The Best of Cape Town

Author: Peter Joyce
Publisher: New Holland
Cape Town, 2005
ISBN: 9781843306160
Paperback, 10x20 cm, 96 pages, throughout colour photos, several maps

Short description:

This handy travel guide provides you with:

• City and regional maps
• Detailed area maps
• Public transport maps for city destinations
• Recommended iteneraries
• Walking tours and excursions

Example: Eating out

What to Eat Cape Town’s myriad restaurants offer the full range of food styles - from the classic to the exotic.

Some areas with especially heavy concentrations of eateries are the new big mall and leisure developments located in the northern areas, as well as the V & A Waterfront, and the southern suburban stretch from Rondebosch through to Claremont.

The local line-fish, crayfish (rock lobster) and perlemoen (abalone) are usually excellent, though the shellfish tends to be expensive.

Antelope venison (including springbok pie) is something of a speciality, and ostrich steaks are becoming an increasingly popular menu item.

Traditional Cape country fare, available in selected restaurants, evolved among the rural Afrikaner communities.

Common ingredients of the meal include tender Karoo lamb, sweet potatoes, cinnamon-flavoured pumpkin, sweetcorn fritters, and, for dessert, milk tart, koeksisters and a selection of sticky preserves which are known as konfyt.

Rather tastier and less stodgy is Malay cuisine, introduced by the early slaves from Indonesia and famed for its aromatic boboties.

(Curried meatloaf topped with savoury custard), bredies (fragrant stews, usually of mutton, with potatoes and vegetables, although waterblommetjie bredie is a more piquant variety made from a type of indigenous water lily), spicy samoosas and many gooey desserts.

The traditional style has been refined over the centuries, taking on some elements of early Dutch, French Huguenot and Indian cooking. Outdoor entertainment in Cape Town invariably centres around the braai or braaivleis; this is usually a standard barbecue of meats such as long-marinated lamb, venison, beef, chicken, spicy boere-wors (‘farmer’s sausage’), served with potatoes baked in foil, and a selection of salads.

The men invariably do the cooking, which is considered to be something of an art form. Charcoal, wood or both are used for fuel, the wood imparting a distinctive and tasty flavour to the food. Also very popular is potjiekos - a flavourful stew that is cooked gently for several hours and sometimes even days in a giant cast-iron pot over an open fire.

Traditional African cuisine does not yet appear on very many restaurant menus, but this is now starting to change, as more and more innovative chefs have started introducing elements of African cuisine to their dishes. For most black people in South Africa, eating remains a practical necessity; the ordinary meal of the day in the townships tends to be a no-nonsense affair in which pap (maize-meal), boiled meat or cabbage, or samp and beans is the order of the day. But living standards throughout the country are slowly improving.

Content:

USING THIS BOOK
OVERVIEW
The Land
History in Brief
Cape Town Today
The People
HIGHLIGHTS
Table Mountain
V & A Waterfront
The Gardens Area
The Castle of Good Hope
Hout Bay
Cape Point
Simon’s Town
Kirstenbosch
Groot Constantia
Century City
Foreshore
Groote Schuur
Robben Island
Newlands
Fish Hoek
Kalk Bay
Adderley Street
Malay Quarter
Atlantic Seaboard
Muizenberg
SIGHTSEEING
Places of Worship
Historic Buildings
Museums and Galleries
Parks and Gardens
ACTIVITIES
Sport and Recreation
Spectator Sports
Fun for Children
Walking Tours
Organized Tours
Alternative Cape Town
Es] SHOPPING
Shops
Markets
ACCOMMODATION
Where to Stay
Hotels
EATING OUT
What to Eat
What to Drink
Where to Eat
Restaurants
ENTERTAINMENT
Casinos
Theatre and Music
Cinema
Annual Events
Nightclubs, Bars and Discos
EXCURSIONS
Paarl
Stellenbosch
Franschhoek
Southern Seaboard
Hermanus
Langebaan
TRAVEL TIPS
INDEX OF SIGHTS
GENERAL INDEX

Index of sights:

