Saturday, January 2, 2010

Cape Town Day Trip Delights

By Khalied Hanslo

If you plan to be in Cape Town only for a short stay then you should consider a day trip tour. There are too many things to mention that one can do in Cape Town. Just for starters, you can stroll through the city and see the many historical sites or take a trip up the mountain. If it's physical activity you want to engage in then this is the city for you but if you're a couch potato then head for one of the many magnificent beaches for a well deserved stretch on the sand.

From just one day to several days it's a matter of tastes, preferences and fitness. You can plan these activities yourself or have a tour company arrange everything for you. One would think that because the city is so small compared to other major international cities that there would be little to see and do? Wrong! The opposite is true; there is so much to take in.

You can begin your day trip with a stroll through the company gardens where fruits and vegetables were grown when the city was established as a refreshment station by the Dutch in 1652. The gardens lie at the foot of the majestic Table Mountain and are also the site of the country's political decisions in the form of the Houses of Parliament. There are museums and other interesting centers like the Castle.

The next part of your day trip can be spent riding up the cable car to the top of Table Mountain. A number of years ago the old cars were replaced with state of the art cable cars which get to the upper cable station quicker than their predecessors and have a rotating podium. Rising over 1 000 metres above the city, Table Mountain allows remarkable views of the city below as well as the beaches to the west. If walking and hiking is your thing then you get to the peak of the mountain unassisted via one of the many trails that lead to the top.

With facilities, amenities, and places of interest all within a stone's throw; Cape Town is the ideal holiday spot. Travellers can achieve a lot very quickly. Even with limited time visitors can easily take in so many of the sights and sounds of Cape Town. There are few places on earth that you can go from one thousand metres above a city to a grandiose wine farm within an hour.

Horseback riding, mountain biking, paragliding, kite surfing, hang-gliding, bungee jumping, shark cage diving, hiking, abseiling - these are just a few of the physical activities tourists can participate in when planning a day trip in Cape Town. Besides the wonderful attractions the city has to offer there are also the superb wine farms and fine wines that are easily accessible.

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