Western Cape - Home to Table Mountain, the Garden Route and Robben Island
With the warm Indian Ocean lapping its southern shores and the icy Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Western Cape Province of South Africa offers visitors a world of diversity. The coastline to the west with its small fishing villages and pounding surf has a rugged charm, while to the south lies the picturesque seaside towns of Hermanus and Gansbaai, as well as Cape Agulhas - where the two oceans collide tumultously - and De Hoop Nature Reserve, along what is known as the Cape Whale Coast. Heading along the southern coast toward the Eastern Cape is the Wilderness National Park, incorporating the breath-taking scenery of Mossel Bay, George, Knysna and Plettenberg Bay.
Cape Town, affectionately known as the “Mother City”, is the cultural, business and political hub of the province. Having served as a replenishment station for seafaring vessels for centuries, welcoming settlers from France, Holland, Britain, Germany and other diverse countries, Cape Town is rich in history and a melting pot of cultural diversity which is most appealing. With the iconic Table Mountain as its backdrop, Cape Town is widely considered to be one of the most beautiful cities in the world.
The Cape Winelands, with its vast stretches of vineyards changing colors with the seasons, whitewashed Cape Dutch manor homes and majestic mountains, is a popular holiday destination. The many wine routes winding their way through this region make it possible for visitors to enjoy the local award-winning “fruit of the vine”, world class cuisine and warm hospitality, all in a setting of great beauty and tranquility. Stroll down the oak-lined avenues of Stellenbosch, home to the oldest university in South Africa and the heart of the wine industry, or incorporate the beautiful towns of Franschhoek, Wellington and Paarl into your travels.
More fascinating facets of the Western Cape are revealed in the orchards, grain fields, forests and sweeping vistas of the Overberg, the craggy wilderness of the Cederberg, the wide open spaces of the Groot Karoo, the amazing Cango Caves at Oudtshoorn in the Klein Karoo and much, much more. There are certainly a multitude of reasons why you should consider the Western Cape Province of South Africa as your next vacation destination.
User Comments & Reviews
2010-02-03 01:27:50
Reaching out for relatives in South Africa...My family is from in and around Leicester England..some of our relatives left for South Africa in the 50s and 60s..MY dads name was John Hunt. my mom was Wynne Hunt.His mother and dad were Leo and Louise Hunt..I would love to hear from anyone from the family..lynne
2010-01-28 19:48:30
can you help us by telling us if you have any gay bars in george Regards Yanni
2010-01-04 13:22:09
Me and my family just rode the train about a week ago and what a wonderful experience it was. The only dissapointment on our day of train riding was that they had to use the diesel loco. Not because of fire hazard, but because of water restrictions. The Eden Area currently sufffers immense drought. (The steam loco uses about 20 000 Liters of water per trip) The train ride was very nice, although NOT so nice as it used to be when it done the Knysa route. The only other problem I experienced with my small children, when we arrived in Mosselbay... NO EATING PLACE nearby!!! There is a fish restaurant next to the museum, but my children are allergic to seafood. Next stop.. Wimpy in the small mall... again dissapointed!!! the place is full and it is obvious that we wouldn't get a table in time. (the train stops for 2 hrs in Mosselbay ... 12H00 pm - 14H00 pm) My advice is... encourage / allow food and drink stalls next to the train stop in Mosselbay with adequate seating and shade. Or inform passengers beforehand to pack a picnic bag. We had to stay hungry until we were back in George :-) Oh yes, and a final word of advice... you need to BOOK your seats at least 24hrs beforehand. Other than that ... enjoy the ride !!!
2009-12-24 17:04:07
Mossel Bay is the best place in the world!
2009-12-13 12:50:45
I am looking for a boutique that allows designers to rent a rail in their store. Please advise
2009-12-03 17:04:10
We found Franschoek a delightful small town. We parked in a small area near the church. To our amazement we noticed a family of spotted eagle owls resident in a tree just a few feet above the ground completely unfazed by human activity. We were sorry not to be able to spend more time there.
2009-11-26 09:48:25
The telephone contact numbers are: +27(0) 44 801-8288 +27(0) 44 801-8289 +27(0) 44 801-8202
2009-11-25 17:14:39
We are visiting in December 2009 and would like a contact tel no. for booking the Outeniqua Choo Tjoe please.
2009-11-24 07:30:44
i want to learn more of the Theron Family tree from pietersburg please
2009-11-17 00:37:42
I love SA. One of the most beautiful places on Earth!
2009-11-16 16:44:13
i visited Knysna in October and found a lovely gift shop on the opposite side of the main road from the Coffee House. It had lovely sculptures, ceramics and jewellery and I wonder if it has a website orif one can order things from it. I bought several gifts from there but would like to have purchased other things. Kind regards Caroline Romain
2009-11-12 11:08:36
A wonderfully succint overview, covering just about everything in a few short paragraphs! Nice>
2009-10-29 20:56:00
like to have information about golfcourses in your surrounding thanks for answering hans w droog
2009-10-28 08:17:29
south africa is very beautiful. desire to go and enjoy the beautiful places in south africa.
2009-10-10 08:03:05
sea point is always bustling with interesting people and the sea is beautiful as you wlk along the prominaad :D
2009-10-02 10:15:48
i want see all cape town.
2009-09-27 13:41:47
south africa is one of the beautiful country blessed with all sorts of natural beauty and great people.
2009-09-12 14:37:51
i love south africa
2009-09-11 12:05:06
To Colin Roper, Thank you for your interest in SouthAfrica.com and for bringing to our attention that the information regarding the Outeniqua Choo-Tjoe needed to be updated - which has since been done. According to an official from the Transnet department that operates the train, it has been out of commission for maintenance, but will resume service on 16 October 2009. From 16 Oct to 11 Dec 2009 the train will run on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. From 14 Dec 2009 to 9 Jan 2010 it will run every day except Sundays and 25 December. From 11 Jan 2010 it will revert to Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. The train departs from George @ 10h00 arriving in Mossel Bay @ 12h00 and leaves again at 14h15, arriving in George @ 16h10. We hope this information will be useful to you and trust you will enjoy your visit to sunny South Africa.
2009-09-10 07:39:39
We are visiting in october 2009 ,and would like to take a ride on the train,but I read reports of it closing,also you report states it goes to Krysna,and other reports says it stops at Mossel Bay.could you confirm,is it still running?does it go to Krysna? regards
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