Adderley Street
Artscape
Bantry Bay
Baxter Theatre Complex
Betty’s Bay
BMW Pavillon
Bo-Kaap Museum
Caledon Casino and Spa
Camps Bay
Canal Walk
Cape Point
Castle of Good Hope
Century City
City Hall
Clifton
Club Mykonos
Devil’s Peak
Fish Hoek
Foreshore
Franschhoek
Gold of Africa Museum
Golden Acre Centre
Gordon’s Bay
GrandWest Casino
Green Point
Greenmarket Square
Groot Constantia
Groote Kerk
Groote Schuur
Groote Schuur Hospital
Harold Porter
Botanic Garden
Helderberg Nature Reserve
Hermanus
Houses of Parliament
Hout Bay
Huguenot Memorial Museum
Huguenot Monument
IMAX Theatre
Irma Stern Museum
Jamai Mosque
Kalk Bay
Kirstenbosch
Kleinmond
Koopmans-De Wet House
Kruithuis
KWV
Langebaan
Libertas Parva Cellar
Lion’s Head
Long Street
Lutheran Church
Malay Quarter
Mariner’s Wharf
Mostert’s Mill
Muizenberg
Nederburg
Newlands
Old Slave Lodge Museum
Oude Libertas Centre
Paarl
Paarlberg Nature Reserve
Planetarium
Pringle Bay
Ratanga Junction
Rhodes Memorial
Robben Island
Rondevlei Nature Reserve
Sea Point
Signal Hill
Silvermine Nature Reservi
Simon’s Town
Somerset West
South African Library
South African Maritime
Museum
South African Museum
South African
National Art Gallery
Spier Wine Estate
St George’s Cathedral
St George’s Mall
St Mary’s Cathedral
Stellenbosch
Stellenbosch Village Museum
Strand
Taal Monument
Table Mountain
The Gardens Area
Theatre on the Bay
Topstones Mineral World
Tuynhuys
Two Oceans Aquarium
University of Cape Town
V & A Waterfront
Victoria Wharf
West Coast National Park
West Coast Ostrich Ranch
World of Birds

Index:

