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Cape Town - South Africa World Cup Host City
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As South Africa's oldest city, Cape Town carries the distinguished title of the Mother City and is ready to show off her fantastic cosmopolitan lifestyle and incredible beauty. Located on the southwest corner of the country, Cape Town is the home of a multicultural population of 4.6 million and is by far the cosmopolitan centre, first city of fashion, hub of adventure, culinary leader, the base for a rich and multi-stranded heritage and the location of hallowed grounds of sports. Locals really love to live on their city streets that bustle under the gaze of its most famous icon, Table Mountain.
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Adventure Sports
Need some physical activity after hours of spectating in football stadiums' Cape Town's rugged landscape lends itself to some rare, crazy and extreme-adventure activities. One such oddity is kloofing, the name deriving from the Afrikaans word for canyon, kloof. It involves some abseiling, some hiking, some swimming and jumping from cliffs that are three to 20 meters high into rivers and rock pools. Then there's sand boarding, much the same as snowboarding - just ditch the snow in favor of sand dunes. Did we mention the option of kite surfing (wave surfing powered by large controllable kites)? You'll come across it at Bloubergstrand, one of the world's best locations for this growing sport. Topping the daring stakes is shark cage diving, where the courageous are taken out to sea and lowered into the deep in a cage for an eye-to-eye encounter with a ragged-toothed great white. A number of diving companies operate out of Gansbaai, a two-hour drive from Cape Town and also a hangout for Southern Right whales. Among the more regular pursuits suited to the cooler months is horse riding, with the beach at Noordhoek a popular venue; kayaking (Hout Bay, Simonstown, False Bay and Cape Point are some recommended paddling locations); rock climbing; and mountain-biking, an activity for which Cape Town is very well prepared. For some aerial adventure and another perspective of the city, helicopter flips over Table Mountain and skydiving are available as well.
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Beaches
Cape Town is renowned for its superb beaches, and although you're visiting us in winter, there are still balmy days to be enjoyed, presenting the perfect opportunity to head beach-wards. On the Atlantic seaboard, wide sandy stretches, dramatic views and blazing sunsets make up for bracing sea temperatures. You'll find some of the country's best-toned bodies basking on the four Clifton Beaches - they are kept firm, in part, by the steep stairs that must be climbed to reach the sand. First and Second Beach, they say, attract beautiful young things. Alternative lifesytles patronize Third Beach, while families congregate on Fourth. Of course, beach life is quite unpredictable during our winter months and the beaches are turned into great places to play volleyball and hang out with a few beers and a few extra buddies from around the globe. Far more easily accessible and edged by trendy eateries, nearby Camps Bay is a weekend favorite and crowds up in record time on a fine day. A little further on you'll find Llandudno, a surfers' paradise rimmed by some of the city's most expensive real estate, and Sandy Bay, where relaxation extends to stripping off one's clothes and letting it all hang out. The warmer waters of the False Bay seaboard are better suited to those who wish to do more than just decorate the beach. Long established as a prime swimming spot, Muizenberg's multi-colored Victorian-style beach boxes hark back to a genteel time when talent contests and late afternoon promenade walks typified summer holidays. There are some good beaches too in Simonstown, one of the oldest Cape settlements. It boasts a strong naval tradition, reflected in a number of museums and monuments. When the wind is up, it's Boulders that sun worshippers head for, a beach sheltered by large, rounded rocks and lazily watched over by a protected colony of African penguins. You might not use our beaches for tanning or swimming during the chilly FIFA 2010 World Cup period, but why not grab a glass of home-grown wine and head to the beach to watch the sun go down.
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Eating Out
- Cape Town's eateries consistently occupy more than their fair share of places on local Top Restaurant lists. Take advantage of your stay to discover why. The city's chefs are adventurous, combining unusual ingredients and cuisines in flavorsome fusions. The homegrown Cape Malay cuisine is one such blend. Strongly influenced by Malay and Indonesian slaves first brought to the Cape some 400 years ago, it is characterized by sweet curries and spicy stews. Among the signature dishes are bobotie, a mince dish topped with an egg custard, and waterblommetjiebredie, a meat stew made with water hyacinths. Fish fresh out of the sea is an obvious choice in Cape Town. A distinctive Cape taste, but sadly underrated, is smoked snoek. Shellfish delicacies include crayfish (rock lobster) and mussels, and with some luck you may find rare abalone (perlemoen) - the harvesting of which is strictly controlled. Hout Bay sports a number of popular fish restaurants in and around Mariner's Wharf, while Kalk Bay Station's Brass Bell is as well known for the waves crashing against its terrace as it is for its food. On the V&A Waterfront, Baia has a solid reputation. You'll find a wealth of culinary styles, from Cajun to Caribbean, vegetarian to Vietnamese, in Cape Town. Restaurant strips worth investigating are Long Street in the CBD, Kloof Street in Gardens and the suburbs of Green Point, Sea Point and De Waterkant. And no matter what delicacy you select, there's a local wine to match, cultivated in the acclaimed vineyards on the city's doorstep. You can find more local restaurant information through http://www.eatout.co.za/
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Attractions & Activities
A tourist lost for something to do in Cape Town would be hard to find...this city has it all: beaches to sunbathe and socialize, scenery to admire, a depth of history to explore, a wealth of physical pursuits to conquer, and exciting nightlife to help you celebrate a winning match result. Take a trip to the wine lands and taste our home-grown tipple; see the world from your vantage point at the top of Table Mountain; dine like a king at one of the many fantastic restaurants; and celebrate the great outdoors; even during the winter months. When you're done supporting your team, get to know this southern tip of Africa. Take an organized tour, or hire a car and do it on your own steam. Take time to interact with the locals; they'll increase your understanding and enjoyment of our complex but compelling country.
