About
The different suburbs and areas in the City Bowl have each become synonymous with different cultures and ways of life. The Bo Kaap is an eclectic and colourful collection of picture postcard houses that line cobbled streets on the foot of Signal Hill.
Over the road from this rich family sector are Bree Street and Loop Street – long stretches of roads that extend from one side of the city to the other. While Long Street becomes a clubbing central at night, Bree Street is filled with artisan restaurants, cafes, micro-breweries and dive bars.
The City Bowl is also home to the South African Houses of Parliament which are flanked by the gorgeous Company Gardens – a park and heritage site. The garden was started by the Dutch East India Company in 1652 and possesses fantastic botanical sites such as a rose garden and the oldest Pear Tree in South Africa.
There are plenty of museums placed around the Gardens; at the top of the Gardens sits the National Art Gallery with both local and international notable art as well as the South African National Museum and Planetarium. To the side of the Garden sits the National Library as well as the Slave Museum and National Jewish Museum.
If shopping is more your speed then head to the V and A Waterfont. Here you’ll find all your shopping needs met with international brands such as Louie Vuitton and Versace lining the corridors. Waterfront is also the site of the Cape Town International Harbour which offers many boat trips to Seal Island in Hout Bay or to the infamous Robben Island where you can see Mandela’s jail cell – a highlight of many South African holidays.
Of course, no visit to Cape Town would be complete without a visit to one of the three main mountain ranges – Table Mountain, Lion’s Head and Signal Hill. Each offers a different view of the city and surrounds that is unparalleled anywhere else in Cape Town.
Hike up Lion’s Head, catch the cable car up Table Mountain or simply enjoy a picnic perched on Signal Hill at Sunset. Whether its taking in the views or visiting the City Hall where Mandela gave his first speech after he was released from jail you will feel a real South African spirit in the City Bowl – a truly proudly South African city.
Getting there
The City Bowl is found in the North of Cape Town and is accessible via the M3 from the Southern Suburbs, the N1 from the Northern suburbs, the N2 from the airport and the M6 along the Atlantic Seaboard.
Best time to visit
With so many options for walking tours, bicycle tours, hikes and trips up the cable way, its best to visit the City Bowl in the spring and summer months (September to February).
The Best of South Africa Travel map displays the locations of the destinations and accommodation that we have selected and visited; for each item, hovering over or clicking the marker will display a short summary and photo of that place or hotel, and hotel pricing. Follow the links in the info box to the full page listing which has much more information.
Note that the online map offers both a satellite view (click satellite in the top right) and, for some locations, a street level view (Drag the person in the top left onto the map). These let you explore the country; and when you wish to explore in person, or if you have any questions about the places you see, give our staff a call, or request a quote. Our staff regularly visit the places and accommodation that we feature.
When you book a holiday with us we will provide full driving instructions for reaching your accommodation, where necessary; these can be used by yourself, or you could enjoy the luxury of a driver. Alternatively we will arrange private (car rather than coach) transfers for you; helicopter transfers are also possible for some destinations.
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Truly was the holiday of a lifetime
I just wanted to drop you an e mail to say a very big thank you for organising such a wonderful trip for Matthew and I. It truly was the holiday of a lifetime, and I do not say that in a causal way.
What a stunning country you have. Everything surpassed my expectations. I could have happily stayed in Franshhoek my …
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