accommodation
54-59
Adderley Street 8, 9,
10, 30
Amphitheatre, V & A
Waterfront 71
Aquarium see Two
Oceans Aquarium
Artscape 24, 71
athletics 43
Bantry Bay 32
Barnard, Chris 25
bars 74-75
Baxter Theatre
Complex 71
beaches 41
Boulders 20
Cape Point 19
Clifton 32, 41
Fish Hoek 28
Foxy 20
Muizenberg 33
Seaforth 20
Strandfontein 6
Bertram House 16
Betty’s Bay 81
bird-watching 42
Blettermanhuis,
Stellenbosch 78
Blue Lodge 47
BMW Pavilion 72, 73
board-sailing 41
Bo-Kaap see Malay
Quarter
Bo-Kaap Museum 31,
38
Boulders beach 20
bowling 42
business hours 89
Cableway 14
Caledon Casino and
Spa 70
Camps Bay 32
Canal Walk 23, 51
Cape Flats 13
Cape Floral Kingdom
6, 7
Cape of Good Hope
Nature Reserve 19,
46,48
Cape Peninsula 6
Cape Peninsula
National Park 6
Cape Point 6, 19
Cape-to-Rio yacht race
74
Cape Town harbour
10
Cape Town Ice Rink
45
Cape Town
International
Convention Centre
(CTICC) 24
casinos 70
Castle of Good Hope
8,17,35
cathedrals see places
of worship
Cavendish Square 51
Cecilia forest 48
Century City 23
children 44-45
Church of the Good
Shepherd, Robben
Island 26
churches see places of
worship
Churchill, Winston 54
cinema 72
City Hall 36, 71
Civic Centre 24
Clifton beach 32, 41
climate 6, 84
Club Mykonos,
Langebaan 70, 83
communication 89
Company’s Garden 16,
35
Constantia Nek 66
consulates 90
cricket 43
cuisine 60, 61
currency 88
cycling 42
Danger Point 19
De la Quellerie, Maria
24
Devil’s Peak 14
Dias, Bartolomeu
24
Die Braak,
Stellenbosch 79
Die Posthuys 33
discos 74-75
District Six 12, 31
Dorp Street Mosque
47
Duiker Island 18
Dutch East India
Company 8, 17
electricity 90
embassies 90
emergencies 91
events 18, 73
facts and figures 91
False Bay 19
festivals see events
Fish Hoek beach 28
fishing 29
flower-sellers 30
Foreshore 24
Four Passes Fruit
Route 80
Foxy beach 20
Franchhoek 11, 59,
67-68, 76, 80
Gardens see The
Gardens Area
gay tourism 49
Gold of Africa
Museum 37
Golden Acre Centre
30
golf 42
Gordon’s Bay 81
Government Avenue
16
Grand Parade 11, 12,
53
GrandWest Casino 45,
70
Green Point 11, 12,
32, 53
Greenmarket Square
46, 52, 53
Groot Constantia 22,
53
Groote Kerk 30, 34
Groote Schuur Estate
25
Groote Schuur
Hospital 25
Grosvenor House,
Stellenbosch 78
Harold Porter Botanic
Garden 81
health 85
Heerengracht 8, 24
Helderberg Nature
Reserve 81
Hermanus 76, 82
history 8-10
horse riding 41
hotels see accommo-
dation
Houses of Parliament
16, 35
Hout Bay harbour
18
Hout Bay Museum
18
Houw Hoek Inn 54
Huguenot Memorial
Monument,
Franschhoek 80
Huguenot Memorial
Museum, Fransch-
hoek 80
I MAX Theatre 72,
73
Irma Stern Museum
39
Jamai Mosque 34
Josephine Mill 27
Kalk Bay harbour
29
Khayelitsha 49
Khoikhoi 8, 9
Kirstenbosch National
Botanical Garden
21, 39, 40, 48
Kleinmond 81
Koopmans-De Wet
House 35
Kruithius, Stellenbosch
79
KWV, Paarl 62, 77
La Concorde, Paarl
62
La Motte, Franschhoek
80
La Provence,
Franschhoek 80
Langebaan 76,83
language 86,91
Libertas Parva Cellar,
Stellenbosch 79
Lion’s Head 14
Little Karoo 76
Long Street 46, 52
L’Ormarins, Fransch-
hoek 80
Lutheran Church see
Strand Street
Lutheran Church
M
Malay Quarter 12,
31
Mandela, Nelson 26,
36, 89
Marina da Gama 33
Mariner’s Wharf 18
markets 52-53
Maynardville Open-air
Theatre 73
medical matters 90
Metropolitan
Methodist Church
46
Milnerton 23
Minstrel Carnival 12
money see currency
mosques see places of
worship
Mostert’s Mill 36
Mount Nelson Hotel
54, 56, 57
Muizenberg beach
33
museums & galleries
Bertram House
16
Bo-Kaap Museum
31, 38
Gold of Africa
Museum 37
Hout Bay Museum
18
Huguenot Memorial
Museum, Fransch-
hoek 80
Irma Stern Museum
39
Koopmans-De Wet
House 35
Natale Labia
Museum 33
Noordhoek Art
Gallery 53
Old Harbour
Museum,
Hermanus 82
Rembrandt van Rijn
Art Museum,
Stellenbosch 79
Simon’s Town
Museum 20
South African
Cultural History
Museum 16, 37
South African
Maritime Museum
39
South African
Museum 16, 37
