are popular with both visitors and residents. For those with energy, or whose schedules are not too hectic, Cape Town is best discovered by foot.
Table Mountain and other mountains
Whether you like to see Table Mountain geologically (yes, there's a pamphlet explaining why it's flat), mythologically (the Portuguese poet Camoens saw the mountain as Adamastor, a Titan struck down by Jupiter for rebellion; the Dutch imagine the Devil in a smoking competition with a Dutch captain to produce the clouds that billow over it), or psychologically (the reason for Capetonians' so-called superiority complexes), Capetonians certainly do a lot with it. So can you.
You can walk, climb, bike, abseil, para-glide the mountain. You can, of course, take the elegant new Swiss-designed cable car if you simply want the view and the surprise of a different world on top of the mountain. And of course, there are other climbs in the mountains near Cape Town: on Lion's Head, or in mountains above Kalk Bay or Simonstown. But remember the warning about walking and climbing in the Cape mountains and prepare adequately. Table Mountain, Lion's Head, Devil's Peak, and the other mountains in and around Cape Town offer walks that are gentle to challenging within easy distance of the city centre. Locals go to Newlands Forest, the Constantia Green Belt, or walk on the Sea Point promenade. There are several excellent guides to walks in and around Cape Town.
Life's a beach
What do you want to get out of your trip to the beach? If you want a long invigorating walk, try Noordhoek or Muizenberg. If you want children in a safe environment where you can watch over them easily, try St James or Boulders, Hout Bay or Camps Bay. If you're looking to meet attractive people of the opposite (or same) sex, try your luck at Clifton, particularly first or second beach. And if you're looking to taking off all your gear and get a great walk in the process, then Sandy Bay (walk from Llandudno) is the traditional spot.
Doing what comes naturally
A lot of the best nature in Cape Town is unexpected: a school of hundreds of dolphins early in the morning off Camps Bay; whales in False Bay; baboons with babies on their backs engrossed at the roadside near Cape Point. (Don't feed them, by the way.) Even in the Cape Point Reserve, viewings are wonderfully unpredictable. If you want to be certain, try the Two Oceans Aquarium at the V&A Waterfront, or the World of Birds. Kirstenbosch offers the best detailed introduction to the Cape fynbos floral kingdom.
Hôtel Le Vendôme is Cape Town 's discrete luxury boutique hotel preference. Opened in December 1998, Hôtel Le Vendôme has been acclaimed as the hotel that has brought the essence of Europe back to the Mother City.
Luxurious guest rooms, deluxe suites and a presidential suite make up this stunning hotel with a breath-taking pool garden magically perched above the ocean.the ocean and the glorious Azure Restaurant.
CyberCapeTown.com