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Entertainment and Leisure
As a football fan attending the 2010 FIFA World Cup; you're bound to find yourself spending some after-match time at the V&A Waterfront. Great for shopping and eating, its attractions include the Two Oceans Aquarium, a craft market and an amphitheatre where local artists perform. From here you can take a harbor cruise or strike out for Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela spent many of his years in prison. Catch The Cape Town Explorer, a hop-on-and-off bus with hourly departures. It's great for familiarizing yourself with the city centre sights; it swings by the Atlantic beaches and makes a stop at Table Mountain's lower cableway station. After dark, Cape Town has all the offerings of a trendy city. Jazz is the music of choice, with Waterfront venues, The Green Dolphin and Mannenberg's Jazz Café, being excellent choices for sampling local sounds. Theatre is varied, and venues such as The Baxter, Artscape and Theatre on the Bay stage plays, musical reviews and comedy. Opera in the Cape is undergoing an interesting transformation, featuring an increasing presence of black voices. The club scene is active in and around Long Street in the CBD, Observatory and Claremont, and turns a definite shade of pink in Green Point's Somerset Road and Sea Point's Main Road and De Waterkant. The city's café society is vibrant and a frothy cappuccino is never far off, while beer, that great South African favorite, can be enjoyed in pubs, bars or sociable shebeens (taverns).
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Health and Wellness
Watching a football match may not be as tiring as playing one, but that's no excuse not to try a soothing massage at the growing number of health spas and wellness centers in and around Cape Town. Located by and large in top-end hotels, many have given their range of treatments an African note. Using ingredients derived from local clay, roots, seeds and oils, therapies are designed to send you on exotic sensory journeys. You may be massaged with Xhosa beads, exfoliated with fynbos (the vegetation that covers Table Mountain), polished with shea butter and detoxified with buchu, a local herb with antiseptic properties. Some spas to consider are those in the Sérénité Spa group, the wellness centre at the Cape Grace Hotel on the Waterfront, The Sanctuary at the award-winning Twelve Apostles Hotel and Altira Spa at the Arabella Sheraton opposite the Cape Town International Convention Centre. At the Long Street Baths downtown, the location of a popular heated swimming pool, there are Turkish steam baths and a massage service available to women. If a good body workout is what you need to give you a complete sense of wellbeing, most Cape hotels feature gyms equipped with the necessary basics. Or you can go to a gym chain such as Virgin Active or Planet Fitness and find the latest high-tech apparatus. Heading out of town, the Temenos Retreat Centre in McGregor is a balm for the soul. So, too, the Bushmans Kloof Wilderness Reserve and Retreat; situated close to the Cedarberg Mountains, it makes a fantastic getaway to revive body, mind and spirit.
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History & Culture
The oldest city in South Africa, Cape Town's past has many chapters that contribute to a captivating multi-ethnic culture. If you have time to delve further, the place to start is the city's oldest building - the Castle of Good Hope, built as a fortress by the first white settlers, the Dutch. Then explore the Company Gardens and cobbled Government Avenue. This avenue is lined with historic institutions such as De Tuynhuis, the Cape office of the State President, and the South African Museum with its exhibits on the first known inhabitants of the Cape, the San and Khoikhoi. The tale of South East Asian slaves is detailed at the Bo-Kaap Museum, in the boldly painted and terraced Bo-Kaap quarter on the slopes of Signal Hill. The Afrikaans-speaking descendants of these slaves have been absorbed into the Coloured community, yet remain staunch Moslems; their neighborhood is dotted with the minarets of mosques. Not that long ago, the liberation struggle and the emergence of a democratic South Africa grabbed world headlines. The poignancy of the times is narrated at the District Six Museum, tracing the forced removal of a vibrant mixed-race community, and of course at Robben Island, where apartheid's critics were banished and silenced. Growing in popularity are tours to the townships on the Cape Flats, where a new urban culture is being forged. Tours include development projects, arts and crafts facilities, a visit to a traditional herbalist (sangoma) and a meal consisting of pap (maize porridge) and stew in a lively shebeen (tavern).
