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A treasure trove of tourist attractions could be found at Cape Town, which in addition to the value-for-money propositions by its tourism establishments, makes the city among the top choices for holiday makers, especially for those with a tight travel budget. Rates of tourist accommodations in Cape Town vary widely, and a visitor can choose from the very affordable B&B (bed and breakfast) and lodges to luxurious five-star tourist hotels and designer villas. But regardless of the type of hotel or lodge one is staying in, a visitor has within arm's length the many enticing tourist spots of Cape Town. As a seaport city, Cape Town offers many beaches, some of which are the best in the world. The trendier ones could be found at the Clifton beaches at the Atlantic Seaboard, while those suited for family outings are located at the False Bay coastline. Another natural feature in Cape Town which is popular among tourists is Table Mountain located at the City Bowl's back end. Tourists can reach the peak of the mountain, which is a national park, either by hiking or by taking a breathtaking trip via the Table Mountain Cableway. Likewise worthwhile to visit is Cape Point, a fabled landmark that stands out on the map as the headland at the tip of the Cape Peninsula. Exploring this peninsula by car is possible through the Chapman's Peak Drive which calls for driving along the narrow road linking Noordhoek with Hout Bay and imbibing the scenery of the nearby mountains and the Atlantic. Likewise a joyride is driving up Signal Hill where visitors can marvel at the imposing shadows of the Table Mountain over the City Bowl. Cultural attractions also come aplenty at Cape Town. One favorite destination is the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront or V&A to the locals. Constructed atop a part of the Port of Cape Town, it houses hundreds of shops and is considered as one of the city's most popular shopping centers. With two ocean aquariums, V&A has also become popular because here visitors can watch the city's port in operation with the ships entering and leaving the harbour. The V&A also houses the Nelson Mandela Gateway from which ferries sail to Robben Island and back. From the V&A, ferries can also take tourists to Hout Bay, Simon's Town and to the Seal and Duker Islands where colonies of Cape fur seals abound for observation in their natural habitat. Whale watching is another possibility as Southern Wright whales and Humpback whales frequent the Cape Town coast during these leviathans' breeding season from August to November. At anytime of the year, killer whales and Bryde's whales can be observed around Cape Town's waters. Hermanus, a town near Cape Town, celebrates a Whale Festival. Dolphins can also be found year-round the city's coastal waters as some are endemic in those areas like the heavisides dolphins and the dusky dolphins. Tours could likewise be arranged to the coloured townships of Khayelitsha and Cape Flats where there are B&B establishments for tourists to stay overnight and experience first-hand the African way of life.
For more information on hotels, visit the author's table mountain resource site.
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