Cape Town highlights
This item appears on page 15 of the March 2018 issue.
I am a longtime resident of Cape Town, South Africa, and have the following suggestions for places to visit.
The V&A Waterfront (www.waterfront.co.za) is certainly worth a visit, and it now boasts the new Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (https://zeitzmocaa.museum), topped by an exceptional hotel, all in a redevelopment of what used to be grain silos — spectacular architecture.
Rugby football fans will enjoy the The Springbok Experience Rugby Museum (www.sarugby.co.za/content.aspx?contentid=113444), with its vast array of photographs, videos and memorabilia plus an excellent selection of souvenirs in its shop.
The Two Oceans Aquarium (www.aquarium.co.za), also at the waterfront, has much to see. Having four grandchildren, my wife and I visit it two or three times a year. It’s an experience for people of all ages and all levels of education, with some very sophisticated exhibits and others more entertaining for children, all constantly updated. The shark tank is fantastic.
If you visit the South African Jewish Museum (88 Hatfield St., Cape Town City Centre, Cape Town; phone 27 21 465 1546, www.sajewishmuseum.org.za), consider also visiting the Cape Town Holocaust Centre (phone +27 21 462 5553, www.ctholocaust.co.za) in the same complex.
What else in Cape Town? There are a number of craft markets open on different days of the week offering special gift-shopping opportunities, and some have equally interesting and delicious food to be enjoyed, usually in fairly basic surroundings.
“First Thursdays” (of each month) provide an organised opportunity to explore the city on foot after hours, visiting art galleries, interesting food spots and cultural events.
There also are lots of walking and hiking opportunities, including up Table Mountain (Feb ’18, pg. 12).
Getting around the city is easy. On the one hand, we have the double-decker “red bus” service, offering hop-on/hop-off journeys and running all day long in the city and in the suburbs between the tourist attractions (www.citysightseeing.co.za/cape-town).
And Uber service is well established alongside traditional taxis. All the well-known car hire companies also are present here.
Another consideration prompting a visit — the South African rand is not as strong as it used to be.
ALAN RAMSAY
Cape Town, South Africa