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Natural Attractions
It's been said often enough, and you'll soon agree: Cape Town truly is the world's most beautiful city. It's Sydney with more drama or San Francisco with more sun. Looming over it all is the ever-present Table Mountain. Sometimes she bares her all in shades of green to deep purple, sometimes she dons her "tablecloth" of cloud; other times, she hides away behind a heavy curtain of mist. Tourists can share her dizzying panoramas of the city by riding her revolving cable car or hiking her many trails. The treacherous Cape Point promontory and witness to many a shipwreck enhances Cape Towns reputation for dramatic scenery. The fact that this wild and tempestuous landmark is not the southernmost tip of Africa (contrary to popular belief), nor the place where the Indian and Atlantic Oceans meet, hardly makes it less compelling. It's a trip well worth making, the last part up to a lighthouse completed by funicular. The journey to Cape Point usually includes a 10km drive over Chapman's Peak which, with its hairpin bends atop sheer cliff drops, sets the stage for scenic awe. The drive, linking the Hout Bay and Noordhoek beaches, is often tackled by determined cyclists. There are plenty of options for more sedate natural encounters in Cape Town. On the eastern slopes of the mountain are the celebrated botanical gardens at Kirstenbosch, with walks of all levels to tackle, landscaped picnic spots and restaurants serving as a refined break with their offerings of tea and scones (or a glass of good Cape wine).
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Surrounding Areas
East and west of Cape Town, the Western Cape Province matches its capital for interest, scenic beauty and adventure. On the West Coast, walk in the path of the early Khoisan, who left their signatures in hundreds of rock paintings, particularly in the rugged Cedarberg. At the West Coast Fossil Park, a 90-minute drive from Cape Town, there's a rich find of animal fossils - even three-toed horses, would you believe! About mid-year, depending on the rains, the region breaks into a field of daisies, proteas and shrubs as the flower season starts. June brings playful visitors to the Overberg coast as Southern Right Whales take up residence in the inlets and bays. They can be seen frolicking from the seaside town of Hermanus, or from a whale viewing boat. Don't miss Cape Agulhas, marked by a lighthouse, the meeting point of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. Up the east coast runs the aptly named Garden Route, incorporating Mossel Bay, Sedgefield, George, Wilderness, Plettenberg Bay and Knysna. It's a veritable Eden, edge to edge in beaches, lakes, lagoons and forests, mixed with magnificent golf estates and cultural attractions, sprinkled liberally with thrills like bungee jumping and sea kayaking. Don't be fooled by the dryness of the Karoo; under its infinite skies there's much archaeology, wildlife, architecture and some of the most impressive mountain passes. The Cango Caves outside Oudtshoorn drip with stalactites and stalagmites, while the ostrich palaces, located on farms where you can ride one of the birds if you dare, have retained their yesteryear elegance.
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Winelands
Gracious gabled homes, towering mountain peaks and craggy mountain passes, slopes verdant with vines in neat rows; that's the image conjured up by the winelands, perfect to tour on a chilly day when there's no action on the field. (Of course, you could spare the poetry and just think of gorgeous Chardonnays and robust bottles of Shiraz.) There are some 200 cellars within easy reach of Cape Town, where wine in all its varieties "red, white, pink, sweet, dry and sparkling" can be sampled. The best of them are located on the four main routes; the Stellenbosch, Paarl, Franschhoek and Wellington routes. The idea is to drive from estate to estate, pay a small fee to taste the wines, stock up on those you fancy at extremely reasonable prices, and enjoy some superior cuisine en route. You may, however, be sidetracked by bargains in antique shops, treasures in art galleries and delicacies at farm stalls. It's also a good idea to go as part of a tour if you're planning on having more than a glass or two. The four main centres are quite different in character. Stately, oak-lined Stellenbosch is a university town; Franschhoek, founded by 17th-century Huguenots, is South Africa's French corner and emulates her gastronomic tradition; Paarl is rich in national monuments and boasts the country's longest main road at 11km; and Wellington is so tranquil, you'll find it hard to leave. If you have a few days to spare, you can enrich your Winelands experience with game viewing, hot air ballooning, rock climbing or horse riding. But if time is short, the Groot Constantia estate in Cape Town's southern suburbs, with its Cape Dutch homestead, cellar tours and excellent restaurants, will give you a taste of wine-farm living.
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Local Map of Cape Town
Map of Cape Town, South Africa
*Click on map to enlarge
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View All South Africa World Cup Host Cities online.
Check Out our South Africa World Cup Stadiums page for statistics about all of the 2010 FIFA World Cup Venues.
View our South Africa World Cup Host City Distance page to view the distance (in miles) between the Host Cities of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa - Information on the Official 2010 FIFA World Cup Packages and World Cup Tickets that we'll have to offer.
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