South African
National Art
Gallery 16, 37
South African Naval
Museum 20
South African Police
Museum 33
museums & galleries
(continued)
South African
Rugby Museum
27
Stellenbosch Village
Museum 78
Stellenryck Wine
Museum,
Stellenbosch 79
Warrior Toy
Museum, Simon’s
Town 20
music 71, 72
Natale Labia Museum
33
nature walks 48
Nederberg 63, 77
Newlands sports
grounds 43
Newlands forest 27,
48
nightclubs 74-75
Noordhoek 53
Old Harbour Museum,
Hermanus 82
Old Slave Lodge
Museum see South
African Cultural
History Museum
Old Town House
46
Olifantsrivier 76
O.M. Bergh House,
Stellenbosch 79
organized tours 48,
49
Ou Kaapse Weg 40
Oude Libertas Centre,
Stellenbosch 71
Paarl 11, 59, 68, 76,
77
Paarl Rock 77
Paarlberg Nature
Reserve 77
Palm Tree Mosque
47
parasailing 41
parks and reserves
Cape of Good Hope
Nature Reserve
19,46,48
Cape Peninsula
National Park 6
Harold Porter
Botanic Garden
81
Helderberg Nature
Reserve 81
Paarlberg Nature
Reserve 77
Postberg Nature
Reserve 83
Rondevlei Nature
Reserve 40
Silvermine Nature
Reserve 33, 40,
48
West Coast National
Park 83
Peers Cave 28
people 11, 12, 13, 31,
61
photography 91
places of worship
Church of the Good
Shepherd, Robben
Island 26
Dorp Street Mosque
47
Groote Kerk 30, 34
Jamai Mosque 34
Metropolitan
Methodist Church
46
Palm Tree Mosque
47
St George’s
Cathedral 34
St Mary’s Cathedral
34
Strand Street
Lutheran Church
34
Planetarium 16, 38
plant life 6, 7
Postberg Nature
Reserve 83
power-boating 41
Pringle Bay 81
proteas 7
public holidays 84
Queen Elizabeth 36
Ratanga Junction 23,
45
Rembrandt van Rijn
Art Museum,
Stellenbosch 79
restaurants 63-69
Rhodes Memorial 25,
36
road running 42, 43
road signs 86
Robben Island 26, 89
Robertson 76
Rocky Mountain Way,
Hermanus 82
Rondevlei Nature
Reserve 40
rooibos tea 63, 66
Royal Cape Yacht Club
41
rugby 43
safety and security
91
Saldanha Bay 83
Sandvlei 33
Schreuderhuis,
Stellenbosch 78
scuba diving 41
sea angling 41
Sea Point 10, 32, 42
Seaforth beach 20
Sendinggestig 47
Sheik Yusuf 35
shipping 10, 11
shops 50-52
Signal Hill 14,49
Silvermine Nature
Reserve 33, 40, 48
Simon’s Town 20
slavery 37
Sir Lowry’s Pass 81
snorkelling 41
soccer 43
Somerset Mall 52
Somerset West 59,
68, 81
South African
Astronomical
Observatory 38
South African Cultural
History Museum
16, 37
South African Library
16
South African
Maritime Museum
39
South African
Museum 16, 37
South African
National Art
Gallery 16, 37
South African Naval
Museum 20
South African Police
Museum 33
South African Rugby
Museum 27
Southern Seaboard
81
Spier Wine Estate,
Stellenbosch 72
sport 41-43
St George’s Anglican
Cathedral 34
St George’s Mall 46,
53
St James 33
St Mary’s Catholic
Cathedral 34
Stellenbosch 11, 58,
59, 68-69, 71, 72,
76, 78,79
Stellenbosch Village
U
Museum 78
University of Cape
Stellenbosch wine
Town 25
routes 79
University of
StellenryckWine
Stellenbosch 78
Museum,
V
Stellenbosch 79
V & A Waterfront 6,
Strand 81
15, 44, 50, 51, 65,
Strand Street
71, 72
Lutheran Church
Van der Stel, Simon
34
22, 78
Strandfontein beach
Van Riebeeck, Jan 8,
6
11, 24
Swartland 76
Van Riebeeck, Maria
swimming pools 42
see De la Ouellerie,
Maria
T
Victoria Wharf, V & A
Taal Monument, Paarl
Waterfront 15, 50
77
Table Bay 6
W
Table Mountain 6, 14,
Walker Bay 82
47, 84
walking tours 46-48
The Castle see Castle
Warrior Toy Museum,
of Good Hope
Simon’s Town 20
The Gardens Area
waterskiing 41
16
weights and measures
theatre 71
90
Theatre on the Bay
Wellington 10
71
West Coast National
Tokai forest 48
Park 83
Topstones Mineral
West Coast Ostrich
World, Simon’s
Ranch 45
Town 44
wildlife 6, 16, 19, 45,
tourism 11
47, 83
tourist information
wine industry 11, 62,
84
69,76-79
tours 48, 49, 88
Woltemade, Wolraad
transport 49, 85-87
10
Tutu, Desmond 34
Worcester 76
Tuynhuis 16, 35
World of Birds 18, 45
Two Oceans Aquarium
44
Y
Tyger Valley Centre
yacht races 74
51
yachting 41